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Rank: Member Joined: 5/15/2019 Posts: 686 Location: planet earth
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At least most of us are in agreement on one thing; live fences are a wonderful thing.  https://www.motherearthn...ing-fences-zmaz10onzraw
Quote:Fences on your farm or homestead define property boundaries and separate production zones (garden, pasture, orchard). They provide privacy and security from animal (and perhaps human) intruders. They confine livestock and protect them from predators. They guard crop areas from wild raiders (such as deer) as well as animal allies (such as sheep and goats).
Your first choice for such a multifunctional homestead necessity may be manufactured fencing: woven or electric wire, welded livestock panels, boards on pressure-treated posts, or even virgin or recycled plastic. As the energy and environmental crises deepen, however, such options are becoming less appealing and more expensive. The chemical preservatives, paints, and galvanizing agents used in fence manufacturing and maintenance may have toxic spillover effects in the environment. Furthermore, most manufactured fencing is a “one for one” solution. A woven wire fence meant to contain livestock, for example, provides that service and nothing more. The key to a more self-sufficient homestead that imitates natural systems is finding solutions that simultaneously solve more than one problem, provide more than one service and support more than one project. Enter living fences.
The Many Benefits of Living Fences
A living fence is a permanent hedge tight enough and tough enough to serve almost any of the functions of a manufactured fence, but it offers agricultural and biological services a manufactured fence cannot. For instance, it provides “edge habitat” that supports ecological diversity. As more species (insects, spiders, toads, snakes, birds and mammals) find food and refuge in this habitat, natural balances emerge, yielding, for example, a reduction of rodents and crop-damaging insect populations.
Depending on the plant or tree species you choose, living fences can provide food and medicine or fodder for your livestock. Your animals will also enjoy the shade of a dense hedge. The foliage of some hedge plants, such as elder and Chinese chestnut, contains more protein than the quintessential protein forage crop, alfalfa. Willow and honey locust also make good fodder. I’ve been experimenting with Siberian pea shrub recently, as the peas can be harvested to feed poultry.
Leguminous species included in the fence, such as black locust and pea shrub,fix nitrogen in the soil throughout the root zone, and you can harvest some of that nitrogen for garden mulches and compost in the form of leafy prunings. A living fence increases soil humus as its leaf litter and root hairs (which the plants shed to balance loss of top growth to pruning or browsing) break down.
Living fences are windbreaks, which reduce soil drying, wind erosion, and stress on livestock or crop plants, thus increasing yields. Hedges sited along contours can reduce rainfall erosion on slopes.
Living fences can last far longer than manufactured ones — for as long as the natural life span of the species used, which may be hundreds of years. Many species can be “coppiced,” meaning they will send up abundant new shoots after the main trunk has been cut. A living fence of a coppiced species readily renews itself following selective cutting for wood fuel and other uses.
Finally, a living fence, unlike a static manufactured fence, brings an ever-changing beauty to your landscape: flowers in spring, colorful fruit in summer, brilliant colors in fall and a complex, geometric structure in winter.  In the final analysis, it all boils down to sheer plain old hard work and dogged persistence. Nothing more, nothing less!!
