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Not Bonsai - For Bonsai

Posted: July 31st, 2013, 5:26 pm
by alpineart
This is the new grow bed area under construction
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.This single terrace in made solely of shale and clay
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excavated out for the shed side when i purchased the property
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. It's been a conifer garden bed for all it's time , now it has a new purpose
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. I have tiered it into 3 tiers this give me another 30 metre's of grow beds .

All 150 metre's of the original terraces i had constructed here with the excavator were top dressed with well over 200 tonnes of pine bark and Euca mulch over the last 12-15 years . If you scrape the surface off its clay and shale , good for growing nothing .
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I have combined 4 cubic meters of old mulch
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and will be top dressed with about 1 cubic metre compost
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recently turned over with the rotary hoe . These will get planted out tomorrow then i need to find some other mischief to get up too .

Cheers Alpineart

Re: Not Bonsai - For Bonsai

Posted: July 31st, 2013, 5:40 pm
by Andrew F
Great Job Alp, wish i had the space. Considering the position you are in, with the leg, you really are keen.
Almost make me feel bad about not attending to my bench on a regular basis lol

Re: Not Bonsai - For Bonsai

Posted: July 31st, 2013, 5:49 pm
by Brian
crikey Alpine, just time I saw you a few months ago, you were hobbling around with a gummy leg !

Re: Not Bonsai - For Bonsai

Posted: July 31st, 2013, 5:54 pm
by Jason
Love seeing your projects Alpine, always make me wish I had more :P

Look forward to seeign what these beds produce :cool:

Re: Not Bonsai - For Bonsai

Posted: July 31st, 2013, 6:03 pm
by Josh
Mate do you ever sleep. That will keep you busy filling it in now. 150 mtrs of growing area, wow.

Josh

Re: Not Bonsai - For Bonsai

Posted: July 31st, 2013, 6:56 pm
by DavidWilloughby
Hi Alpine,

I have to take my hat off to you, I do enjoy reading your projects and admire what you do. In saying that, I can understand why you might have a break every now and then with everything that you do.

Also with that kind of space, I would hope you have a mean wedge game sir :D

Cheers

David

Re: Not Bonsai - For Bonsai

Posted: July 31st, 2013, 7:48 pm
by alpineart
Hi Andrew F , mate the leg is still attached to the body and the body needs some action , "easy does it but do it"

Hi Brian , still got that gummy leg and still wearing out the motor bike boot holding it all together, it doesn't bend too well but that rotary hoe has saved me 4-6 weeks of impossible tasks , got to make the most of it

Hi Jason , these will be filled with Tridents , Japanese Maples , Crab Apples , Cherries and anything else i can find laying around idle .

Hi Josh , a few hours here and there is all that is required , the original terrace works were 150m in total , these few are only 30m in a small section of 1 terrace .

Hi David ,glad you enjoy the projects , there are times i don't . Like digging grow beds with a shovel . The top terrace has a 3 hole area where my Son and I play around . Haven't played a good round for a long time .

Cheers Guys .Alpine

Re: Not Bonsai - For Bonsai

Posted: July 31st, 2013, 8:42 pm
by bodhidharma
G'day Alpine, bloody hell mate :o is that leg still bothering you :?: Man that problem has been epic, how long has it been now, two years. :?: Keep up the good fight Brother.

Re: Not Bonsai - For Bonsai

Posted: August 1st, 2013, 7:35 am
by alpineart
Hi Bodhi , mate it been a medical disaster and a nightmare at the same time . I have about 50 % movement and that about it . Still has a 5 inch fracture that is very reluctant to heal , that's not the break i made its the break the Physio managed to install .They say another 6-8 months before it fuses together completely .

Its been 22 months since i broke it , 18 months since the Physio broke it while it was screwed and plated . My bloody maples fuse better than the leg has and i strap them with old wire :( . Been a few complications that i just have to wear , can't run yet and probably never will be able too , might have to put a heal /toe gear shift {like the posties} on the motor bike to change gears

Can't lay down and die yet , got too many things to see and do and way too much to learn .

Cheers Alpine

Re: Not Bonsai - For Bonsai

Posted: August 1st, 2013, 6:29 pm
by alpineart
Its been a productive day , thanks to Karen for cracking the whip {not really} she wanted me to quit after the first bed was reworked .
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I managed to find a good use for some old treated pine pergola beams ,
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still a bit of life in them yet and if the last a few years it will be good thing .

With the 3 tiers i put a layer of compost over them ,
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turned them over with the pitch fork , then a layer of old needle litter and turned over again ,
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the top tier didn't get a final turn but thats OK . I rounded up all the odd material ,
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give it a quick trim and root prune then tossed them in
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.More than happy this is all but done , A couple of trunks laying around idle will be thrown in the empty spaces , the top tier , well i lost it to the young fella for his vegie patch.

Cheers Alpineart