Permaculturing in Portugal

It was my initial intention to concentrate on our energy generation and building renovation this year, but the temptation to get started on growing our own food was irresistible and we dug over part of a couple of terraces in the Spring to create some temporary beds and plant a few vegetables.

The long-term plan is to create vegetable beds in a no-dig, minimal-rotation system of cultivation based on well mixed companion planting amongst the (eventual) forest garden, but the thick mat of nettle and bramble roots, mint and dock meant that initially the ground needed to be dug over to remove these very persistent plants and give the vegetables a chance. (The soil we’ve dug so far is good and deep, but needs a lot more organic matter and life in it. Very few worms.) We also opted for the conventional rows of vegetables, mainly for speed and convenience at this early stage. At least it would give us the chance to observe what works and what doesn’t.

Yurt vegetable beds

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We’ve made a start on re-roofing the larger of the two buildings on the quinta. As luck would have it, Chris has a brother who’s a roofer, and he’s come to join us and help out with replacing the roofs on both buildings since neither in their present state are watertight. Welcome Michael!

Removing the large slabs of schist

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Can’t help but wax lyrical about this, but we’re really enjoying the experience of eating juicy warm sun-ripened fruit fresh off our own trees and bushes. There’s a vast difference between the vibrancy in a fresh ripe plum or peach that’s reached the peak of perfection while still being very much alive and attached to the tree, and the teetering-on-the-brink-of-decay ripeness (if you’re lucky enough to get it to ripen before it goes mouldy) of fruit purchased in your average supermarket.

Plums

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A year ago I asked what’s happening to the oaks round these parts. Suddenly around June, the leaves all seem to turn brown and take on a skeletal look. Last year I thought it might be fungal because I couldn’t see evidence of insects, but now that we’re here full time and have the benefit of catching it in the act of happening, this year it’s clear that it’s not.

Despite searching on Google for oak leaf miners and the like, so far I’ve been unable to identify this pest. Anyone?

Addendum: Thanks to Miguel (comment below) I’ve discovered that this pest is the Oak Flea Beetle (Altica quercetorum). I’ve also noticed that, like many plants subject to insect attack, water stress plays a part. The oaks in wetter parts of the quinta have far less damage, or even none, while the ones in the driest areas have the most damage.

Okay, well I wanted to try this out. It’s my new blog for kids to check out. Basically just trying to solve ‘quinta angst’ and hopefully give you all a new way of looking at things when you move to Portugal…

Have a look?! Quinta Life 4 Kids

xx

Butterflies again! The profusion and variety of them here is a continual delight. I’ve been trying to capture this one (on camera) for a few weeks now. Today one obligingly posed for me on a grapevine. The Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius), so called because it is in the UK, though apparently not here as I’ve spotted several.

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The next stage in the water wheel construction is nearing completion. Because the ‘engine’ of the system is a permanent magnet generator from a wind turbine, and a water wheel turns much more slowly than a wind turbine, the wheel needs to be linked to the PMG via a gearing system that steps up the number of revolutions. To work out the optimum gear ratio for this installation, we needed to measure the actual rpm the wheel produces at present water volumes. For that to be done, we needed to construct the chute to deliver the water to the wheel.

Present water volumes in the levada. Not huge. About 2 litres per second.

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Summer is here and it’s watering time. Even with the few vegetables we have growing this year, watering them is already taking up a good couple of hours every evening. Part of that is to do with the fact that we are mostly watering them with a watering can. I’ve re-opened a couple of irrigation channels to help things along and got them working reasonably well, but it’s still not hugely efficient. I figured we could do better. But what to do?

Today I bought a reel of hosepipe. I knew I had a large funnel somewhere, and a ball of twine. With 15 minutes’ work with the ball of twine, an hour clearing vegetation from the top of the waterfall, a ladder, and a bungy strap, we now have a working irrigation system for the main vegetable bed on the yurt terrace. A bit Heath Robinson, but considerably more efficient than the watering can.

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All of a sudden, our lemon tree has burst back into life.

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Our cherries are ripening fast.