permaculture methods

[nick]

Have been doing a bit of reading through some permaculture books from local library. some of the bits that I have found interesting are when you cut a head of cabbage, cut a deep cross into the stalk and four new smaller heads will form. with leeks, cut 2cm below ground level and the stalk will regrow.
haven't tried these ideas yet but thought I would share them and see if anyone else knows of vege shortcuts.

[hedgewizard]

Those work ok provided soil pests aren't too much a problem, but if you're trying to get as much out of your plot as you can you have to remember you're tying the ground up when you could be using it for something else... even if it's only a green manure for improving the soil.

[hedgewizard]

Whoops, just re-read the question. Er... when you lift carrots, cut the tops off leaving about half an inch of root, and replant into a well-watered bed. In Oz they'll regrow (I read about someone who had been eating the same carrots for 15 years) but I doubt it would work in the UK. Prove me wrong there, someone.

This part of permaculture is all about using perennials where you can, because they are a lot less labour intensive. Some annuals can be "perennialized" using tricks like these.

[Wombat]

Let your broccoli sprout after you've eated the central head, Nick! thr side shoots arent as big but just as tasty!

Nev

[nick]

haven't heard of the carrots growing roots before. used to regrow the tops as kids so will give that one a go.
grew green sprouting and jennings broccoli last year. don't know if I was a bit out of season for the jennings but only one head developed.
I collected some bean seeds in summer to resow next season. because of the heat I didn't get to collect all of the pods. 99% of the plants grew true to type when self sown. (could'nt see the point in pulling up healthy plants when the seeds I was planting were getting pulled up by some birds.

[hedgewizard]

Yes, I've got a friend who grows a kidney (dwarf french) bean up the back of a flowering border, and she just gives up collecting them towards the end of the season. The skeletons of the old plants get taken out in the early spring and any bare soil gets a quick rake over, and that seems to be it. She gets heaps of beans every year.

That's not an option for me as I'm trying a 4-year rotation. My broccoli are doing OK I suppose, but I'm always frustrated by how slow brassicas are. I'm thinking of cutting them out altogether if I can store/preserve enough other stuff... but it'll take a couple of years before I can decide. That reminds me... time to sow some summer cabbage!

[Wombat]

G'Day Hedgie!

Not an option for me, I love broccoli and caulies! Couldn't live without 'em.

Nev