What to do with an acre

wellhorsebox

I am wondering what would be the best thing to do with an acre? I know its not a lot of ground. Always had horse's on it but not anymore. I would like to grow something on it. I have my own veg patch, raised beds and glasshouse beside it but i think an acre of mixed veg would be too big to handle. Maybe grow one crop . Or i was thinking of asking the neighbouring farmer who grows barley would he plough and sow it next year.

Base price

wellhorsebox wrote: »

I am wondering what would be the best thing to do with an acre? I know its not a lot of ground. Always had horse's on it but not anymore. I would like to grow something on it. I have my own veg patch, raised beds and glasshouse beside it but i think an acre of mixed veg would be too big to handle. Maybe grow one crop . Or i was thinking of asking the neighbouring farmer who grows barley would he plough and sow it next year.

If you do not require it as an income source then for biodiversity I would suggest planting it with a wild flower mix for bees, wild birds and other insects. Have a read of this link: http://www.biodiversityireland.ie/projects/irish-pollinator-initiative/all-ireland-pollinator-plan/about-the-plan/
Otherwise you could rear pet lambs or a couple weaners if you like lamb/pork but you would have to register with the Dept for a flock/herd number and have some sort of shed/shelter.

TomOnBoard

wellhorsebox wrote: »

I am wondering what would be the best thing to do with an acre? I know its not a lot of ground. Always had horse's on it but not anymore. I would like to grow something on it. I have my own veg patch, raised beds and glasshouse beside it but i think an acre of mixed veg would be too big to handle. Maybe grow one crop . Or i was thinking of asking the neighbouring farmer who grows barley would he plough and sow it next year.

One acre of reasonably fertile flattish ground would, properly managed, allow you to produce enough income to keep a family of 4.

If you doubt me, see what Charles Dowding has done: http://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/

Just saying...

wellhorsebox

I dont need it for income but i was thinking about growing something that would make a return. Although wild flower or meadow is an option.

RiderOnTheStorm

The wild flower idea sounds fab. Would love to have a meadow-like garden. You could split the field in half, with chickens in one part and wild flower / fruit bushes in the other. Chickens are great (who doesn't like to collect & eat their own eggs!), but there is a bird flu warning in place at the moment so it might be best to wait a while.

wellhorsebox

TomOnBoard wrote: »

One acre of reasonably fertile flattish ground would, properly managed, allow you to produce enough income to keep a family of 4.

If you doubt me, see what Charles Dowding has done: http://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/

Just saying...

Id love to but wouldnt have the time to manage it properly unless i gave up the day job

Decoda

Christmas Trees maybe? I suppose it would depend on your location as to whether you could sell them from the plot, ability to manage the maintenance etc? I was always curious about the amount of work / care that they would require, would it be a worthwhile use of small plots of land?

http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/world-news/boy-started-growing-christmas-trees-9397580

batyushki

If you are near a population centre, allotments are an option. They have a high yield per acre and are in demand in many parts of the country.

victor8600

Plant trees? There is a grant scheme to plan trees on your land, see T&C here: https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/forestry/grants/afforestation/

TomOnBoard

victor8600 wrote: »

Plant trees? There is a grant scheme to plan trees on your land, see T&C here: https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/forestry/grants/afforestation/

That can be a very pleasant use beside your house. However, please understand that, when you do plant a woodland using grants, you will NEVER be able to change use down the road, if you want to do something else with the acre.

victor8600

TomOnBoard wrote: »

..when you do plant a woodland using grants, you will NEVER be able to change use down the road.

Yes, that is correct if NEVER is defined as 'not in the next 25 years'

TomOnBoard

victor8600 wrote: »

Yes, that is correct if NEVER is defined as 'not in the next 25 years'

That's a grand little wink so I assume you reckon there's an 'under the table' way of doing it Victor. ;-)

Ah shure, isn't it Ireland and won't there always be a way of getting under or behind the regulations... Well, if I had a nice acre, I wouldn't risk it. That said, I'd go ahead with certain types of trees, but I wouldn't consider the Grant scheme (if it would apply in this case) as that lets people have a say in respect of your land that they may never let go of.

By all means, do some planting for shelter and/or firewood assuming you have a yoke to burn wood in, with a few specimen trees that your grandchildren will thank you for. I'd just be careful of letting the State get any foot in the door in respect of your land.

JJayoo

Plant an orchard of fruit trees

brianiac

What's the soil like? If you had an excavator a pond might be fun. If you can borrow a few cattle after hole is dug leave them in the area and deed them in it. If the soil is clay anyway the constant walking/churning of the soil turns it impermeable and seals it. Bentonite clay which can found on donedeal can be sprinkled on top as well the help it further....though this is all internet reading/daydreaming as opposed to having done it but seems like it works. A wildflower meadow under an orchard with a pond in the middle sounds pretty idyllic. There's a discussion on here about someone with a run down stone cottage which I've posted on where wildflowers were discussed which would be worth a read

TomOnBoard

Ponds can be lovely, but they can require a significant amount of pre- planning and fencing to make them safe/child-proof etc.

MysticMonk

brianiac wrote:

What's the soil like? If you had an excavator a pond might be fun. If you can borrow a few cattle after hole is dug leave them in the area and deed them in it. If the soil is clay anyway the constant walking/churning of the soil turns it impermeable and seals it. Bentonite clay which can found on donedeal can be sprinkled on top as well the help it further....though this is all internet reading/daydreaming as opposed to having done it but seems like it works. A wildflower meadow under an orchard with a pond in the middle sounds pretty idyllic. There's a discussion on here about someone with a run down stone cottage which I've posted on where wildflowers were discussed which would be worth a read

I was watching gardeners world some years back and Monty and the team excavated a large pond.
They lined it with clay and then "puddled" it in to make it watertight but it wasnt enough and they had to install a huge liner to keep in the water.

Unless its a natural spring or the clay is exactly right a pond will need to be lined,unfortunately.

JJayoo

Apple Orchard, with early/mid/late apples.

Then when early apples are almost ripe get in a few pigs, so about mid July. Keep the pigs untill all the apples have been eaten or the land is getting too wet. So july - mid October/start of November. Then sell the pigs for bacon

TeaBagMania

JJayoo wrote: »

Plant an orchard of fruit trees

This, also adds value to your property. Currently have apples, pears, and peaches.
Next spring ill plant two more pear trees and a few apricot trees.
I like the idea of a wild flower seed mix for the bee's

JJayoo

TeaBagMania wrote: »

JJayoo wrote: »

Plant an orchard of fruit trees

This, also adds value to your property. Currently have apples, pears, and peaches.
Next spring ill plant two more pear trees and a few apricot trees.
I like the idea of a wild flower seed mix for the bee's

How do the peaches grow with our climate? And try and get some plum trees, our ones had incredible crops this year.

TeaBagMania

Im in Utah and we have a temperature spread of below freezing to 40c in the summer. In comparison to Irelands year round mild climate I think they would be fine.
Would be nice to hear from someone that has tried them

harry Bailey esq

Greenhouses full of weed.

gozunda

Have posted this before - rather than Christmas trees - Holly might be an option

https://m.independent.ie/business/farming/forestry-enviro/growing-holly-could-be-a-lucrative-resolution-for-2017-35371637.html