U-pick blackberry plot about 1/4 acre started on my Huntsville area orchard/farm homestead. Plan to expand to 1/2 acre in time.I planted Primocane Blackberries. Their canes will almost stand up on their own. I used 5" round 8' post as end support with 5' teepost every 30 feet. I then wrapped a wire and ran it down the row wrapping each post until I got to the other end. I wrapped it around the end post and turned around running the wire back to the post where I started wrapping it around the teepost as I returned also. This gave me a loop to pull the blackberry canes through as they grew. My rows were 150' and I planted blackberry plants every 3 to 4 feet. I planted these last year in the spring and this was one years growth. The pictures were taking this past fall. The plants were only about 3 to 4 inches tall when I planted them. They put on a few blackberries last fall. See the picture below. I hope to market a upick next year. This year I will let all my coworkers and friends help me keep them picked.
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Making use of the space between the trees. Growing vegetables on a regenerative orchard and farm near Huntsville, AL.The sweet potatoes next to the corn there were the best I have ever had. If you look to the right at the fruit trees you will notice that they are clear of grass where I had put cardboard around them. Look at the picture below and you will notice that I decided to cardboard and mulch all the space between the trees. Notice the 4 tee post, I had planted a small section of pole beans and used those to make a trellis out of jute twine.
Using the space between the trees on a Huntsville area orchard and farm. Building a regenerative agriculture homestead.Getting it cleared. We used a tractor with a tiller to get the land broke. Remember it hadn't been touch for may years. Looking back at Google Earth history it appears to have been only mowed for 10 years plus. Making the rows and mulching the walkways. We had though that we would go no till in the future so we made mounds. This was a good idea but we didn't keep the mounds last year. We have started planting trees on the lower terrace. I will show that soon. Laying out the rows and putting seeds in the ground. This worked good for some things like beans, peas, squash and potatoes. We found that some thing like corn didn't do well for use in long rows. Thing we learned. The mound really helped. They were on contour so water went into the ground and if kept weeded with a good layer of straw in the rows the garden was easy to pick. Not exactly sure how we will put in annual vegetables in the future but going no till with mounds between tree rows might be it.
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Kevin HarrisI'm building a working homestead with the intent that it will provide health food for my family and yours. This will be a place for you to come pick your food and connect with where it was grown. Archives
February 2017
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