Tuesday, November 22, 2011

chicken coup designs


i HAVE AN AWESOME CHOOK HOUSE AT HOME. But there's no need for me to shout about it.

Leave links here to online plans for chicken houses or sites that have info about raising free range, organic chickens or sustainable backyard setups.

Did you think the greenhouse area was a good site for us to start our venture?

Have fun!

I took these photos at the public Permaculture Garden at Hamilton Gardens. Here is a link to their website so you can contact them for more information about permaculture:

37 comments:

mudpies02 said...

When we were in the greenhouse, there was an un-used area down the end (near the dead plants) where we could have ONE of the hutches. Coz, I was thinking, if one of the chickens get sick and there is a delay of getting him/her to the vet, we'd have to put him/her in a separate hutch, so it would be good to have two.

I_luv_animals_AKA_ashymashy said...

hi mr.woody i found this site to show you and it talks about free range chickens and the title is "free range chickens not all its cracked up to be" it was so interesting you should look at it!!!
http://www.upc-online.org/freerange.html
ashy-mashy

rosiegal said...

This web site has some realy good cages taht we could use some of the ideas for our hutch thing. Scroll down a little bit and click on the images on the right.
http://www.woodworx.co.nz/pages12/henhouses2.htm

Here is a blogspot blog just on backyard keeping chickens!!! I got it while seasrching for images, and it is really good, it ahs photos and links and lots of stuff
http://successwithpoultry.blogspot.com/

Kitty Milo said...

those pictures are cool. here is a sight that has some awesome chicken coop designs=]-

http://www.backyardchickens.com/coopdesigns.html

or this is another site that tells you how to build them-

http://nz.lifestyle.yahoo.com/b/better-homes-gardens/479/chicken-coop/
but we wont have to be as accurate as this site says we should build them=]

HamilTRON said...

Hey fellow Room5ians!!!!!!!
I found this cooleoo sight for indoor growing and Organic stuff.
It's got all of this info and it has its own page where Customers have their questions and the pros answer!!!
www.sog.co.nz

Here is a Free Ranged Chicken sight that's really good tells what to do and what to feed them and all sorts of stuff to make the chickens really happy!!!!!
www.lifestyleblock.co.nz/articles/poultry/07_food_and_water.htm
Main Page:
www.lifestyleblock.co.nz

Organic Gardening
This site offers lots to say (info) about Organic Gardening
www.bestgardening.com/bgc/howto/organic.htm

I've got lots of ideas for a chicken coup (pen)
I'll probably draw them on SketchUp tommorow!!!!

HamilTRON

Roo said...

Hey, that's the Hamilton gardens.
I have two questions that all of you can answer.
Here are the two questions:
What jobs would each of us have?
And what needs to be done?

Here are some things I think need to be done:
We need to turn the soil and get rid of all the twigs and branches in the dirt. Trim back the lavender plant so it is a nice walkway down that side of the greenhouse. Also we could remove all the plants and pots out of the greenhouse and onto the grass behind the changing shed. Then we could get in a remove all the objects from the green house so we have a nice clear place. We need people to research more about owning chickens and growing plants. Other people could ring up some timber and plant place to ask what deals they could give us.

Jobs for the making of our system:
Managers- to keep everyone on task.
Researches- to find more info.
Builders- to construct wood boxes ect.
Landscapes- to get the land nice and clean.

Jobs for maintaining our special place:
Vegekeepers- to keep the vegetables nice.
Composters- to get the compost nice.
Chickenkeepers: to keep the chickens healthy and to get the eggs.

Wow that was alot.

Nei-Nei Neina-Marie said...

Me and Dreamhunteress went to look at it at lunch, and the greenhosue is basically huge, and there s a little space at the back. Also, there is a sort of wooden structure thing that we could work on, make a sort of run on it, and then the chickies could have that space in front of the run! However, there is the debate on what we would grow, what soil we would use, how often would we water the garden, if we should keep the greenhouse windows open or closed, what type of hens we would have, and if we would want a cockerel so we could sell the baby chicks to children who live out in the farm.
(P.S, I forgot what a male chickens other name was, so I settled for Cockerel.)

