Burra Maluca

Prickly pears! Let me know if you need a few pads to get you started.

I think what you grow will depend a lot on what time of year you'll be there.  A lot of things will need irrigation over the summer, but that's not likely to be possible unless you are there to do it.

Burra Maluca wrote:Then I went back and found the red-haired guy from school...

Just want to report that I not only found him, but managed to bring him all the way home to Portugal with me.  He even coped with the humanure buckets. 

Here we are standing in the plot he's chosen for the new log cabin. Or maybe wofati.  We're still at the planning stage...



He's an engineering type, so he's busy dreaming of things like underfloor heating, rocket mass heaters, rocket powered hot tubs, all kinds of things which should keep us busy for the next few decades...

If you're in the UK, I'd skip the chop 'n drop advice - slugs LOVE mulch!

I can heartily recomment No Dig Organic Home & Garden by Charles Dowding & Stephanie Hafferty for advice very relevant to your needs.

And yes, allotments in the UK are similar to USA community gardens.

If it's hen that's successfully raised chicks before, I'd try it at any time once I was certain she was broody.

This year I pushed my luck even harder and introduced some newly hatched chicks to my best broody hen when she wasn't even broody. 





Good old Fluffybutt - she's never let me down!

Randy Coffman wrote:In the situation of forced self sufficient,  I may not have a bull cow for reproduction,  and the females will just be milk.  Needing them for meat should only be a last resort in that scenario.

Um, how do  you intend to keep the cows in milk unless you let them reproduce?

As an aside, if I saw a tree that tall, I'd also be asking myself

'Why does it need to be that tall? 
What possible benefit could there be to the tree that would make it worth all the extra work of getting that big?'
Is it something to do with spreading seeds or pollen?  Or attracting pollinators?
Or have they been artificially selected, which would mean I'm almost literally barking up the wrong tree?

I'd be asking myself how the tree got water up to the top leaves.  I think it's generally considered that the mechanisms currently used can only raise it to a max height of around 120 metres.

This article summarises it quite nicely - water rising.

This video summarises the 'what' but not the 'how', despite the title.  It might inspire you though.




This video has a bit more of the science.




This explains the problems pretty well too.



That should give you some food for thought.  Enjoy!

Lucrecia Anderson wrote:I think it is also worth pointing out that on some forums a large percentage of the posters are Aspies (aka individuals with Aspergers).

While that number is far lower on gardening/homesteading sites there are still a few floating around. Those folks often have a VERY hard time on forums like this because they do make blunt comments and their social skills suck.  I have known individuals on homesteading type sites that likely have Aspergers and they try to fit in to talk about their interests yet are often picked on and ridiculed or even targeted for harassment by mods because they inadvertently upset one or two "favorite" posters.

There are a lot of aspies on permies.  Including quite a few of the moderators!

Jason Hernandez wrote:
I tell you, I would be more convinced by a controlled experiment than an anecdotal testimony. As a hypothetical example, take gardening by the moon. Lots of people believe it works; but is it really the effect of the moon, or are they just overall very competent gardeners? But now suppose we approach it experimentally. Set up a series of test plots, homogenized as to soil conditions, sunlight, water, etc. Randomly assign half of the plots to be sown at what is considered the most optimal moon time, and the other half, at the least optimal moon time. Use the same cultivars in both treatments, and care for the plots the same in every way except date of sowing. Record important dates like first seedling emergence, first flowering, first produce, for each plot. Also record total harvested weight from each plot. See if the two treatments differ.

This would tell me far more than, "I garden by the moon and my gardens always thrive."

Excellent idea.  Why not go and do that for us and share your results?

And how does any of that stop you being nice when you reply?  Other people manage it just fine...