Vegetable Polycultures, Biodiversity Surveys and Plants. Week 5

Wow! can't believe how quick that week went. Here are some photos and news from the gardens this week :)  <br />

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<span style="color: #38761d;">Market Garden</span></h3>

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We're continuing our polyculture trials in the Market Garden, and this year will be the 4th year of the study. You can find the results of <a href="https://www.thepolycultureproject.com/annual-polyculture-results.html">previous year's studies here</a>. The below image is the general garden layout which includes various vegetable and herb polycultures, and control beds where vegetables are planted in block sequences in a more traditional system.  You can find out more about the vegetable polycultures <a href="http://balkanecologyproject.blogspot.bg/2013/09/guilds-and-yields.html">we grow here.</a></div>

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Angela placing the tomato stakes and bean tripods in the polyculture and control beds. We'll start to plant everything out next week.</div>

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We continue to experiment with our annual polyculture Epictetus.  Swede, parsnips and beetroot seedlings sown in strips are germinating, and we plan to plant out dwarf beans, kale and marigolds next week </div>

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An illustration of  Epictetus  It's basically a strip pattern of various vegetables from different plant families arranged to reduce pests and diseases, optimize space and nutrient share whilst respecting the individual plant needs for space and light.</div>

In the home garden we're trying broad beans with garlic. Fabacea (Bean family) and Alliacae (Onion family) are not a recommended mix according to common companion planting knowledge, so far they appear quite friendly. </div>

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<span style="color: #38761d;">Forest Garden</span></div>

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Observed this week was Chicken of the woods - <i>Laetiporus sp</i>. growing from a fine old Damson Tree - <i>Prunus insititia </i> in the hedgerow of the market garden. A choice edible mushroom and a very beautiful specimen. Last days for the Damson though.  </div>

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Lesser Celandine -  <i>Ficaria verna </i>flowering on the edge of the wildlife pond. </div>

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The herb layer in the emerging forest garden <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;"> </span><a href="http://www.balkep.org/melissa-officinalis.html" style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0) !important; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; text-decoration-line: none;">Melissa officinalis - Lemon balm</a> in the foreground with <span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;"> </span><a href="http://www.balkep.org/allium-schoenoprasum.html" style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0) !important; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; text-decoration-line: none;">Allium schoenoprasum - Chives</a> behind and <a href="http://www.balkep.org/aronia-melanocarpa.html" style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0) !important; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; text-decoration-line: none;">Aronia melanocarpa - Black Chokeberry </a></span><span style="background-color: white;">shrubs in the background.</span></div>

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<span style="background-color: white;">Two favourite biomass plants </span><a href="http://www.balkep.org/symphytum-x-uplandicum.html" style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0) !important; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; text-decoration-line: none;">Symphytum x uplandicum - Comfrey</a> growing from the base of a <span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;"> </span><a href="http://www.balkep.org/paulownia-tomentosa.html" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0) !important; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; margin: 0pt; outline: 0px; padding: 0pt; text-decoration-line: none;">Paulownia tomentosa - Foxglove Tree</a> stool. The four poles are last year growth. They reached over 2m in one season. </div>

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Our perennial vegetable polyculture with<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;"> <a href="http://www.balkep.org/asparagus-officinalis.html" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0) !important; margin: 0pt; outline: 0px; padding: 0pt; text-decoration-line: none;">Asparagus officinalis - Asparagus</a>,  </span><a href="http://www.balkep.org/allium-tuberosum.html" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0) !important; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; margin: 0pt; outline: 0px; padding: 0pt; text-decoration-line: none;">Allium tuberosum  - Garlic Chives</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;">  </span>and <a href="http://www.balkep.org/fragaria-times-ananassa.html" style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0) !important; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; text-decoration-line: none;">Fragaria x ananassa - Strawberry</a></div>

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<span style="color: #274e13;">Biodiversity Survey </span></h3>

