Not to hijack your terrific thread Jane, but for clarity: I will never give up the long machete in my arid environment due to its ability to cut prickly pear cactus, cholla, and yucca from a safe distance. This is less relevant to people in non-desert environments. The long machete is also outstanding for chopping corn stalks at ground level then mulching into bits. The bolo appears less useful in my ecosystem than the long machete, so if I had to choose one, it would absolutely be the long machete.
Do you use both the machete and the bolo, or is just the machete enough for you?
For about 15 years, I've only use the long style (22" blade and 5" handle). About a month ago I bought a bolo because I want the shorter blade for tasks that don't require working at ground level. The new bolo needs work: sanding the wooden grip and sharpening the factory stamped blade. I'm very happy with the long blade but just wanted to see if the bolo would be more effective for working at close range and standing postures. I'm hoping that the weighted end may require less energy to use for an extended period of time. I'll get busy and customize the bolo to learn more.
Any great movies, documentaries, or short films that were made in 2022 that spoke to your permaculture heart? Who would you nominate for tonight's Oscars?
I'd been thinking to get a billhook, but possibly a machete will serve more functions. I am wondering what length would be best for me.
The billhook sounds very helpful (though I've never used one) and is one of 3 styles recommended for gardening in this article by Machete Specialists.
Regarding machete length, I learned a lot from watching this brush-clearing expert use a long machete to clear brush and a short bolo-style machete to make a reaping hook as the companion tool for his clearing technique:
I can't move for four years so will be doing what I can in two week visits several times a year.
In my one acre world, the most versatile precision tool (once mastered), is the machete (or the shorter, top-weighted bolo) plus a metal sharpening file and puck-style sharpening stone. This $20 tool, plus ~ $10 file and stone, requires time to get beyond the awkward beginner phase and use effortlessly. Luckily, you have 4 years to become an expert.
At home, when dreaming of your homestead, you can step outside and practice your moves. Become proficient by using only this one tool for chopping down small trees, peeling bark, splitting wood, clearing roots, chopping straw, weeding, clearing brush, slicing paper and cardboard, girdling larger trees, exposing and cutting invasive roots, harvesting and preparing food and so much more! Mastering the machete or bolo, in my experience, reduces the need for a vast tool supply. The skill has given me confidence that I can address most permaculture challenges that I encounter using this one inexpensive and elegant blade. To learn how to use the tool efficiently and safely, it is nice to work with an expert. Since experts are rare, watch Youtube videos to pick up techniques.
There are lots of tools but not very many skillful users. If I had 4 years to prepare, I would trust that a wheelbarrow, spade, and flat pry bar could be easily sourced and spend my time mastering the machete.
Time for another small, easy permaculture project that gives a surge of JOY!
Last year's stored purple potatoes were reaching out of their box with purplish green sprouts, just aching to get into the almost-Spring-soil: 50 of them! I planted about 30, whole, in a new garden full of composted horse manure in 3 rows, spaced 3' apart. Shaped like like a quarter circle with a 6' radius, (a scallop shell), the garden rows arc like a rainbow. The two walking paths between the rows are now lined with cardboard (bonus, I cleaned out all the cardboard in the house!).
I packaged the remaining 30 potatoes into 3 packs of 10 with planting instructions for some neighbors who enjoyed last year's harvest. Giving away potatoes that will (with the help of caring humans) will reproduce eternally gives me that awesome feeling of permaculture accomplishment.
Today is February 28 and the peas are breaking through the soil! January 28 was the day that I put them into the ground after letting the tails grow a little longer in the sprouting jar. The fabric came off 2 weeks ago when the weather warmed up and I covered the ground only when the temperature went below 28 degrees. I also put dark river stones at the edge of the rows and these 4-6" rounded stones may have held the soil moisture as well as captured the sun's heat by day and retained the warmth at night.
I am so happy!
Today’s project involved digging and dividing a 30” diameter root ball of Giant Sacaton grass (Sporobolus wrightii) planted about 3 years ago.
Ever walk in a grassy plain and see tall grass that has a dead dent in the middle? I used to imagine that those were created by curled up coyotes or other sleepy creatures. Well those dead centers are too dense, old and hidden to green up. They now tell me it is time to divide the root ball and redistribute native bunch grass clumps into desert that needs greening.
Using a sharp shovel and a serrated hand saw, I cut the root ball in half before digging half of it out. I dug out dirt around the outside then levered out the hemispheric root ball. Originally I was going to remove the whole plant but after dividing half the root ball into 6 plants, I figured I’d let the other half recover a year.