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Rank: Member Joined: 5/15/2019 Posts: 686 Location: planet earth
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Enyewe running and fencing a decent sized shamba is very rewarding and keeps getting better with time  . It is fascinating to come back to the shamba after a few weeks only to find the things you planted there growing nyweee slowly but surely. No wonder God made it the first profession in Eden. What I love the most is when a plant/seedling/shrub/tree has "shikad" to the point where it is self sustaining and requires no more watering, whether there is rain or drought. I remember when I was first hunting for a hibiscus for my DC garden. I found one of those roadside guys who attempted to sell me some. When he told me the price, I laughed. When I told him my counteroffer, he laughed even harder. So I began to head to the car. As I left he called me back and said he had some old dying one that he was throwing away that he could sell me at my price. When he showed it to me we both laughed. It was tiny, had three very feeble stems, the leaves on it were yellow and it surely was on its deathbed. I offered him half of my original offer for it and he agreed. Today, less than 8 months later, you will be shocked if you were to see it in my garden. It has even outpaced the other bigger and healthier hibiscus plants I planted much earlier and is blooming frwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa like a nonsense. Incredible blooms with very little watering. Such things are very enjoyable to experience. Kwa shamba huko mashinani the planting gets addictive kabsa. You start pole pole..planting moja moja, planting the live fence (always a struggle in the beginning), planting a tree here and a shrub there. After a few months as you see them "shika" and blossom, you are hooked! The shamba keeps pulling you to go inspect it every few weeks and that pull is irresistible. And it is refreshing to know planting trees and shrubs and a live fence are cheap but dramatically effective capital improvement moves on your shamba. Just like investing in DC...least cost for the highest upside compared to any other capital investments -- You are boosting security -- You are changing the microclimate in and around the shamba -- Preventing erosion, increasing the water retention rate of the soil and so much more as detailed in the posts before this one. --Boosting oxygen and general health of everything all around you Isitoshe, it is very relaxing and rewarding to see the fruit (pun intended) of your labour take shape slowly over time. Slowly but surely. Planting fruit trees sasa hivi pole pole. In 3-5 years time I will be vunaring them nyweee for a very tiny investment.  The possibilities and opportunities with a decent size shamba are endless. And when retirement beckons, huyooo you move to your modest bungalow (solar powered 100% of course) hapo and enjoy easy days far away from the petrol fumes, siasa duni, traffic jams, noise and lockdowns/masks/sanitisers of the city. Life cannot surely get better than that . NIMESEMA!In the final analysis, it all boils down to sheer plain old hard work and dogged persistence. Nothing more, nothing less!!
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Rank: Member Joined: 5/15/2019 Posts: 686 Location: planet earth
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 How can one not be happy in an environment like this? Kweli God has blessed Kiinya with a beautiful kaundry. No wonder beberu came to steal it. This one is in Nyahururu. In the final analysis, it all boils down to sheer plain old hard work and dogged persistence. Nothing more, nothing less!!
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Rank: Member Joined: 5/15/2019 Posts: 686 Location: planet earth
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@Gathige are these the types of fence poles (green coated) you were saying are useless?  In the final analysis, it all boils down to sheer plain old hard work and dogged persistence. Nothing more, nothing less!!
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Rank: Elder Joined: 3/29/2011 Posts: 2,242
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amorphous wrote:@Gathige are these the types of fence poles (green coated) you were saying are useless? Precisely. Most of those sold on timber yards are useless. Sourcing from reliable company that does real treatment and not painting is key. "Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least." Goethe
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Rank: Veteran Joined: 1/10/2015 Posts: 961 Location: Kenya
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amorphous wrote:At least most of us are in agreement on one thing; live fences are a wonderful thing.
Yes.  Proverbs 13:11 Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.
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Rank: Member Joined: 5/15/2019 Posts: 686 Location: planet earth
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sqft wrote:amorphous wrote:At least most of us are in agreement on one thing; live fences are a wonderful thing.
Yes. Nyweee kabsa. Very appealing and secure. A thug will take 5 hours trying to hack through this thing to get in, and by that time one would have already jipangad with hefty weapons to confront him. In the final analysis, it all boils down to sheer plain old hard work and dogged persistence. Nothing more, nothing less!!
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Rank: Member Joined: 5/15/2019 Posts: 686 Location: planet earth
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I admire this Ugandan chap. Has built a beautiful home on his farm in the bush. But why carry a spear around though? In the final analysis, it all boils down to sheer plain old hard work and dogged persistence. Nothing more, nothing less!!
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Rank: Member Joined: 4/20/2010 Posts: 412 Location: nairobi
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@amorphous Good sharing. I've been doing a lot of shrub/flower/fruit/tree planting in my digs for the last 5 years. I must say it is really fulfiling to see the labour of one's hands finally begin bearing fruit. I've tried to single indigeneous shrubs and fruits. I can share a few photos but sharing it here is a long difficult process i made to understand. Am finally putting up the house that will find a mature garden/enviroment in place. I was there over the last 3 weeks and environment is so fresh and didn't feel like coming back to nai. The only time you should be looking down on others is when you are helping them up.
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Rank: Elder Joined: 3/29/2011 Posts: 2,242
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[quote=mmarto]@amorphous Good sharing. I've been doing a lot of shrub/flower/fruit/tree planting in my digs for the last 5 years. I must say it is really fulfiling to see the labour of one's hands finally begin bearing fruit. I've tried to single indigeneous shrubs and fruits. I can share a few photos but sharing it here is a long difficult process i made to understand. Am finally putting up the house that will find a mature garden/enviroment in place. I was there over the last 3 weeks and environment is so fresh and didn't feel like coming back to nai. [/quot That's great. Also add some food crops too. Eating own grown food is like printing own money legally. "Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least." Goethe
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Rank: Member Joined: 4/20/2010 Posts: 412 Location: nairobi
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Rank: New-farer Joined: 12/3/2018 Posts: 18 Location: Mars
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This is very nice. The environment looks serene and those fruits😍😍. Kudos Steer away from affectation at all costs, as if it were a rough and dangerous reef.
