M.K. Dorje Sr.

I assume you mean pasteurizing straw substrate. A quick question: what kind of construction lime do you have?

There are four kinds of construction lime: quick lime, slaked lime, fat lime and hydraulic lime:

https://theconstructor.org/building/types-lime-use-construction/35045/

I cannot find any info about using any of these kinds of lime to pasteurize  straw substrate.

Therefore, I'd  probably stick with hydrated lime that's low in magnesium, as it's been proven to work. This video by Tony at Freshcap Mushrooms explains exactly how to do it:



Perhaps some else on here has experience with using construction lime. Here is more info about hydrated vs. hydraulic lime:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulic_lime

Good luck!

Here's a link to Adaptive Seeds, all their seeds are organically-grown and they carry lots of varieties suitable for permaculture and winter gardens:

https://www.adaptiveseeds.com/

You can order online or they also have seed racks throughout the Pacific Northwest- highly recommended.

In your situation, I'd probably try to get as much manure and compost as possible and build a big huge hot pile on there this winter/spring. You need organic matter- the more, the better. Look into free resources like stable manure, chicken manure, sawdust, free bark, seaweed, coffee grounds, mushroom compost, leaves, compost give-aways, etc . Search craigslist and facebook. Then I'd make raised beds in the summer and plant a bunch of easy veggies and legumes- stuff like peas, beans (several kinds), lettuce, tomato transplants, peppers, squash. I'd get a bag or two of composted chicken manure to get stuff going. Daikon might be good, but only if it can penetrate the soil. Daikon doesn't do much in pure hard clay, although the pods are sometimes good to eat. It grows wild in my clay garden and just reseeds itself without making big long roots. But I prefer the small radishes like easter egg for fast edible root crops and legumes like crimson clover and fava beans for soil build-up and nitrogen. Daikon is also good in orchards- the flowers attract bees.

I always try to avoid hay. It almost always has lots of grass and weed seeds. Grass is the enemy. Straw is OK. Try to get  the neighbor's chipper and chip everything you can. See if you can get clean, free chips delivered. Fresh, green, leafy hardwood chips make excellent mulch. The big woody stuff could go into a hugelkultur bed or used as bedliners. There's all kinds of stuff on this website about hugelkultur and chips. Experiment with hugelkultur. Just my 2 cents...

Good luck!

Thanks Pete, this looks like a great way to stop the slugs from munching on shiitake, lion's mane and oyster logs. We have TONS of slugs in Oregon and they all like mushrooms.

Hi M.K. Love your list! We also do sorrel, cabbage, Asian greens like komatsuna and bok choy, and potato onions. One things that's fun in the PNW is learning that some things will perennialize here that won't elsewhere. For example, my bulbing fennel came back after I cut it back late summer, and it looks great!

Regarding peas - there is a way to foil the mice.... Put row cover over the seeds and weight down the edges with garden stakes or tree branches so they can't crawl underneath. Keep the row cover on until after the seeds have sprouted and are at least a couple inches tall. Then you get to eat the peas, and the mice dont! Haha!

Jen, interestingly enough that's the exact same strategy I employed last year to thwart the rodents (and birds like the jays and the crows)! I even started the peas in a mini-cell tray and grew them in that for a couple weeks before transplanting them, something I wouldn't normally do with peas. I was real careful to hold down the row cover on all sides. But I came back a week after transplanting and every single pea plant was gone!

Apparently, the voles (or mice?) had come up underneath the row covers through their tunnel system and munched every one. After that, I decided to just give up on peas, it's not worth the trouble...I sure wish the owls would return to my garden, they were a great help. My garden is a rodent paradise since the owls disappeared. I also used to grow Florence fennel like you as a perennial but the rodents seem to absolutely devour that stuff the second it's planted or transplanted.

