Nicholas Gainer

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since Jun 11, 2026
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Biography
North Central West Virginia. Permaculture and Food Forest Enthusiast.
Former Professional Lawn and Landscape Contractor... retired. (Still have to work a regular job)...
I collected tools, plants, knowledge for over 30 years while practicing a Labor of Love... nowadays I am a lonely gardener that grows Melons, Berries, Nuts and Apples and Vegetables as a sustainable lifestyle. My favorite produce provide fruit juices, canned veggies and shelf stable food all year long.
I am a veteran of deer control and plant pest and disease control methods. My favorite "Best Practices" include tall deer fence, Blood Meal solution applications, dishsoap applications and sometimes doing "nothing at all"...
I'm always happy to meet and chat with "Permies" and Homestead folks.
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Recent posts by Nicholas Gainer

ughhh!!!   Wild Grape Vine.   Absolutely invasive on anything that grows more than 5ft tall.

                Multiflora Rose...   requires a lot of work... or chemicals to get rid of and sometimes both.

                 Wild blackberry..........  it is an alternate host for Cedar Apple Rust and it is everywhere.  I don't even get berries because the fruits wilts out before maturity.   I don't want to spray fungicide all over the place.

                 Field Grass...    It smothers anything and everything that I plant in the field unless I tarp for over a year in advance.   Rhizomes...   lots of failures in the field because I don't use lots of herbicides.
1 hour ago
Unexpectedly useful???

Years ago I planted a bunch of Miscanthus Chinensis... ornamental grass.   It was left over from a landscape job and I tucked them into the field.   After 10 years it is an amazing hedgerow that provides little fawns with a safe little hiding place during the day when momma is browsing nearby.  Nothing is more pleasing than to watch the deer frolic while relaxing on the porch in the early mornings and late evenings.

I also discovered that I can cut the stuff and get a clean straw mulch to use throughout the garden.  Massive quantities each and every year.    One of the items on my "To Do" list is to split them and plant rows of it between the permaculture beds for easy access to a steady supply of mulching straw.
2 hours ago
A 12V-110V inverter that can be wired into the car will run a small air compressor that you can buy at places like harbor freight or tractor supply...    real world air compressor that will work and take up minimal space in the trunk or back of an SUV or Truck.          FYI...    Green Slime is a great product but tire shops absolutely hate that stuff...
6 hours ago
Not really...    

  The gardens have been planted for late summer and fall harvest.  That's how I do it here in West Virginia.

  July is coming fast and the garden gets some attention with weeding and fertilizer but most of my attention is drawn to "Things that need to be done"...  other than plant and harvest.

  I find my attention being drawn to things like the overgrown trees on a hillside that need to be cut... I could be a full time sawyer if it paid a nickel.  One benefit of living in the Appalachian Rain Forest is the endless supply of firewood...  

  The old Low Tunnels that I used to use for propagation of nursery stock are looking like storage sheds and I am having visions of a large High Tunnel for growing food under cover during the colder months of the year.  I have all the stuff needed I just need to do it!  

  I have nut trees and fruit trees that were "socked" into the earth with good intentions but now I find they are suffering and have cultural issues that can be addressed by moving to a different location in the garden/food forest.   It's all work,  fun and invigorating but it's all work.   Thank God I have a little tractor...

  Speaking of Tractors...   Machines need worked on.   Tractors,  Spreaders, Loaders, Snow blowers, Mowers, Trailers, Saws and Brush Cutters the list goes on ad-infinitum.   So, I prioritize...   Daily driver car is #1.   July is my go to time to put the primary transportation unit together well enough to last another 30k  miles...  #2 The Farm Truck.   Frame and steering, brakes and fuel, lights and tires and maybe even a 20ft. paint job.   ( a 20ft. paint job is one that looks great from 20 ft. away) hahahaha...

  There is no way in Heckyville that I am buying a new truck and I often think that the old scythe and axes I have tucked away would be easier in the long run because they are always at the ready.

  New Fence and Old Fence...  I like to use the Deer Buster Fence hanging like a curtain with 3ft. wire stretched across the bottom...  the deer are respectful and the 'hogs are minimal...    I have been using 10ft sticks of Poly electrical conduit over T-posts for years and I am ready to upgrade to Locust posts and hinged gates.    

  Summer is when I tighten up the house and outbuildings too...   replacing a few boards, roofing, paint, driveways, walkways.  

  People often post about building communities and villages...   it's because it takes an enormous amount of labor to create the often "lofty and idealistic"  Homestead that  many of us see on social media.   I find that being methodical, persistent, thrifty and clever are my best practices...   "CAN BE DONE"  but there is nothing Easy about it.  Good Luck finding people that are willing to put in the time and effort needed.   Squatters seem to team around sites that Homesteading Community use to network and communicate on.