Nei-Nei Neina-Marie said...

IT is the greenhouse and garden area, I need to be more specific!

HamilTRON said...

Hello erm Room5ians, or whatever you would like me to call you, I am HamilTRON's big sister && I would like to comment on this post.

I think that this idea is REALLY good! If you actually pulled it off, I would be impressed.

It would take a lot of work && commitment to complete a task like this.

But here are some questions:

~Where would you get chickens from && if you had to, who would pay for them.

~Where would be the best place for the chickens?

~How long will it take to plan && actually do this?

~Would you involve the rest of the school in anyway?

~Here is a dumb question but, Why would you do this in a school environment && why would you do this in the first place. Fullstop.

~What about the safety of the chickens?

To make this work everyone in the class would need to participate && be given specific jobs to do.

&& I would advise that you get some help from a professional to help through the whole process.

wb
Amal
xx0x

<3

HamilTRON said...

Oo, Whoops!
:P

On my 4th bulletpoint, I meant to put way at the end of it!

Amal
`O x

mudpies02 said...

I think everyone needs to have a go at each job since we're trying to build life skills (aren't we?)
Answering one of hamiltron's sister's questions, I think imafish thought she'd be able to get some chickens from an old teacher or something, && (!!) I know that my nana gave me some bean seeds or what ever they're called, so we could use those...

mudpies02 said...

Also, this is kinda off topic, but that was really weird how empress penguin pulled out the dead plant, and because of the pot it was in the roots were in a square shape! That was interesting.

Go to:
http://www.freerice.com/

It rocks! And every definition you get right, you donate 20 grains of rice!

MrWoody said...

amazing comments people! and super great to hear from DJ A! a former awesome student who used to try to organise me.
regarding the chooks - fear not - i shall supply them for free if we don't get offers from elsewhere. I intend for it to be entirely free or funded by fundraising or grants from other agencies, and based on the generosity of interested parties who are prepared to lend their expertise, time and skills.
i am thrilled by your insightful comments regarding how we could go about it. keep thinking!
the formal planning must be done at some stage but we can even get help with that. I know a thing or two also... huzzah!

chickenfeety said...

Heaps of things in this post are mostly directed at the checkens and I don't think any are directed at the plants. I think some of the best sites would be NZ sites bcause its ment for our environment. Despit my coment, I'm just going to say something about chickens but I going to ask my gran what to do about chickens and plants because they have got some. And I'll ask my grandad about how to build a coop (or poltry arks)because hes byuilt some for his checkens but I souldn't blab on but one more thing heres a NZ!!!!!!
site about chichens
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/thiswayup/chicken

bye:-)

Lyinda said...

Me and neina marie are going to create a chicken pen. Hopefully our plan will come in handy one day.

rosiegal said...

Yes imafish, we need to concentrate on the plants just as much. One day we should have a big clean up day, were we wear oold clothes and tear up the stuff that isnt needed, mostly stuff like the old bathtub and stuff. We can use some of the stuff back there (aroung the back of the greenhouse) but most of it is junk. Yesterday I even found a jandal sitting by itself!

Lyinda said...

Are we going to have groups? If we are I'd want to be with the people that I worked with today. they are:
Me
Nei-nei Neina Marie
Empress penguin
Kitty milo
Chickenfeety
The unknown
Net boy(?)
Roo
Olie(?)
(there is one more but i can't remember his name, he picked rosemarys with olie)

Kitty Milo said...

wow! today was the best day, and one of the funnest day's I have ever had.
i loved sorting out the plants and the soil, leveling out the ground and replanting and cutting and trimming. it was sooooo fun. thanks
to everyone who did it=] byebye
thanks
bye
d(-.-)b

mech boy said...

Dreamhuntress, my name is mech boy.

