Eric Hanson

I have thought the same thing as the OP, a little foot pedal to turn on/off the water--or maybe a separate cold water faucet still in the sink area--just for rinsing.  It would make things like rinsing dishes easy to do without leaving a faucet running.


Eric

Nancy,

Thanks for the feedback.  Interesting that my guess for the planting density (1/sqft) and the actual recommendations are the same.  Good to know!  And also, even if I don't get the radish planted the clover will cover well.  And hopefully they play well together.  With a little luck I will get out there soon and get things started!

And when I do I will take a few pictures and keep everyone posted.




Eric

Thanks for the encouragement Jen!


Regarding the Wine Caps, you may have identified the reason for your frustrations.  Wine caps thrive in cool, humid environments.  In my region, October through May/June fits this requirement very well.  The rest of the time is hot but incredibly humid.  Our evaporation rates are extremely low by comparison to yours.

I helped John F Dean get some Wine Caps get established several years ago during the heat of a terribly hot summer.  He used straw as a feedstock, which tends to get colonized easily by Wine Caps.  He placed two bales next to each other and thoroughly rubbed them down with some topsoil from his forest floor.  He placed the bales in the woods where they got mostly shade but just a bit of sun and didn’t get beaten by the heat of the sun during the hottest time of the day.  He kept the bales watered.  Sure enough, he had a good flush of Wine Caps in just a few months, quicker than I ever did.

But then we have a *LOT* of humidity!  And it is no fun in summer!!!


Eric

Hi Jen,

I sure could have done exactly that, but did I—NO!  I went and made the whole process more complicated.  Because of course I did.  I had a few spare minutes during my prep period at school and was thinking that since I probably couldn’t do the whole project the way I wanted, I would super-do the part of the project that I could.  So I first thought about the radish to break the clay, even though I know that this is a process that happens over time.  Then I was thinking about a companion and a quick search suggested legumes.  That led me to crimson clover.  It looks like the clover will add a substantial amount of nitrogen, a lot of biomass, and the roots should partner with the radish to break up the clay.

The ultimate goal is to pile wood chips and inoculate them with Wire Caps.  Doing so alone should really help loosen the clay as the worms go to work.

But I guess that’s for when I have both more time and I am healed from surgery.


But you have a really good idea Jen, and if I was thinking sensibly, I might have done exactly that!



Eric

Not bad!  If I were even remotely thinking about adding more berries, I would have scooped them up too!



Eric

I have a thought for option C

Basically go with option A, but put a little 90 degree angle iron around the outside.  That angle iron will make the connection stronger than either option A or B alone.  If you really want to go crazy, instead of using a wood screw, use a short bolt.  A bolt with a proper washer and maybe a nylox nut (to prevent loosening over time) will remain very sturdy for the life of the bed and the total cost should not be very high.


My two cents,


Eric

That’s what you want!!

If you get plenty of nitrogen in the bales along with plenty of moisture, you’ll have a good set of decomposing bedding by the end of the season.

I had another thought for you—coffee grounds.  If you can get ahold of used coffee grounds and work them in and in between the bales, you have one of the best-perfect items to really start decomposition.  They have about the perfect balance of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon and water.

And while this shouldn’t be a problem, just make certain you get a good supply of microbes.  If you have any doubt, just find the most fertile place on your property and dig up a few handfuls.  That should be sufficient to get microbes in place to do their jobs,


Sounds like you have a pretty solid plan.



Eric

Richard,

I would really soak those bales, but something you will likely find is that the bales can only get so wet.  One of the beauties of the bale system is that it is hard to overwater—the extra just runs out onto the ground.  

I like your thoughts about using manure as it is pretty much exactly what I was thinking.

William also has really good points about making a slurry to aid breakdown.  But even better is the use of Stropharia mushrooms.  If you decide to go with Stropharia, make no mistake, those bales will be not just decomposed but utterly destroyed (by appearance).  The resulting material will be superb gardening material,


So far I think you are off to a great start!




Eric

I have three tools, but they are hardly magic:

1)  flat bladed shovel

2)  hoe

3) 5-gallon bucket


I have gone out and either worked the doggie-doo with the shovel or used the hoe to scrape it on to the shovel.  I then dump it into the bucket and carry it away.


Its still fairly disgusting, but such are the fun experiences of having a dog--I miss having a dog.



Eric

Hi Richard,

The straw bales could be a very good option for you.  And yes, the heat is a real issue, but it is something you can overcome, especially if you can keep moisture on it.

For conditioning, although I used blood and bone meal, you might get better results by peeing on it.  And its cheaper too.  Urine is an excellent fertilizer, but it can be a bit hot.  If you can get the urine to start breaking down the straw, you can mitigate this problem.

That said, I would still work in some manure if you can do it.  My reasoning is that the bacteria from the manure will happily add to the microbe party taking place in the strawbale.  They will probably make it break down faster as well.  When I use the manure, I worked in in on the sides and especially in between the bales.  Basically I was trying to get microbial action going everywhere I could.

Regardless of how you get the nitrogen on the bales, they will break down--surprisingly quick.  I doubt that they could survive to work another season, though you could use them as a base on which to set new, fresh bales.  This would add yet more microbial activity to the new bales.

But for my purposes, I like just add this decomposed straw to the garden bed as a sort of mulch--and a very fertile one at that!



Good luck on your project, please let us know how it works out!



Eric