First a video re “Planting Garlic”, then some pics of Soil Making in Leaf Trench Highway (below the video):
Planting Garlic 2 of 6 (video):
Soil Making in Leaf Trench Highway (pics):
Leaf Trench Highway, a fedge (food hedge) and soil-making trench along our garden path. The veggie bed lasagna layer of compostables include (bottom to top): alfalfa straw, fresh greens (prunings and weeds), dead sticks and leaves, hay straw, hot (newer) horse manure, compost soil, mulch, and plants growing through the mulch.
View from Salamander Resort (the barrel pond is Salamander Sunny Swimhole) to Leaf Trench Highway. The “highway” refers to the trench’s habitat connectivity ability – the habitat food forest trench is a pathway between Salamander Resort animal habitat AND Cottage Pond animal habitat, which is under the deck in the background.
See blog entry 20121120 Patio Veggie Pots 6 of 6 for more pics of soil making in Leaf Trench Highway AND how the veggie bed not only makes soil but also provides animal habitat and habitat connectivity.
Skyward Pumpkin harvested, taken down from its altar in the crosshatch of bamboo teepee trellis poles. Note the forced out-of-round shape; almost hurts to look at! Also notice the cozy spider web in the cracked-open vine. A red-backed Thompson’s jumper is tucked away, hoping we will GO AWAY!
Millipede in Skyward Pumpkin vine. So much for hiding – this millipede was very concealed in the pumpkin vine till I split the vine open to look for critters. Judging from the mess in its room, I would guess this is an adolescent millipede 🙂 . Note the hollow structure of the vine that invited the millipede in; I have cracked the vine in two, spreading the halves open like a book.
Skyward Millipede on the move, all kazillion legs. Note the millipede’s segmented antennae and how each body segment has 2 legs on each side of the body. Watch out, millipede, you're headed for Skyward Pumpkin’s butt crack!
Skyward Millipede further on down the road. How graceful!
Figure 4.194Right Side Up. Some of this millipede’s characteristics include: doesn’t bite (but does release a cyanide-based fluid that STINKS!), mostly a scavenger of organic debris, short antennae, slow crawler, legs are tucked under the body. Most of those characteristics are in contrast with a centipede’s: centipedes are fast, long-antennaed, predatory, and pack a mean bite. Figure 4.195 Up Side Down. Same millipede, probably more annoyed at this point.
Happy planting garlic, onions, and shallots and see you tomorrow.
First a video re “Salamander Castle’s Ant Colony”, then some pics of Crossroads Compost (below the video):
Garden Tour (Salamander Castle’s Ant Colony) (video):
Crossroads Compost, a brief history (pics):
January, 2008. Crossroads Compost was yet to be born, but the straw bale at the back of the yard, next to the fence, was the seed waiting to be planted. That bale was allowed to age there, providing habitat for soil critters and enriching the soil as it broke down.
May 2008. By now, we are storing straw next to the back fence (but not touching it) at the junction of our garden paths. There is a bale left intact as a seat, habitat, and future source of old straw. Other bales are pulled apart to create a mat over weeds we wanted to eliminate. Note how low ground level is and how young the plants are: currant (foreground), fig (left, supported by hoops), and the pineapple quava (back right).
May 2010. The ground level is still fairly low; I have not started to stockpile wood chips in Crossroad Compost yet. The currant is larger and sporting green fruit. Fig and grape vine hover on Kiwi Gondola trellis.
April 2011. Salamander Castle moved to back garden. This lucky oak stump was rescued from our nearby bike path, where the massive tree came down. Work crews cut the tree away from the path and left Salamander Castle off to the side, not knowing that its destiny was to become an animal habitat. Note the beginning of the wood chip pile covering the Crossroads, soon to be buried with other chips 3 feet deep – that’s a whole lotta nutrients and moisture for the fig, grape, kiwi, currant, blueberry, pineapple guava, apricot, lemon to enjoy. Salamander Castle was moved next to the currant stand and wood chips were piled against it.
Happy dusting ants off yourself (from disturbing their nest) and see you tomorrow.
First a video re “Garden Tour (Earthworms in Bog)”, then some pics of earthworms from our Earthworm Bin (below the video):
Garden Tour (Earthworms in Bog) (video):
Earthworms from our Earthworm Bin (pics):
Earthworm bin harvest, rich with red wiggler worms, is added to a planting bed.
