Lemon orchard progress

I was looking through photo's we had taken during our December / January visit and realized that I hadn't shared our lemon orchard progress with you yet.


The digger / loader had previously cleared all the renosterbos from the area, and we got John, our part-time helper to dig us a couple of holes. The locals have devised a way of digging holes in that hard ground which is amazing.  They thump the ground with a pointed metal pole (I don't know what it is called, but it is available at our local Co-Op) and every so often they scoop the loosened sand / rock out with a can.  Defies belief, but it works, and works better than a pickax!


I say a couple - well, actually, 15 holes LOL


Then we laid down a row of weedguard.

Preparing the site for more lemon trees

RMan got busy attaching the porous pipe to the irrigation hose connectors - not an easy task because, although the porous pipe is relatively flexible, the ends are quite a tight fit for the connectors.  Too tight for a mere female to do  - well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it ;)

I'm very grateful for the strength in RMan's hands
and arms

To soften the porous pipe, we placed the ends in boiling water.  This definitely does help - but strength of fingers and arms is imperative for this task.  And it's just up RMan's street :)

Porous pipe ready to be installed on the timed
irrigation hose

With the size of the diameter of the circle we have allowed for growing space for the lemon tree trunk.  Also, bear in mind that the porous pipe will supply water to the ground for a distance of 500mm to either side of it.  So I anticipate good coverage of the future tree root system.

The rocks are there as support for the young
lemon sapling, and to close the X we made
in the weedguard in order to plant the trees

We have put this irrigation on the timer as well.  So it will get 10 minutes of water every 2 days.  Given that the water is being applied under the weedguard, there will be minimal evapouration, no wastage / run off, nor drying of the soil surface through the action of strong wind, and no blocked pin pricks in the irrigation pipe as we had in the first orchard section last year :)

You can see the outline of the porous pipe
below the weedguard

A sight to please anyone's eyes :)  And orchard in progress...

The trees we planted last year are in the
foreground - the latest trees are in the
background

Hard to believe the trees next to the
closest  shadecloth were only planted last January.
You can also see the position to which we have
moved the caravan.

The new section in the orchard - 15 more
trees to add to the 15 which were planted last year.

1st orchard on the left - new orchard on the right

I took a chance and planted some really small saplings (the baby row).  One of the five I know didn't make it, but the others seemed fine when last we were there.

From left - the smallest lemon saplings,
slightly bigger in the centre, and the
sturdier new ones on the very right/

Do you remember I wrote about forgetting a whole lot of dried out looking lemon pips in my fridge last August and which I "reconstituted" in a bowl of water overnight?  Well, on the off chance that they were still viable, I shoved them into a pot of soil, place the pot in a sunny spot and kept the soil damp.


This is what happened...

A whole pot of trees waiting to be set free

Looks like I'm going to be busy...

And, Mr H, thanks for the tip.  I have also dropped two different types of apple pips into a pot of soil.  They are also popping their heads above ground.  I guess I'm going to have to find a spot for them too :)

In addition to all the veggies, I will also have a pomegranate, grape, lemon, apple and naartjie (mandarin), strawberry, raspberry and gooseberry harvest at some stage in the future.  It surely can't get much better than that!

I am so very grateful for all of this.  The future harvests, the opportunity of being able to become more self-sufficient, and for the wonderful, exciting, exhausting and the mentally, spiritually and physically enriching journey that RMan and I are on, even if it is at an advanced stage in our lives.  I guess you could say that we are living proof of never being too old to try something new.

And, happily, one of the most important reasons for our purchasing our smallholding and travelling along our eco-friendly path (and documenting it, firstly, on my web page, and, secondly, through this blog) has culminated in an absolutely wonderful result and action. Beyond my wildest dreams :)  I have big news to share with you - but not yet...

And, finally, this photo is to give you an idea of the "growing" area on the farm - as it now stands.

In the foreground, potatoes in their tyres,
veggies in the shadecloth veggie hut behind the tyres,
strawberry, gooseberry and raspberry bushes are further
down behind, and below, the veggie hut,
and the lemon tree orchard on the right.
And, just out of view to the left - the future
root cellar, as well as the pomegranate orchard
which is situated in front of the house :).

And, that is what we have accomplished in our garden in the past year... Reckon the next year could be even more interesting :)  I'm so impatient I can barely handle the wait... (you gather that I am not a patient person - so I've learnt that too! LOL)