Sean Brown

I found this thread and it has been sitting for 5 years now. I found Morse nursery as a good source for trees. They are focused deer and turkey plots but they carry a wide variety of native persimmon, crab apples , chestnuts, oaks , apples and pears. Along with some fruiting bushes.  They have the Korean chestnut. Just in case anyone else is following this thread.

I was just looking into building a stand alone cold smoke box. We have access to clean organic pork and i love bacon. I would live to hear about peoples experience keeping the smoke going.

Wow, i cant pick one or two. I would have to list salad burnet, arugula, beet greens, mallow, chard, and so many kale varieties. In full summer we jewel of Opar and giant magenta lambs quarter. I have yet to try radicchio although i would like to grow it on a recommendation. Very early in the spring we do grow some lettuce mostly what reseeds. Its window of yumminess is so short whereas our other greens have a very long season of edibility

Glenn Herbert wrote:I can't give numerical quantities, but light straw-clay is typically chopped straw barely wetted with clayey water. I expect a 25 pound bag of the cheapest generic clay from a ceramic supply store would go a long way. You would want to cut it into bits and soak and stir to get it smooth and watery. A 25 pound block will make dozens of gallons of straw-wetting liquid. Experiment with small batches to get a feel for ratios.

A pottery studio will have a recycle bucket where waste clay and slop is kept to settle out and be reclaimed. A few buckets of that fresh and unprocessed may be free or nearly so, and reduce your work to prepare it.

The issue i see using stare clay slip is that putting it against wood framing and sheathing would cause problems. Unless i wrap the framing with roofing felt i dont think i would be sure i wasnt ruing my wood. Also beings that it is now winter there isnt enough heat and low humidity to dry out the slip. I may put that idea on a back burner for another project, there is always another project.

Mike Haasl wrote:You could do slip straw or some other natural mix of an insulating material and watered down clay.  It's a good R value and cheap.  Basically chopped straw mixed in a wheelbarrow with very watery clay.  Put a temporary form board on the inside surface of the studs and pack the straw in there.  In a day or two when it's dry, move the form up and do more.  

Whatever insulation you use, I'd definitely put plastic to the inside of it to keep the humidity from the greenhouse away from condensing in the insulation.  And tape the joints of the plastic pieces.  If you cover that plastic with something that could rot, you may be well served to put a spacer between them so condensation on the plastic can drip down and not sit against drywall or wood paneling.

So i have been looking for clay in my area. Guess being in the deep black dirt lands makes it difficult to source straight clay in my area in bulk. Im left with clay like they use for ceramics. Ive been looking for amounts of clay to straw. Do you know how much clay to use for doing the light clay straw mix? I have a 14ft x 6.5ft x3. 5inch wall so 319 cubic ft of material needed. Any leads in recipes will help be it a website or book. Thank you

Anne Miller wrote:Why not disguise the straw bales?

That is a really cute building I like the diagonal pattern.

Maybe disguise the bales with a lattice with some veggies vines or flower vines.

Well its already framed and sheathed. It wasnt designed for straw bales. The space it sits on is limited. An old patio slab my beds but up to it. Straw bales on the exterior would breed moisture and vermin. While being a wind break it really wouldn't add any r value to the building. Straw bales would also interfere with any water collection and as i said intrude into my beds.

The master plan is to have it finished out nice and tight. using the afore mentioned water tanks for thermal mass plus the small hobbit stove for that extra boost when/if we get very cold temps. I want to grow ginger and tumeric. Not gonna happen in zone 6 without a considerable amount of propane , i know this from a farmer friend who grew ginger for his wife. His wife's happiness may be priceless but tha ginger cost a pretty penny.
It will also help with starting plants for our gardens and market booth.

Anne Miller wrote:Have you thought about using hay/straw bales on the north wall?

If i was working on an unincorporated property i would have considered that option. Oir property is in a small town. Not many rules building with bales might draw questions.