  Keep in mind...  unless you are a dedicated full time Social Media Guru or sitting on Grandpa's money... Most of us need to keep a full time job in order to keep the taxes paid and a roof over our heads.   Kudo's to You if you can find another way.     Market Gardening is an entirely different endeavor than simply "Homesteading" and though many appear to be successful at it I find that anything in the Agri-Forestry industry requires amazing marketing and sales skills in order to pay the bills.

  Hope your' summer is filled with fun and adventure, success and lots of happy smiles...   Mine is... it just comes from living just a little bit differently than most of the other people that I know.

Peace...  
6 hours ago
"No Longer Looking"  is where I would like to be too...     I'm not that good at networking and my level of maturity has me grounded peacefully within the community I share at my employment.   Not a good place to reach out for romantic intentions.    

Maybe you know someone that might like a guy like me?   I love people and conversation, culture and appreciate the differences that we all find when meeting new people.

My gardens keep getting larger and my home keeps getting cozier...   I have been at it for a long time and Permaculture Homesteading is my natural way of life not a new adventure.

Some might consider me a "Frog" some might consider me a "Lucky Duck"...   Sometimes I think that maybe I am just the big Fish sitting comfortably at the bottom of the secret fishing hole sitting and waiting for the line to drop that is "Just Right" and willing to take for good.

PEACE.
I enjoy the response.   It's a wonderful forum and I appreciate the opportunity to reach out to the "Like Minded" community.          

PEACE...
Every year I have an awful time starting peppers from seed and getting them to the garden.

Sometimes I think it is the seed.  Sometimes I get germination indoors early with lights and heat pads then they fail.  (Mostly because I get too busy with other things and "I" fail)...

I would love to hear about others' experience starting peppers and growing them on to maturity in the garden.

I would love to be good at growing peppers...    Hungarian Wax,  Cubanela,  Sweet Bell would be my favorites.   I have no trouble growing Jalapeno...  but there is so much more to cook with.  

Hope to hear from the Permies and Gardeners here!     Thanks.
Always a concern in areas that have lots of Nature's critters running around.   Keeping food sources in check is #1 control.     Putting dry goods in glass is much more effective than plastic tubs.  The critters you are concerned with can chew right through plastic.

Keeping doors closed and sealing up around them with galvanized tin is a proven effective maneuver as well.   6" tall galvanized tin.   Aluminum is no good.

Bait blocks in the cellar and attic and under the counters, also in closets.  Best to keep this stuff away from your' pets but it is effective.   The critters eat the stuff and then go outside seeking water.  They will die.  

Sticky trap paper and old fashioned "large size" mouse traps!   mmm.... peanut butter.   lol...

Don't be surprised if you look up at your' soffit and fascia of the house and see a hole or two.  These gangsters will crawl up the downspout and find a spot to enter into the attic.

Personally, my best defense is a Dog.   Surprise!  no cats... one of my hound dogs is so completely devoted to home security that she will "end" anything not invited into the home.    Cats are a great idea too, I just don't keep any as pets.

Just in case you missed it...     Removing any food source is #1.

6 days ago
Calling your' local "Honey Dipper"  to pump the tank clean is the best thing a person can do.   Every 2-3 years is what I have read before...  Frequency will depend more on the number of people using the facility and what actually gets sent down the drain.  Food scraps, grease, hair, fabric products and any cleaners or sanitizers that go down the hole make a difference too.

Enzyme treatments from the local hardware store work well if the tank is healthy and the leach lines are not plugged up.    

Letting things go too long causes leach lines to fill with solids and fail.  It is then that the ever popular "glug glug glug" happens in the toilet when the bathtub drains or you try to wash your' hands and face in the sink...   The system is full.  It will be plugged up and no drain cleaner, drain snake or enzyme treatment will fix it.  At that point it requires flushing the leach lines if you can find them after pumping the tank of "Puddin"...   More often it is easier to simply lay new leach lines and connect to the existing tank.

Digging down to the lid of my tank and installing a 10" inch wide pipe with a concrete lid was the best thing that I have ever done.   Easy access for the tank truck and for about $300.00 every few years.   I can poop as much as I want without worrying about the system backing up.
6 days ago
PROBABLY NOT...

How many times have we browsed the "Singles" listings at different websites and dating sites???

How amazing is it that the "Beautiful People" always have lots of nearby matches and dating opportunities???

There is "This Guy" that I know...   he lives a comfortable and peaceful life.   He has dated enough times to know what is good and what is not...  He likes dark haired women that smile easily and honestly that are not afraid to live 20 miles from the nearest city and have passions, interests and self esteem.  

He is the kind of guy that would welcome a best friend and partner into his garden/forest lifestyle but would be happy just to hang out with a "Hot Mess" that has so much going on that all she really wants to do sometimes is take a nap...    

     Big Smiles !      

Peace!