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Hi all,

I live in a tropical/hot/urban city (Singapore).

Ideally, I’d have more Health capacity to contribute to the Permaculture Community Garden I do have access to, but even if I was fully Abled/Healthy/”normal”, it would be hella taxing due the intensely tropical climate.

It’s been a huge struggle to pace myself, even on a volunteer basis… let alone dream of even “working” in a part-time paid role.

So there’s a huge gap between “what I feel called to do” vs “what my body is capable of”… and that gap seems to be widening… which worsens the eco-anxiety & general sense of helplessness.

I think a lot of it is that even finding other like-minded folk has been difficult – it’s not that Greenies don’t exist here, but they’re also overstretched.

Would like to chat with people who might have experience with navigating such intersections/complex circumstances. Much appreciated.

Hi we are a family that is lucky enough to live in an orchard of chestnuts in Victoria, Australia. We are starting to sell some of them around town and I’m wondering if anyone has any tips on selling chestnuts you could possibly share. Do you think it’s too late in the season in Australia to start selling them ? Are there any issues with storage or insects for example that we should look out for ? Any advise that anyone could possibly offer would be so appreciated 🌿🌳🌰🐿️🌿🌳

My son picked out blueberries he wanted to plant and we got them in, but didn’t have time to prep the soil before planting as I did not plan on growing blueberries initially. The soil now needs to become a lot more acidic, but the plant is already there. What is the best way to increase the acidity if the blueberries plant is already planted?

If so, I’d be glad to trade or buy some from anyone who has it. I love the flavor of it and I know it’s a great permaculture plant. Thanks!

over 300 members, great vibe and community

tl;dr: clay soil prevents adequate drainage. How can I plant this area?

My yard in Central Virginia is generally sloped back to front with a flat area in the middle for the house and yard. About 20’ elevation difference total, roughly split evenly. The soil is mostly clay with small rocks, but some areas do have organic matter/loam. It seems like the water drains well down the slopes but seems to collect in the flat area.

I dug this hole in hopes of planting a fig tree, but obviously this is not ideal. We got a big rain just over a week ago and a smaller rain two days ago and then hole still has water. My guess is the thick clay is impervious and not letting it drain. A relatively large area stays squishy and wet a long time after drain. Thankfully this isn’t right up against the house, but we do have concerns with this affecting the house/foundation/structure.

What can I do to be able to plant in this? Raised bed for a fig tree? Just choose another location? A major drainage project (French drain with pipes down to ditch) is probably what I need but we don’t have the budget for that right now. Maybe next year.