I also grow Asian greens for winter harvesting but forgot to put them on my list. I started out with wild garden mustard mix from Territorial Seed Company years ago and let them go wild and "landrace" with each other and then I let them self-sow for several years. They keep migrating around the garden. Nowadays, they're mostly down to what looks like Dragon Tongue mustard. It seems to be the best variety for my food forest garden.

I also like winter cabbage- January King is a savoy variety (with crinkled leaves) that I grew for years. In recent years I've been growing Winter King cabbage from a free seed packet, but it seems less adapted to the winter weather. I also seem to be planting it too early and it bolts before the end of September, where January King would hold in the field all winter long. I'll probably go back to January King this year and try transplanting around June 1st. Adaptive seeds carries both varieties.

I sure love winter veggies!

That's great that your local nursery has the new self-pollinating fuzzy kiwi. "Jenny" is a very vigorous vine and will grow up to 20 feet. Hopefully, it can take the heat, too.

https://www.davewilson.com/nurseries/products/vine-bush-fruit/kiwifruit/jenny-self-fertile/

I've been growing kiwis for many years. There are several different species and many varieties. The variety I grow is called Issai and is a member of the hardy kiwi group (Actinidia arguta). It requires afternoon shade but does not need a pollinator. Like Jay, I upcycled an old swing set (and some wire fencing) to provide a sturdy trellis for my plants. The fuzzless fruit is small but incredibly delicious and ripens in September and early October.

But for you I would  recommend getting fuzzy kiwis that are better adapted to full sun and a long, hot growing season. To insure pollination you'll probably want to get one male and two or more females. Look for low chill varieties that can take the heat such as Vincent (female) and Matua (male). Trellises need to be sturdy and strong for fuzzy kiwis!

Here's a handy planting guide for kiwis from Raintree Nursery:

https://raintreenursery.com/pages/growing-fruit-trees-kiwi

Here's a link to a handy Winter growing chart for maritime northwest gardeners from the Territorial Seed Company, I consult this chart all the time and adjust it according to how much shade is in different areas of the food forest/ garden during the fall and winter months:

https://territorialseed.com/blogs/fall-winter-growing-guides/winter-growing-chart

Territorial carries all kinds of winter veggie varieties.

Living in western Oregon in zone 8, I  always try to have a big winter garden with as much diversity as possible. I also try to perennialize as many veggies as I can. This winter, I've got kale (3 kinds), tree collards (2 kinds), Swiss chard (2 kinds), broccoli, leaf lettuce, parsley , celery, Brussels sprouts as well as lots of root crops- beets, carrots, turnips. Overwinter veggies include asparagus, artichokes, fava beans and purple-sprouting broccoli. Alliums include Walla Walla onions, Transylvania and Chinese pink garlic, Egyptian walking onions, green bunching onions, garlic greens and Musselburgh leeks. I also have some cilantro in my unheated greenhouse, along with the Meyer lemon trees.

My main problems are always rodents- mice, rats, voles and rabbits- they are always munching the root crops and wiping out my peas. I've pretty much given up on peas because of them. But I'm thankful to able to have such a good winter garden in spite of them.

I'm in agreement with Cristobal, especially #3- "try to protect the trees from excessive sun" and #4- "mulch a lot". I might add that most young trees in your hot climate require protection on their trunks from sun burn and sun scald, as well as borers. I advise that after planting, try painting the trunks from 1 inch below the soil line to the bottom branches with white latex paint or a similar product designed to protect the young trees. Wood chips from hardwoods make great mulch.

I might add that you might try  consulting with your local extension agent or fruit tree nursery person about the best varieties for your area. You want trees (and rootstocks) that are low chill, bear lots of delicious fruit, can take the heat, pollinate themselves (or each other)  and resist local diseases. For example, in this area (Oregon), I always advise that people buy peach leaf curl resistant varieties like Indian Blood and Frost. Don't just buy whatever the local supermarket or big box store is selling, try to buy from a reputable, locally-owned  nursery or go to a local fruit tree propagation fair/seed swap event. The people at these events are always super helpful.

Good luck and have fun!