Green Wall for Summer Shade

I am building a green wall, aka "summer shading wall" about 30 inches from the house on the south end. Eventually the deciduous trees I'm planting nearby will grow up to shade that end of the house, but that will take a few years. In the meantime, I am putting up a trellis with 2 horizontal cattle panels, one on top of the other. Cattle panels are 16 feet long and 50" wide, which will cover most of that area. I plan to grow some flowering vines on it, but also some hardy (smaller, smooth-skinned edible) kiwi vines, and pole beans. I may consider putting some grape vines on it next year.

The south end of our house is narrow (the house was originally a single-wide trailer, with more house built around it). That end has no windows except one to the long front porch, but it absorbs a LOT of heat during the summer. I suspect there is scant insulation in the walls, and since it is the master bathroom, I'm not about to tear out everything (including all the plumbing and fixtures) down to the studs to fur out the walls and add adequate insulation. The foam insulation they can pipe into walls doesn't work very well if there is already minimal fiberglass insulation and/or fire-stops in the walls.

After having some sod removed for an adjacent food forest area and the post holes drilled, I started on the shade trellis. Photo above is the posts just stuck in the holes, awaiting some help to hold them plumb while I backfill. (The temporary opening in the skirting is for access where the plumber is replacing all the water pipes.)

Finally the posts are set, the area between the house and trellis has been covered with weedcloth and a heavy layer of wood chips on top, but only one horizontal cattle panel has been attached until I can get 2 people to hold it up while I hammer in some fence staples. That will happen before any vines grow that tall.


I ended up planting Japanese morning glories, 1 moonvine, Kentucky Wonder pole beans, Mexican sour gherkins and my 2 hardy kiwis along the base of the cattle panels. I cut a bunch of comfrey and sorrel leaves for a "chop and drop" fertilizing mulch, covered with some wood chips. 

The cattle panels don't cover the whole end wall... about 3 feet on each end will be exposed after it all grows and leafs out. I think I'll plant giant sunflowers along the ends for the summer, and transplant some Jerusalem Artichokes on the ends this fall.

I'll post another photo in a few weeks when stuff has grown up the trellis enough to see it.

My House & Garden, Elephants and Blind Men

I'm sure you all have heard the story of the blind men and the elephant, but just in case... In various versions of the tale, a group of blind men (or men in the dark) touch an elephant to learn what it is like. Each one feels a different part, but only one part, such as the side, tail, leg or the tusk. They then compare notes and learn that they are in complete disagreement.

The point is that we reach different conclusions depending on our exposure to partial facts.

I have been struggling with designing a drainage system to address the runoff from the hillside behind my house all the way down across my garden areas and on to the creek. I have this personal experience to add to the design considerations:

Three years ago I did extensive work on my garden area, building fluffy raised wide rows between narrow compacted walkways, all perpendicular to the creek. I was careful to only walk on the pathways, but I could plant and manage the vegetables from a path on either side of each bed. By the second year the rows were barely above what had been the paths, and by the third year, non-existent. I don't know how much of the soil went into the creek as run-off, but probably a lot between runoff and flooding. I'm sure some soil was trapped in the 20 foot wide grass swath between the garden beds and the creek, but not much.

Secondly, I also know from my own experience with drainage on the place my mother owned that drainage ditches fill up, and so does buried perforated plastic drain pipe in a gravel-filled ditch. They can fill up in as little as 2-3 years.

I had decided that some terracing in the slope in back of this house, using a hugelkulture bed idea on the lower edge of each terrace might work better than drainage ditches. And it still might be the easiest thing to do.

Then last week I came across this series of videos, which made me realize I was the blind man observing only part of the elephant (the area just behind the house). Our steep woods run behind/above the house, and then run parallel with the ridge behind the next several houses along the road. It's steep, but there are 4WD cart paths running through some of it; access to the paths is limited and I don't have one of those fancy carts, so I've never been up there. I need to get the local forestry person here anyway to talk to me about woodland management.

The first video segment in the series (linked above) is just an over-view and I didn't learn anything much from it except reminding me of how the rivers in the US carry topsoil down to the Mississippi Delta. However, starting with the 2nd video and building on it in subsequent segments, I began to see and understand "my part of the elephant" in a whole new light as a whole elephant, and some things that can actually be done to help the drainage/runoff. 

There is at least one more spring on our property, behind the next house 1000' up the road. I've never seen it, and don't know what feeds it, but it's on the lower part of the hillside about 200' from the road. For all I know, there may be more springs. It's a lousy steward who doesn't know the land entrusted to her care!

