Tim Flaus

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since Jun 17, 2011
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Moss Vale, Southern Highlands, NSW, Australia
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Recent posts by Tim Flaus

I'm with Rich. Try not to disturb the soil if that is at ask possible.When you turn the soil you do to things that mean work. 1. Weed seeds are disturbed and may germinate.
2. You upset the soil organisms.

Feed your soil from above and let the bugs in the soil assimilate all that goodness for you.
12 years ago
The solution depends on how big an area you have there, how much time you have, what type of grass is sprouting and what you intend to plant there.

As the previous post suggest covering with card board or paper then a layer of straw will do the trick. If the grass is not a nasty species let it go and just make sure you don't allow it go to seed. Don't panic it will all work out there is plenty of nutrient there for you plants and the grass and next season it will be even better.
Cheers
Tim
12 years ago
I've never really worked with Paul to any extent. I've read and watched plenty of his stuff and think he offers something really valuable. However, and I think he would agree, the fact that he runs this forum does not make him above any other or make what he has to say or his opinions any more valuable than any others. However the content of that opinion may be. Owning the means of production does not mean that you have a right to those providing the production. It may be that those with the ink have the means but should they have the right. Is that what free communication is.
What I like is that Paul seems to remove hate but leaves stupidity and contrary opinion. That way freedom and civility are preserved.
Hi, I was wondering how those of you that have been using grass clippings as mulch are going with the introduction of weeds from the clippings. I've always avoided them on my annual beds because I was afraid of introducing a heap of weed that I did not want, particularly grass seed, so I have always composted it. It would be great to be able to use it directly on the beds, much better in terms of energy flows in my system.

Cheers

Tim
12 years ago

Matthew Nistico wrote:@Greg - I am not growing in orchard rows, but rather a hodgepodge of different species all crammed irregularly into a small, roughly rectangular space. I would say a tape pulled from one trunk to the nearest adjacent trunk would measure out 15' (about 5 meters) on average. 12' minimum, 20' maximum. Again, these are rough figures. I'm not using machines or vehicles of any type, and I've purposely avoided planting in anything like a straight row in favor of a more informal aesthetic. Oh, I should mention that the average space between trees I've just quoted is from one fruit tree to another. In between I often have support trees (black locust, a N-fixer) planted, but I plan on keeping those smaller through coppicing. In time, if I find an area becoming too congested, I will remove the black locust to open up the pathway between production trees. And yes, nearly all of my trees are already in the ground.

Good point about the fact that I could recreate a central leader with some work in the future if I change my mind down the road.

@Tim - Thanks for your words of encouragement! I am already feeling better about this operation. It is good to know that my trees will be forgiving of my decisions now, for better or for worse. Please examine the photo of an old, open-center apple tree. Is this something like what you meant by "umbrella shape"?



Gidday,

Yep that is what I mean, Imagine the same but on a dwarf root stock, you determine how high the tree grows by your choice of pruning cuts. Trees like to send up a central leader. So you will notice the tendencies to throw up suckers. Just keep cutting them or rubbing them off. Have you thought about expaliering your trees.

Cheers

TIm
12 years ago
Gidday,

My experience suggests that pruning styles are determined by a need to maximise productivity, either number of fruit, size of fruit or ease and speed of picking. If I was you I would prune those trees to suit you situation and rest assured that they will continue to produce a substantial crop. If you go for main leader style then you could easily drag that leader down so that it is running horizontal to the ground, as in an espalier or cordon type arrangement. In fact a wire line espalier would be a fantastic backbone to your food forest, allowing easy access and abundant fruit. You then only need to keep up the pruning to hold the shape. If you go for open vase then think umberella shape. Three main scaffolds and all laterals coming off either horizontal or vertical down at the ends. You end up with a funny looking tree with tops of the main branches bare and exposed , but you end up witht he fruiting branches on the outside and close to the ground.

Some trees like pears and apricots want to go up up up, so you will need to be strict with your pruning, remember summer time pruning will not result in the same sort of suckering that you get from winter pruning, but it is difficult to get in and see what is going on.

Dont worry too much if you mess it up, the tree will recover and you will get another go at it. They are very forgiving and most dont mind being hacked at. I enjoy pruning it is peaceful and artisitic activity, it takes a life time to really master but a the same time any mug can have a go and do a reasonable job.

Good luck let me know what you decide.

