Thread: Suburban Kids,buy Large paddock with Know idea.

Matt....when you mentioned days ago you were to move in I was going to suggest when it rained that you walk around your block to see where water would flow and check to see any problem points that would need attention.

We live in granite sand country. Its very poor to grow stuff in so around us we have grazing properties. BUT when it rains for a length of time the ground turns to soup!! which equates to not venturing off a made track in a vehicle because there is only one direction you will go and that is.....down. It makes recovery a long and labourious task.

While you are inside with the fire going, a coffee in one hand and nice cake in the other....enjoy

Stay safe Matt and Sally

A good time to flush out your water tanks.
The boat may be needed in Melbourne NW

The orchard,

We now have an orchard, but we are 50/50 on whether we keep it or detonate it.

We would love the fresh home grown fruit,
Almonds, Pink Lady apples,Red delicious Apples, one Pear, one Apricot, one maybe two plumbs.
Most of the trees seem mature.

And having a smorgasbord of fruit would be fantastic, don’t get me wrong, I’m just not sure if we put a heap of work in will we be awarded with fruit for our labour.

It was let go quite a bit by the previous owners.

We are also conscious of creating something that takes to much time to maintain.

Sally is the Gardener . I’m the grunt work, I’m not a gardener per say, but happy to build something, do the heavy lifting, but that’s me done.
I can’t see me changing, I would rather be at my bench than pulling weeds.

Anyone else running a small orchard ? I’m all ears plus all you others with “opinions”

If we do keep it, we will re do all the fencing and actually finish it off properly with netting extra.

Cheers Matt.


Cheers Matt.

Also what do we do about this

When we moved here we had 14 stone fruit trees Apricot, Peach and Nectarines. The first season were consumed by Fruit Fly so the next season I was ready and "drowned the trees with spray only to be buggered again by the fly. I had an uncanny knack of spraying them then it would rainbefore the spray could work. I did try but in the end all the stone fruit trees were "Americanised" (Yanked out) and we bought fruit to eat. We still have 2 Orange trees that do bear (is that right?) a lot of fruit but its not real sweet and the Possums have a few meals from them.

Matt that Curly Leaf thing going on can be treated but I think its before the leaves come out. I would try caring for the trees you have got and just see how the 2 of you go with the exercise then after the season make a decision for the future. You never know Sally may have as yet unknown skill with growing fruit. It takes so long for trees to show what they can do hence my lag time in making a decision. Don't get me wrong you can have great satisfaction nurturing plants that will give you great rewards but it can also be a....."why did I bother". You are farming now and that is what its all about

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

Matt

I know I mentioned to you the water aspect in passing a while back. I hadn't anticipated it being that severe. Perhaps you could keep your eyes peeled for a second hand Amphicar:

First mass-produced amphibious car | Vintage - Bing video

Regards
Paul

I can remember when VW Beetles were sealed and happily driven into water. Matt, a better option would be a hovercraft as it goes over any surface.

Originally Posted by Chris Parks

I Matt, a better option would be a hovercraft as it goes over any surface.

Agreed.

Regards
Paul

Wait and see what they grow. A bit of a trim is maybe all you need. No one would have put that fence and water lines if they di not bear fruit.

Originally Posted by Simplicity

The orchard,

We now have an orchard, but we are 50/50 on whether we keep it or detonate it.

We would love the fresh home grown fruit,
Almonds, Pink Lady apples,Red delicious Apples, one Pear, one Apricot, one maybe two plumbs.
Most of the trees seem mature.

And having a smorgasbord of fruit would be fantastic, don’t get me wrong, I’m just not sure if we put a heap of work in will we be awarded with fruit for our labour.

It was let go quite a bit by the previous owners.

We are also conscious of creating something that takes to much time to maintain.

Sally is the Gardener . I’m the grunt work, I’m not a gardener per say, but happy to build something, do the heavy lifting, but that’s me done.
I can’t see me changing, I would rather be at my bench than pulling weeds.

Anyone else running a small orchard ? I’m all ears plus all you others with “opinions”

If we do keep it, we will re do all the fencing and actually finish it off properly with netting extra.

Matt, I have an orchard with about 20 trees and various berries. There is what I would call a moderate amount of work looking after them all and that was particularly evident when we both worked. Although we're retired now it helps to have a bit of a passion for gardening as there is something that needs doing most weeks. But we love our fruit and the orchard keeps us in fresh fruit for at least 6 months of the year.
Stone fruit have the highest management requirement for us, particularly the regular spraying for disease management. (Dont worry about curly leaf, the tree will get over it when the weather dries out and warms up). If I was going for a low input orchard I would have blueberries first and foremost, also apples, maybe a fig. But you still need to be prepared for a bit of work and expense. Considering your normally dry summers, irrigation will be required as a minimum.
I dont get any satisfaction out of doing something badly so our orchard is covered with bird netting, has drip irrigation and is mulched with wheat straw each autumn and is sprayed as needed (generally every one to two weeks during the season).
I would agree with Chambezio, go with what you have for a year or two and see how you go. Each type of fruit has its own set of management requirements so there is quite a learning curve if you want to do it well.

orchard.jpg

My apologies for my lack of input in the Forum off late.

But in my pathetic defence, it’s because I have another Woman in my life.

She’s an older woman,possibly above my weight limit, some would call her Good looking others may say that types been a round the block a few times.

Now before you all start putting daggers in me an offering Sally all kinds of advice an you could never trust a Block with a Biblical name pro claiming he’s an Atheist.
An Bla Bla Bla you can save the oxygen for someone who cares.

Sally is more than happy about my new acquaintances, she actually even changed her name from What’s it called, too Betsy.

Born in 1956 I think but it’s not nice to ask older ladies there age.

Especially ones who have come all the way from Coventry in the UK.

But despite being an older lady, she was straight off the trailer like a hot potato, an into in a little over a day or so she had me straightened out, an our Water feature Driveway looking more like the Gardens in BuckinghamPalace.

Thank you Betsy, an your pansy two wheel drive boyfriend is thankful, he was getting a little over the mud packs.

For the Rude types amongst you lot.
Betsy is a 1956(I think) TEA20 Massey Fergusson Petrol Tractor 28 horse power ( Ye I know the power is staggering lol)

Or short in Australian talk A Grey Ferguie.

Cheers Matt.

Matt

That is a better looking Fergie than mine.

Regards
Paul

I'm amazed you did a repair job that large to the surface with that blade on the back of that tractor Matt.
What did you do, rip it up somehow and re level it ? All with that blade?
First thing I thought was "The driveway is a MESS! Big $ to fix that" Long rural driveways take some looking after I've discovered.
Think I need a tractor .
Rob

Originally Posted by auscab

I'm amazed you did a repair job that large to the surface with that blade on the back of that tractor Matt.
What did you do, rip it up somehow and re level it ? All with that blade?
First thing I thought was "The driveway is a MESS! Big $ to fix that" Long rural driveways take some looking after I've discovered.
Think I need a tractor .
Rob

Rob,
The driveway was a bloody mess,
A lot of what you see is just me driving up an down up and down with the grader dragging behind us.
8 plus hours so far.
I am able to angle the blade either side up too 45 degrees.
I was also told to spin the blade 180 degrees an then use it too kind of smooth it over.
I also placed a pile of rock on top of the blade to act as a weight, Betsy is not heavy.
It’s still a bit soft in some places, an I intend on trying to drag more off the top of the dam wall down to the low area tomorrow.

Cheers Matt.

Now to get a slasher for the grass that will grow to triffids.

When you need a bit more power, whack a turbo on it

(this is hilarious) --- Plow them fields Cletus!