It’s Gonna Be A Busy Spring Ma!

Image Credit goes to John Kitsteiner of Temperate Climate Permaculture.

Welcome!  For the last few years Ma and I have really been working towards becoming more food secure and at the same time trying to build our little farm up to a place where we will be able to take it easy once we get older.  Part of that strategy is planting perennials  and lots of them.  We already have a nice lot of fruits and vegetables going but this year is definitely going to be a big one when it comes to perennials. Below is the list of things which have already been purchased this year and that list may grow some in the next month or so. These things will not only feed us and our animals but they will also be good wholesome food that will one day be sold at our local farmers market so they will feed locals as well.

You might look at this list and think, man, that is a lot of planting to do and where are they going to put it all.  If I were to plant this like a traditional orchard then yes it would take up quite a bit of space, but not so much when you are planting a forest garden, in fact, there will be loads of support species inter planted with these so this list is just the tip of the iceberg.  I have a source for cuttings of Autumn Olive, Mimosa, Honey Locusts and Black Locusts that will be planted right along side all of these productive fruit trees.  Now, most of them won’t be there once the fruit trees are established and mature because we will be using them to give our fruit trees a nitrogen boost therefore, they will be chopped and dropped for mulch but initially they will be planted up close and personal with the productive species that you see in the list below.

We are also going to try to source some willow starts for making baskets, carving spoons and coppicing for firewood. Bamboo is on the short list and I think I may have found a good source for some starts  but that will be a trial and error type of affair. We are going to have to get on finding some nut trees namely Carpathian (white or english) Walnuts, Chestnuts and possibly an Almond or two.  As a matter of fact there are so many other things that we are going to want to add that I’m not eve sure I could come up with a list.  I learn about new things that are useful on an everyday basis so if you have any ideas please leave them in the comments.

Blueberries – Raintree Nursery

1. 1 – Bluecrop – early harvest
2. 1 – Olympia – mid harvest
3. 1 – Jersey – late harvest

Blackberries – Ison’s Nursery

1. 2 – Natchez – thornless – early harvest
2. 2 – Osage – thornless – early harvest
3. 2 – Quachita – thornless – mid harvest

Raspberries – Ison’s Nursery

1. 2 – Reveille – red  – early harvest
2. 2 – Cumberland – black – mid harvest
3. 2 – Anne – gold – late harvest

Peaches – Ison’s Nursery

1. 1 – Cresthaven
2. 1 – Red Haven
3. 1 – June Gold
4. 1 – Red Globe

Plums – Ison’s Nursery

1. 1 – AU Cherry
2. 1 – AU Rosa
3. 1 – AU Rubrum
4. 1 – AU Producer

Muscadine – Ison’s Nursery

1. 1 – Nesbit
2. 1 – Supreme
3. 1 – Big Red
4. 1 – Darlene
5. 1 – Tara
6. 1 – Pineapple

Pears – Ison’s Nursery

1. 1 – Pineapple
2. 1 – Seckel (sugar)

Persimmon – Ison’s Nursery

1. 2 – Fuyu Sweet Persimmon

Pomegranate  – Ison’s Nursery

1. 1 – Wonderful

Comfrey – Coe’s Comfrey

1. 28 – Crown Cuttings Bocking #4
2. 1 – 2 y/o Bocking #4 plant
3. 1 – 4 y/o Bocking #4 plant

Sunchokes – Gurney’s Seed & Nursery

1. 2 lbs –  Jerusalem Artichoke Root

John Kitsteiner has a fantastic Temperate Climate Permaculture page that is just chock full of great permaculture plants.  While you are there make sure you sign up for updates on his blog they are absolutely informative and  just plain full of really great ideas.  You can be sure I will be shopping for some of his selections in the near future.

Ma recently found a website for a nursery in Tennessee called Bluff View Nursery it’s run by a guy named Todd.  I called him today and he was very friendly and helpful on the phone.  Ma and I were looking for Daffodils and he seems to have the best deal going for them he also has Sassafras which seems to be hard to find nowadays so we’ll most likely order some of those while we are at it.

Well, that’s about all I got, take it easy.

Pa

Edible Forest Garden Image credit goes to John Kitsteiner – Temperate Climate Permaculture