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Local materials

Microbeman

The Logical Gardener
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Rico; When you get as old as me, one has to get things done, to have some time to reap the benefits. The lot next door is huge, comparatively and offers room for making mulch and thermophilic compost, growing more herbs and storage of my motorhome.

I'm hoping to buy a commercial grade chipper shredder which nobody around here has [despite many tree 'managers'] and attempt to set up my helper in business creating mulch. This is the number one thing which would improve horticulture locally. Soil erosion and dryness are the biggest problems. My helper is a brave man in his later 30s who has stuck to the moral high ground, raising his 2 young sons alone. He deserves to have an improved life.

There is a typical Mexican dwelling on the lot, which could serve a number of uses. I have had a fantasy of creating a school of soil science and microscopy but do not know if this will come to fruition without an infusion of capital.
 

St. Phatty

Active member
There is a typical Mexican dwelling on the lot, which could serve a number of uses. I have had a fantasy of creating a school of soil science and microscopy but do not know if this will come to fruition without an infusion of capital.


One of the best academic classes I've ever taken was a simple 4 week class in Hot Composting taught by the head technical guy from Sonoma Compost.

They recruited a Berkeley soil science prof to manage the operation and he taught a good class.

@ Santa Rosa Junior College.

If you can find a landscape company with a yard where they dump their wood chips, then wait for a rain, you will see interesting things.

Some, but not all, of the piles of wood chips will start steaming.

Sounds like you are interested in these kinds of things too.
 

Rico Swazi

Active member
MM; Very impressed with the amount of work you have done despite your age :biggrin: Mid 60s here and right with you on getting things done to be able to appreciate it all. Just wish the body didn't hurt so much after the fact.

Mullein? lobelia? are they on your list of herbs? any others ?

Can't help but think hugelkultur would be perfect in your situation with having to water 3 times a day. The problem may be the amount of time and energy spent on huglebeds may take you away from other quality of life aspects. Would love to see the idea catch on down there. Is slash burning in the fields very common? If so, like it is here, all the more need to find alternative ways to sequester carbon.

Where do I sign up for that school of soil science and do you validate parking? On that note, I can tell you the reason I liked spurr so much was we seem to have the same sense of humor,( or lack of it.:)) One of those giants that I speak of.

Wishing you success on securing the land, chipper and business venture. Perhaps a kickstarter or gofundme would be the infusion your school needs? I'd donate tho it would be a snowball chance in hell of ever attending.... I would be delighted to give something for the schooling given you to me freely in the past.



Enjoy your day:tiphat:
 

Microbeman

The Logical Gardener
ICMag Donor
Veteran
mullein but no lobelia. I was harvesting and selling mullein in 1971. I also made a smoking mixture of mullein & uva ursi = Kinnikanik [some with yarrow leaves for menthol effect]
 

Rico Swazi

Active member
mullein but no lobelia. I was harvesting and selling mullein in 1971. I also made a smoking mixture of mullein & uva ursi = Kinnikanik [some with yarrow leaves for menthol effect]


I copied down the recipe for your smoking mixture posted back in the day on TSD but for the life of me I can't find it anywhere. A friend of mine was able to quit his nicotine habit while using it, thought it might be good to share here also.

Curious if you will be growing comfrey, horsetail, nettle or perhaps

papaver somniferum ?


thanks again for the pics, more please when you have time
enjoy your day :tiphat:
 

Microbeman

The Logical Gardener
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Rico; Are those heal all, all heal, self-heal plants - prunella vulgaris in your 'volunteers' thread?

healthy

On papaver somniferum I do hope the plant in the blue tub is my last remaining chance to continue a line of giant afghanis

I planted my scrounged 100 seeds which passed as dirt crossing the border. I was fooled once by a look alike in the bin which produced a small yellow flower. I'm hoping because I harvested the seeds from this pod.

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T

Teddybrae

Hiya M/M! Have become a Lurker. Hope all goes well for you ...
 

Hookahhead

Active member
Algae

Algae

I can't find kelp anywhere in my country. When I ask at a nursery or a garden store, they have no idea what I'm talking about, even when I explain in Spanish. I recently moved to a new house, farther out in the country side. While going for a walk the other day I noticed immense algae blooms in the small stream just behind the house. It's rainy season here right now, and the nutrients from the local cow and horse fields are washing into the stream. In an aquatic environment, phosphorus not nitrogen is often the limiting resource. Since algae are single-celled plants, they are great at soaking up all of these extra nutrients. I like to add dry algae to my soil mix before I cook it, so I set out today to collect some.