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Rank: Member Joined: 5/15/2019 Posts: 686 Location: planet earth
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Rank: Member Joined: 4/20/2010 Posts: 412 Location: nairobi
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amorphous wrote:[quote=mmarto][quote=mmarto]@amorphous Good sharing. I've been doing a lot of shrub/flower/fruit/tree planting in my digs for the last 5 years. I must say it is really fulfiling to see the labour of one's hands finally begin bearing fruit. I've tried to single indigeneous shrubs and fruits. I can share a few photos but sharing it here is a long difficult process i made to understand. Am finally putting up the house that will find a mature garden/enviroment in place. I was there over the last 3 weeks and environment is so fresh and didn't feel like coming back to nai.  Very beautiful @ mmarto. The house is coming up very nicely as well! Good stuff. You will be done in no time and busy enjoying delicious berries on the balcony while renters in Nairobi get 24 hour lockdowns (coming soon) It is really fulfiling when the little steps of trials in planting different shrubs and fruit-trees come into maturity. The theme for the shrubs are all indigeneous trees, except like 3 exotics. I have planted the following fruits; 1. Mudberry 2. Peach 3. Apple 4. Guava 5. Gooseberry 6. Kiwi 7. Orange 8. Tangerine 9. lemon 10. pawpaw 11. Raquort 12. Rasperry 13. Pomegranate 14. Passionfruit The only time you should be looking down on others is when you are helping them up.
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Rank: Member Joined: 5/15/2019 Posts: 686 Location: planet earth
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mmarto wrote:amorphous wrote:[quote=mmarto][quote=mmarto]@amorphous Good sharing. I've been doing a lot of shrub/flower/fruit/tree planting in my digs for the last 5 years. I must say it is really fulfiling to see the labour of one's hands finally begin bearing fruit. I've tried to single indigeneous shrubs and fruits. I can share a few photos but sharing it here is a long difficult process i made to understand. Am finally putting up the house that will find a mature garden/enviroment in place. I was there over the last 3 weeks and environment is so fresh and didn't feel like coming back to nai. Very beautiful @ mmarto. The house is coming up very nicely as well! Good stuff. You will be done in no time and busy enjoying delicious berries on the balcony while renters in Nairobi get 24 hour lockdowns (coming soon) It is really fulfiling when the little steps of trials in planting different shrubs and fruit-trees come into maturity. The theme for the shrubs are all indigeneous trees, except like 3 exotics. I have planted the following fruits; 1. Mudberry 2. Peach 3. Apple 4. Guava 5. Gooseberry 6. Kiwi 7. Orange 8. Tangerine 9. lemon 10. pawpaw 11. Raquort 12. Rasperry 13. Pomegranate 14. Passionfruit Impressive variety of fruit trees The most rewarding thing is to see something you planted a year or two ago start to flower and fruit for the first time! God's creations (fruits/trees/plants) are something else. This is why I want to intensify my long term planting. The best time to plant something is yesterday, the next best time is today. Let us continue to encourage each other and give updates and how we are faring.  In the final analysis, it all boils down to sheer plain old hard work and dogged persistence. Nothing more, nothing less!!
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Rank: Member Joined: 4/20/2010 Posts: 412 Location: nairobi
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amorphous wrote:Impressive variety of fruit trees The most rewarding thing is to see something you planted a year or two ago start to flower and fruit for the first time! God's creations (fruits/trees/plants) are something else. This is why I want to intensify my long term planting. The best time to plant something is yesterday, the next best time is today. Let us continue to encourage each other and give updates and how we are faring. @amorphous is this pawpaw the mountain variety? i.e the one with red/orange flesh The only time you should be looking down on others is when you are helping them up.
