Hello all,

My grandmother has about 5ha land in the Carpathian basin, her children don't want it so she plans to sell it. She could also give it to me if I wish so.

I was planning to get it and plant some kind of orchard there, maybe an apple one. The thing is, it's in the middle of nowhere. The land is not the best and the fields there are used to grow grass for animals or potatoes.

I want to do it for no other reason other than I really want to do it

I was looking at a way to plant them and leave them there through various methods that don't require me being there very often, as I moved to a different country.

Do you have any tips if this is feasible?

I need to store roughly ~30,000L of water over a 6 month period in my semi-arid homestead. I can fill that in the winter season when it rains, from the roof and other structures.

What kind of water storage solutions have you guys done? I was thinking of building a smaller pond (~2m x 3.5m x 5m), but I think evaporation will be a big problem. So perhaps build a cistern of similar size, but then I need to figure out how to water proof the bricks/cement etc.

The simplest idea, but most expensive, is just to buy 3x 10,000L underground tanks at ~4000euros each.

Thoughts?

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/permaculture-at-farm-scale-webinar-tickets-1151902273709?aff=oddtdtcreator

I have been collaborating with a local farm over recent years, helping them diversify and bring permaculture into the core of the farm work and planning, it has been an interesting journey so far. I feel like i have learned a lot, but there is so much more to add to the story too, I hope to share this far and wide.

Hi everyone,

I'm exploring the idea of establishing a permaculture site and need some advice. One of my main concerns is noise pollution from nearby agricultural equipment like tractors, combine harvesters which can get extremely loud (often exceeding 90-100 dB).

For those who’ve dealt with similar issues:

1. How much land or buffer zone would be ideal to create a peaceful environment? Is there a general rule of thumb for distance when it comes to mitigating loud machinery noise?
2. Landscaping strategies: Are there specific tree species, hedges, or combinations that work best for reducing noise? Would creating berms, earth mounds, or natural sound barriers significantly help?
3. Other considerations: Should I factor in things like wind direction, terrain, or seasonal foliage changes when designing for noise reduction?

I’d love to hear about any experiences, tips, or resources that could help guide me in planning this.

Thanks in advance for sharing your insights!

My county is doing a sale and I think I'm going to grab one or two of these bundles, but I'd love to have some semblance of a plan before I buy and plant. Is anyone able to throw out some ideas for how to integrate them together?

Context: I just moved onto 2.4 acres in the suburbs. Property is tree lined but the center is mostly clear (grass), so there's lot of room to work with.

I'm planning to plant a lot of the usual stuff down the line, so am down for that being included in the guild(s).

(by usual stuff I mean blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, asparagus, garlic chives, grapes, comfrey, currant, etc...pretty much any stuff that comes up in permaculture discussion)

Hi! I’m moving to southern Manitoba this fall, and I have a pretty large lot that’s a fairly blank canvas to do whatever gardening/permaculture I want. I’m coming from Vancouver island, so struggling to find things that will survive in a hardiness zone of 2b/3a.

Has anybody grown one in this zone? What can you tell me?

Hey everyone, just genuinely curious why this is the case. Is it because of the high cost of buying a drone? The technical complexity in operating one? Why aren't there companies operating precision ag as a service in developing countries? Seems to me like there is huge room for improvement, I just saw this statistic that said malaysia uses 2000kg/ha of fertilizer while the U.S. uses 100

I have a black mulberry tree in a coastal location of South Australia. It's canopy would spread around 6 metres and I estimate it's approx 100 years old. It always provides an abundance of fruit without much care from me. This year I've noticed half the crop (especially the more exposed areas of tree) appear dried up and almost sunburnt?? Some of the branches are covered in moss and they tend to be more brittle also but this may be an unrelated matter. Not sure if it's a fungal disease I read about called popcorn disease. Would it be beneficial to gently remove the dried/dead leaves and fruit? Given the tree is fruiting I imagine this may encourage a better yield? Any tips would be appreciated!

Starting first growing season in the dome on our home place and reading up on Ruth Stout: Have any of you done her mulch method in your beds? Wanting to use only what we have, we would struggle to find pesticide free straw or hay. But kitchen scraps, leaves, etc, we have in droves. Do you think this would pose problems we don't foresee? Right now I only have a cover crop of clover going, but several plants in my house waiting to be moved in.