I am hoping there might be state or federal money available for woodland management, which might include planting trees to replace what was timbered out before we bought this place, as well as management of water runoff. If nothing else, at least there should be forestry advice available.

Septic Leach Field, and Garden Woes

Damn and Double-Damn!! Seems I've discovered a potential minefield with moving my garden area higher up from the creek, which puts it closer and downhill from our septic tank and leach-field system. Frankly, I hadn't given the septic system any thought until now.

In my process of sheet-mulching a large area for a new garden, last weekend I started also considering the addition of 2-3 small sheet-composted areas nearby as prep for planting a couple of fruit or shade trees in the spring. Now I find that would put the trees smack-dab in the approximate area of either the tank, the leach-field, or both. You are not supposed to plant trees over the septic area because the tree roots can invade and damage the system.

According to everything I read online, eating foods (including tree fruits) grown over a leach field or just downhill from it, could be hazardous to health. That's a very scary thought!

I did find the diagram for the septic system permit in our house closing papers, and it's rather vague about exact location. That hasn't bothered me until now, but in considering what kind of trees to plant, or where to plant vegetables, the location IS of utmost importance. 

The tank hasn't been pumped in years as far as I know, and certainly not in the 5 years we've been here. It needs pumping now, and a pump tanker can't get under our low-clearance covered bridge over the creek. The tanker will have to come across the neighbor's field, and I'll have to take down a section of fence. The tanker also will probably have to drive over the fragile leach field to get to the tank too, unless they have a very long hose.

The other disturbing thing I found out is the expected life of a leach field... which with the best maintenance is around 20-25 years. Years ago most leach firlds used small sections of terra cotta pipe, which have a very long life expectancy if tree roots don't get in them. More recently, most leach fields use cheaper perforated plastic pipe, which can silt up.

Our system was installed in 1986, exactly 25 years ago, and surely has perforated plastic pipe. Not knowing the exact location and extent of the leach area, the huge area where I recently added a foot of compost and berms could be over part of the leach field!

Unfortunately, the only somewhat level area on our property for a veggie garden of any kind is on the side of the house with the septic system. The septic tank appears to be above any potential garden area, so it would all percolate downhill.

I have someone from Environmental Health coming out this week to assess the situation. No doubt I'll then need to hire someone to locate the tank, bring in heavy equipment to dig up the lid, and a tanker to pump it out. We won't be able to even assess the leach field until we can measure the scum layer and the sludge layer inside the tank.

I am NOT a Happy Gardener!

Sheet Mulching for Food Forest Farming

 

First portion of the sheet mulched area; much more ground to cover

 

I'm totally revamping my lawn and garden areas, moving away from the fairly traditional ways I've always planted things, and more into what is considered "food forest farming". Part of the changes include getting rid of more of the area I have to mow, and moving the food garden areas up higher away from the creek to avoid flooding. It also entails integrating fruit and nut trees with vegetables, bulbs, flowers and herbs into "guilds" that supply the needs of each other. It's a very ambitious project, and cannot be done in just a year or two.

Unfortunately, the new area is all green stuff called "lawn" (I have way too much lawn to maintain anyway!) I have neither the stamina to dig all the grass out, nor the money to hire it done... and I do not want it plowed, which only brings up more weed and grass seeds to deal with in subsequent years.

So I'm starting with deep sheet mulching (per Gaia's Garden) an area about 24' x 50' if my energy holds out. Next year I hope to double it in size. The general idea is to put down a layer of cardboard or newspapers, then cover with about a foot of mulch and wood chips. On top of that, I'll put a couple of inches of topsoil. By spring it should have somewhat decomposed and be ready to plant at least a few things.

My sister can get used cardboard where she works; all I have to do is split the boxes and remove any staples and the tape which will not decompose. 

Partially mulched starting area of 16' x 24'

I bought several bales of alfalfa hay because: 1) it was the same price as straw bales, and 2) straw bales have lots of grass seed heads in them. I'm hoping the alfalfa seed heads in these bales won't be as much of a problem as the seed heads in straw. I made the mistake with straw once before. It was mostly grass/grain seed that sprouted the next spring, but just one single mature Redroot Pigweed that could have been in any bale would contain at least 35,000 seeds that are viable for 60 years. Regardless, I sure had a mess of weeds from the straw and hope not to repeat it.

Plus, alfalfa is a legume containing lots of nitrogen, and is also high in protein, calcium, a few other minerals, and vitamins B, C, E and K. That should help feed the microbes and other soil organisms that will break the sheet mulch down over winter!

I plan to broadcast  Greensand over the alfalfa to add some trace minerals, which will also help loosen the heavy clay underneath the cardboard once the cardboard has all decomposed. (Greensand is generally Broadcast @ 50-100 lbs. per 1,000 square feet.)

