It’s been four years since Skirret Update 3 although there have been a few skirrety posts since then: Don’t Jump the Skirret in the Stew and November Plant Profile: Skirret. In the meantime I’ve been making a rough selection of the scurvy that’s growing here. Today’s harvest photos are below…
Alley Hanging
Alley hanging involves growing carefully selected guilds – such as the Three Sisters above – in lateral strips between orchard rows. Oregon organic farmer John Sundquist uses alley pruning to rotate vegetable crops through his diverse fruit and bamboo orchard. The orchard alone requires a significant amount of cutting, trimming, and mulching. So instead of growing his annuals in a separate field, he places beds between the rows of fruit trees and adds seed mixes, with flowers, vegetables and fiber plants.
Directly under the apple and pear trees grow perennials such as elecampane, milk thistle, and burdock. These plants attract beneficial insects and provide living mulch for the fruit trees, as well as medicine and food for the farmer. The result is a network of diverse hedgerows, interspersed with wide, easy-to-maintain beds of annual crops.
How to grow Squirrels
Squirrels can be grown from seed directly or in modules in March/April or to get a starter plant with a 1 year old crown with a small cluster he already has. formation skirret roots. Place in a sunny position about 30 cm apart. You will see small green shoots emerging and during the summer the plants will grow to about 4 feet tall producing a mirror of white lace flowers. In Autumn the foliage dies back and you can see what the roots are doing and harvest some to eat and divide the rest to make new plants. Choose the straightest, largest roots and those without a woody core to make a new stock. You can also make new plants from small by-products – these are growth tips with a bit of root attached to them, just pinch and drop them into a pot. The Skirt itself will also seed.
First year roots may be a bit woody, but once established you should get sweet, tasty roots to harvest. It is usually best to wait until the second year for larger edible roots. Skirrets like deep rich soil with lots of organic matter, but soil that is friable. They need to be watered well to stop the roots from getting tough and enjoy some liquid life. The flowers are beneficial to insects.
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