New Orchard

[moo2u2]

Hi. I am just putting in a small (about 1/4 acre) orchard on my farm (www.blackbeautypigs.com.au) and am wondering the best way to prepare it. The soil on most of our farm is black soil but the area for the orchard is on a slight slope between 2 contours and is predominently slightly rocky clay. It is currently cultivated. Should I plant grass seed (what sort) and then plant the trees? It is being fenced with chicken wire and electric top and bottom as I hope to keep my Indian Runner Ducks in there once grass is established and let the sheep in occassionaly. When should I plant the trees. I am near Warwick, Qld so do get good frosts. I was hoping to plant Golden Delicious Apples, Plums, Mullberries, Lime, Lemon and Orange Trees. Could I plant Asparagus in the orchard too? I will set up drip irrigation as I work fulltime and milk cows before and after work! Any advise would be greatly appreciated.
If I can help you with advice on Poultry (breeding for 20 years), Dairy Cattle or pigs, I will be pleased to help anyone.
Thank you in advance

[pebble]

Rather than grass sow a herbal ley suitable for your climate and situation. This will help the trees be healthy via a number of mechanisms (soil health, predator insects, pollinator insects etc). Look at swaling the slope to conserve water, or use mulch basins to plant the trees in. All of these will decrease labour in the medium and long term as well as building health in the orchard.

Kay Baxter in NZ has a very good book on establishing and maintaining a permaculture orchard in the sub tropics that might be useful where you are.

[purplepear]

Welcome to the forum, moo2u2. (looks like a nice little setup you have. I agree with Pepple on keeping the grass out of the orchard and would like to suggest that you think of some suitable herb understory/ ground cover. Some combo of yarrow and clovers or peanuts would perhaps do ok a Warwick.
Stay in touch and let us know how you are going
regards Mark

[moo2u2]

Hi. Thank you so much for the information. I will plant a herbal ley, that is an excellent idea. I hope you are having a good summer in Otago. I was born in Blenhiem. Best Regards, Judy

[UpCycleQueen]

Wow, I am keenly interested on how you fit everything into your day !! Please tell us a little about your setup? How much land are you on, and how does the layout work? Its exciting to hear about someone who's already established :-)

[moo2u2]

Hi
Fitting everything into the day can be a challenge but I am fairly organised and manage in the following way:

5am Coffee Time!
5.30 am Partner gets cows in and starts milking (by machine) - 4 Cows in Summer and 2 only in winter. I prepare breakfast and lunches for work
6.30 am I go down to the dairy, feed the calves, milk hay and grain. Mix the pig grain with milk and feed pigs. Let sheep out to the paddocks (they are locked up at night). Let chooks and ducks out
7.00 am Breakfast and packing cars for work
7.30 am Off to work
5.30 am Home, we both milk and do the jobs
7.00 pm Glass of Wine whilst preparing Dinner
8.00 pm BED

We have 25 acres of mostly black soil cultivation so days off are tractor work, house work, and farm jobs. I also run a 1200 egg multiplo incubator and hatch out chickens and ducks every week. We buy in our grain by the ton from local farmers and crack it ourselves in a cracker attached to the dairy plant. I rear Dairy Heifers and sell them back to dairy farmers or at dairy sales mostly. I have registered Large Black Pigs and Ayrshire Cows
My one regret is that I have no time for a vege garden. I need to work out how I can fit this in!!!!!

[moo2u2]

Thanks Mark, I will let you know how I go.

[ppp]

welcome

you sound like you've got a fantastic setup going! well done.. if only..
We're recently on 5 acres near brisbane. What sort of chooks do you hatch?

[moo2u2]

Hi
Thank you, it works well for us and nothing ever gets wasted. I have a Multiplo 1250 egg incubator from 1933 and also a slightly later 144 egg model. I hatch out Khaki Campbell and Indian Runner Ducks, I do have a few breeds of poultry but they all run together except the Pekins (buff) at present so I hatch out crossbred chickens at present and a few Pekins. I hatch out eggs for other people as well. At Easter I buy 200 meat chickens or their Fertile Eggs and sell some to my friends and neighbours, some at the Highfields Pioneer Village (I am a dairy maid at their Easter Vintage Festival). I feed these Meat Chickens Commericial Broiler Starter for 3 weeks and then used my own cracked corn, barley and seaweed meal etc. I generally keep about 30 for our own consumption.

[eco4560]

Can you tell us more about your home made chook food mix? What exactly, how much and where do you source your ingredients from?