Gil thanks Hove do you determine what a Companion plant is ? I'm consider having Guinea fowl but where thinking of having them free, but perhaps chicken tractors are a better method. Guinea pigs is new to me, and have only look at them as a allergy problem.
Do you recommend same procedure for Beans, and then grow oats in the Groves >Fava or > Broad Beans are a good early winter cover crop as they produce huge bulk and are > early enough to plant a grain after. >make groves with an axe or maddock and hand drill a grain ? And Hay is a problem here to, this year late harvest and not enough, they the old timers informs me. Chook Food don't know what that is ?? Best regards Per Garp/NH ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gil Robertson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, October 29, 2002 07:12 PM Subject: Re: RoundUp/Cover crop > I believe it is necessary to slash the cover crop at the peak of sugar content, > which is between flowering and seed set. This is the same time as hay should be > cut. Most people cut hay too late and get grain formed. This takes all the > goodness out of the stem and provides grain for mice etc. If the mice eat you > hay you cut it too late. This means the food value had gone from the plant part > and into the seed bit. Properly made hay is eaten till there is nothing left. > You will observe that there is little properly made hay around. The same goes > for cover crops. Most are not managed the right way. With fruit trees, in my > sort of climate, clover is used as a permenant cover crop. It is important to > keep slashing it, like a long lawn. Basically at four to six inches, but before > seed set. In a domestic size operation, one can mow the cover very short, rake > aside, make groves with an axe or maddock and hand drill a grain (oats is good), > then rake the clover back and the grain will grow through. When flowering or if > you have to work and it is in the way, just mow it and let lay as mulch. Fava or > Broad Beans are a good early winter cover crop as they produce huge bulk and are > early enough to plant a grain after. > > Re:- grazing in vineyards. It would need to be after harvest, as sheep are only > woolly goats and will eat nearly every thing. They would have to be watched and > removed as soon as they start eating bark or larger bits. Guinea pigs and guinea > fowl are both good in these situation. They need some shelters to hid in from > predator birds. guinea pig only need a barrier a few inches high and can be > contained and moved. The birds will keep ground bound bugs down and both will > manure as they go. If you have lots of water and can grow Chook Food in the > vineyard, it may be worth considering pastured chickens and a second venture. > Lots of details in back issues of Acres USA. > > Gil > > COYOTEHILLFARM wrote: > > > Hi Gil, > > This is very interesting stuff ! > > Would you agree that you need the mulch of the cover crop to feed the > > grapes, or is it possible to have an permanent cover crop to have the same > > effect ? > > ( as the one you are describing) > > Have you ever seen or heard some one having grassing animals in the > > vine-yard, like sheep, I understand that this is a common practice in > > Northern Spain, only after harvest/vintner. > > > > Per Garp/NH > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Gil Robertson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Tuesday, October 29, 2002 06:19 AM > > Subject: Re: RoundUp/Cover crop > > > > > By using a disk seeder and not a tine seeder. > > > > > > The disk will get through the chopped green manure and get down to the > > soil. > > > > > > Wind and traffic will soon cover it up, but the oats or other grain should > > soon > > > push through. > > > > > > Disk seeders were used on "new ground", because of roots etc. Just a > > matter of > > > getting an old one and cutting it down to suit, probably making it three > > point > > > linkage mounted. You may need to play with the angle of approach for the > > disk as > > > this tends to have to do with the nature of the trash. I suggest that it > > is > > > better to sow as soon after slashing as possible. > > > > > > I have designed a modified disk based air seader, with a larger than > > normal > > > disk. Any one want an investment? This is intended for this sort of > > application > > > and also direct seeding revegetation. > > > > > > Gil > > > > > > RiverValley wrote: > > > > > > > Gil, > > > > > > > > How do you sow the oats through the previuos cover crop? > > > > > > > > thanks, > > > > Daniel > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: "Gil Robertson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > Sent: Monday, October 28, 2002 8:11 PM > > > > Subject: Re: RoundUp/Cover crop > > > > > > > > > Hi! Per Garp/NH > > > > > > > > > > Over here we have winter rain, which is our main growing