Here's the stream before I started collecting.
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Collecting it was simple. I used a wide bucket, and a piece of wire mesh to support the plastic screen.
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After a few minutes I figured out the best technique was to roll the algae almost like making a snowball. Pull the ball out, toss it onthe screen and roll another. It was really efficient and I was able to collect a good bit in less than 20 minutes. I used a fine mesh "nut bag" to squeeze out as much water as I could. I gave the water to my plants, it was fizzing like a carbonated drink as I was collecting the algae. Except, since algae are photosynthetic this was oxygen not CO2! The lighter is for size reference, I collected way more than I expected. I had to stop because I ran out of drying space haha.
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The algae is very fibrous, and feels really nice once it's been wrung out. It feels like a nice, soft moss or something. I have no clue what species it may be.
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Here you can see all the more I actually harvested, there are patches like this all up and down the stream. The part where I collected should quickly replenish itself. So now I'm going to spend the next few hours researching if there is a way to preserve/concentrate this stuff.
picture.php
 

Microbeman

The Logical Gardener
ICMag Donor
Veteran
I can't find kelp anywhere in my country. When I ask at a nursery or a garden store, they have no idea what I'm talking about, even when I explain in Spanish. I recently moved to a new house, farther out in the country side. While going for a walk the other day I noticed immense algae blooms in the small stream just behind the house. It's rainy season here right now, and the nutrients from the local cow and horse fields are washing into the stream. In an aquatic environment, phosphorus not nitrogen is often the limiting resource. Since algae are single-celled plants, they are great at soaking up all of these extra nutrients. I like to add dry algae to my soil mix before I cook it, so I set out today to collect some.

Here's the stream before I started collecting.
View Image

Collecting it was simple. I used a wide bucket, and a piece of wire mesh to support the plastic screen.
View Image

After a few minutes I figured out the best technique was to roll the algae almost like making a snowball. Pull the ball out, toss it onthe screen and roll another. It was really efficient and I was able to collect a good bit in less than 20 minutes. I used a fine mesh "nut bag" to squeeze out as much water as I could. I gave the water to my plants, it was fizzing like a carbonated drink as I was collecting the algae. Except, since algae are photosynthetic this was oxygen not CO2! The lighter is for size reference, I collected way more than I expected. I had to stop because I ran out of drying space haha.
View Image

The algae is very fibrous, and feels really nice once it's been wrung out. It feels like a nice, soft moss or something. I have no clue what species it may be.View Image

Here you can see all the more I actually harvested, there are patches like this all up and down the stream. The part where I collected should quickly replenish itself. So now I'm going to spend the next few hours researching if there is a way to preserve/concentrate this stuff.
View Image

I've also been unable to find kelp. Were I you, I would just dry and powder the aquatic weed.
 

h.h.

Active member
Veteran
Not to hijack your thread.
It is titled "Local materials".
Not " Ace Hardware".

Algae is a start.
Sounds like a me in Colorado or a Canadian in Mexico...
 

h.h.

Active member
Veteran
What I once knew, I know no more.


I ended up ordering a bunch of amendments.
Stored in a garage full of mice...My latest mix consists of floor sweepings.
Lots of horse manure, llama manure, mouse poop, and spilled amendments. Rolling the dice.

Yucca root is starting to break down after 2-3 years.
I'm staring out on a fieldful of yucca blossom right now...
 

Hookahhead

Active member
Yeah, I'm pretty sure most agricultural kelp is harvested in te North Atlantic. I'm on the pacific coast, near the equator... so definitely not local haha. The only kelp I was able to find is a processed pellet that looks like fertilizer. When I checked on the back, it had 35% organic matter and 65% inert ingredients. Seems like a terrible deal haha.

Anyhow I went collecting again today. This time I picked up some wood ash. My neighbor is clearing the lot next door and has been burning small brush piles. I collected only the "charcoal" and left the actual ashes. I gathered a nice bag full, and there is more to be had. Next time I'm feeling stressed, I'll smash it up with a hammer.

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I also found some sort of "bug" poop. At first I thought it was worm castings, from deep dwelling species (like nightcrawlers). However, I'm not really sure... some of them were fairly large. I did find a few fresh ones that were still wet. Any idea what they might be? I didn't collect a bunch, they look like they have a fairly high clay content. Definitely not like EWC we all know and love haha.

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Hookahhead

Active member
The bottom two pictures are of the same thing... they are these "clumps" that are all over the surface of the ground. They are easy to pick up, and stick together fairly well. They feel like they are made from clay. I will powder them and use them sparingly as a mineral powder.
 

Microbeman

The Logical Gardener
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Well, damn. I have an outbreak of whiteflies. They could have come from anywhere, the soil I brought in, the wind or they were here already. I've got no idea how things were treated by the previous owners. The neighbor uses chemicals.

I mixed up a soap and vinegar solution and we sprayed everything. I got some fresh mint cuttings and made a hot water extract with garlic and cayenne which we will spray today.

I've never had these so any experiences using natural predators etc will be appreciated. There is a slim chance I can order some rove beetles.

Unfortunately, they devastated my papaver :(
 
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