Cheers

Tim
12 years ago
Gidday from the land of the upside down people,

Bill is an Aussie, he dreamed up Permaculture whilst living in Tasmania - that's the little island to the south of the big island of Australia. In Australia feral cats are an obsolute curse to the environment. Australia's environemnt has been isolated for so long that it developed its own very unique biota. Feral animals such as rabbits, camels, goats, cats, mina birds, rats, mice and cane toads to name a few have successfully out competed many of the our native species to such an extent that Australia has one of the worst extinction rates in the world. Land clearing has been a huge part of this as well. Cats kill countless birds, small marsupials and reptiles and they displace and kill the few predatory marsupials we have as well. Cats are a very popular pet here and many people do not control them appropriatly, allowing them outside at night, not putting bells or shiny things on their collars and allowing them to hunt.

As far as Permaculture is concerned I think if you are trying to set up a sustainable ecology on your property cats do not figure into the equation at all, not if you are hoping to attract a range of cooperative animals into the ecology as well. Further more they shit in my garden and scratch all the seedlings up.

But they do make lovely slippers, and miny throw rugs. Prrrrrrr

Tim
12 years ago
Permaculture Southernhighlands is running a PDC in the Southern Highlands and in Goulburn in 2012.

Check out the website. The closing date is the 27th of January.

http://www.permaculturesouthernhighlands.info/courses/pdcinfo.htm.

PM me for more details.

Tim Flaus
12 years ago
Gidday

I spend alot of time reading about permaculture on websites and in books. Probably more time that I should. There is something I have noticed that concerns me a little and I was hoping for some discusion on the matter.

It seems to me that the Permaculture community is rich with ideas. Lots of people are experimenting, building this, testing that. Many provide detailed rationales for their ideas. Lots of people would say that they are providing solutions to specific problems such as lack of water, slope, nutrient deficiencies, energy management and so on. Some people go to the trouble of documenting in detail the initial construction of their solution with the aim of providing information to the those that are interested and may have a similar problem that requires a similar solution. It's all great, ideas flying around, people testing things out all in the name of developing sustainability.

So what is my problem? I am concerned about how we as a community of like minded people measure and determine the success of an idea.

Most of my observations lead me to believe that once an idea has met the "proof of concept" test it is deemed successful and then curiously shelved. Ideas are implemented such as building swales on a sloping block to improve water retention or some other terrific permaculture idea is implemented, the photographs are taken a blog writen and we all say how wonderful, gee that is some real good permaculture going on there. As time passes the idea becomes background, a new idea has taken the spot as the next great thing and the blog changes focus. What of the old idea?

There seems to be very little out there that demonstrates longevity, resilience and in my mind success. I want to see example of successful permaculture solutions. Concepts that have proven their value and quality beyond their initial implementation. I am more interested in seeing a plot of land that has been cultured for at least five years, preferably 10 or 20 years using permaculture principles. If the same ideas and concepts are still in operation and can be seen to be improving yeild and managing sustainability then I think we have proof of success.

I think we don't see so much of this because people are keen and eager at the start, they have learnt something new and they are excited about the possibilities it presents them. Then get going on it, it works in theory or in isolation from the system they really live in and away they go building, digging, planting and telling us all about it. As time passes the novalty wears off. A new idea comes and away we go again. I'm not really critisising this approach I'm guilty of it too. We all love the new and shiny. But do we fall into the same trap that I seem to be seeing in lots of areas these days. Any innovation is rewarded above any proven conventional approach. innovation drives the economy, regardless of its effect, regardless of its capacity to impove. It is of course unsustainable.

I'd like to see old permaculture, wise old gaffers that have been doing it for years writting up their blogs and taking photos. Maybe their too busy.

What do ya reckon??

Tim

What do ya reckon?
12 years ago
dogma dogma dogma. What is the central dogma here Paul? Most systems of understanding require one or else we do get our collective nickers in a collective knot. I like your approach "it it dont fit in the existing container make a new one". It's just that I get anoyed when people comandere ideas and then try to bang them into the an existing container to suit themselves or their agendas. To me it would be nice if we keep things simple and also respect the history and development of ideas. Simply permaculture is a system of design for ethical living. The elements of that design are not the desing nor are they the system. Glyphosate, mineral fertilisers, bulldozers, orchards, industrial chickens, food forests, herb spirals comfrey are not the system, the design or permaculture. hmmm Tim's rant over.

is this in the wrong spot???  if so sorry.
12 years ago