We have a lot to do.
We have to ask questions like:
How do we care for chickens?
How do you store rosemary?
Which plants need sunshine?
Do we have permission from the Bio tech?
Is all of it going to end up for free?
What type of soil do we need?

We also have to make a scale map of the greenhouse area showing every obstacle with precise measurements.

Lyinda said...

I have found out the diffrent types of chicken.
Chicken Breeds: Different Types of Chickens
If you want to know about the different types of chicken or the various chicken breeds, here is an article which describes the chicken breeds in details.
Primarily chickens can be divided into three breeds:
*Pure Breeds
*Egg-laying Hybrids
*Mixed Hybrids
There are egg laying stock, meat type birds and dual-purpose breeds as well. The egg-laying breeds are genetically prepared to have high egg productivity but then because these birds have small bodies, they are poor meat producers. The meat type birds are not breeds in the true sense of the term. They are hybrids, which are actually combination of many breeds. They are prepared in such a way so that they have a larger mass thus they prove to be better meat producers. The dual purpose as the name suggests would be for producing egg as well as meat. In this category there are some breeds, which serve as better egg producer, and some as better meat producers.

Different Chicken Breeds

Rhode Island Red- These breed can be further divided into single comb and rose comb. Chicken of this breed generally weighs from somewhere around six and half pounds to eight and half pounds. The color of their skin is yellow and the color of the shell of the egg is brown. This is a dual-purpose breed as mentioned above and are used for meat production than for meat production. They originated in Rhode Island and that is the reason it has got a deep color, strong feathers and a strong constitution.

Langshan

These are available in two varieties one white and the other black. The standard weight varies from somewhere around nine and half pounds to seven and half pounds. The color of their skin is white and the color of the eggshell is brown. It is generally used for getting meat than eggs. It is usually roasted and is well suited for capons than fryers. This breed originated in China and they are tall with long legs and tails. This breed comes across as a very active and energetic breed.

Dorking
This breed is known for its fine quality of meat. They can be found in three varieties namely silver gray, white and colored. The standard weight of these varieties are somewhere around six pounds. The color of their skin is white and the color of the eggshell is also white. It is believed to have been originated in Italy and was introduced in England by Romans. They have a rectangular body and short legs. It has five toes and need protection in very cold weather.

Cornish
This breed is the finest for the meat industry and lays the foundation of the broiler industry. The development and arrangement of the muscles give it a good carcass shape. The color of the skin of this breed is yellow and the color of the eggshell is brown. They are found in dark, white, white laced and buff varieties and weigh somewhere around ten pounds. This breed developed in the county of Cornwall country. They have a broad and well- muscled body but they also need protection during winters.

Apart from these above-mentioned breeds, there are many breeds of chicken like the Campine, Catalana, Cochin, Brahmas, Baheij, Araucana, Aseel and many more.

Lyinda said...

The main nutrients for plants.
Nutrient Concentration and Function in Plants
Plants require 13 mineral nutrient elements for growth. The elements that are required for plants to complete their life cycle are called essential plant nutrients. Each of these nutrients has a critical function in plants and are required in varying amounts in plant tissue. Macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulfur) are plant nutrients required in the largest amount in plants. Micronutrients (iron, copper, manganese, zinc, boron, molybdenum and chlorine) are required in relatively smaller amounts. Additional mineral nutrient elements which are beneficial to plants but not necessarily essential include sodium, cobalt, vanadium, nickel, selenium, aluminum and silicon. The nutrient elements differ in the form they are absorbed by the plant, by their functions in the plant, by their mobility in the plant and by the plant deficiency or toxicity symptoms characteristic of the nutrient.