After the alfalfa has had a few days of rain on it (the weatherman says this week), I will probably have to add another layer of alfalfa as it has settled. Then I'll add a layer of willow chips on top of the alfalfa. The chips are left from last year's tree work, so they are partially broken down already. I also have some of my own garden compost to add, but not nearly enough to cover much of the entire area. Stubbornly, I refuse to buy bagged compost because I don't trust what might in it... so what I have from my garden will have to do.

I will post more about this big project as I work on it, plus ideas to hold water for this new area. In the meantime my time is parsimonious, between starting this new garden, making the garden hoops with row cover for fall plants, and the house projects... all of which need finishing before cold weather.

Do I sound overwhelmed? I am!!

Remember Tom Sawyer's Whitewash?

Photo © Cindy Lovell / AP

Well, I do... and reading about 'whitewashing' the fence... and since today is Earth Day, it seems a good time to post it. I had an idea of what whitewash is... sort of, but not really. Turns out it's a useful, cheap and non-toxic finish that can substitute for paint in many areas. Probably not inside the house, unless you applied it in summer and let it air out until fall, although many older farm houses were painted inside with whitewash.

I came across the notion of whitewash when researching 'caves' to age cheese. It's great for that, and just as wonderful to apply to barn interiors for farm animals, outbuildings, stables, chicken coops, etc. The lime has a purifying action, kills germs, and does not act as a medium for their growth.

A basic recipe is 2 gallons of water, 12 cups hydrated lime aka quicklime (which is very white, unlike the lime applied to fields which is usually gray) and 4 cups salt. I paid under $8 at the local Ag store for a 50 pound bag of hydrated lime, so this is very inexpensive 'paint'. I'll but bulk salt at Sam's or a local Ag dealer.

Actually, whitewash is not really a paint, but instead it's a 'wash', which will eventually begin to flake, or rub off if you lean against it, and the reason why whitewash was reapplied every few years.  It will also wear down over time if exposed to rain. However, the addition of milk or rice flour (or an animal glue) makes it last longer outdoors, like on the fence belonging to Tom's Aunt Polly. (The casein in the milk, or protein in the flour, binds to the lime to make a kind of 'cement' so it sticks better and lasts longer.)

I plan to whitewash the inside of my root cellar to clean and brighten it, once it gets warm enough to empty it out for a few days. I want to re-do the shelving in there, too, and install a breaker box in place of the old fuse box. I'll post pictures and notes when I tackle THAT project!

There is also a paint called Milk Paint, one of the oldest types of paint on earth, and one of the longest-lasting. Along with egg tempera, it was the standard artist paint of the middle ages. Casein, as it's properly called, remained popular for decoration through the mid-1800s, and it’s what gives Colonial furniture its soft color.

Curdle a bucket of milk with vinegar, strain out the curds, add some borax or lime and some pigment, and you're basically ready to go. Milk paint, properly prepared, will last for centuries. Milk protein, stripped of its fat (curds) is incredibly sticky.

Here's some links on Whitewash recipes and instructions, and following them, some links for Milk Paint.

Craftsman Style, How to Whitewash (click to read the page after it, too)

WikiHow How to Make Whitewash

How to Make and Use Whitewash

Whitewash

Homemade Milk Paint Recipe

Milk Paint

Martha Stewart: Milk Paint Recipe

Fall Clean-Up and Prep

There always seems to be SO much to do in a Fall yard and garden, and mine is no exception. Unfortunately, my summer garden did not get the attention needed, nor did the yard, so both were full of tall weeds and tall grass. I had to tackle some of the tall grass first, so I could even get to the garden. I mowed with the highest blade setting and even then some of it just got knocked down. 

Raking was necessary, and there was LOTS of it to do... but it will make nice mulch for the garden when it's a little more dry. After the cut grass piles get moved, I should be able to do a final mowing for the year. There's still much more tall grass to mow also, sides and back of the house, and I'm a bit ashamed I let it got the better of me. However, what I did manage to rake is in rows, drying, and turned over daily.

Now, it's on to garden #1. It is a mess from neglect, and I need to plant garlic and shallots, so look for a step-by step transformation to be posted in a few days...

Chickens and Guineas

Photo courtesy of Just chaos' photostream

I have been planning on raising chickens to supply eggs and meat for several years now, held back only by lack of funds (and a reluctance to visualize hauling fresh water three times a day in the dead of winter).

The only space I have to let them free-range is in the yard where the flower beds and vegetable gardens are. The photo at the top here shows the exposure of a carrot root by a scratching chicken, and that idea poses a problem for me. I cannot afford to fence off all the garden areas, but I also do not want chickens always enclosed in a pen. To me, that defeats the purpose of having chickens!

