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Jarrell, TX Food Forest project

 
James Bradford
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Location: Salado, Texas
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I've been working at this location for about 3 years now.  It features a 400sq. ft. greenhouse, gardens, hugel pile, fruit and nut trees, and various other perineals on about 1/4 acre.  I will be posting updates and info for this site here.

row row row your boat, gently down the stream
merrily merrily merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

 
James Bradford
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Location: Salado, Texas
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Greenhouse performance:   good.  We just had a cold snap with temps down to 20ish degrees, and I saved my banana tree this year with $24 worth of propane.   My next greenhouse, in Salado project hopefully, will feature some type of wood heating.

I did loose a couple of plants as there are some drafty places inside.

...don't worry, these "poop"-matoes aren't for sale
20250124_135550.jpg
Today's pic, the survivers
Today's pic, the survivers
20250124_135534.jpg
Volunteer tomatoes in my humanize compost
Volunteer tomatoes in my humanize compost

row row row your boat, gently down the stream
merrily merrily merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

 
James Bradford
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Location: Salado, Texas
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...lots of plants in every corner and under tables. The plants on the tables stayed warmer
20250124_135343.jpg
Inside the greenhouse today
Inside the greenhouse today
20250121_090154.jpg
A little snow blew in here
A little snow blew in here

row row row your boat, gently down the stream
merrily merrily merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

 
Bonnie Kuhlman
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Location: Zone 7a, AZ
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Hi James,  I'm about 1/2 hour east of Gonzales, but it just happens I'm going to be in Pfluggerville next week - about 1/2 hour (I think) south of Jarrell.  I've been trying for awhile to get things accomplished on our 7+ acres and have had a lot of failures and a few successes so far.  I'm in my 60's and doing most of this myself.  So, I have to be realistic about what I can accomplish.

I'd love to hear more about your plans.  And if it works out, maybe we can visit sometime.

Bonnie
 
James Bradford
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For a central Texas garden, you can grow lots of greens thru the winter especially if you water b4 the cold and cover.

....just some notes here:

Cilantro, garlic and onions all were fine down to 20, even uncovered

Dill, carrots, peas, and broccoli needed the covers the most.

Spinach, kale, arugula, mustard, turnips, kohlrabi, and beats all seemed happier being covered on the coldest nights
20250124_135055.jpg
Uncovered broccoli
Uncovered broccoli
20250124_135044.jpg
Covered broccoli
Covered broccoli
20250124_134533.jpg
Hugel bed after uncovering today
Hugel bed after uncovering today

row row row your boat, gently down the stream
merrily merrily merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

 
James Bradford
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Location: Salado, Texas
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...our "winter blast"  ...and I wouldn't mind if that is all we get this year.
20250121_091123.jpg
...silly apricot, it's not Spring yet
...silly apricot, it's not Spring yet
20250121_090342.jpg
Even this prickly pear looks cold
Even this prickly pear looks cold
20250121_090715.jpg
My daily greens under there!
My daily greens under there!

row row row your boat, gently down the stream
merrily merrily merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

 
James Bradford
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Location: Salado, Texas
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Bonnie Kuhlman wrote:Hi James,  I'm about 1/2 hour east of Gonzales, but it just happens I'm going to be in Pfluggerville next week - about 1/2 hour (I think) south of Jarrell.  I've been trying for awhile to get things accomplished on our 7+ acres and have had a lot of failures and a few successes so far.  I'm in my 60's and doing most of this myself.  So, I have to be realistic about what I can accomplish.

I'd love to hear more about your plans.  And if it works out, maybe we can visit sometime.

Bonnie



...for sure.  I love to give tours!  ...just give me a little notice because I don't check messages everyday

row row row your boat, gently down the stream
merrily merrily merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

 
James Bradford
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Location: Salado, Texas
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Snow is rare here ... this is my b4 pic for BB for spring cleanup.  
20250121_090422.jpg
The "cleaned" up Pic coming soon as the snow has melted already!
The "cleaned" up Pic coming soon as the snow has melted already!

row row row your boat, gently down the stream
merrily merrily merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

 
James Bradford
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Location: Salado, Texas
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Midway on spring cleanup...
20250129_160043.jpg
I can see the ground here now
I can see the ground here now

row row row your boat, gently down the stream
merrily merrily merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

 
James Bradford
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Location: Salado, Texas
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...just accumulating pics here for my hugel bed BB application
20250129_154415.jpg
Amaranth planting on north face b4 a rainstorm
Amaranth planting on north face b4 a rainstorm

row row row your boat, gently down the stream
merrily merrily merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