Nutrient Deficiency or Toxicity
Nutrient deficiency or toxicity symptoms often differ among species and varieties of plants. A nutrient deficiency occurs when the nutrient is not in sufficient quantity to meet the needs of the growing plant. Nutrient toxicity occurs when a plant nutrient is in excess and decreases plant growth or quality. One way to understand the differences in nutrient deficiency symptoms among the plants is knowing the function and the relative mobility of the nutrient within the plant. Table 2 describes the general symptoms of nutrient deficiency and excess often observed for those nutrients. Some nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, chlorine and zinc, can be easily remobilized within the plant from old plant parts to actively growing plant parts such as young leaves. Other nutrients, such as sulfur, iron, copper, manganese, boron and calcium, are not easily remobilized within the plant. Therefore, the deficiency of the mobile elements usually initially occurs with older leaves while that of the immobile nutrients occurs with the young leaves or stem tips. Five types of deficiency or toxicity symptoms are observed:

Chlorosis - yellowing of plant tissue due to limitations on chlorophyll synthesis. This yellowing can be generalized over the entire plant, localized over entire leaves or isolated between some leaf veins (i.e. interveinal chlorosis).
Necrosis - death of plant tissue sometimes in spots.
Accumulation of anthocynanin resulting in a purple or reddish color.
Lack of new growth.
Stunting or reduced growth - new growth continues but it is stunted or reduced compared to normal plants.
Nutrient deficiencies may not be apparent as striking symptoms such as chlorosis on the plant, especially when mild deficiency is occurring. However, significant reductions in crop yields can occur with such deficiencies. This situation is termed "hidden hunger" and can only be detected with plant tissue analysis or yield decline. However, experience with growing a specific plant species or variety can greatly help in distinguishing poor crop performance and possible nutrient deficiency symptoms from normal plant growth.

Table 1. Essential plant nutrients: their relative amounts in plants, functions and classification
Name Chemical symbol Relative % in plant* Function in plant Nutrient category
Nitrogen N 100 Proteins, amino acids Primary macronutrients
Phosphorus P 6 Nucleic acids, ATP
Potassium K 25 Catalyst, ion transport
Calcium Ca 12.5 Cell wall component Secondary macronutrients
Magnesium Mg 8 Part of chlorophyll
Sulfur S 3 Amino acids
Iron Fe 0.2 Chlorophyll synthesis Micronutrients
Copper Cu 0.01 Component of enzymes
Manganese Mn 0.1 Activates enzymes
Zinc Zn 0.03 Activates enzymes
Boron B 0.2 Cell wall component
Molybdenum Mo 0.0001 Involved in N fixation
Chlorine Cl 0.3 Photosynthesis reactions


*Relative amounts of mineral elements compared to nitrogen in dry shoot tissue. May vary depending on plant species.

Table 2. Generalized Symptoms of Plant Nutrient Deficiency or Excess
Plant Nutrient Type Visual symptoms
Nitrogen Deficiency Light green to yellow appearance of leaves, especially older leaves; stunted growth; poor fruit development.
Excess Dark green foliage which may be susceptible to lodging, drought, disease and insect invasion. Fruit and seed crops may fail to yield.
Phosphorus Deficiency Leaves may develop purple coloration; stunted plant growth and delay in plant development.
Excess Excess phosphorus may cause micronutrient deficiencies, especially iron or zinc.
Potassium Deficiency Older leaves turn yellow initially around margins and die; irregular fruit development.
Excess Excess potassium may cause deficiencies in magnesium and possibly calcium.
Calcium Deficiency Reduced growth or death of growing tips; blossom-end rot of tomato; poor fruit development and appearance.
Excess Excess calcium may cause deficiency in either magnesium or potassium
Magnesium Deficiency Initial yellowing of older leaves between leaf veins spreading to younger leaves; poor fruit development and production.
Excess High concentration tolerated in plant; however, imbalance with calcium and potassium may reduce growth.
Sulfur Deficiency Initial yellowing of young leaves spreading to whole plant; similar symptoms to nitrogen deficiency but occurs on new growth.
Excess Excess of sulfur may cause premature dropping of leaves.
Iron Deficiency Initial distinct yellow or white areas between veins of young leaves leading to spots of dead leaf tissue.
Excess Possible bronzing of leaves with tiny brown spots.
Manganese Deficiency Interveinal yellowing or mottling of young leaves.
Excess Older leaves have brown spots surrounded by a chlorotic circle or zone.
Zinc Deficiency Interveinal yellowing on young leaves; reduced leaf size.
Excess Excess zinc may cause iron deficiency in some plants.
Boron Deficiency Death of growing points and deformation of leaves with areas of discoloration.
Excess Leaf tips become yellow followed by necrosis. Leaves get a scorched appearance and later fall off.