I've come across several backyard poultry sites where they tout guineas, either mixed in with chickens, or just the flock of guineas.

Advantages
Guineas are great for keeping down ticks, Japanese beetles and other bugs and at the same time, do not scratch up the dirt like chickens do... thus little to no damage to flower and vegetable gardens.

They make great 'watchdogs'!!

The birds are edible and a great alternative to chickens. The flesh is said to taste slightly gamey but less assertive than pheasant or grouse. The eggs are small but edible, and it takes 2 guinea eggs to equal 1 chicken egg. The positive side of the smaller egg size is there is more yolk per egg, and the egg yolk of any fowl contains the best nutritional values.

Disadvantages
Guineas prefer to roost in trees, making them targets for predators. They also prefer to lay their eggs in hidden areas. However, I understand those traits can be changed by several methods. One helpful tip is handling the keets (babies) many times a day, and training them to come to you with millet treats. That makes them easy to train to a coop and cage at nightfall.

A tall cage around the coop fitted with tree branches inside gives them high roosting places. As for their penchant for laying eggs in hidden places... folks who have guineas AND chickens find the guineas will often lay their eggs in the hen boxes.

Guineas can be noisy, the hens more so than the males because the hens sing. An option is to have all males; unlike roosters, guinea cocks do not fight each other for dominance.

So my current thinking is to start with a half dozen or so males (if I can get just males), until I can afford to make my garden areas chicken-proof. That will get me back in the groove of the responsibilities of keeping domestic birds again, and help rid my yard of bugs, especially Japanese beetles. Guinea eggs are not essential for me; not many people eat guinea eggs anyway as they are more valuable as fertile eggs to hatch. If I have only males in the beginning, I will have time to decide if I want guinea hens, or chicken hens... or both.

If that doesn't work out for me, I can always butcher and eat them!

I'm Thinking Gardening...

Last year I became so disgusted at the weather impact on my garden that I vowed NOT to do another garden this year. However, as time rolls around and the catalogs roll in, I seem to be wavering.

Right now, and whether I put in a garden or not, I'm working on how to make an inexpensive biochar crusher. I'm convinced biochar that's been inoculated with beneficial microbes is the best thing next to homemade bread hot from the oven. The problem isn't making biochar, it is in getting it crushed small enough for distribution in my garden.

The charcoal bits remaining in the ashes from my wood stove are 75% perfectly sized, but not many folks have a wood stove anymore. Last year one of my gardening friends up the road crushed some Cowboy Charcoal (which you can buy at Lowe's and is pure biochar) with the help of her husband and son, and said it was a messy and dirty business.

Biochar is easily made by burning any organic matter (sticks, deadfall, tree trimmings, even green plant material) in a drum; the trick is to char it thoroughly rather than burn it to pure ash. Another consideration in making biochar is controling the gases given off in burning rather than adding them to the atmosphere. The optimal idea is to capture the gases and recycle them back under the drum as fuel; that's called a retort.

I have several ideas about making a crusher, but I want to do it cheaply. The roller mills made for crushing feed would do the job but they are hundreds of dollars to purchase. The home grain grinders the beer hobbyists use to crush the grains look like they would grind too small; fine for mash but maybe not biochar.

This project probably won't make much progress until it gets warm enough for me to spend some time working outside. I'll post any progress.

Cattle Panel Arch Trellis

After more reading (several months too late!) about companion planting do’s and don’t’s, I discovered I inadvertently made my tall trellis inhospitable for pole beans this year by the proximity of my extensive rows of garlic, shallots and onions. It's too late to move those alliums now as most were planted last fall. So, I needed to find another place for beans.

Seeing a friend’s new hoop trellis yesterday reminded me I had one cattle panel left over from building a new blackberry support fence recently. I could put that panel (plus at least 1-2 more later) to work for my pole beans this year, and have room for some additional tomato plants, too! In case you are not familiar with cattle panels, they are heavy-duty welded wire sections 16 feet long by 50-1/2” tall.

I had everything needed on hand to start this project and the weather was good for working in the yard. Only the farm stores carry the cattle panels locally; they are closed on Saturday afternoons, so one section is all I could build for now. I put the cattle panel in place over weed cloth and anchored it with tent pegs and rebar driven in the ground on the outside to keep the panel from kicking out.

I used some split cedar posts to contain the dirt and compost because I will not use any treated (toxic) lumber near anything grown as food.

I can almost "see" the trellis covered in vines, and me sitting in a comfy chair inside the arch, iced tea in hand... watching the creek roll by!