They don’t look like much now but by early summer, this grass will green up into 7 lush mounds (including the original plant) that will offer habitat, forage, beauty, mulch, seed and future bunch grasses into permi-tuity.
2023 and tomorrow's the big day! I'm gathering ingredients for gumbo and have found plenty of flavor inspirations: Fish sauce? Smoked turkey carcass? Worcestershire sauce? Opuntia? Purslane? Any other vernacular twists out there in Permieland?
This lovely essay, Everyday Sacred: A Personal Path to Gumbo, by Pableaux Johnson, has freed me up to take some local detours for this year's Fat Tuesday culinary adventure. Happy foraging!
Now that so many wonderful plant ideas have been submitted, how does one decide which plant to choose? Here are some additional considerations that may help narrow down the plant choices.
+Optimal plant height: make some paper cylinders of various heights then lie in bed and see what height gives the best view out the window. Pot height + plant height will add up to what ideal height?
+Optimal plant density: before you buy, try putting some sticks in multiple pots and see how thick you want the foliage to be. Do you prefer a wispy look with wide spacing (orchids, pencil cactus, spider plants), medium coverage (dwarf bamboo, aloe, jade), or dense coverage (snake plant, African milk tree)
+Container choice: pots can be ceramic, metal, or any other material that conceals a repurposed plastic liner. Some plants look better in clay pots. Some plants look better with sleek modern pots. What kind of pots look good in your room?
+Plant stand stability: How much weight can the stand support? If the pot choices are heavy ceramic, the weight of pots + soil + water may exceed the capability of the stand. To increase stability, either give the stand more support by framing the top of the stand legs (beneath the top) with molding (such as 1 x 2 or 1 x 4 inch lumber scraps) or reduce the weight of plants on the stand (lightweight planters, soil and plant choice).
+Drainage tray(s): prevent drainage stains on the wood floor and wood stand with one large tray or individual small trays (more stand weight considerations)
So r ranson,
Did you cut them after about 10 minutes, still warm as Leanne suggested?
Did you taste the delicious crumbs and decide to devour those unsightly end pieces before or after the second bake?
Did your family come into the kitchen and circle to snatch the second bake before they went into the extended storage cookie jar?
Eagerly awaiting your full report...
A couple of years ago, a friend from Texas gave me a couple of curry leaf plant seeds (Murraya koenigii). I planted them in a 20" diameter x 20" tall glazed ceramic pot filled with edible (grocery store organic) ginger roots and a 1:1:1 mixture of perlite, sphagnum moss, and Happy Frog organic potting soil. When garlic begins to sprout, I plant about three bulbs in the pot and let that grow with the ginger and the curry leaf.
The curry leaf plant is now (2 years later) a 5' tall and wide tree. The indoor sun exposure is mostly from the east. Ginger, green garlic, and curry leaves all grow well indoors in the same pot and are delicious fried together in the winter months as a flavor base for beans, stews and fried noodles.
Megan's excellent recipe is very similar to the go-to biscotti recipe given to me by an Italian baker. The two little nuances that may be helpful to some readers are:
+Lightly toast the nuts before adding to dough
+Moisten the dough with brandy or fortified wine instead of water (the alcohol evaporates and the brandy enhances flavor/complexity)
Wonderful memories of KC, Kansas & Missouri, Anne. I share all of them with you!
The party was exciting, stressful, lots of yelling, and in the end, half of the guests were really happy.
Thank you Anne. I wanted to bring some iconic KC dish to a potluck on February 12, 2023. The selections in the general Google search were pretty general. I even looked up old cookbooks from the 1800's to find something unusual and authentically KC. Nothing stood out as a KC specialty. I ended up making red beans and rice.
One site that impressed me quite a bit is called, The Kansas Farm Food Connection. The recipes come from the heartland and include Bierocks as you suggested.
This thread has been a real gift. Thanks for all the beautiful and honest posts here.
Anyone taking a little time-out-on-the-couch-day might enjoy this surprisingly touching Sundance standout from 2022:
A Love Song (trailer) Streaming on Amazon, Hulu, and some other channels.
If it moves one person the way it moved me, this post was worth it!
Such a wonderful building to learn, practice and develop earthen building skills!
