permaculture

[Jeffrey Newman <newman@bcinternet.net>]

Dan,

Thanks again for the specific advice. BTW, I'm in an area of central British 
Columbia
called the Cariboo. It's fairly dry as we're in something of a rain shadow 
but not
warm enough to support cacti. Our winter temps drop down to -30 and sometimes 
even -
40 celsius.

Another question has come up. Somewhat carelessly I neglected t o mention 
that the
for logs I'm using hardly merit that title as they're between five and seven 
feet
long.  To accommodate this we (it was actually my wife's suggestion) have 
some up
with the idea of overlapping the second and up logs at an angle. This will 
allow each
log to balance on the shorter pieces (projecting from the embankment) in two 
places.
Thus a more stable wall. I'm thinking of strapping the logs together where 
they meet
for additional strength and stability. Hope this is clear. I could send a 
drawing or
a picture. Are such things OK on this list?

Jeffrey

Elfpermacl@aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 10/19/98 7:12:51 PM, you wrote:
>
> <<Any advice on the following?:
>
> 1. I am considering planting daikon on a fairly steep and denuded bank 
> (Bobcat
> machinery-damaged). Will any long white radish do or should it have the 
> daikon
> name?
>
> 2. I've been given some lawn seed and want to use it. Is it OK to apply it 
> to
> the
> less steep area as described above? Advantages? Disadvantages?
>
> For those who followed the Q & A around my Douglas fir embankment, it is
> coming along
> slowly but steadily. If I get a good picture I could post it here. Would 
> that
> work
> from the list's standpoint?
>
> Jeffrey Newman>>
>
> Jeffrey:
>
> Grass is much better on the steep bank than daikon.  The radish is good for
> breaking through compacted soil, according to  Mollison, though I am
> personally skeptical.  (Lets hear from people who have tried it.)  I call 
> such
> plants "organic crowbars" and they include wild carrot, comfrey, chicory,
> dock, burdock, etc.
>
> For a quick cover to hold the soil, broadcast rye (NOT ryegrass) and cover 
> it
> lightly with burlap or straw.  Rye has a phenomenal mat rooted structure.  
> Add
> some clover for come organic crowbar benefits and if you get a procumbant
> species, additional and more long term soil holding through adventitious
> rooting along the stems.  I hesitate to suggest a species because I don't 
> know
> your rainfall. If you are in a low-rainfall area, you have a difficult
> situation and you may want to look at mat-rooted succulents, which are also 
> a
> good fire barrier.  You will want a mix of grasses, legumes and forbs,
> eventually, for the various properties of each.  In dry climates, different
> grass species come on during different parts of the growing season, often.  
> No
> on on the internet, nor everyone combined, can give you as much relevant
> information as you can observe on what has worked out in the vicinity.  
> Don't
> overlook the cacti as soil holders.  many of them are quite good.
>
> Free grass seed is "worth" trying.  however you may want to spread it thinly
> and fill in with natives or naturalized exotics.
>
> Whatever you do, do not depend on daikon to hold a steep slope.  It sends 
> its
> roots down, you need something that fills the soil with a web of roots.
>
> For Mother Earth, Dan Hemenway, Yankee Permaculture Publications (since 
> 1982),
> Elfin Permaculture workshops, lectures, Permaculture Design Courses,
> consulting and permaculture designs (since 1981), and annual correspondence
> courses via email.  Copyright, 1998, Dan & Cynthia Hemenway, P.O. Box 52,
> Sparr FL 32192 USA  Internships. YankeePerm@aol.com
>
> We don't have time to rush.
>
> A list by topic of all Yankee Permaculture titles may be found at
> http://csf.colorado.edu/perma/ypc_catalog.html
> Elfin Permaculture programs are listed at the Eastern Permaculture Teachers
> assn home page: http://home.ptd.net/~artrod/epta/eptahmp.html



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                       *******************************

Jeffrey Newman
My personal web site is at     http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/5759/

My ICQ number is: 9879310