The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: escapedtothecountry on August 03, 2013, 12:05:00 pm
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I don't want animals as I just done have the time to give to them somitbreally wouldn't be fair. I already have enough space formgrowingbplants and veggies etc etc... So I have been pondering what to do withnaboutb1 acre of totally flat paddock (bar the holes made by rabbits) as it seems pointless me having to mow the grass every few weeks.
I've been really pleased with the 600 or so willow rods I've previously planted so my thoughts are plant it out with more as a good source of fuel for the wood burner, plus giving me the opportunity to sell willo rods. Or perhaps plant lts of Xmas trees as they will look after themselves and seemingly sell for £10 a foot in our neck if the woods at Xmas.
Any other thoughts or ideas?
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Those are good ideas altho Xmas trees are vulnerable to theft, the lot can go in a night so bear that in mind. Also consider fruit trees to maybe make juice or cider?
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Pick your own blackcurrants. redcurrants/whitecurrants?
Strawberries (backbreaking) and raspberries are susceptible to diseases/beasties, gooseberries not so popular and would need to be a non prickly kind.
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Rabbits may be an issue with pick your own soft fruit..... Along with all the pigeons as we a surrounded by conifers where they nest. Never contemplated people pinching Xmas trees! Willow may be the answer then.
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I'd plant a small mixed orchard, eating and cooking apples, plums, pears, damsons and have an area for soft fruit too and a large rhubarb in the corners!
Not for people to come in and pick, but to eat, make preserves and sell in both forms. Fresh juice too in the mornings :)
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Don't think bunnies can climb blackcurrants bushes but I may be wrong :roflanim:
The problem with making stuff to sell these days is there are all sorts of hygiene restrictions and regulations.
Nevertheless, you have lost of ideas here to think about - Keep us up to date on what you decide.
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Can't climb but can easily chew straight through all the stems at the bottom. Hence why every single thinkmive planted I terms of saplings or my willow... (Over 1000 pla gs in total) have each required a rabbit guard.
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They like raspberry bushes too :( .
Willow sounds good.
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That's my favourite thought so far. Rabbits a big problem here.... Plus all my soft fruit has to be under netting so this doesn't work for me on a larger scale.
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Can't climb but can easily chew straight through all the stems at the bottom. Hence why every single thinkmive planted I terms of saplings or my willow... (Over 1000 pla gs in total) have each required a rabbit guard.
What rabbit guards did you use? I'm looking at spirals but even at 20p each it's a big investment for planting several thousand trees...
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Spiral ones.... Can't remember where I got them... Off the Internet somewhere.... Will,try to track den who I bought them from. Yes not cheap, but would have been very upset if the rabbits decimated what I'd planted.
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Even if you plant trees the grass needs cutting!!!! I have 7500 trees on 2.5acres and would not want to be without my Shropshire sheep!!
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what about a wildlife pond? ours is about an acre in size and has an island. we have a little rowing boat and its a bit of fun.
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Even if you plant trees the grass needs cutting!!!! I have 7500 trees on 2.5acres and would not want to be without my Shropshire sheep!!
Did you plant all those? How long did it take?
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what about a wildlife pond? ours is about an acre in size and has an island. we have a little rowing boat and its a bit of fun.
That's something I'd like to do too - what did you do with all the spoil? Can you post a picture?
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Charge people to come and shoot rabbits?? :eyelashes:
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Not having any land yet , don't really put me in a good place to answer, and seeing as you don't want animals and already have enough ground to plant veg and plants ,its hard to come up with a good answer..
i have been looking into many ventures for when we get our place..one idea i came up with is the christmas package.. 1 x tree 1x turkey and all the christmas veg inc home made stuffing,
i guess the willow option sounds like your best bet.... i guess rabbit fencing would be a big expense
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Like your Christmas Idea John
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The difficulty with rabbit fencing as I see it is that you've got to be pretty confident that there are no rabbits inside the perimeter, which in rough grassland might be a bit difficult. I also don't know how deep they're prepared to dig but I'd wager it's deeper than me and digging a trench that long is not going to be an easy job.
Don't like the idea of Christmas trees - always seemed such a waste of a living specimen. We've used an artificial one for the past few years.
Regarding land use, trees are going to be fairly low maintenance once established. If they're fruit trees then even better but could provide useful fuel or other products (hurdles, stakes etc.)
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If you plant willow I wouldn't have to cut the grass as the ideal may to grow the rods is through high quality weed matting so that would remove a lot of the grassed areas where the willow would be growing.... Though there would still be grass to cut for sure.
I like having a real Xmas tree and it is as environmental friendly as using wood for burning. All the plastic in false trees comes from oil so I don't see them as being more environmentally friendly.
Agree on the rabbit proof fencing. There are holes I have got my leg in up tommy knee that the rabbit have dug. Outside the fenced area are huge conifers and they dug through and under roots solar bit guards the only option, which I have come to accept.
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Like your Christmas Idea John
future business plan linda ..nudge nudge :innocent: wouldnt be a bad idea if 3 or 4 put our heads together..... :eyelashes:
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The easiest thing might be to let it out to someone with a pony or handful of sheep?
We have a big pond - a good acre and it is wonderful to go and sit by of an evening and watch the swallows, bats even have kingfishers and otter :) But wouldn't be all that quick or cheap to put in.
Wildflower meadow - I don't know how much land you have, but that would be a great project if you were so inclined - initially, just cut it and remove clippings to reduce fertility; at least a couple of times, then you can either scarify or plow bits and add yellow rattle and see what other species accumulate, or add some other perenial meadow flower seeds suited to your soil. Cut and remove clipings once a year in September. Thats the only management.
After a couple years, docks, nettles, high grasses will be out competed by smaller grasses and wildflowers.
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Thanks for all ideas. It isn't that I mind cutting the grass on n ride in mower.... It's quite therapeutic going up and down with m headphones on.. I e just is rather do something else with that bit of land rather than just leave it as grass.
Local far era grown elephant grass for use in the local power stations.... Makes a lovely noise in the wind... So could always do that' as it very much looks after itself. Still favouring willow as I can use it n wood burner plus sell rods too.
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I like having a real Xmas tree and it is as environmental friendly as using wood for burning. All the plastic in false trees comes from oil so I don't see them as being more environmentally friendly.
Fair point, there is a time at which they're better, depending on how to dispose of the real tree.
http://www.carbontrust.com/about-us/press/2013/01/christmas-tree-disposal-advice (http://www.carbontrust.com/about-us/press/2013/01/christmas-tree-disposal-advice)
I still maintain it's a shame to do that to a young tree and how much carbon is produced in vacuuming up the needles I don't know! :D
Grow willow...
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there is a firm that rents out the christmas tree every year... i think they pot the thing when its in the home, and replant after...seems to be working
http://www.forever-green-christmas.co.uk (http://www.forever-green-christmas.co.uk)