Lyinda said...

What is fertilizer and why plants need it. Answers:
In order for a plant to grow and thrive, it needs a number of different chemical elements. The most important are:

Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen - Available from air and water and therefore in plentiful supply
Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium (a.k.a. potash) - The three macronutrients and the three elements you find in most packaged fertilizers
Sulfur, calcium, and magnesium - Secondary nutrients
Boron, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum and zinc - Micronutrients
The most important of these (the ones that are needed in the largest quantity by a plant) are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. If you have read the articles How Cells Work and How Food Works, you have heard about things like amino acids, cell membranes and ATP. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are important because they are necessary for these basic building blocks. For example:
Every amino acid contains nitrogen.
Every molecule making up every cell's membrane contains phosphorous (the membrane molecules are called phospholipids), and so does every molecule of ATP (the main energy source of all cells).
Potassium makes up 1 percent to 2 percent of the weight of any plant and, as an ion in cells, is essential to metabolism.
Without nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, the plant simply cannot grow because it cannot make the pieces it needs. It's like a car factory running out of steel or a road crew running out of asphalt.
If any of the macronutrients are missing or hard to obtain from the soil, this will limit the growth rate for the plant. In nature, the nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium often come from the decay of plants that have died. In the case of nitrogen, the recycling of nitrogen from dead to living plants is often the only source of nitrogen in the soil.

To make plants grow faster, what you need to do is supply the elements that the plants need. That is the goal of fertilizer. Most fertilizers supply just nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium because the other chemicals are needed in much lower quantities and are generally available in most soils. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium availability is the big limit to growth.

The numbers on a bag of fertilizer tell you the percentages of available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium found in the bag. So 12-8-10 fertilizer has 12-percent nitrogen, 8-percent phosphorous and 10-percent potassium. In a 100-pound bag, therefore, 12 pounds is nitrogen, 8 pounds is phosphorous and 10 pounds is potassium. The other 70 pounds is known as ballast and has no value to the plants.

So why don't people need fertilizer to grow? Because we get everything we need from the plants we eat or from the meat of animals that ate plants. Plants are factories that do all of the work to process the basic elements of life and make them available to us.

Lyinda said...

The diffrent types of soil that we need in order to grow plants.
Soil is an essential part of growing your own food. Though you can improve your soil through fertilization and digging, basically you have to make do with what you have got and choose your crops accordingly. You will spend a lot of time looking at your humus rich top soil, but the sub soil is also important as it dictates how well your land will drain and it also provides minerals to your crops.

There are four main soil types: clay, loam, sand, and peat, with loam being a mixture of sand and clay.

Clay soil is the most difficult to manage, but with skill and experience can yield excellent crops. The problem with clay is its tendency to form a sticky unworkable mess. When clay is wet and you walk over it for example permanent damage is done to the structure of the soil - sticky when wet, and hard as a brick when dry. However, if you leave clay alone when it is wet, add compost or some form of manure, and plough it before the frosts come, it is possible to develop a well draining, easily worked plot. The addition of some sand also helps in extreme cases.

Sandy soil is easier to deal with, but it is hungry. If you add organic matter such as compost to sandy soil the nutrients are quickly washed away. Also sandy soil suffers in drought conditions as it drains so much faster than a heavy soil. However, with heavy top dressings of manure, and the addition of some lime (to overcome the natural acidity of sandy soil) good crops will be obtained (though crops from heavy soils are better in general). Sandy soil is also excellent for keeping livestock as it does not get sticky when wet or when walked over.

