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Jarrell, TX Food Forest project

 
James Bradford
pollinator
Posts: 241
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
pollinator
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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
pollinator
Posts: 241
Location: Salado, Texas
50
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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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Posts: 183
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
pollinator
Posts: 241
Location: Salado, Texas
50
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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
pollinator
Posts: 241
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
pollinator
Posts: 241
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
pollinator
Posts: 241
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
pollinator
Posts: 241
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
pollinator
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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
pollinator
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Location: Salado, Texas
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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
pollinator
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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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Location: Salado, Texas
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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
pollinator
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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
pollinator
Posts: 241
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
pollinator
Posts: 241
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
pollinator
Posts: 241
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
pollinator
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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.

 
James Bradford
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Location: Salado, Texas
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Whew, we are having quite a dry spring.  I was hoping for better wildflower display.  The blue curl and evening primrose are putting the best show on so far.  

Even roses have dried out looking petals now.

Primrose estblished and flowered on top of my very dry hugel
20250414_090950.jpg
From wildflower mix, tossed up there
From wildflower mix, tossed up there
20250410_192457.jpg
Growing on 18 inches of composted chips
Growing on 18 inches of composted chips

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

 
James Bradford
pollinator
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Location: Salado, Texas
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Its weed pulling, bug catching, and compost tea making season.

I pretend im just collecting fodder for the tea ...thats more fun than pulling weeds and diseased leaves

Weeds go to collection bins setup to reduce walking

Prickly things and seedy things may go to the biochar trench

Diseased stuff, ants, snails go to bucket full of water with lid
20250404_163218.jpg
Plant pests? ...or plant food?
Plant pests? ...or plant food?
20250414_090521.jpg
Keep weed bins spread all around
Keep weed bins spread all around
20250328_112838.jpg
Buckets with lids are best for diseased stuff
Buckets with lids are best for diseased stuff

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

 
James Bradford
pollinator
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Location: Salado, Texas
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Im getting a few tasty treats
20250328_104146.jpg
The sweet peas ...tasty
The sweet peas ...tasty

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

 
Suzie Park
Posts: 30
Location: Austin, Texas area
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Thanks for the photo journal!

Nice work! I didn't know that covering plants in a greenhouse was helpful. Good to know.

I've wondered about earth-sheltered greenhouses in our climate - I can't find anyone who grows successfully like that. Or maybe they don't think it's worth the expense/hassle since we have so many growing months.

I'm also wondering about using rocks as a thermal battery for winter protection without a greenhouse - there's a development nearby that has HUGE excavated rocks I wonder if I can get. We have a mini-ex to move them around. I'm trying to see how much Sepp Holzer-style microclimate stuff I can do just to bump little parts of my zone 8a place to 9. I think perhaps I could do a slightly curved south-facing rock wall with passion vines on trellises covering it during our hot summers so my citrus and banana, etc. won't get scorched, then in winter, cut the vines down. Hmm. Timing would be interesting. Would the vines grow tall/thick enough before the sun gets too hot? I'm very excited to try this experiment. Even without those huge rocks, I could get enough rocks from our own place for an experiment, esp. if I dig to make some Holzer-style crater gardens.

Eternal optimist, passionate about revitalizing the land, awake but conscious of how illusive truth really is. Much love to all!

 
James Bradford
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Suzie Park wrote:
I've wondered about earth-sheltered greenhouses in our climate -



For sure, the next greenhouse I build will feature a cliff as the north wall.   I'm planning to build it to spec for Badge Bit credit.  In central Texas, I  believe such a design will ensure passive effects to keep my stuff above freezing.   I also plan to install some sort of wood heating, because when you go to the trouble of building a greenhouse, it also pays to build something that is nice to work in all winter ...multi-use building is the way to go.

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

 
James Bradford
pollinator
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Location: Salado, Texas
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We finally got the gulley washer that we needed to get thru summer.  It was so nice to walk outside and hear the sound of rushing water.  The road out front would be a dry creek bed if it wasn't a road.

Garden swales are full ...I'm practically walking on water ...no mud here.

Started fire ant training ...stick tapping mound and taking all those who dare crawl up stick to bucket of water.  ...easy protein in hard times
20250506_120710.jpg
The front ditch
The front ditch
20250506_121314.jpg
Great weed pulling (green collection) day
Great weed pulling (green collection) day
20250506_121126.jpg
Driveway under water ... still drivable and no mud
Driveway under water ... still drivable and no mud
20250506_120919.jpg
Those self pruning pecan trees...smh
Those self pruning pecan trees...smh

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

 
James Bradford
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...dont count yer peaches until they are in your belly, but looking good so far

Clammy weed is 2nd plant to flower on the hugel bed, and dove weed is 3rd plant to establish up there
20250509_194831.jpg
May ripening peaches on a nursery bought tree
May ripening peaches on a nursery bought tree
20250509_194650.jpg
Kona blackberries getting closer
Kona blackberries getting closer
20250509_194556.jpg
Clammy weed .
Clammy weed .
20250509_194600.jpg
Dove weed on top of Mt. Hugel
Dove weed on top of Mt. Hugel

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

 
Suzie Park
Posts: 30
Location: Austin, Texas area
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For sure, the next greenhouse I build will feature a cliff as the north wall.   I'm planning to build it to spec for Badge Bit credit.  In central Texas, I  believe such a design will ensure passive effects to keep my stuff above freezing.   I also plan to install some sort of wood heating, because when you go to the trouble of building a greenhouse, it also pays to build something that is nice to work in all winter ...multi-use building is the way to go.