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It was great to have <a href="https://ckirby-lambert.wixsite.com/naturalcuriosity">Chris Kirby-Lambert</a> back in town. Chris is working on the invertebrate diversity survey for the polyculture project. You can find the results of the May and June surveys from <a href="https://balkanecologyproject.blogspot.bg/2018/03/invertebrate-biodiversity-survey.html">last year here</a>. </div>

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Checking the sweep nets after sweeping the bed margins for invertebrates in Ataraxia - the perennial polyculture garden.   </div>

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Some  common invertebrates from the gardens</div>

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<span style="color: #38761d;"> The Bionursery </span></h3>

An image here of Grape - Vitis vinifera cuttings taken in late winter of this year, buried 20 cm deep into a 50% river sand 50% sieved compost mix. Looks like a high strike rate this year. I take the cuttings at the same time I prune the vines. This 25 cm diameter 25 cm deep pot will take around 12 - 15 cuttings. Keep the mix moist like a wrung out sponge and 60 - 80 % of the cuttings should develop roots and be ready to plant out by the Autumn.   </div>

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<a href="http://www.balkep.org/ginkgo-biloba.html" style="margin: 0pt; outline: 0px; padding: 0pt; text-decoration-line: none;">Ginkgo biloba - Maidenhair Tree</a><span style="background-color: white;"> in leaf with the glossy backdrop of </span><a href="http://www.balkep.org/mahonia-aquifolium.html" style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0) !important; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; text-decoration-line: none;">Mahonia aquifolium - Oregon Grape</a><span style="background-color: white;">.</span></div>

I still can't get over the fact that Gingko biloba has been knocking around this planet for 100 million years or so !!  It would make a great exclamation - for example, upon seeing a plane crashing into a sky scraper - "Gin ko be lo ba"  or "oh my Gingko" or perhaps "for Biloba's sake" </div>

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Gingkobiloba!! we still have a few places available on our seven day course coming up in June.<br />

For more info and registration <a href="http://www.balkep.org/regenerative-landscape-design-course.html">click here</a></div>

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 If you appreciate the work we are doing you can show your support in several ways.<br />

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<li>Make a purchase of <a href="http://www.balkep.org/forest-garden-plants.html">plants</a> or <a href="http://www.balkep.org/permacultureseed.html">seeds</a> from our <a href="http://www.balkep.org/the-bionursery.html">Bionursery</a></li>

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<li>Consider joining us on for one our  <a href="http://www.balkep.org/regenerative-landscape-design-course.html">Regenerative landscape design training course</a>s. </li>

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<li>You could also donate directly to our <a href="https://www.thepolycultureproject.com/">Polyculture Project</a> <a href="https://www.thepolycultureproject.com/crowd-funder.html">and receive rewards for your donation</a>.</li>

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<span style="color: #38761d;"><a href="http://www.balkep.org/design-and-build---regenerative-landscape-design-course.html">Would you like to learn how to design and build a forest garden? </a></span></h3>

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<a href="http://www.balkep.org/the-polyculture-market-garden-study.html">Want to get involved in the project? We currently have space this year in July and August, and 1 - 6 month positions for next year's polyculture study</a></div>

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<a href="http://www.balkep.org/the-polyculture-market-garden-study.html">Permaculture and Regenerative Design Internships </a></div>

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We offer a range of plants and seeds for <a href="http://www.balkep.org/forest-garden-plants.html">permaculture and forest gardens</a> from our plant nursery including a range of <a href="http://www.balkep.org/fruit-and-nut-cultivars.html">fruit and nut cultivars</a>. Delivery to all over Europe available from Nov - March</div>

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<a href="http://www.balkep.org/permacultureseed.html">Plants and seeds for Permaculture and Wildlife Gardens </a></div>

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<a href="http://www.balkep.org/plant-profiles.html" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium;">The Bionursery</a></div>

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Vegetable Polycultures, Biodiversity Surveys and Plants. Week 5 - The Polyculture Project