Sylvester Fishburne

I want to convert an existing lawn (sloped, south facing (In the northern hemisphere)), into a soil building and nitrogen fixing mixture of plants that I can:  a.) mow with a scythe and collect and pile up in a heavy mulch around my annual vegetables and b.) convert to garden or food forest over time, but that can build soil fertility in the meantime.  I think certain plants being mowed (or grazed) on some sort of cycle will cause root drop to build soil.  How do I go about converting this grass lawn with the least amount amount work, or at least efficiently.  And what do I need to plant?  I.e. what types of plants / seeds.  I'd like some kind of clover - I see the pink stuff and the white stuff around.  What seeds do I use and how do I get them to start in the existing lawn / grass?  I'm in middle Tennessee.  Some of the soil is clay, but there seems to be a good amount of topsoil in places the water doesn't run over.  I've only done a very little bit of digging so far.  I also have convenient access to really cheap fully composted leaves (rich black seedless soil) through the city, if that can be used efficiently to facilitate the process.  I'm imaging letting my grass / field / meadow thing grow to knee high or so and then mowing it in sections.  Maybe keeping the fence by the neighbor mowed and paths where I walk, e.g. to the garden mowed short so I don't get invested with chiggers and ticks.  (This'll probably be a chigger nightmare to mow, which I'll try to deal with with proper clothing (pants, boots, etc.))

I'm reading about people saying neighbors cut down fruiting grapes from their side of the fence.  My god, they're insane.  Obviously don't give a shit what they eat.  Although I get that reaction a lot when I recommend to neighbors that they plant fruit trees too - No, it's too much mess.  The mess is the ripe fruit.  The smoking would kill me - nudity would be whatever.  Any chance of making friends, handing over the olive branch (with olives on it) so to speak?  I like the idea of chain link with grapes or hardy kiwi's.  I'd erected a massive trellis in my front yard for grapes.  And after I was done, my neighbor who had been audibly grumbling to others about it came over and said, I just want you to know you can't build that because of codes.  You can't build in the right of way.  I tried contacting the city pre-emptively (since I could tell he was going to) and they didn't object to pictures.  Shortly thereafter I got a notice to tear it down, and the guy used the same language as my neighbor but threatened me when I asked for a citation of whatever law or regulation I was violating - he would not provide one and threatened to order me to appear in court.  They referred to it being in the right of way.  It did not obstruct the road or people walking by in the grass (no sidewalks).  In fact, I would say, it provided tons of interest.  Was planning on putting a bench out there to share.  .  It almost seemed like he made up the answer, but eventually he referred to a rule of thumb against building (what's building?) at or past the line of the power lines.  No posts were near the trellis.  And there are a few trees under the lines but it's not like the grapes were going to grow much higher.  I took down the side closer to the street.  So now I have a wobbly wall and some grapes were deserted.  Fortunately, I just found a much smaller way to trellis that looks nice.  Oh, by the way, I was told I couldn't keep by dual axle trailer I purchased for gardening, even in the back yard.  I live in a blue collar neighborhood and watch several people pull dual axle trailers out for their lawn mowing businesses every day in the Summer.  I was just at a more affluent friends house in a neighborhood with large lots but no fencing and I could see two of these trailers from his driveway.  It still bugs me, not that I even like the guy that much, but just like to be friendly or at least unspiteful with neighbors.  Once I get my yard packed, I'm going to embark more heavily on helping others.  Don't really have to wait.  But the trailer and the city here provides almost free finished leaf compost ($20 a cubic yard) I can help a lot.  I keep the trailer at a couple friend's houses and they get to use it a lot.  One fixes up used cars and one does wood working projects, so it has actually increased the good here.  Heck, I don't know, offer to clean their yard for them.  Explain that the plants on the fence are food, and they'd be welcome to help themselves to some of it.  The dog part sounds kinda scary.  Good luck.  Sorry to use your post as a forum for venting.

Hey, Todd

I had a couple minutes, I looked pretty hard but for a short time, and I could only find one.  I'm curious where the hell they all went.  If they rotted just over the winter, it would appear they might've.  I'll look around some more.  I wanna try growing these now too, but I don't have enough space for 'em.  Even one really.  Not when I could be growing edible fruit.  Anyway, I'll look around.  Like I said, there are tons here.  I looked under about 3 trees very quickly and didn't see any.  But, they can't have all disappeared.  I'm super into the idea of people helping each other.  I watched a video of a guy mashing them up, after fermenting them (?), and pouring them with water into a trench and getting tons of seedlings.  He had on the order of 10 or 20.  Another video mentioned using these for a fence, I thought the video was going to say for paddocks for animals, and then they said in order to make a killing field in front of your house, with only one way in and out.  Wow.  Anyway, one hopes for better from his fellow man.  I like to see them as a loose border between properties or paralleling a road or path.  I'd like to live in one or use it for timber in construction or firewood, although, I can't believe they grow fast enough for the latter, though one guy I respect, says they do.  Anyway, I'll probably get back in touch.  Feel free to check in, if I get lost in space.

By the way, how would I ship this thing?  Can I stick a package in my mailbox, like I do an outgoing letter, for the postman?  How would I calculate postage?  I like the idea of not stopping at the post office.

Sylvester

Hey, Todd

These things - magnificent trees - very hard wood - grow all over here (Franklin, TN).  The fruits appear, I think, in late Fall.  Although, maybe I can look under the trees for some old mushy ones.  Not sure what the seeds look like.  If I could put 'em in an envelope, I'd do it.  If I have to mail the glob, I'd want you to pay postage.  I'll look next time I'm in the park.  Maybe look online to see what the seeds look like.  I've smashed them before, and just see undifferentiated mush that kind of looks like a soft orange peel but nothing like a citrus (no fruit - no seeds (that I recognized)).  The "peel" looks like it goes all the way to the center.

I've been wondering about spice seeds, say, from the Asian Market.  I always like that spices in the regular grocery store might cost $5 an ounce but might be less than $5 a pound at the A.M.  Anyway, also wondering about how well they grow and how well they might grow in my garden conditions.  Like fennel - is this really perennial?  Is it in my climate?  Zone 6 or 7 I think.  How about anise.  Anyway, all those bulk bins at, say, Whole Foods really make the seed packets look silly.  I haven't tried any staples (grains or beans) because I doubt I can grow them as efficiently as a couple bucks a pound - it just seems pretty cheap.  But I'd like to grow a lot of greens or mushrooms or tomatoes and herbs and stuff to go with them.  But back to the seeds - even the mustard seeds at the conventional grocery store would be very cheap compared to seed packets.  Wonder what variety (ies) you'd get?