 
James Bradford
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Location: Salado, Texas
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Covid is what flipped my switch, it was the "shot over the bow" that made me think it's time to get serious about self sufficiency, and my 1st goal was to plant enough stuff to provide year round nutrition, not calories, yet.  Today's harvest, Cilantro and garlic.
20250201_100806.jpg
Harvesting fresh garlic and Cilantro for today's stir fry
Harvesting fresh garlic and Cilantro for today's stir fry

row row row your boat, gently down the stream
merrily merrily merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

 
James Bradford
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Garden rows I'm super happy with.  It starts with digging, but no dig from now on.  This year, all I have to do to maintain garden is cut back dead stuff and throw it in the walking paths.  For planting, I sprinkle my seeds on the raised planting hills, and then sprinkle a layer of finished compost on top.   I just got my snowpeas in b4 this rain.  I'm gonna drop in a couple of wild guara plants again to provide wind shade and something for the peas to climb
20250130_095640.jpg
These garden rows were a pain to make, but they are catching water now
These garden rows were a pain to make, but they are catching water now

row row row your boat, gently down the stream
merrily merrily merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

 
James Bradford
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Location: Salado, Texas
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I'm doing this whole project with no running water, and here are some of my tricks:

1. 4000 gallon collection tank
2. Keep plants in trays and save the rain water when they fill.
3.  Collection buckets under tables with a drain hole
20250130_104325.jpg
Cistern collecting water off greenhouse roof
Cistern collecting water off greenhouse roof
20250130_101334.jpg
Bottom watering works best for pots anyway
Bottom watering works best for pots anyway
20250130_100049.jpg
Strategically placed buckets can help recycle water and nutrients that might wash thru potted plants
Strategically placed buckets can help recycle water and nutrients that might wash thru potted plants

row row row your boat, gently down the stream
merrily merrily merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

 
James Bradford
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Carrots coming up in the soil from trench dug around my hugel bed ...only downside is that built up soil around bottom of hugel makes it harder to reach the bed space
20250212_172150.jpg
Carrots and random brassicus
Carrots and random brassicus

row row row your boat, gently down the stream
merrily merrily merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

 
James Bradford
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Location: Salado, Texas
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...meanwhile, back in the greenhouse, there are many seedlings almost ready to pot.   In central Texas we often get a couple of warm weeks in Febuary ...its and important window to sprout early spring garden plants.   Sifted biochar and compost work fine for sprouting too
20250211_100225.jpg
Amaranth and kale sprouts in my new biochar mix
Amaranth and kale sprouts in my new biochar mix

row row row your boat, gently down the stream
merrily merrily merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

 
James Bradford
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Location: Salado, Texas
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This last freeze dropped temps inside parts of my greenhouse down to 29 deg.   Not good for some of my plants, especially the large fruiting tomato plants.

Most things are bouncing back already

Im super excited to build an Oehler style greenhouse at the Salado site.  That property has some perfect south facing bluffs to build a passive greenhouse into.  

I can keep small plants from freezing in my current greenhouse if i cover them.   I never knew how effective blankets can be!
20250223_130531.jpg
Small tomato sucker did fine compared to the plants i pulled the suckers from
Small tomato sucker did fine compared to the plants i pulled the suckers from
20250223_130421.jpg
Its dead, but the tomatoes are still good.
Its dead, but the tomatoes are still good.
20250223_140036.jpg
Uncovered cilantro took it at 17 degrees
Uncovered cilantro took it at 17 degrees
20250223_135937.jpg
Drip irrigation for my hugel bed
Drip irrigation for my hugel bed

row row row your boat, gently down the stream
merrily merrily merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

 
James Bradford
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Location: Salado, Texas
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The view in Jarrell: misty morning

Febuary is great time to do heavy lifting in the garden.  I been spreading compost, wood chips, and removing dead stuff from last year.
20250224_064950.jpg
Looking s. east
Looking s. east
20250224_112243.jpg
Radish erroding out ...easy fix add compost
Radish erroding out ...easy fix add compost
20250224_113713.jpg
...planted sweet corn, beans, and beats today
...planted sweet corn, beans, and beats today

row row row your boat, gently down the stream
merrily merrily merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

 
James Bradford
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Location: Salado, Texas
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Carrot seedlings froze with temps below 20

row row row your boat, gently down the stream
merrily merrily merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

 
James Bradford
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Location: Salado, Texas
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Cilantro does do better covered during hard freezes
20250301_102833.jpg
Cilantro uncovered 17 deg
Cilantro uncovered 17 deg
20250301_102808.jpg
Covered ...1 week after cold snap
Covered ...1 week after cold snap

row row row your boat, gently down the stream
merrily merrily merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

 
After three months of being pooless the hair and skin on this tiny ad is glorious!
turnkey permaculture paradise for zero monies
https://permies.com/t/267198/turnkey-permaculture-paradise-monies
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