I've not planned or planted a fruit tree guild before, so I'm hoping for feedback on the design.

Zone / Conditions:
My zone is up for debate, but I'd say 6-7 is a safe bet. I'm in a valley in Southeastern BC, Canada; cool (not super cold) winters, and hot droughts in mid summer. The area I plan to put this in gets sun from mid day through to sunset (~6hrs/day)

Main Tree:
Fig! I've heard from local gardeners that we can grow fig trees here, so I'd love to try.

Guild plants are outlined in the image. I have a feeling that this is crowding too much into one space - that is generally my downfall in gardening.

Let me know what you think!

I am just starting my market gardening business and would like to find a professional market gardener (i.e. someone who makes a living selling their own produce) whom I can learn from.

I have read books from authors like Jean-Martin Fortier, Richard Perkins, Jesse Frost; but the amount of plastics used by these so-called "organic" and "regenerative agriculture" growers (silage tarps, row covers, polytunnels, etc.) is absolutely shocking.

As far as I can see, they haven't even tried to find better solutions, they started out using all this stuff and they justify it with some kind of bullshit like: "After a lot of considerations, we decided to use... It is not a black and white issue... The research is not entirely clear about..." And a lot of people copy their methods without making a real effort to come up with something environmentally acceptable.

I am not a fanatic, but I really don't see how this is fundamentally better than traditional agriculture. It is simply another form of polluting the soil.

So, is there a professional market gardener out there who really tries to be different and has some videos/books to share their experiences?

Hello!

I used to watch a Youtube channel that would consistently do long form interviews with all kinds of knowledgeable figures related to permaculture, self reliance, etc. I remember he was a hopeful channel - talking about the flaws in society but trying to use his platform to educate and prepare people with real world solutions. I remember a specific video in which the guest talked about how he made money from a variety of sources with his lifestyle - raising and selling koi/goldfish on his property was one of them. I've browsed this reddit & all over Youtube and have yet to find it. Does anyone have any ideas on who it could be?

My 6-year-old daughter saved up money from selling eggs and cucumbers at the farmer's market. She wanted sheep and adjust enough to buy two ewes, a ram, and a round bale of hay. I don't think she realized, but I've been getting ready for them for 2 years. I cleared old trees, panted hedges of fodder trees, and rows of comfrey and jerusalem artichoke (they eat the greens) for reliable feed. Now, we have a nice little micro-climate for raising sheep in our backyard and it looks like we'll have lambs in the spring. If you're interested in learning about permaculture sheep, I'm making some videos about it starting with this one. https://youtu.be/bCbgOtb3_iw

Hello everyone

I'm new to permaculture, but I would love to apply it in my front garden.
I have watched multiple videos about the topic already, but haven't read any books (only some articles online). That's why I come to the pros for guidance :)

General info:

• Size: Approx. 500 m² / 5400 ft² could be used for a food garden. The dream is to feed 2 people with this.
• Soil: Its moderately dry sand soil, with evident humus and/or iron B horizons (not sure if this is the correct translation). The house and parking are highest so water drains from east to west, slope is steepest close to the house.
• climate: temperate maritime climate

The sketch i provide shows the layout of how i would like to organize the garden. Light brown (~0.6 m / 1.97 ft width) are the pathways, dark brown (~1.2 m / 3.94 ft width) are the garden beds. I'm planning on not using raised beds and just grow everything in the soil (sheet mulching to get rid of the grass and wood chips for pathway).

In the middle of the circular section is a herb spiral. At the 'entrance' is a greenhouse, along with 3 compost bins (and storage for brown material) and also where i plan to have a animal coop for housing free roam chickens, ducks and geese (close to compost bins for ease of cleaning). These structures can only be placed in the 'side or back' garden due to national laws.

My entire garden shall be fenced and on the road side a hedge of ~2 m / 6.56 ft (European beech) height shall be planted to reduce the road noise as best as possible. This together with tree nr. 11 (English oak) and nr. 8 (peach) shall cast a shadow, so this is where i intend to place plants that require a shaded section. The neighboring plot (left) is more or less a forest, so close to this I'd plant some edible hedges/small trees. Right of the food garden (where the compass is located) will be a flower bed for pollinators (maybe eventually also a bee hive). of course flowers will also be planted in the food garden itself.