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Rank: Member Joined: 5/15/2019 Posts: 686 Location: planet earth
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mmarto wrote:amorphous wrote:Impressive variety of fruit trees The most rewarding thing is to see something you planted a year or two ago start to flower and fruit for the first time! God's creations (fruits/trees/plants) are something else. This is why I want to intensify my long term planting. The best time to plant something is yesterday, the next best time is today. Let us continue to encourage each other and give updates and how we are faring. @amorphous is this pawpaw the mountain variety? i.e the one with red/orange flesh Yep. Red lady papaya In the final analysis, it all boils down to sheer plain old hard work and dogged persistence. Nothing more, nothing less!!
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Rank: Member Joined: 5/15/2019 Posts: 686 Location: planet earth
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We are thanking God for the recent rains, jameni. All the fruit trees, live fence and shamba in general are now well watered. As I said earlier, planting fruit trees and a live fence is one of the cheapest, easiest and most effective ways to increase the value of your shamba. I hope this rain continues all the way to march and beyond! Meanwhile, I am also planting a ring of cypress around the shamba just inside the fence line. Call it my long term retirement plan After 20 years one cypress will be worth hundreds of thousands after milling. Wacha tujipange jameni, time and life waits for no man or woman! In the final analysis, it all boils down to sheer plain old hard work and dogged persistence. Nothing more, nothing less!!
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Rank: Member Joined: 12/7/2010 Posts: 520 Location: Epicentre - Ngamia 1
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amorphous wrote:Enyewe running and fencing a decent sized shamba is very rewarding and keeps getting better with time . It is fascinating to come back to the shamba after a few weeks only to find the things you planted there growing nyweee slowly but surely. No wonder God made it the first profession in Eden. What I love the most is when a plant/seedling/shrub/tree has "shikad" to the point where it is self sustaining and requires no more watering, whether there is rain or drought. I remember when I was first hunting for a hibiscus for my DC garden. I found one of those roadside guys who attempted to sell me some. When he told me the price, I laughed. When I told him my counteroffer, he laughed even harder. So I began to head to the car. As I left he called me back and said he had some old dying one that he was throwing away that he could sell me at my price. When he showed it to me we both laughed. It was tiny, had three very feeble stems, the leaves on it were yellow and it surely was on its deathbed. I offered him half of my original offer for it and he agreed. Today, less than 8 months later, you will be shocked if you were to see it in my garden. It has even outpaced the other bigger and healthier hibiscus plants I planted much earlier and is blooming frwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa like a nonsense. Incredible blooms with very little watering. Such things are very enjoyable to experience. Kwa shamba huko mashinani the planting gets addictive kabsa. You start pole pole..planting moja moja, planting the live fence (always a struggle in the beginning), planting a tree here and a shrub there. After a few months as you see them "shika" and blossom, you are hooked! The shamba keeps pulling you to go inspect it every few weeks and that pull is irresistible. And it is refreshing to know planting trees and shrubs and a live fence are cheap but dramatically effective capital improvement moves on your shamba. Just like investing in DC...least cost for the highest upside compared to any other capital investments -- You are boosting security -- You are changing the microclimate in and around the shamba -- Preventing erosion, increasing the water retention rate of the soil and so much more as detailed in the posts before this one. --Boosting oxygen and general health of everything all around you Isitoshe, it is very relaxing and rewarding to see the fruit (pun intended) of your labour take shape slowly over time. Slowly but surely. Planting fruit trees sasa hivi pole pole. In 3-5 years time I will be vunaring them nyweee for a very tiny investment. The possibilities and opportunities with a decent size shamba are endless. And when retirement beckons, huyooo you move to your modest bungalow (solar powered 100% of course) hapo and enjoy easy days far away from the petrol fumes, siasa duni, traffic jams, noise and lockdowns/masks/sanitisers of the city. Life cannot surely get better than that . NIMESEMA! @Amoprhous What is the scientific name of those yellow bark acacia trees and where can i get them? Thank you. Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs - Farrah Gray.
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Rank: Member Joined: 2/20/2015 Posts: 467 Location: Nairobi
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Forester wrote:
@Amoprhous
What is the scientific name of those yellow bark acacia trees and where can i get them?
Thank you.
Vachellia xanthophloea formerly Acacia xanthophloea because the Australians claim all Acacias (can you believe that?). Anyway just go KEFRI Muguga/ or/ Tree Bio-tech in Karura (entry via Kenya Forestry HQ opposite CID Kiambu road) ask for 'Naivasha Acacia'. Also called yellow barked acacia/fever tree/Murera(kikuyu)/ Olerai(maasai). Faily easy to grow from seed and are very fast growers. You also won't walk barefoot on your lawn as they keep dropping the thorns.
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