season, > > followed > > > > by > > > > > spring when most thing finish for harvest, with grapes coming in > > around > > > > > February. > > > > > > > > > > We start with a legume peas/ fava beans, hairy vetch etc, planted on > > the > > > > first > > > > > rains. A soon as it flowers, but before it sets seed, it is slashed > > and > > > > oats > > > > > or other grain sowed through it. Again, as soon as it flowers and is > > still > > > > at > > > > > the milky stage, slash it and just let it lay on top and there is your > > > > summer > > > > > mulch. Some run the slasher through a couple of times to cut it > > shorter. > > > > This > > > > > should supply all the N and C required. I like to spray the freshly > > > > slashed > > > > > material with the compost Preps. > > > > > > > > > > Gil > > > > > > > > > > COYOTEHILLFARM wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > Hi All > > > > > > > > > > > > What type of cover crop would you recommend as a companion planting > > for > > > > > > grapes ?? > > > > > > > > > > > > Thanks > > > > > > Per Garp/NH > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > > > From: "Gil Robertson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > > Sent: Sunday, October 27, 2002 10:34 PM > > > > > > Subject: Re: RoundUp > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi! Peter, > > > > > > > If the cover crop is slowing vine growth, it suggests that there > > is a > > > > > > > Nitrogen shortage. The cut cover crop and any mulch is mostly > > carbon > > > > and > > > > > > > needs a specific proportion of nitrogen to break it down. It is > > > > > > > important to start with a legume with the right inoculant to help > > set > > > > > > > nitrogen from the air, into the soil, in a form the plant can use. > > The > > > > > > > break down of carbon, also uses large amounts of nitrogen, which > > may > > > > be > > > > > > > what has happened. When you get a "nitrogen credit" in the soil, > > it is > > > > > > > OK to have a non nitrogen fixing cover crop. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The use of the Preps will help the whole process. I also use the > > > > > > > combined compost Preps, sprayed onto the freshly slashed cover > > crop, > > > > > > > which seems to help it break down. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > If you have the time and a good Whipper Snipper, using the line, > > not > > > > > > > blade, you can make a little guard on a long handle, which you can > > put > > > > > > > against the butt of the vine and slash right to the butt, at > > ground > > > > > > > level. I do not see properly managed cover crops as competing. > > They > > > > will > > > > > > > keep out weeds and should produce all the N and C your crop > > requires. > > > > > > > While they will use some water, if slashed fairly often, they also > > > > > > > reduce water loss from bare soil and the effect of heat on the > > root > > > > run. > > > > > > > In Oz with our mainly shallow soils, it is important to use all of > > it > > > > we > > > > > > > can. A sun dried inch or two is wasted country and it also kills > > > > feeder > > > > > > > roots. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Gil > > > > > > > > > > > > > > J Peter Young wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Gil, We had a marvelous green manure crop this spring which, > > when we > > > > > > > > couldn't get control of it in the vine row, completely shut down > > > > vine > > > > > > > > growth in early summer. It is a young vineyard and apparently > > very > > > > > > > > sensitive to competition. Once the green manure crop finally > > fell > > > > away > > > > > > > > natually, the more noxious north coast weeds began to appear > > because > > > > > > > > of our irrigation. In some areas we did sow a clover vine row > > cover > > > > > > > > crop, but it was just a competitive. It's sad that next door, my > > > > > > > > conventional farming neighbor who uses a pre-emergent over the > > > > winter > > > > > > > > and then regularly applied RoundUp through teh growing season > > had > > > > much > > > > > > > > better growth and vigor with less water and a lot less > > fertilizer. > > > > We > > > > > > > > had hoped to only try to keep the 18" around each vine clear, > > but > > > > that > > > > > > > > is turning out to be impractical and next season we are going > > for an > > > > > > > > 18" to 24" wide strip. The aisles will continue to have cover > > crop > > > > in > > > > > > > > them providing habitat. Our biggest concern this year is getting > > in > > > > to > > > > > > > > the vineyard at the right points in time over the winer to use > > the > > > > > > > > vinegar and the number of passes we'll have to make each season > > > > since > > > > > > > > vinegar has not effect on the roots. Peter > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