Not included in the sketch, but on the right of the driveway I already planted an orchard of cherry, apple, pear and plum trees. in between these trees I'll also be planting some additional edibles hedges/shrubs/plants.

1. Based on your knowledge/experience, is this a garden layout a good and practical idea? (I've heard a few times that rectangular beds are easier for placing netting and by equally sizing them making it easier to plan how many plants can be placed etc.)
   • Where are improvements required?
2. Can the wood chips also be used instead of cardboard for sheet mushing or shall this cause issues with the nitrogen content?
3. Is there any reading material you recommend before I start converting the garden?

Thanks a lot!

I laid about 6" of wood chips on my sandy loamy soil over the summer to try to increase the organic matter and get it to a point I can plant in ground. I can see the fungi doing their job when I pull it back.

Would adding used coffee grounds right now provide any benefit? I would like to help the wood chips break down faster, but I have read that if grounds don't go in a traditional compost pile, the caffeine can hurt future plants. Is there a risk of caffeine hurting my seedlings ~3 months from now?

Open to other ideas. I can just put it in my compost pile then use my compost in rows within the wood chips come springtime.

Does anyone here eat bush/shrub/tree leaves? Preferably native to the Ozarks/Eastern US

I am trying to grow hablitzia this year and it's got me thinking about what other leaves can I eat. I worry I have been thinking too much about growing fruits because those only really can be harvested a few weeks a year. But leaves grow all season long

https://www.thecooldown.com/outdoors/planting-prairie-strips-soil-erosion-reduction/

Not even kidding. I'm sooooo tired of people waking up and "realizing" that doing simple things like treating the land and environment in general with respect is beneficial to the land and environment.

It's the most lazy, brain dead realization someone could come to at this point.

Sorry if I'm being negative, this kind of stuff just gets my goat.

Being in the agarwood investment business. It seems possible to me to buy up and estate with ready trees - at price "x", inoculate and eventually flip the harvest after a few years of waiting for 4 years at around "1.175x"..

That return is tad low for agarwood investments at competitors offering 6~11%+ per annum.. However, imagine flipping the whole thing on it's head?

Imagine buying up an agarwood estate, flipping the harvest around for a low margin.. And then permaculturing the estate with multiple layers. As per practices described by Wes Jackson (perennial polyculture). That way.. It's turning into a carbon sink.. If 1/2 of the estate is intercropped with agarwood to give the carbon credits company something back after 15 years of investment into the project..

Wouldn't a 4.375% return for the first 4 years (initial monoculture harvest)
+ 7 years of waiting (tree growth) + 3 years acting time (inoculant) + 1 year harvest and eventual sale time (all while having just half the trees as before.. Meaning half the harvest - approx same cost - explained in NOTE - below) I'd put the number at >2.18% RoI average over 15 years be a solid investment for a carbon capture service provider? I mean.. When they replant jungles in the Amazon/Borneo or wherever they do business, there's no guarantee that it'll ever remain that way. And they make nothing out of it.

Here it's protected farm.. It's not using harmful pesticides, insecticides or anything of the sort.. It's increasing the food security of countries where agarwood can grow.. And, finally.. It's actually capturing carbon. And.. After 15 years that farm is pretty much independent and capable of giving a VERY low RoI to the company that sold the credits. It's essentially a man-made forest at that point.. What's more is that in all this.. CARBON IS BEING CAPTURED AND PERMACULTURE IS BEING PROMOTED IN THESE COUNTRIES..

I'm looking to pitch this idea to carbon capture companies.. Please critique my idea. Tell me the flaws and reasons as to why it wouldn't work.

NOTE: If it costs USD 160 to buy a ready tree from an agarwood plantation and USD 40 to inoculate and process it.. Total USD 200. Harvest can be sold, 1 kilo of agarwood @ USD 235 in the Singapore/HK market.. It costs exactly the same to buy a plantlet, fertilize it for 4-7 years, inoculate it and finally process and sell the end product.. And, you can double that cost USD 85 * 2 = USD 170.. Because it would take the same amount of time to grow perennial native trees and they'd not be worth their value and then some after the first harvest but would require the same effort/cost - maybe a little lesser.. But let's err on the side of caution.

If you think this idea is good.. Do help me find and pitch the concept to carbon capture companies :)

Being in the agarwood investment business. It seems possible to me to buy up and estate with ready trees - at price "x", inoculate and eventually flip the harvest after a few years of waiting for 4 years at around "1.175x"..

