This year we have decided to split our market garden into two, by planting three lines of willow straight up the middle. We farm in a very windy location, and this winter has been shredding our crops once again. This willow windbreak will leave us with two plots each measuring 50x50m, one of which will be worked by hand-tools and contains our 6 polytunnels, fruit cage, and two sheltered beds, and we will create several permanent beds for both perennial and annual crops; the other will be hand-planted but tractor-worked in long strips.
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| David helping to coppice willows to produce withies for planting. |
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| Three lines of willow withies planted across the market garden. |
We spent one day coppicing a short line of our existing willow, cutting the lenghts into withies, and knocking them into the ground in three lines, where we hope they will take root (the land is currently very wet!) and help protect our crops.
have you any photos of how the willow did later in the year?
ReplyDeleteMost of the willow took, but then didn't survive the long hot dry summer, though some did. We'll be replanting this winter to fill the gaps.
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