Looking at the interior, protected area of the space with a magnifier on the photo, I don't see any wall cracks which suggests that the bales are supporting the weight of those lightweight corrugated roof panels. I see that the 2 x 4 pine rafters are notched into a board at the top of the bales forming some kind of distribution of roof weight, along the bales.
Outside on the overhang, I see what looks like water erosion from a short overhang and agree with Nancy and Glenn that an extension of those roof panels would really help.
If it were my cottage, I would focus on the shed roof extension. Extend the overhang rafters (match the pine 2x4, notch and bolt new lumber on existing rafters and panels under the existing distal edge at least a foot as Glenn noted). Definitely pay the minor cost for proper gasket sheet metal self-tapping roof screws and place those screws on top of the ridges rather than the trough where the water runs as in the picture. Others might replace all the rafters on the long side of the shed roof, and add purlins. Others might replace all the roof panels beyond the A-frame cottage on the shed-roof. It depends on your budget and skills and assessment of leaks.
Once the roof is tight, I'd re-plaster using mud and builder's sand. The trick is to get the mud to stick to the building materials without a gap. Anne's provided some helpful sources. If you have more questions about using mud plaster on straw, chicken wire, wood, dry mud and non-mud materials after reading the permies threads, please ask.
The photos are really helpful M. They confirm that the place is "...very well put together."
While waiting to see if, "...anyone has experience with putting plywood around straw bale and then stone and mortar over the wood" (I do not), I am wondering about the original problem that you identified in your opening post:
It gets soooo hot in the summer and not the warmest in the winter
I'm thinking that, since heat rises, and there is no heat below the house to rise and warm the building in the winter, cool ground air may not be the cause of the cold winter house.
How do you currently heat the house?
As John alluded, is it possible that the heat is escaping by rising through the roof?
Similarly, I'm thinking that too much heat in the summer has a cause, like high altitude sun being absorbed by the house (dark roofs and walls absorb while white walls reflect sunlight). The heavy cooler air under the house in summer probably just sits under the house giving you a lovely cool crawl space. But that heavy air won't rise into the house and cool it without a fan or siphon to draw it up. I don't know much about heat siphons but I'm curious if those who are experienced with such methods would offer their opinions.
Would you consider other ideas besides/in addition to floor insulation? If you are convinced that the floor is the problem, please share your reasoning. I am an amateur builder and eager to learn if I am missing something.
This sounds like a fantastic project, M.
For starters, what are the house dimensions?
[The house] is built on piers, and the space under the house ranges from 18" to 4'
Would you tell us a little more about the piers? Maybe take a photo of the support system. I'm thinking about cellars/basements/crawlspaces; could an enclosed airspace surrounded by rock/mud wall help keep the wind out and the air temp more stable? Do you have space directly under the floor to attach insulation? How is the underside of the flooring (potential cellar roof) constructed? Maybe insulating around the airspace will make straw or other material less necessary as fill.
I'm very intrigued and looking forward to watching your thread!
Biodegradable garden staples! I need some garden staples to hold down some burlap and chicken wire. The options are metal or plastic. Metal rusts. Plastic breaks down into micro sized plastic particles. So I decided to make some garden staples using organic garden twine (jute or sisal) and bamboo skewers. With practice, each staple takes 1 minute to assemble using 2 knots: common whipping and the surgeon’s knot. A pack of 100 bamboo skewers and twine are each $1.25 at the dollar store: $2.50 for 50 handmade permaculture staples.
I have very good luck scratching ~1/2 inch of dried worm castings (no, they don't stink) into the top layer of the potting soil once per year. If the roots are exposed on top of the soil, don't disturb them. Instead, mix the worm castings with pea gravel, perlite, or coarse sand and use that as the top dressing to encourage water to seep through the top dressing castings. Worm castings are essentially a nutritious tea every time you water. I don't mix castings with water because too much is lost out the pot's drainage hole. Misting the foliage also really helps perk up the plants in the dry winter!
Welcome to the Forums, Russ. The clear plastic might work with the extreme temperature swings (30 degrees or more!) here in the high desert, and certainly many other places that have more even temp's. The purpose of the temporary black landscape fabric is to absorb the sunlight and warm the soil to 45F. The black fabric will stay on the ground with a daily check to see if seedlings begin to break through the soil; at that time the black fabric comes off for good. The soil temp is swinging from 35F to 45F without the black cover but the cold spell is nearly over.
