This time of year is abundant for harvests and it certainly feels like we have to prioritise what to do as the list is ever expanding. We've been working on the mini orchard which is where the apple trees are that we bought off Kev. They're all looking really healthy so I know he will be pleased to hear that.
Our next stage was to tidy it all up. Weeds are our nemesis, as every gardener no doubt. I loathe giving time to them so we decided to work smartly and do what we can do to keep them at bay or kill them completely.
So we looked around and gave thought to what we can do cheaply and effectively. We've loads of branches off trees piled up around the smallholding and in time these need shifting. So it dawned on us that we can use our wood chipper that we bought as part of this place killing two birds with one stone again! We started putting the branches through the chipper and have managed to produce some really great wood chip!
We took the grass out around the orchard, ground membraned it and covered it all with wood chip. I can't believe how neat and tidy, and weed free it is! The back section is still flowers and fruit trees so in soil so weeds will still come through there but we can work with that for now.
Another job ticked off the list :)
Brilliant idea and great recycling. Don't you just love it when you get a brainwave that's genius.
ReplyDeleteThank you, I am really pleased with it. I think it makes it look so much tidier plus easier to manage and I am all for that!
DeleteYour place looks lovely. Being from the US I read "tea" and expected a post about chamomile and peppermint. :) We are having some good garden meals here too.
ReplyDeleteHaha I should have figured that one! I'll do a chamomile tea update soon ;)
DeleteFantastic on growing, raising your own and eating it!! Well done chic on the orchard. That looks amazing! Really hope to do something similar with our fruit area in the not too distant future. (Jon has his eye on a chipper up at the sawmill which he hopes to do a deal on. He plans to spruce it up a bit then sell it but we will get some use out of it first, no doubt.)
ReplyDeleteI'm super pleased with the orchard, thank you. Ooh that sounds like a great plan. It didn't take anywhere near as long as we thought it would.
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