Loam is the intermediate between clay soil and sandy soil. It drains well, but also holds nutrients well. With the addition of a little humus, and sometimes a little lime, a loam is often the best soil for most growing.




Peat soil is very rare which is a pity because it contains so many nutrients. Peat forms when vegetable matter dies and settles at the bottom of a swamp. Over the years more and more layers of organic matter are added, compressing what is already there, as the whole lot undergoes anaerobic (no oxygen) decay. Left for millions of years peat would eventually become coal. Where peat exists in a naturally drained peat field, there is no better soil in the world for cultivating.

Lyinda said...

How to make Compost.


Compost is a vital part of any self sufficient lifestyle. It adds nutrition to your soil improving its structure and water-holding ability, makes an excellent mulch, improves soil fertility, keeps soil healthy and balanced, and can save you a fortune on commercial fertilizers. Best of all, compost is free, and enormoustly reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfill. Currenly one third of waste heading for landfill sites is organic matter from gardens and kitchens.

Making compost is very easy, but requires a little thought. It is a byproduct of the work of fungi, worms, insects, and bacteria and replicates the way that material decays on the ground in a wood or forest. We can use our knowledge to speed up this process by ensuring that our compost is formed under optimal temperatures, moisture levels, aeration levels, and with the perfect mixture of organic materials.

Heat is very important in the creation of compost. In the center of a pile of organic matter heat is generated by the decomposition. The bigger the pile, the hotter the center will get and the faster it will decompose. Air is also very important as oxygen is an essential part of the process. Air is added to the mix by turning the compost over or using a compost aerator. Moisture is also essential. A dry compost heap will decay very slowly, however a soggy wet mass is also something to avoid. And finally, the balance of organic materials in the compost heap is very important. If there is an excess of any one type of material (for example grass cuttings), the the compost will form slowly and be poor. A good mixture of green and brown material is essential.

Almost any organic material can be added to a compost heap, but some things should be avoided. Scraps of meat, fish, dairy products, and any other high fat foods should be avoided. They take a very long time to decompose, smell very bad, and worst of all, they will attract pests such as rats, mice, and flies. Any weeds that have gone to seed or that have a persistent root system should be burned rather than composted or your compost will spread weeds wherever you spread it.

Perfect compost is a 25:1 mixture of browns, and greens. Brown material is carbon rich - e.g. wood, newspaper, leaves (dried), and straw. Green material is nitrogen rich - e.g. fresh kitchen scraps, grass clippings from the lawn. Smaller items compost quicker, therefore a log will take years to decay down, but wood chips can be gone within months. Newspaper should be torn, leaves should be shredded (e.g. with a lawn mower) before they are added to the compost pile. If you add too much brown material then the composting process will slow down. Adding too much nitrogen by way of green material will result in a very smelly compost heap.

Most compost heaps are composed primarily of dried leaves, grass clippings, and kitchen waste. Manure, and seaweed can also be added and both are excellent materials full of nutrients and helpful microbes. Hay and straw are excellent in place of leaves. Crushed egg shells are also excellent, as are all of your fruit and vegetable peelings, and even tea bags and used coffee filters.

If you do not turn your compost heap the decomposition process can take years. However regular turning can result in excellent compost within a matter of a couple of months.

A compost thermometer is an excellent investment and lets you know exactly how your compost is doing. If the temperature in the centre of the compost is the same as the ambient air temperature then you need to add more green materials. This will speed up the microbial activity and get things moving again. If the temperature is over 150 degrees Farenheit then weed seeds will be killed, but decomposition will not occur optimally. In this case add some more brown materials and turn over the compost.

There are a wide range of tools available to help you make compost: compost bins, worm composting bins, and compost tumblers, but you simply make a pile of waste in your garden and not spend any money at all. It is best to cover any newly added kitchen waste with brown materials to prevent flies being attracted.

Lyinda said...