As an update on this particular high desert project, Jan’s suggestion to germinate the peas (rather than just soaking them over night according to word of mouth learning) has inspired me to go further along in the seed germination process before planting. Yes, root disturbance is a no-no, however, can we push the seed planting stage beyond an over night soak? Hopefully, germination in a jar will wake the peas up inside where temperatures are more consistent.
As a helpful tool to describe the process, I'm borrowing a lovely pea germination photo series created by Noahjgagne, posted on Wikipedia Following the picture numbers:
Picture I happened after 24 hr soak plus 24 hours, rinsed and drained in jar at 50 degrees.
Picture II is what yesterday’s peas looked like: a barely perceptible white root bulge not yet detached from the pea seed after 3 days at 50F.
Today, 4 days into germination, the tails have detached as in picture III. Given that beans don’t respond well to root disturbance, I planted at stage III rather than disturbing the more developed root at stage IV.
Daytime high desert temps are in the 50s (F) and February nights will be in the low thirties which is acceptable for the young plants without any plastic.
I’ll keep the soil moist and update this thread when (if) the shoots break through the soil....
Thank you for providing background info and perspective T.
Given that you are a design engineer and you have the freedom to examine ideas beyond Cochise County, I'm guessing that you might find New Mexico's Earthen Buildings Materials Code useful as a data point for your inquiry. Yes, the code does specify some concrete for the grade beam that is built atop the rubble trench:
"Concrete grade beam. Rubble filled foundation trench designs with a reinforced concrete grade beam above are allowed to support rammed earth wall construction. An architect or engineer registered in the state of New Mexico shall certify the grade beam/rubble-filled trench design portion."
The rubble trench specifications could be ascertained by contacting a certified architect or engineer. The next exploration could examine concrete alternatives or, at the very least, ways to minimize the length of the concrete beam atop that trench.
I look forward to hearing from the professionals who might share ideas here.
Welcome to the Forums T!
Please give us a little more info about your, "home/structure in Southern AZ" so we can be more helpful. People have been building earthen homes/structures in your area for thousands of years without concrete footers and many are still standing as US National Parks and historic monuments. There are many ways to build out in the Southwest using materials at hand.
How big is the structure? Have you drawn up a plan yet? What kind of "rubble" is available? What is the drainage like on your site? Is this a forever home or a building that will be repurposed when funds increase for a more permanent home down the road? What county are you in?
Info/engineering data for rubble trenches is available but help us narrow down the subject by telling us more about your plan.
Shade by April will be very important indeed Mike! The trellis is pup-tent-style (double A-frame) using 10, 6' bamboo with 2' of chicken wire at the bottom then strings coming from the wire, over the top and zig-zagging up and down side to side from front to back. The trenches run E and W to maximize S sun. I'm planning on replacing the peas with climbing cucumbers in May when the peas wither. Maybe some white Agribon over the pup-tent would help extend pea season. Any other suggestions? The wind is pretty fierce in spring.
Thanks for the seedling pots idea Jay. That will certainly work for someone jump-starting early pea planting who reads this thread.
In my race to get the peas in the ground in 2 days, I'm going with the trenches. As of 11am with sunny sky, soil temperature was back up to 45F without the paper or burlap. As Jan suggested, I put the seeds in a sprouting jars and put it in a 50F dark room. I pulled all the remaining beets in the 12' bed and trenched 3 rows, a foot apart that could accommodate the 4" wide burlap roll. The total planting area is 36 linear feet. The burlap cover is 40" wide by 10 yds (30') which means I could fold it in half for a double thick 15' top blanket and skip the brown paper (or line the trench with that). I sifted about 3 cubic feet of composted horse manure and sand to top the barely sprouted seeds in a couple of days. I'm on my way to collect black stones to hold down the blanket.
Keep those ideas coming for all of us early planters!
Thanks Mike!
No gutters here but I do have a 300' roll of burlap for wrapping tree trunks that would work as a liner for the trench. Maybe putting the barely sprouted seeds on that and rounding up the mulch would insulate from the cold ground? I can remove the mound in a few weeks and surround the seedlings.
January 26 has to be pea planting time here in the cold high desert. The reason? Pea plants need 65 days to mature plus a month or so to enjoy the harvest. That all has to happen before mid-May when daily temperatures dramatically exceed 80 degrees. So working backwards, plant plant on January 26 to get peas by April 1. March 1 is too late (no peas last year).