Earthworm Bin tucked away in the protective shade of a tree. Note the brick on top to prevent animals from feasting in the box. Evening primrose flower above; calendula flower below.
Figure 4.143 Earthworm Bin Harvest. Worm bin harvest layer over planting mix. The worms and microbes will continue to feed on the organic matter like the eggshell and rhubarb stalk section shown. And when all those microbe and crawly critters take a break from eating, they might just breed, or die. The planting bed has been inoculated with Life — life that translates to nutritious and well-aerated soil for the kiwi vines.
Figure 4.190 With A Little Help From My Friends. Earthworm bin harvest to be placed at the crown of the tree. These red wiggler worms, a typical compost pile worm, may not stay in the tree mound and surrounding soil on a long-term basis but they will enrich and aerate the soil till they do leave.
First a video re “Pineapple Guava Harvest”, then some pics of pineapple guava trees and fruit (below the video):
Pineapple Guava Harvest (video):
Pineapple Guava Trees and Fruit (pics):
Emergency transplant for pineapple guava tree. This tree was transplanted in a rough time of year – the hot, dry California summer. Limbs were severely pruned back to help the rootball establish itself. Note the new buds appearing six months after transplant.
Close-up of new buds on pineapple guava transplant. And growth continued! The large preserved rootball came back to show us what it could do.
Pineapple guava blossom. These "feijoa" evergreen shrubs or small trees are native to Brazil and nearby areas. Blossoms must be pollinated from another plant/shrub.
Picking a little bit of Paradise. The flower petals of the feijoa make a sweet treat, perfect to garnish a plate with. The petals are sweet morsels of joy AND removing them does not prevent the flower from being pollinated. Sometimes you can have your cake AND eat it, too!
Harvest time for these soft, juicy pineapple guava. Most people cut the fruit in half and scoop out the soft flesh. I eat the whole fruit – who’s got time to get a spoon?!
Figure 2.5B Cricket on Pineapple Guava (feijoa). What will it be, Cricket, wait till September for the sweet fruit or enjoy the pineapple guava’s moist sugary petals now? Native to mountainous equatorial South America, pineapple guava is deliciously welcomed in our garden.
Lemon Pot planted with pac choi. This is the patio pot that I planted the hugelkultur, a thick layer of weeds and greens, just above the drainage gravel.
Carrot seedlings in a large patio pot.
Scarlet runner beans continue to ripen on the kitchen windowsill. These beans were harvested on day 1 (6 days ago) and seem to be ripening (browning) well.
Happy planting veggies on your patio and see you tomorrow (Happy Thanksgiving!).
Day6 in this 6-day video series: Preparing patio pots for winter veggie planting.
First a video re “Leaf Layer Added to Leaf Trench Highway”, then some animal habitat pics (below the video):
Patio Veggie Pots 6 of 6 (video):
Leaf Layer Added to Leaf Trench Highway (pics):
Leaf Trench Highway with a fresh layer of tulip magnolia leaves. The trench along the walkway is three feet deep and filled with different organic/yard debris layers. The layers will break down and form rich compost in about 6 months to a year.
Leaf Trench Highway extends along the back corner of our yard to Salamander Resort (left). Besides storing organic material (twigs, leaves, straw, manure, pulled weeds), the trench also feeds the fedge (food hedge) along our property line. Pineapple guava, fig, and pomegranate trees, as well as annual veggies, grow in the compost-making veggie bed.
Critter level, perhaps the head height of a raccoon, skunk, or possum, of the entrance to Leaf Trench Highway. Personally, if I were a salamander, I would crawl under the leaf litter. Lots of tiny tidbit treats (FOOD!) under those moist leaves.
Dishwater ready for the compost pile. Dishwater with soap and food (left bucket) is considered “blackwater”; rinse water is considered “greywater”. We pour blackwater directly into the compost where microbes and micro-critters will process it. The greywater rinse water makes a fine treat for most of the garden, with care not to pour it directly on fruit/vegetables.
Happy planting veggies on your patio and see you tomorrow (Happy Thanksgiving!).
Day 5 in this 6-day video series: Preparing patio pots for winter veggie planting.
