Weedwhacker said: When does this part start, Jim? (I know eventually you will be done with the planting and the fencing, and the arranging of the "decor" - but then comes the maintenance and harvesting and doing something with the harvest... )

Hmmm. Good question.

Maybe sometime in the middle of the winter?

Today I ran the 4 strands of electric wire around the entire food forest and began the hookups from the energizer. The entire fence is now energized except for the two gates. I will run the jumpers to the gates tomorrow, weather pending.

Egads! I am glad I don't build bamboo trellises for a living! I spent 4 hours today on the front porch making 1 - 7 x 7 trellis for the Magnolia Vines. There are 64 joints. I got 47 of them tied off; another 17 to go. The worst is the first row or two as the bamboo keeps "jumping" around as it is being tied. Also, the thin, waxed twine not only coats your fingers with wax, but wreaks havoc on your hands trying to keep it tight. My fingers are going to be sore tonight.

All in all, I am pleased. I should be able to finish the joints on this one tomorrow and start the other one on another rainy day.

Here are a couple of pics of my work today.

It looks nice, Jim!

How pretty!
I usually just make tipis.

Are you growing the bamboo?

I usually just use the twine from the bales of pine needles thay use as mulch around here...

They get me to spread the pine needles, and I hang on to the twine, looking for a way to re-use.

No, unfortunately, and I have no access to live bamboo, so I bought these ones already dried. I need the trellises straight or flat for either side of my pergola where I am growing vines. I wish I could use tipis; that would be easier, but these will look good.

MoonShadows said: I have no access to live bamboo, so I bought these ones already dried.

Ok, that doesn't sound like permaculture... those bamboo trellis are going to rot in a couple of years...

I'd look at what I could use instead... Like... down here... there's invasive privet... You could do some wattle if you had invasive saplings coming up... like the callery pears down here...

Bamboo at my house:
https://stonethegardener.tumbl...

stone said: Ok, that doesn't sound like permaculture... those bamboo trellis are going to rot in a couple of years...

I'd look at what I could use instead... Like... down here... there's invasive privet... You could do some wattle if you had invasive saplings coming up... like the callery pears down here...

Bamboo at my house:
https://stonethegardener.tumbl...

LOL...you are right, but I needed the bamboo poles now to start training the vines. The only other thing I could think of using is the wild grapevines in the woods, but with trying to get so much done (physical fencing and electric fencing, and planting the rest of the trees/bushes that arrived a month ago), I just don't have the time for hunting for the vines now.

I would like to start a bamboo patch behind the food forest, but I have to do more research before I jump into buying something that I'll be sorry with.

These 2 trellises will be elevated off the ground, so I should get more than a couple of years out of them. By then, the vines will be on top of the pergola, so I will not longer need the bamboo trellises.

BTW...nice bamboo you have there. What type is it? Is it clumping or running? I don't want something that spreads too fast. Thanks, stone.

Just added 4 new berry bushes to the food forest. They should be arriving this week.

2 Indigo Gem Haskap (Honeyberry)


2 Cumberland Black Raspberry

I've been so disappointed by twine, so often, I would recommend reinforcing your trellis joints, or maybe at least around the perimeter with a heavy gauge fishing line, 50 lb. will last for years in the AL weather. I haven't tested it in cold winter.

purpleinopp said: I've been so disappointed by twine, so often, I would recommend reinforcing your trellis joints, or maybe at least around the perimeter with a heavy gauge fishing line, 50 lb. will last for years in the AL weather. I haven't tested it in cold winter.

The twine I bought is rated for 160lb breaking strength and UV protected. It is made from polyester. It is made specifically for projects like this. I'll let you know somewhere down the line when it's been tested by the weather.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HX6RPY6/

That does sound like it would have better longevity than a roll of generic "twine." I believe the twine I've had/used before was not synthetic. It would make sense that polyester might last longer. Please let us know if it lives up to the claims.

purpleinopp said: That does sound like it would have better longevity than a roll of generic "twine." I believe the twine I've had/used before was not synthetic. It would make sense that polyester might last longer. Please let us know if it lives up to the claims.

Sure will. I moved the one completed trellis down to the pergola today. It fits almost perfectly (to my surprise). I didn't get a chance to take a picture. I'll try to remember tomorrow. The other trellis is still "in progress".

Today, I got two of the tomato trellises built above their 4 x 8 raised beds.





I have two more to do tomorrow.

Here's a picture of the first 7x7 trellis for the side of the pergola for the Magnolia Vines. Unfortunately, two days after I planted the Magnolia Vines, we had a frost, and all the new growth died, but since they are OK in zones 3-8, they are putting out new shoots. You can barely see them in this picture.

They all look great, Jim.

pirl said: They all look great, Jim.

We scored another 20 cubic yards of wood chips from a guy who has done tree work for us from time to time. I told him we could use another 3-4 truck loads. I would like to get the rest of the food forest covered with chips before the end of this growing season. Right now, it is only about 1/2 covered, and about 1/3 of that we have to recover since we used builder's paper instead of cardboard when we started. The builders paper disintegrated, and a lot of grass grew through the chips. Now we put down a double layer of corrugated cardboard before laying chips.

It's rough on the spirit to learn the hard way, but you're on the right track now.

It's all looking so good!

Today was wet and overcast until about 3pm, but we got a ton of work done.

I finally finished the 2nd 7 x 7 bamboo trellis and installed it in the pergola.


I also put together a cedar raised garden bed that I bought last year and never used. I filled it and planted some purple cone flowers, yellow fern yarrow, and black eyed susans in it. The cone flowers were taken from another garden. They got a bit droopy, but they are looking better now.


We got the netting on the trellis area for the cucumbers, acorn and butternut squash, cantaloupes, and Lincoln peas.


We put another layer on our new asparagus. 15 of 20 plants came up so far.


And, we added some soil to the 3 beds of potatoes. Here's one.


The rest of these pictures are just some random shots of the food forest.

More flowers for the pollinators.


A view from the southeast corner


A view from the southwest corner


The windmill we recently installed


A view from the northwest corner
=

A view from up in the backyard


Onions


Some of the young fruit trees


Our Concord Grape vine


Bush Beans (Contender and Blue Lake) and Snappy Peas


One of the 4 tomato beds


Detroit Beets and Purple Top Turnips


Two more raised flower gardens and the bird bath