Soil temperature yesterday was 50F. This morning after the temperature dropped below 20F, the soil temperature is 42F. Looking for 45F minimum, I’m covering the soil with brown paper grocery bags and burlap to raise the soil temp during the sunny day and insulate that temp over night. I'll weigh down the covers with some black rocks to absorb extra heat.
With two more days to prepare for planting, does anyone have suggestions to increase the possibilities for spring peas in the desert?
Such an interesting thread, I can't resist posting again.
Despite the fact that New Mexico’s climate is extremely dry and certainly very different from Florida and Pacific NW US, I will mention that I don’t actually let my material get so dry that it is brittle. I want the shear strength of the fibers and if the material gets too dry, it breaks. I also find that when adding super-dry material to mud, the two substances (mud and fiber) repel each other so it is more difficult to integrate. I have to add more water to the mix to make it work. Then I have to wait longer for the puddle adobe or cob to dry before adding courses. Historically, live but dormant (slightly “green”) turf was cut, flipped over, and stacked like bricks using mud mortar. This dormant turf method is similar to the sod house built by family in 19th century Nebraska. The roots are alive when stacking but die without air.
Speaking of air, because there are few air pockets in packed cob, the insulation value is low. I use cob for thermal mass (holding the temperature steady) and not for insulation.
For one experiment, make 2 bricks: one with fiber that is bendy, the other with brittle fiber. Dry them, then set up a drop test. Check the maximum height each brick can be dropped before breaking up entirely. If you do this, please let us know what happens, Emily.
Welcome to permies Emily!
Funny but I was just shredding yucca fibers to use in my next cob project. While I’ve never used palm fronds or the Florida plants that you mentioned specifically, I have used many fibers in freeform cob and adobe block construction and never had a problem in this dry climate. Usually (like today) I clean up the yard and gather dried or nearly dried plant matter for cob: Spanish broom, runner grasses, cactus, puncture vine, sisal from last year’s garden, narrow leaf yucca, and banana yucca. I avoid materials that are visibly rotting or have mold or fungus.
The big difference between using straw and thorny plants such as those I mentioned is that working with potentially-skin-puncturing material requires mixing with tools (wheelbarrow, hoe and shovel) rather than feet and a tarp. I wear cut-proof Kevlar gloves when handling mud filled with pokey plant trimmings.
Your idea to do some experiments with the plant matter and mud from your land makes lots of sense; people throughout time have made the most of what is most accessible.
Hopefully some Florida builders will respond to your question. Good luck and have fun experimenting.
Great ideas and conversation Rachel!
Discovering ways to enlarge the meaning of permaculture-related career is essential. This news story, A self-serve grocery store helps feed a small Minnesota town, offers an example that supports your inquiry. The article relates the journey of a young couple who started out in a rural environment, made their way to the city where they gained skills, earned decent wages, learned how to run a business, then returned home. They found a way to improve life in the MN town of Evansville where they used their knowledge, skills and ingenuity to create a small business that improves quality of life for local farmers, townspeople, and/or those who live a permaculture lifestyle. This example helped me think bigger about career ideas that relate to making a permaculture lifestyle possible.
Hey John, I'm so sorry to hear about this injury and hope that you recover quickly and completely.
I second Jane's request. Your title "How not to demolish a wall..." suggests that you may have information that will help readers avoid such an injury. Are you willing to share some tips on what went wrong or how to prevent injury during a tear down? Maybe you can save someone the trouble you are going through. Many of us would be very grateful to learn from your experience.
Thanks for posting this Leigh! People speak glowingly of potato soup and I'm baffled as I have never had it. I hope to be inspired.
Meanwhile, if you want a recipe for salmon corn chowder (with potatoes), or white clam chowder (with potatoes) or ham & cabbage chowder (with potatoes) just give a call.
Before getting the insurance/financing, I had to show that I had a plan. If you know where you want to build, get a copy (usually online) of the building code for the county, city or village. Alternative methods in one place are not alternative in other places. Where I live, people have been building with adobe, mud, cob, turf, and other "alternative" materials for hundreds of years. The codes spell out what is necessary to get a building permit for those materials and what must be included in plans, inspection schedules and so forth. I had to present my plans to planning and zoning and they gave me lots to think about before giving the "okay" to purchase a building permit. With permit in hand, getting a loan is more straightforward.
Before interviewing for the loan, I could show the plan and the approval of planning and zoning. To make the process easier, choose an "alternative building method" that has some historical precedence in your area. People at the local historical societies are a goldmine of information, connections to experts, and unexpected resources.