Nice. Hubs and I looked at that big pile of rocks again and were like - hmm. That's a pretty big pile of rocks. And many rocks may be difficult to move with the mini-ex. We'll see. Pacing myself, still want to get the mulch we have in the swales to help prevent evaporation. We also got good rain in the last month, so my berms and swales are doing pretty great, although nature's individual species are establishing their own monocultures in different places around. I have volunteer wild amaranth which the bees love but I will want to prevent from going to seed. The volunteer poppies were a welcome addition I haven't seen here before.

Thanks for the additional photos - so neato! Haha re: pecan. Maybe you can crest that driveway in the future, or just dig short ditches on the sides with little brush/rock dams. Or at the upslope, dig some diversion swales filled with rocks where you drive over it.

Eternal optimist, passionate about revitalizing the land, awake but conscious of how illusive truth really is. Much love to all!

 
James Bradford
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This was one of the 1st apricot seedling that I dug up here in Jarrell and replanted.  It was spring of 2022 as best I can remember.   It started blooming this January and kept blooming thru a (late for us) freeze in late Feb.
https://permies.com/t/273224/a/258033/20250121_091123.jpg

Look at these fruits now!

...hoping I get to taste them.  This seedling must have been result of cross pollination with a better tree
20250703_074251.jpg
3 yr old wild apricot with peach sized fruit
3 yr old wild apricot with peach sized fruit
20250703_074603.jpg
The smaller apricots on the mama tree.
The smaller apricots on the mama tree.

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

 
James Bradford
pollinator
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Location: Salado, Texas
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hugelkultur forest garden fungi foraging medical herbs ungarbage
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We had a really dry March this year, which I let discourage me from planting more in ground stuff.  It's been a wet year ever since, so kicking myself I dont have more of these babies growing.
20250627_081614.jpg
Charleston Grey grown with only rainwater
Charleston Grey grown with only rainwater

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

 
James Bradford
pollinator
Posts: 241
Location: Salado, Texas
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hugelkultur forest garden fungi foraging medical herbs ungarbage
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This is my first harvest from the 1st wild apricot that I planted here.  I think a lizard knocked 3 of them down last night ...and ate about half of one.  I had no idea they were ripe.   They are as sweet as peaches, but ripen green.

I'm so glad I didn't try to graft on to  this tree ...I'll be collecting its scions instead!  I want stone fruit from may to September, and this tree will cover mid July for me!
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Ripe apricots
Ripe apricots

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

 
James Bradford
pollinator
Posts: 241
Location: Salado, Texas
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hugelkultur forest garden fungi foraging medical herbs ungarbage
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It's time to use the compost tea ...I do one cup per 5 gallons.  i have a lot more tea in the pipe-line and so I will probably up the dose next for the next watering.

My watermelon patch gave birth to a 30.5 lbs Charleston Grey ...hoping I picked it at the right time.   I'm taking it to the farmer's market tomorrow to show off -- hope its good.

Composting-at-140.jpg
finishing the last of the compost recovered from the now defunct Salado Food Forest project
finishing the last of the compost recovered from the now defunct Salado Food Forest project
compost-tea.jpg
mmmm, smelly, but the plants like it
mmmm, smelly, but the plants like it
MorningGloryMonster.jpg
my entertainment, watching the watermelon vine run from the morning glory monster
my entertainment, watching the watermelon vine run from the morning glory monster
spidey.jpg
spider's are fat
spider's are fat
storms-in-jarrell.jpg
got a nice break today ...light rain makes watering easier
got a nice break today ...light rain makes watering easier

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

 
James Bradford
pollinator
Posts: 241
Location: Salado, Texas
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hugelkultur forest garden fungi foraging medical herbs ungarbage
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This is my current cooking setup.   I'm propane independent now ...9 months out of the year ...unless I get lazy some day.

It started with a citronella candle that I was using on my porch to keep mosquitoes away and out of my cabin.   Those candles cost 8 bucks each, and the wicks don't last for the whole can of wax; that got me to looking for cheaper option.  

So, I started burning cedar chips in that small rectangular, stainless steel, tray at left in the picture.   That worked great and I just carried it around where-ever I was working to chase away the skeets.   So then I tried cooking on it.  It worked, but as it got drier, I worried about burning sticks falling out.   So then I went fancy ...  big terracotta pot with just the right amount of soil in bottom to hold a stainless steel pale at just the right height under my grill.  I also drilled a few holes in the fire pale for venting.   It works really great, and sparks and embers fall inside the terracotta pot.   I start a fire 1st thing in the morning, the smoke clears the skeeters, and by 10 am I have that inner pale full of burning coals to cook my "whatever the garden has" omelet.

cook-station.jpg
from smoke smudge pot to cooking with sticks
from smoke smudge pot to cooking with sticks

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

 
James Bradford
pollinator
Posts: 241
Location: Salado, Texas
50
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hugelkultur forest garden fungi foraging medical herbs ungarbage
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today's recipe was: young, tender black-eyed peas, okra, thai basil, and lambsquarter

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

 
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work - Edison. Tiny ad:
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