First a video re “Patio Veggie Pots”, then some animal habitat pics (below the video):
Patio Veggie Pots 5 of 6 (video):
Soil Making in Leaf Trench Highway (pics):
Horse manure ages in leaf Trench Highway, on top of many layers of garden debris organics.
Mushrooms pop out of Leaf Trench Highway’s manure after the first rain. Good stuff! Having the fungi/mushrooms means the manure will break down faster.
Later that year, Tony harvests compost/rich soil from the trench.
Anita dumps a new load of soil critter food. These apples were “debris” for a neighbor that wanted under her tree “cleaned up”. The soil critters and we are sure happy to have the mess!
A short retaining wall is added to Leaf Trench Highway. The short wall of re-used fence boards will allow a higher pile of organics to be heaped into Leaf Trench Highway, yet keep the walkway clear. Note how the block keeps the sledge from splitting the dry fence board.
Leaf Trench Highway’s short retaining wall in place, holding back tulip magnolia prunings (limbs and twigs). Lichens, mosses, and algae so abundant! Does life get any better?!
Figure 2.11 White Clover and Leaf Trench Highway. Leaf Trench Highway is about making soil — the 3 foot deep trench is filled with green mulch (for example, a whole lot of pumpkin vine prunings), then covered over with old (cool) manure and compost. Potato starts are dug in. Harvest, 6-9 months later, yields full-grown potatoes PLUS a long, deep trench of beautiful soil to use elsewhere in the garden. The white clover attracts pollinating insects to the potato flowers, adds nitrogen to green mulching, and is a sheltering go-between for critters to travel from one garden bed to another. Laying the slate pavers on soil, and not on sand or cement, allows soil fungi, microbes, and larger animals to pass through the soil, thereby assisting the growth of the clover cover crop.
Figure 3.37 The After of Salamander Resort. One year later and the resort is still operating. Driftwood creatures, a thriving beet crop, and Salamander Sunny Swimhole hide the goings-on eight feet below. See Figure 3.36 for “The Before”. Watering the pond waters the beets waters the compost waters the wood chips waters the oak rounds waters tank cavities waters Salamander Shady Shallows, AND waters the adobe clay earth surrounding Salamander Resort. Water + Cavities + Microbes + Mollusks (slugs and snails) + Worms + Insects = Happy Salamanders. The half wine barrel pond, with a 5’ x 5’ sheet of pond liner, was home this spring to Pacific Tree Frogs (and tadpoles). Many types of insect on the wing visit the pond. A salamander must be living somewhere in all that! Note some habitat features: clover on the slate path links this habitat to the rest of the garden, the pond’s surface rocks provide a critter rest stop, the “fedge” (food hedge of fig, pineapple guava, loquat, and pomegranate) along the fence provides flowers and food, and the compost in Leaf Trench Highway at the base of the fedge attracts its own ecosystem of soil makings and critters.
Happy planting veggies on your patio and see you tomorrow.
Day 3 in this 6-day video series: Preparing patio pots for winter veggie planting.
First a video re “Patio Veggie Pots”, then some patio veggie planting pics (below the video):
Patio Veggie Pots 3 of 6 (video):
Patio Veggie Planting (pics):
Lemon Pot with a thick layer of "garden debris" (if there is such a thing!) under the planting soil. The composting organics will eventually turn to soil and add some richness to the existing soil. The process of burying organic matter in piles to breakdown over years is called hugelkultur, a German term and garden art.
For a detailed discussion,
clear graphics, and lots of pics of hugelkultur,
Click image to go to http://www.richsoil.com/hugelkultur/
see Paul Weaton’s blog at:
Happy planting veggies on your patio and see you tomorrow.
You have landed on Day 1 in this 3-day series of videos depicting amaranth seed collecting. Enjoy!
First a video re “Amaranth Seed Collecting”. Today’s video is part 1 of 3 (1/day) for the series! THEN some amaranth pics (below the video):
Amaranth Seed Collecting 1 of 3 videos
Amaranth in Tony’s Garden (pics):
Amaranth plant (Amaranthus sp. L.) can grow to 8 feet tall. A stunning plant in the garden, adding color and critter habitat AND a food source for the gardener.
Collecting seed AND giving insects/spiders time to escape.
Collected and dried amaranth seed with dried flowers and leaves. The seeds are yet to be separated out of the dried plant.
