Cal Burns

Bryant RedHawk wrote:Lots of our vegie crops are planted between the orchard trees, in bales, which last us two years before they are replaced and become the new mulch layer.

Only problem I would have with that are all the deer we have.

Tyler Ludens wrote:Attempting to start some Fall vegs under shade cloth in the horrible glaring hot sun!

Know what you mean. Made a wicking bed yesterday.

Tyler Ludens wrote:Mine aren't doing great - I suspect I'm not watering them enough and that the soil isn't rich enough.  I'm actually pretty surprised they're growing at all.

Getting a trickle of rain today so hopefully they are getting some. My soil is similar to yours and needs tons of organic mulch. Have been experimenting with making compost tea.

Tyler Ludens wrote:Proof of Turmeric:

How's your tumeric doing? I've got about 6 plants coming up. They are in a zone 4-ish area so have no watered like they need.

Tyler Ludens wrote:Cal, this document indicates that understory in your conditions isn't "natural" - because of the deer, there just won't be much growing under pecans in nature, so if you're trying to emulate the native forest of pecans, you probably already have it.  Anything edible by humans will be edible by deer.  Deer are eating my Spineless Prickly Pear, so that won't work either.  You'll need to exclude the deer if you want to grow edibles under the pecans.

https://digital.library.txstate.edu/bitstream/handle/10877/3137/fulltext.pdf

You might try seeding with some deer-resistant wildflowers, if you want more diversity for the smaller critters.  

Tyler, thanks for that will look at. Good to hear from you. Don't see a way to get rid of the deer unless I spend $$$ on taller fencing. Always looking for multiple benefits. Maybe can find a wildflower that reseeds that will benefit the pecans at the base by providing ground cover. Would be good if it accumulated something that the pecan needed.

Interesting thread. I've got a grove of 85+ pecan trees. Cutting the grass and weeds around the trees is a hassle. I'm slowly putting wood chips around the tree's with cardboard underneath to the dripline with nothing at the base of the trees. Problem is, with my irrigation near the base it causes lots of weeds (evil sandburs, thistle) and grasses to grow.
Would like to grow a useful low growing edible perennial at the base of the trees that if it exists would do the following: be beneficial to the pecan tree, provide ground cover at the base of the trees and not get in the way when doing irrigation maintenance and not have to cut grass/weeds around, be edible by us, not be affected by the juglone, not soak up water like a sponge, and squirrels/deer not be interested in it. The only thing I can come up with other than a couple of cover crops for our harsh central Texas climate is spineless cactus....

Well, we did do a walking tour of Falmouth.
Although poor, was encouraging to see all the edibles growing on people's yards. Mangos, coconuts, sugar cane, almonds, apples.

Great post. Have been looking to do this on an area that slopes down towards the northwest by a river here in central Tx. Is partially shaded, and occasionally gets some flooding every few years. Is a mixture of limestone rock with some good sediment built up over the years. The intention is for the edibles, privacy, and to keep out deer. Am planning to start with willow and figs as that what I have already.

Will be taking a cruise later in Febr. Looking to visit any interesting permaculture places near the ports along the route to see unique plants and maybe buy some seeds. Anyone know of any?
Doubt the cruiseline lets you take plants onboard.

A Walton wrote:I was able to find the 150GB Exede plan:

http://www.exede.com/freedom/

30GB is the highest they offer for our area, about what AT&T provides after they play with the numbers.