Last year, we bought a house on 3 acres; one in woods and two in
hay field. This spring I've planted 75
native fruit and nut seedlings to start a fedge around the property. I also planted four dwarf fruit
trees to start our Food Forest Garden. Until the FFG expands to full size, and perhaps even afterward, this area will be rotational poultry pasture.
My problem is with the grass hayfield. It is a biological desert. I've read Gaia's Garden, Introduction to
Permaculture and One Straw Revolution, and I've done the requisite searchs of the forums on permies.com. But I find only the standard "add accumulators and nitrogen fixers". Since I've missed the proverbial last freeze, which would heave the ground and cover my seed, I plan to broadcast the seeds and mow the field one last time to mulch them.
So I thought I would share my plan to increase the biodiversity, and get your thoughts. Here is what I have available to sow:
N fixers:
Slender lespedeza is ordered to plant among the fedge and FFG. (I wish I had read about PC last fall, when I ordered the seedlings. I would have ordered 75 lespedeza and done the one-hole-two-plants method.)
Red clover. I've bought 4# of seed, double the rate farmers use.
Beans. 1# ea. of adzuki and soy, left over from a sprouting mix I bought. DW has now idea what to do with them.
Grains: Sorghum, millet and sunflower from the wild bird seed. Amaranth. Winter wheat. I may have some left over spelt and kamut, too.
Vegetables: I have plenty of leftover seed, dating back to 2009. lettuce, brocolli, cabbage, you name it. I also have those freebie seeds they send with each order, which I have never planted.
Herbs: Really, how many dill plants do I need in the garden? Same for the other herbs. I also got some
flax, tobacco and wormwood this year. Again, after planting several of each in the garden, there is plenty of seed left over.
Flowers: Annuals, same excess as veggie and herb seeds.
Natives: We have a nice patch of wild flowers and some native and/or warm weather grass growing in a low-lying area which was too wet for them to hay. I could try to gather some of their seeds to add to the field.
Comfrey has been ordered.
I can only find diakon radish in one of my catalogs. They also have asparagus seed. I'll be adding them next year.
So you can see, my plan is to scatter every seed I can get my hands on to increase biodiversity, attract pollinators, accumulate nutrients and provided mulch. I would appreciate any comments, warnings, criticisms or suggestions. S2
