Nynke Muller

Well done spud-brothers! You can be proud of yourselvesand Rebekah you can we proud of your wonderful sons.

Anne Miller wrote:

Yes, permaculture is the easy way out and folks are so busy with what ever is in their own lives to realize this.

A really good example is that my daughter has listened to me talk about permaculture since I found this forum almost ten years ago.

She does not practice permaculture and if someone mention permaculture to her, I doubt she has any idea what it is ...

Oh Anne, I am so sorry to hear this. If our loved ones choose a different path, it can really hurt. Please don't take that personal, and don't let it get in the way of your relationship with your daughter. Don't be surprised when somewhere in the future, the seeds you have sown while raising her, will germinate, and she will adopt some of the principles you taught her.
I think permaculture truly is the easy way out, but it is not always easy to go against whatever is mainstream and stand up for what you believe in. Give her some time!

Anne Miller wrote: I know it would be good to help folks learn about permaculture I just have never found anyone open to the ideas.  They all want to take the easy way out.

Interesting description Ann. I recognize what you are saying, but actually, I think of permaculture as the easy way out. Let nature take care of things!

When people look at me (probably) thinking I am weird because I tell them about my worm bin, I usually ask them why it makes more sense to them to collect their kitchen scraps  in a garbage bag until they really stink, have them picked up by a truck burning fossil fuel, and than burn some more fossil fuel to drive to the store to buy compost for their plants? I ask them with a smile and I am truly interested in their answer. I never receive an answer, but I hope it gets them thinking. It always has some effect, but usually most effect on bystanders that overheard it.

So Arthur, when somebody of your hunting group finds out what you ar doing in your back yard, just ask them why it makes more sense to put in extra time and effort to drag this waste into the woods? Be truly interested. I am sure if they have an answer, it can start an interesting conversation.

Dear Graig,
Thank you for your view on this. I am trying such things myself. I love the picture of your rock mulch. I am trying something like that with bricks, because we have no rocks around here.
Can you share something about the red glass jars in the last picture please?
They make me very curious. Maybe I urgendly need to do something similar...
Kind regards, Nynke

John C Daley wrote:What does this mean
'devevo sits in a hole 40 cm deep'

Hi John and Bogdan,
I am a little late, but enjoyed reading about your trees and activities, Bogdan.

Like John, I wondered what "devivo" meant. It is not mistranslated. It is a real word, though I am unsure about the language.
I found a few items on internet, related to planting grapes and gooseberries.  And they all describe a similar method. I have heard or seen the method before, but never heard this word. Here is one link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bnKm3chQOo

It seems a smart method in a dry soil or maybe a windy place. Burry organic matter makes sense in barren land. In the video it is a mount in a hole. It makes sense to me to make the mount without the hole in a wet or soggy place. That is what I do in my winter wet garden as well.
(Please don't make my mistake to plant a fig tree on a gigant mount (in a hole) of organic matter, becaue it will grow with enormous vigour without returning any fruit. It trives on barren soil)

Bogden, I hope you are still doing wel. Please stay as positive as you are, you are an inspiration., My hart goes out to you and your family.

Hi Eric,
My brother told me recently that the normal cycle of this plant is to die above ground during winter. So I have unjustly disposed of some plants in the past.
Maybe yours is just following its natural cycle.
By the way, I saw some plants in the wild this year. It grew on rocks with moss on it close to a stream. At the time it was raining and the complete environment was wet.

Cool George!

It will take a long time to establish your hugel this way.

I am trying something similar myself, on a much smaller scale. I have a raised bed, that I want to make / keep pretty steep because of available space. Therefore I have put some sticks of a local nitrogen fixing plant, that grows like a weed here and is "normally" used for hedges, in the bottom of the side of the bed. The sticks have grown roots and start growing above ground. I cut it an drop the thin branches horizontally behind the rooted sticks. I will continue to top off with compost, until the desired heigth is reached. In the mean time I am growing vegetables on top and try to establish more perrenial stuff in the sides.

It is still to early to claim a succes. The experiment only started this year. However, this set up will be continued next year. Maybe another bed will be added.

Maybe you can start your hugel while growing your locust trees? Let us know how it turns out!

Kind regards Nynke

Sand cherry!

Hi Richard,
Sorry I missed your update 3 months ago. I have been so curious how your tree was doing. It looks fantastic!
I have nothing to add to Stevens advice. That is what I would have done if it was my tree. If possible, I might have pruned in a very early stage with my tumb. That is faster, and the tree puts its energy into something else. But the truth is, that I sometimes forget it, because I am busy doing something else.
I never doubeted it, but I am still very happy for you and your tree that it turned out so well, enjoy your lovely tree!

J. Syme wrote:...My main issue comes when the ladies go away for a trip, and I'm tasked with allocating the proper amount of water to the plants. Orchids apparently drink less than lilies... john

Oh, is that the issue?!
When we go on a trip I ask my dad to take care of my plants. Before I leave I do a check and remove everything (almost) death or dying. I rearrange the plants to their needs. For example all orchids in one windowsil. I water them perfectly before I leave and I stick a note on the window: "water once per two weeks." I put all plants that will survive my absence without water, in one room, he knows he can skip that room and focus on the others. I dont think I ever lost a plant because of his care. Every time I arange them in the same location. I dont even think the notes are necessary anymore.