Was blown away by how well the broccoli & cauliflower did last year after trying this simple technique.. I came across this method of planting out brassicas ...
Friday, March 28, 2014
Monday, March 24, 2014
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Permaculture Guilds with Toby Hemenway - Lesson 15
Click to get the full food forest design course: http://organiclifeguru.com/course/food-forest-design-care-for-cites-and-suburbs/ In this lesson, Toby Hemenw...
Monday, February 17, 2014
Ollas Construction (Part 1)
So I finally got around to constructing some Ollas for use as irrigation buffering in my garden this upcoming season. Under the soil, they wick and release water slowly, “dampening” the effects of both day time moisture and temperature variations.
The simple DIY way is to bond two terra cotta pots together with a VOC-free waterproof sealant. I opted for ECO-BOND Farm-safe Adhesive because it had the best reviews from people who really sounded like they cared about what might leech into soil over time. Shipping wasn’t cheap, but what’s the point if it’s not good for the plants, the environment, or humans really.
I bought 24 x 4 inch pots and bases ($30 at big box store) and, while they're smaller than advertised ollas, they're a fraction of the price. Since I will be sinking two per bucket, I need them to be small anyway.
So far, the bond is setting up quite nicely and a test fill of one with water seems to be perspiring per design. The next step is to plug the top hole with two 1/4 inch tubes: one for the water inlet and the other for air pressure release when under the soil. I don’t know if this is necessary, but better I leave a line I can plug later than make two dozen pots that can’t fill or release properly.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Bokashi: First Look
Bokashi is a relatively modern composting technique that uses a voracious form of anaerobic bacteria to preparatorily break down food waste. After fermentation, the waste is then buried for 2-3 weeks until the mass is completely converted to soil rich in nutrients and biological activity.
This could be the answer to my over-winter composting bulk, not to mention the rest of the year.
Dry Bokashi Recipie
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Home-Made Wet Pots with Irrigation Inlet
To make the wet pots, all I did was follow the great instructions from http://threeforks.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/diy-terra-cotta-watering-system/ and other b…
Saturday, February 8, 2014
2014-02-08 Gaia's Garden Reading Group (Newbie Recap)
http://www.meetup.com/Northshore-Permaculture-Meetup-Group/events/162501292/
Summary: review of chapters 1-3 instead of 4-5 due to cancellations.
Attended: Terri, Todd, Denise, Jan, Paul
Primary topics: raised beds, containers, sheet mulching, compost, no-till method, cover crops, hugelkultur, keyhole gardens, vermicomposting, compost tea, worm lecher, sourcing local materials
Links:
Summary: review of chapters 1-3 instead of 4-5 due to cancellations.
Attended: Terri, Todd, Denise, Jan, Paul
Primary topics: raised beds, containers, sheet mulching, compost, no-till method, cover crops, hugelkultur, keyhole gardens, vermicomposting, compost tea, worm lecher, sourcing local materials
Links:
- podgardening.co.nz (compost, amendments, recycling, etc.)
- toby hemenway
- straw vs. salt hay
- ollas (irrigation with pots)
- sepp holzer, agro rebel
- permaculture guru in Lancaster, PA (Permaculture podcast) (my favorite podcasts)
- Sheet mulching with Bill Mollison (Permaculture godfather)
- online / free Permaculture Design Certification
- fungi: the rotten world around us
- Seaweed in the garden
- Dirt: the Movie
- Soil blocks
- Elliot Coleman
- Barbara Damrosch and Gardening Naturally
- Johnny's Select Seeds
- rain barrels
- rain diverter kits
- potable vs. non-potable water in the garden (audio)
- Geoff Lawton (urban, TED, Zatuna Farms, desert revitalization)
- composting bins
- composting leaves with Mike McGrath (and his radio show)
- cover crops (white clover, vetch, ryes)
- fork to fork
- cork husks at market basket
- OMRI certification
- Coast of Maine garden products and testimonials
And, I want to be this guy in 30 years...
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