Josh Wolf

Paul Young wrote:The post did say they were rubber trees (Hevea in the Euphorbiaceae - euphorb family) which is not closely related to Banyans (Moraceae - fig family), BUT it seems Banyans do seem like excellent candidates…

Hey, there seems to be a lot of confusion on this thread. The “rubber tree” they talk of is Ficus Elastica, which is a banyan. Also the roots they use are the specialised aerial roots that grow off the branches in hot and humid climates. Other than ficus and the wisterias, grapes and other lianas, a great candidate would be the New Zealand pōhutukawa tree. A myrtle tree that is often the first tree to grow on basalt fields there. They produce prolific aerial roots.

Anthony Breaks wrote:On the topic of "wood" ollas:  I was just researching using bamboo as an olla.

My research suggests that bamboo is very good at holding water, too good in fact.  Some processing is needed for the bamboo to slowly pass water like low fired clay.  But.....

There are treatments to help bamboo take water based stain for things like furniture, so it is possible.

The shape of bamboo is so perfectly suited to irrigation, I am surprised it isn't already a thing.

Sounds like deep pipe irrigation, but no pvc needed!
Drilling holes in the side of the bamboo seems to get around the issue of it not wanting to seep naturally, although it means it functions on a different principle to Ollas.  
An article on deep pipe irrigation: https://www.echocommunity.org/en/resources/c9b0359d-0adf-4485-af08-7f746c44514e

John C Daley wrote:What are Ollas?

An unglazed clay pot with large surface area and volume, but a small opening. They are buried in the ground, fill with water through thre small spout, and the water in the pots slowly seeps into the surrounding soil through the porous clay walls.

Vitor Bosshard wrote:To get the ball rolling... what are the material properties required for an olla? Fired clay is expensive at large scales and cracks under frost.

For example, why not build them out of pallet wood? I imagine a square tunnel that looks like an inverted "T" shape made of boards. Over a few years, this would break down and provide all the benefits of a hugelbed, and in the meantime you can water directly into deep soil layers.

Another idea would be to dig a trench, clad it with clay, then do a big charcoal burn, which as a side effect turns your trench into a semi-permeable irrigation canal.

Just some ideas off the top of my head, I would totally experiment with this if I had the land.

One thing with low fired, non glazed, non vitrified clays is that they are very porous, but don't 'leak' that much unless the surrounding area is dry enough to kind of 'pull' the water from the pot. If the dirt surrounding the Olla is wet already, there is no force of osmosis and it won't continue to empty until the plants need it. I think that is the issue with most of the Olla experiments and alternatives is they don't function under the same principle.
About ground frosts; I never thought about them that much though I knew that they do crack and get destroyed in cold areas. My I live in Aus and my area is humid subtropical turning cool semi arid. Only minor frosts. We can grow broad beans, lettuce, brassicas ect through the winter, and its getting to warm for that to viable in future. It is still to cold for proper tropicals here unless pampered. I have bananas in my backyard that have successfully overwinted near the north face of the house. They just came of dormancy the last few weeks. I live above the flood zone in a big valley full of natural clay. I have the perfect climate for Ollas. I think that Ollas aren't feasible in cold climates other than very small gardens where they are dug up in winter.

Gray Henon wrote:Insulation.  Put it in place, properly, and it does its job for decades.  

Roof overhangs.  Keeps water away from the foundation and summer sun out of the windows while letting winter sun in.  Simple and effective.

I'll second that

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:

Josh Wolf wrote:Nice! Sometimes it is nice to see people on this forum just enjoying things, without thinking too much!

It's too hot to think. Talk to me in the fall. Nice beans!

I'm in Aus, which is in winter now, so I keep forgetting the heatwaves you all keep getting.

Nice! Sometimes it is nice to see people on this forum just enjoying things, without thinking too much!

I forgot to mention I am new to permies, despite lurking for a while. A long time interest in permaculture and slinging so this post crossed my interests and coaxed me to become active on here!

Kenneth Elwell wrote:

Another consideration is reducing the standing water as a breeding ground for mosquitos. It is a different sort of death trap...
We keep seeing more West Nile virus, and EEE reports every summer in our area.

Have you heard of Azolla? It is an aquatic fern that makes a thick mat over the surface of still water, often to the point that mosquito larva cannot breathe. larger animals like fish are unaffected as they push them out of the way. makes a great mulch/fertiliser too, or feed it to livestock.

Nissa Gadbois wrote:

Dane Geld wrote:The easy answers are cranberries, rice, and mushrooms.

There are a few viburnums for edibles used less often.

If horticultural\ornamental answers are allowed, might make an interesting bog or rain garden.  Willows or dog wood for cut stems.  Willows for coppicing.  Black gum trees, for honey, and as the internet is fond of saying, frequently used in preserves.  The internet is somewhat less forthcoming with exactly what kind of preserves, so consider the source.  Would the internet ever do you wrong?

I always forget rice can be grown here.  Ben Falk did some up on his place in Vermont, after all.  I had thought about cranberries.  They prefer sandy soil and ours (in that area) is a little clay-ey (thus why it holds water).  Bogs are flooded for harvest to make the fruit float up.  And then those wet harvested berries are only used for 'sauce' and juice.   Willow is a strong contender here as we have many uses for them.  I have a friend with lots of experience growing mushrooms and she could be a good resource in guiding me towards what varieties could suit the area. It's rather open and bright,

We have edible viburnums growing natively here on the farm.  Perhaps I can consider propagating more.

Thanks heaps!

I like the idea of rice!

Importantly, Cattails are my suggestion. The rhizomes produce more starch per acre than any other crop. If you were in a hot climate like mine I’d say taro.

Also crosne/Chinese artichokes are a hardy little tuber you could add to the list