Chickens, predators that eat chickens and their diet.Diet: Chickens have a varied diet. They eat insects, worms, fruit, seeds, acorns, grains, slugs, snails, and many other foods. They have a well-developed gizzard (a part of the stomach that contains tiny stones) that grinds up their food.

Predators: Many animals eat chickens, including skunks, owls, raccoons, opossums, bobcats, and people.

Lyinda said...

How long do free range chickens live?
(In: Chickens and Roosters)
5 to 6 years is average with some going into their teens.

young_veteran said...

are you guys trying to find out who can state the most facts.

Roo said...

Dreamhuntress, could you please not just copy and paste massive comments. You could just pick out some main parts.

Rhys Abrahams said...

Hi guys an girls!!

I have a seemingly simple question - How do you grow some silver-beet? Or spuds for that matter, or carrots, or pumpkins, or broccoli, or whatever!?

Perhaps we should start compiling a list of some of the things we would like in our garden/farm, so you lot can investigate what each thing needs and if its feasible or not.

mudpies02 said...

I don't actually know - but I'll check it out on the net!
Actually rosiegal, that bathtub could actually be quite handy! I don't think we should throw it out!! (Recycle!)

mudpies02 said...

OK, now I have 'How to grow carrots' on my blog (Super blog)! Check it out! Warning! It is completely copied and pasted!! (But there isn't a whole lot of junk in there, I did read through it!)

Lyinda said...

I did Roo. I copy pasted the imformation the I deleted some of the parts that was useless.

Lyinda said...

Fruit for clay soils in NZ, GENERAL GUIDE LINES FOR PROPAGATION

Feijoa
Evergreen. Can reach up to 5 metre tall with similar spread. Prefer well drained humus rich soil, add plenty of compost to heavy clay soils. Propagated by cuttings or seed.

Feijoas are the only fruit that i could find that fruits every year.

Lyinda said...

Here's some vegetabels that we could grow....
Autumn is not only the time of harvest it is also great for sowing seeds and collecting them.

Sowing of vegetables seeds for harvesting in a few months time is also a great way to have healthy home grown crops for winter meals.

Broccoli Romanesco easy to grow, delightful whorled spears, pick as required. This is a great broccoli for autumn growing and the heads are a lovely lime green in colour.

Mini cabbages are quick to mature, less problems from club root disease, which for those with the problem in their soil, they can obtain a jar of potassium permanganate (Condy’s Crystals) from a garden shop. The jar has a recipe for drenching the planting hole with the diluted crystals and salt to prevent the disease attacking the roots.

White butterfly will still be a problem for a while yet and you can overcome this by sprinkling Neem Tree Granules on the soil near the base of the seedlings. (Also do the same with Kale below)

Kale (Borecole / Scotch Kale / Winter Kale) excellent source of vitamins, needs cool weather to bring out the sweet flavour

Carrot Rainbow selection carrots in a range of funky colours, red, yellow, purple, white and orange, all taste like carrots, each with their own individual nutrient content.
or....
Carrot Sugar Snax one of the sweetest, juiciest and crunchiest carrots available, really easy to grow, can be eaten as fingerling's.
To avoid carrot fly damage sprinkle Neem Tree Granules down the row with the seeds and later when the seedlings are up, side dress the row with the same.

New Zealand Spinach start only a matter of weeks after sowing the seed, cut only what you need and allow a couple of weeks for re-growth to pick again.

The above vegetables are top rating ones for vitamins and minerals giving you nutritionally dense fare to ward off colds and chills in winter. Best eaten raw in salads and coleslaws to obtain all the enzymes and vitality, freshly picked from the garden.

Roo said...

Hmmm...
The bathtub is the worm farm!

Lyinda said...

You guys should go on:http://4hembryology.psu.edu/c-biology.html, it tells you all about chickens e.c.t.

MrWoody said...

wow - you guys really were an amazing class - all except the girl who tried to secretly record me for her mother to get me in trouble - why are some people so evil?
The length of your posts here is a credit to your love of learning.
I hope you are all doing well at high school.
:-)