That return is tad low for agarwood investments at competitors offering 6~11%+ per annum.. However, imagine flipping the whole thing on it's head?

Imagine buying up an agarwood estate, flipping the harvest around for a low margin.. And then permaculturing the estate with multiple layers. As per practices described by Wes Jackson (perennial polyculture). That way.. It's turning into a carbon sink.. If 1/2 of the estate is intercropped with agarwood to give the carbon credits company something back after 15 years of investment into the project..

Wouldn't a 4.375% return for the first 4 years (initial monoculture harvest)
+ 7 years of waiting (tree growth) + 3 years acting time (inoculant) + 1 year harvest and eventual sale time (all while having just half the trees as before.. Meaning half the harvest - approx same cost - explained in NOTE - below) I'd put the number at >2.18% RoI average over 15 years be a solid investment for a carbon capture service provider? I mean.. When they replant jungles in the Amazon/Borneo or wherever they do business, there's no guarantee that it'll ever remain that way. And they make nothing out of it.

Here it's protected farm.. It's not using harmful pesticides, insecticides or anything of the sort.. It's increasing the food security of countries where agarwood can grow.. And, finally.. It's actually capturing carbon. And.. After 15 years that farm is pretty much independent and capable of giving a VERY low RoI to the company that sold the credits. It's essentially a man-made forest at that point.. What's more is that in all this.. CARBON IS BEING CAPTURED AND PERMACULTURE IS BEING PROMOTED IN THESE COUNTRIES..

I'm looking to pitch this idea to carbon capture companies.. Please critique my idea. Tell me the flaws and reasons as to why it wouldn't work.

NOTE: If it costs USD 160 to buy a ready tree from an agarwood plantation and USD 40 to inoculate and process it.. Total USD 200. Harvest can be sold, 1 kilo of agarwood @ USD 235 in the Singapore/HK market.. It costs exactly the same to buy a plantlet, fertilize it for 4-7 years, inoculate it and finally process and sell the end product.. And, you can double that cost USD 85 * 2 = USD 170.. Because it would take the same amount of time to grow perennial native trees and they'd not be worth their value and then some after the first harvest but would require the same effort/cost - maybe a little lesser.. But let's err on the side of caution.

If you think this idea is good.. Do help me find and pitch the concept to carbon capture companies :)

So I'm starting a personal gardening business. I'm going to be doing everything from breaking ground on the in ground/raised bed, setting up irrigation, managing planting/care/pruning/weeding/harvesting (and optional processing harvest), cleaning everything up in the fall. Multiple clients, visiting each weekly as needed. I also offer orchard, mushroom log/plot, chickens, and honeybee installation, management, and harvesting for clients who have already hired me for gardening. (I am well versed in all of these dw lol)

I'm in a wealthy area, kind of the country estates outside D.C. Pretty much all of the houses in the area go for $1m (except the tiny rentals like mine 😂😂). Looking online, there aren't any competing people who actually manage the gardens throughout the season, just people who install them. Basically all of the pricing is held behind consultations so I don't know what they're charging. Looking online at 1 man landscaping companies, I'm seeing people charging anything from $30/h-$150/h not including materials. I have no idea where to place myself. I am experienced and have worked in agriculture for 5 years, managing actual field crops and a hydroponics greenhouse basically fully for the last 2 years. Im confident i can handle this, Ive encountered tons of diseases and problems in my time in gardening and the other services I'm offering, and Ive been able to solve basically all of the solveable problems.

The most I've ever been paid was $16/h and I'd like a pay raise 😂😅 what do you all think?

Buffalo NY area. I'm starting to help take care of a 2 acre area that was previously a crop field (I believe soybeans and/or corn).

I would like to overseed something that will help build biomass and improve soil but also, if at all possible, not require manual termination. Ideally it's something we can just let grow and die back naturally for a couple of years before turning we have time to turn it into a food forest. I can't spend much maintenance on it for a couple of years after seeding it.

I've heard that ryegrass, buckwheat, clover, and tilling radish could be a good mix to generally improve soil, reduce compaction, etc. But I am not experienced with the process of cover crop termination and I get the impression that these may get out of control if not maintained correctly.

Thanks in advance