April 2024 Goals

I've been busy working on the property over the past couple months as weather has permitted...and she's permitted a lot. But I want to get back on track with PEP.

I've been doing a lot of work, but not recording it and uploading it, as there was just so MUCH to do.

That'll change this month.

My goal is to start fleshing out my categories until I have at least one air badge in each of the 22. I'm keeping the bar kinda low, but that's my minimum for the month...

What are your April permaculture goals?

Best of luck, Jim!
A lot of spring growth are at their peak in my area, so my April goal is to make use of them. Chickweed, plantain leaves, dandelions, usnea, pine pollen, etc. As long as I remember to take photos, I'll upload some for PEP Natural Medicine.

Great goals! I need to knock out some more in that category, too. Hopefully I can get my sand badge in relatively short order.

j

Nikki Roche wrote:Best of luck, Jim!
A lot of spring growth are at their peak in my area, so my April goal is to make use of them. Chickweed, plantain leaves, dandelions, usnea, pine pollen, etc. As long as I remember to take photos, I'll upload some for PEP Natural Medicine.

April is a busy month for me. A lot of planting/prepping happens this month in the garden!

I'm hoping to start checking off a few BBs from my 2024 PEM Gardening Badge Challenge by getting the labor part of a bunch of the BBs done. A few of the more growie-focused ones require some time to pass to show growth but I can get everything else done.

I have had success with Chipdrop dropping off some mulch as well as some residual pine mulch that a tree climbing friend I had dropped off. I'm eager to get an area of lawn that I'm converting into a hedge of rhubarb chipped so I can worry less about the grass outcompeting the plants while they establish.

I'm going to check out chipdrop to see how active they are in my area. Thanks for reminding me.

j

Timothy Norton wrote:April is a busy month for me. A lot of planting/prepping happens this month in the garden!

I'm hoping to start checking off a few BBs from my 2024 PEM Gardening Badge Challenge by getting the labor part of a bunch of the BBs done. A few of the more growie-focused ones require some time to pass to show growth but I can get everything else done.

I have had success with Chipdrop dropping off some mulch as well as some residual pine mulch that a tree climbing friend I had dropped off. I'm eager to get an area of lawn that I'm converting into a hedge of rhubarb chipped so I can worry less about the grass outcompeting the plants while they establish.

I have got to get my seasonal fishing line fence up this month, and plant all the warm-season goodies now that the frosts are almost over here. April is just about my favorite time in the garden in Tennessee. And a batch of chicks will arrive any day at the Post Office for our first experiments with poultry in the city!

Apparently they are quite active here, and if you accept a few logs in your chips, it's super speedy. Quite a few only wait a day or two. Some are waiting about a month. It seems that super-picky people can wait a year or two. I'm not picky. If there are logs in mine, I'll season and burn them or possibly make some biochar? Or, or, or... hugelkultur?

Jim Garlits wrote:I'm going to check out chipdrop to see how active they are in my area. Thanks for reminding me.

j

Got my wood chips from Chip Drop in about 3 weeks. Not bad at all!

Jim Garlits wrote:I'm going to check out chipdrop to see how active they are in my area. Thanks for reminding me.

j

Timothy Norton wrote:April is a busy month for me. A lot of planting/prepping happens this month in the garden!

I'm hoping to start checking off a few BBs from my 2024 PEM Gardening Badge Challenge by getting the labor part of a bunch of the BBs done. A few of the more growie-focused ones require some time to pass to show growth but I can get everything else done.

I have had success with Chipdrop dropping off some mulch as well as some residual pine mulch that a tree climbing friend I had dropped off. I'm eager to get an area of lawn that I'm converting into a hedge of rhubarb chipped so I can worry less about the grass outcompeting the plants while they establish.

That is so exciting!

Congrats on the treasure delivery. You got an idea of what kind of tree the chips came from?

Make sure to pace yourself and save your back from strain.

They don’t tell you what type of trees are in the mix. I’ve got a fork and a cart, and I’m pacing myself. Already got the beds beside the garage done.

j

Timothy Norton wrote:That is so exciting!

Congrats on the treasure delivery. You got an idea of what kind of tree the chips came from?

Make sure to pace yourself and save your back from strain.

That's a quick turnaround! I think it took about 3 YEARS before my first drop arrived. Good luck with pacing yourself!

Nikki Roche wrote:
A lot of spring growth are at their peak in my area, so my April goal is to make use of them. Chickweed, plantain leaves, dandelions, usnea, pine pollen, etc. As long as I remember to take photos, I'll upload some for PEP Natural Medicine.

I didn't realize we were nearly at the end of April until this post popped up again. I missed most of chickweed season, but plantain looks great and I'm still using it. I harvested a small amount of pine pollen and made dandelion flower sugar cookies. I got one Natural Medicine BB uploaded and am waiting for a couple of things to finish infusing so I can get photos. Considering my household had the flu for nearly all of April, I'm happy with my progress.

An expert hack to get your chips more quickly is to check the box that says you don't mind if there are a few logs in it. And if you defray their costs (I gifted $20) that can push you up the list, too. My wife was home when they dropped them off and the driver asked if we wanted another full truckload. She laughed and said the one they left is almost as big as the garage. I guess they were coming off a really big job.

j

Nikki Roche wrote:That's a quick turnaround! I think it took about 3 YEARS before my first drop arrived. Good luck with pacing yourself!

Nikki Roche wrote:
A lot of spring growth are at their peak in my area, so my April goal is to make use of them. Chickweed, plantain leaves, dandelions, usnea, pine pollen, etc. As long as I remember to take photos, I'll upload some for PEP Natural Medicine.

I didn't realize we were nearly at the end of April until this post popped up again. I missed most of chickweed season, but plantain looks great and I'm still using it. I harvested a small amount of pine pollen and made dandelion flower sugar cookies. I got one Natural Medicine BB uploaded and am waiting for a couple of things to finish infusing so I can get photos. Considering my household had the flu for nearly all of April, I'm happy with my progress.