Richard Nurac

Thanks Paul.  I bought a couple of pies and wish you well with the podcasts and all the other good things you are doing.
Richard

I am so pleased Paul has re-commenced the podcasts.  Was getting a bit worried!  

I visited the patreon page since I would like to make a lump sum contribution rather than a per artifact commitment, but did not see how to do this.  Where can I make a lump sum contribution?

Thanks,

Richard

I've kept chicken for >4 years and we have enjoyed the eggs and the company. Mine are cooped every evening and roam in a 5ft fenced paddock but predators are still an issue. In the past few weeks I've had to deal with a feral cat which killed one hen and mauled another. Yesterday I successfully trapped the cat and with medication, the injured hen is recovering. If you would like a blow by blow account see this link - http://www.nutrac.info/2015/12/09/feral-cat-maimed-chicken-and-solutions/. If the link does not work visit my website at http://www.nutrac.info/ and see post dated 12/9/2015.

The process will be expedited if you can lay your hands on some good active compost and use it as a kickstarter with its soil organisms ready to rock. If weather is cold you could drape a tarp over the top to retain the heat and facilitate the cooking. Make sure it is wet but not soggy and aerated - you could poke some holes with a stick. And you should be ready to go. After a few days to a week, remove the tarp and feel for steam or rising heat - gratification.

I have certainly enjoyed having mullein in my growing area. I grew 3 varieties from seed and in the second year they grew over 6 ft and were spectacular - see photos at http://www.nutrac.info/2013/06/17/mullein-is-an-unusual-plant/. Pollinators loved the tall towers. That said, I will not be hosting them again in my growing area since I do not feel they contributed nutritionally to the neighboring plants. They have horizontal roots and sucked nutrients out of the adjoining soil, quite unlike comfrey. One caveat - I have a lot fewer pests this year and am still trying to figure out why and maybe the mullein had something to do with that.

Having sufficient water pressure and avoiding airlocks needs planning and experimentation. Most of my catchment areas are at the bottom of the hill and I pump to two 285 gal tanks at the top of the hill from which I irrigate my plantings. Rainwater provides all my irrigation needs and wellwater my personal needs. The system requires frequent supervision since algae does grow and clogs my low pressure bubblers and drippers. But it is satisfying, efficient and, as water shortages loom, ensures that my well (or my neighbors' wells) will not run dry because of my irrigating. My website has details and pics.

I purchased trees from two local state nurseries and the results were mixed. In one case the trees arrived in January, while I would have preferred a few months earlier at the beginning of winter. Also they often had few lateral roots which meant it took them longer to get going. What I do now is in the fall I collect the nuts from local trees which I wish to propagate (them being local ensures they are well adapted to my situation), bury them in a good location (well drained, irrigated etc.) and a year later in October/November I plant them out. I wait for when the ground is moist so I can save as many root hairs as possible when I carefully dig them out. Also, I have concluded, you do not do the seedling/sapling any favors if you follow the maxim of a $10 hole for a $1 tree. If there are established trees nearby (and in your case there likely will be), their roots will outcompete your new trees' roots for the nourishment you provided. Which means they will be worse off than if you had snuck them in under the radar.

I would think that if you are going to filter the water, which you will need to do for a dripper system, then you will need a pump which will need electricity. I harvest rainwater and use a bubbler system which is less precise but does not often clog and does not need a filter. I do use a pump to pump the water from the collection tanks to the elevated gravity feed tank from which the rainwater irrigates my crops. To fill a 285 gal feed tank takes less than 15 minutes of pumping so electrical power use is minimal. I bought the tanks online and the irrigation pieces at the two big DIY chains and cost was reasonable. Take a look at my website if you are interested.

I live in Georgia. I mentioned in an earlier post how I had hand dug out the bermuda grass and secured the area with borders. Another method I tried which requires less effort seems to be working. Last year I laid down cardboard and on top of it, lots of woodchips and, not surprisingly, the bermuda grass easily worked its way through the barrier. In September of this year I covered the area with black commercial plastic and left it alone for 3 months. In December I uncovered some of the area and was pleased to see the grass had not only lost its vigor but was being attacked by fungus, which I assumed migrated from the woodchips. The grass was easy to fork and pull out of the ground. My experiment continues and you can read the details in the 12/17 post on my website.

If the area you are working on is not overly large, the best is just to pull it out. I did that recently on a 100ft by 10ft area. Waited for rain to soften the ground so when I pulled, the whole grass stem came out. It took a while and every few days I go back and look for the tell tale sign of a piece I missed. I used a long spike weeder to loosen up the grass before pulling. Especially required for the anchors - the horizontal growth comes up much more easily. Also important to secure your borders to prevent infiltration. You can look at my 9/11 and 9/21 posts on my website for a more detailed account.