how to build a bush plot

by **downunder** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 6:44 am

I would like to start of by sharing a bit of my philosophy on bush growing in Australia. first of all when I say bush growing I don't mean growing in your back yard or patio .I mean real bush growing ,going place now white man has ever been and growing an introduced "weed" in soil that has never been tilled .because of the untouched nature of the areas used for bush growing we must be conscious of the environmental impacted our actions and try to limit damage as much as possible .there are several different way of limiting the damage ,you should always take all your rubbish home with you ,potting mix bags ,water bottles ,old pots and cig butts are sometimes left behind by careless growers .not only do they detract from the beauty of the area ,they also increase the risk of being caught .you should never use pesticides or herbicides as they kill not only the intended pest but also every other bug in sight .pesticides also have the potential to move into the food chain of the local animals where they reek havoc. just rember that the bugs where there first and be prepared to loss 1-2 plants a year .the bug population in the area can be reduced by clearing away leaf litter and small plants from the edge of your plot .healthy fast growing plants can handle a little bug damage with no ill effect. When choosing your spot try to find somewhere that is already clear, this will reduce you're impacted and save you the back braking work of cutting down trees. If you have to clear a spot go to your local national parks office and by some local native plants to replace the ones you have removed. Remember we humans do not own the land we are only the caretakers.

by **downunder** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 7:02 am

What you need........ 1/ tools ......... you will need a decent shovel ,pliers ,pruning saw and knife.......2/materalis.......you will need ,water crystals(p17),mushroom compost(p26) ,pea mulch(p64) ,chock poo(p65),sheep poo(69), pot ash, a 5L plastic bucket and a 25L drum ......3/for the fence..............you will need 4-6 treated pine posts depending on the size of the plot and enough chicken wire to surround your plot

by **downunder** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 7:50 am

1/CLEAR THE PLOT..once you have chosen your plot clear the undergrowth and any over hanging tree limbs (p1-p10) 2/DIG THE PLOT.. Now dig a hole the length of the plot and to a depth of the shovel blade. (14) 3/ TURN OVER SOIL..now turn over the newly exposed soil, making sure to remove any roots or stones (p15)

by **downunder** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 8:01 am

4/ADD.. Add mushroom compost , pea straw ,chock and sheep poo ,water crystals and ash and mix it in well.(p18-p20) 5 /REPLACE THE SOIL.now replace the soil you dug from the plot(p23) and recover with mushroom compost ,pea straw ,chock and sheep poo, water crystals and ash a mix in well.(P27-31)

by **downunder** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 8:20 am

6/WATER AND MULCH..water the bed enough to soak the soil to a depth of 100mm and then cover with mulch ,water again to stop the mulch from blowing away.(p39) 7/ WATER AND REST. Leave the plot to rest for 2 weeks (longer if you can) during which time you should water every couple of day. (p63)

by **downunder** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 8:23 am

8/ PUTTING UP YOUR FENCEfirst work out where you wont your fence to go don't forget to allow space to walk around the outside of the plot(p51).dig your holes to a depth of 600-1000mm deep and place your post in the hole. Place a stone either side of the post (p42) to stabilize it .once you have gotten the post level place soil in the hole and press it down with your foot .when all the posts are in (p45) rap in chicken wire and fix securely to the posts.(p61) don't forget to leave an opening for a door (p57) Now you're ready to plant, simply dig a hole with your hands and place your seedlings in the hole .during the course of the year you may need to add more mulch as the old mulch brakes down and more pot ash as the plants begin to flower.

by **downunder** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 8:40 am

9/NEXT YEAR..after you harvest your plants remove all the stems and roots, dig the plot over and add more pea straw and chock poo .water it in, then cover the plot with straw, water again .return to the plot once a month to water .when your are ready to plant again dig the plot over, add more pot ash and remulch. Then you're ready to go again

by **noone** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 10:04 am

that is brilliant mate
congats on a fine tute
now im off to find me a suitable area
cheers
bil

by **petrev** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 2:43 pm

lol u got a good area of bush land, wer bouts is ur bush land area, iv got a lil in wollongong area haha