permaculture

["Frances and David" <fdnokes@hotmail.com>]

Wondering about photinia, both wood and leaves and what their effects might 
be for composting, burning, or building.

We are salvaging wood from the huge pile that the city made in clearing out 
the brush behind our house (and others) for a bicycle path.

Green Wood for the Garden: 15 easy weekend projects using freshly cut wood – 
by Alan and Gill Bridgewater

is one reference that has provided us with inspiration (see my previous post 
re: woven raised beds)

We are also interested in using those pieces that resemble rotten wood for 
the bottom of higher raised beds a la huglekultur.

Photinia is the one that has me foiled for now.  Apparently, its main use has 
been as a tool for gentrification of the land? and have not found anything 
about its uses for salvaging.

Our plans, then, are to have wood for: building, burning, and as a base to a 
high raised bed.  (In our NW Pacific climate with huge rains in winter – 
leaching minerals – and very little rain in summer – threatening drought – 
huglekultur style looks very appealing indeed!)

Frances
>From lorenluyendyk@hotmail.com  Sun Mar 31 16:28:27 2013
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Subject: Re: [permaculture] [compost_tea] Dispensing tea - spray or dribble?
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Bacterial tea is less troublesome to apply than fungal from what I hear.  
Fungi are a lot larger and more susceptible to pressure and filtration.  
Darren Doherty recommended a very simple extract/tea application system which 
consists of 50 gal drums mounted on an a-frame or preferably the frame of the 
Keyline plow.  

If you have a Keyline plow or other type of non-inversion chisel plow you can 
set up the drums to gravity dribble the tea into the furrow directly behind 
the plow tine (make sure you plow following the Keyline!!).  If you are keen 
you can also drop seed into the furrow to spread the microbes via roots to 
the surrounding soil (Darren calls this the Keyline Super Plow:  
https://plus.google.com/photos/117745392570544689225/albums/5834666411829292785?banner=pwa).
  This gets the goodies into the soil where they can colonize and not dry out.

You might as well throw some micronuts/biofertilizers in there too while 
you're at it.  Check the soil for what is lacking, though kelp and humic acid 
won't hurt.  I am also using Effective Microorganisms in my brews.

happy plowing!
Loren Luyendyk
805-452-8249
Permaculture Design and Education
ISA Certified Arborist #WE-7805A
www.sborganics.com
www.globalpermaculture.com
www.surferswithoutborders.com


> Date: Sat, 30 Mar 2013 18:02:36 -0400
> From: venaurafarm@bellsouth.net
> To: compost_tea@yahoogroups.com; permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org; 
> marketfarming@lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: Re: [permaculture] [compost_tea] Dispensing tea - spray or dribble?
> 
> 
> >> On 3/28/2013 5:22 PM, bberryvp wrote:
> >> I plan to apply bacterial tea to some pasture I am trying to improve.
> >> I will probably make a dispenser for my tractor, since about 10 ft
> >> wide is all I need. Rather than spray, one thought is to basically
> >> dribble the  tea out of a manifold, with holes closely spaced such as
> >> 1/2 inch apart. I can solve issues such as manifold pressure
> >> distribution to keep it pretty even. Since the tea is basically an
> >> inoculant (as I understand it), could it be that dribbling might be
> >> equal or better than spraying, since when spraying most of it will
> >> not make contact with soil.
> > On 3/28/2013 9:41 PM, venaurafarm wrote:
> > If you don't intend to do foliar spraying then dripping it onto the
> > ground seems like a good idea, if you can control the distribution rate
> > without clogging the system. Will it be gravity flow or pressurized
> > lines? Beyond a certain point the microbes can be killed by being forced
> > with the tea through a system that uses too much pressure.
> > Here's a person who knows all about this and has designed and built a
> > large truck-mounted spray rig with sensors and controls to prevent over
> > pressurizing the lines: Frank Schultz
> 
> Frank sent me this reply:
> <>
> 
> Yes, you are quite correct: Microbes are fragile and easily destroyed by 
> impact or crushing.
> 
> General Notes -
> 
> 1.    Pumps - use only a diaphragm pump.  The lower the speed, the 
> better.  Other types are very destructive.  Centrifugals are the worst 
> (giving you �bug pur�e�).  Note that manufacturers of most diaphragm 
> pumps specify a 50-mesh inlet screen to avoid clogging or blocking the 
> valves.  Large diaphragm trash pumps require no screen (they�ll accept 
> chunks up to several inches) - however, their output pressures tend to 
> be very low (a few feet of head).
> 
> 2.    Pressures - The lower the better.  25 psi max.  The problem is 
> de-compression.  When suddenly released into the atmosphere at high 
> pressures, the cell walls explode.  I use nozzles rated for 15 psi min 
> (for proper spray pattern) and try to stay close to this pressure (just 
> a little over 1 Atmosphere [Atm.]).  Do not use a pressure relief 
> (pop-off) valve to regulate pressure - High velocities into right-angle 
> turns!
> 
> 3.    Piping - To keep fluid velocities low, I use piping larger than 
> what would normally be recommended for the flow rate.  At turns, I try 
> to use hose with wide, sweeping turns.  If an elbow or tee is required, 
> I adapt up to the next larger size, then reduce back down.  If you�re 
> using PVC piping, you can use Schedule 80 electrical (pulling) ells to 
> also reduce the K-factor.  Even though they are not pressure rated, I�ve 
> had no problems up to 100 psi.
> 
> Please do not dismiss the many benefits of foliar application.  While 
> spraying is a completely different proposition from drip, foliar feeding 
> can achieve the fastest response time from your plants - especially if 
> there are disease issues or obvious nutritional problems.  Also, since 
> we field (broadcast) spray here, most (80%) of the spray mix goes on the 
> ground - and most of the other 20% then runs off the leaves - onto the 
> ground.  Don�t limit yourself by thinking in terms of biology only.  We 
> recommend the addition of blackstrap molasses, humate, seaweed, 
> micronutrients, trace elements and other things to the mix (depending 
> upon the deficiencies found).  These things are readily taken up through 
> the leaves.  Note: Don�t overdo the molasses - 1 quart/acre max.
> 
> With a few exceptions, anything sprayed has to pass a 50-mesh screen. 
> We design soil fertility and crop nutrition programs for [generally 
> large] growers all over the world.  For irrigated growers, this involves 
> a combination of spray and fertigation (through pivot or drip).  In 
> addition to biology, we always recommend some combination of nutrients. 
>   Some soil chemistries rapidly tie-up some of the nutrients - and in 
> fact, the only way plants can get these nutrients for any length of 
> time, is foliar.  Accordingly, when a plant shows deficiencies in some 
> of these (particularly the micros and traces) the surest and fastest way 
> to correct these is with foliar.  Be aware that many plant diseases are 
> caused by nutritional deficiencies - especially in the micros/traces.
> 
> The really cool thing about irrigation is that you can continuously 
> feed, giving your plants the nutrition they need (and only what they 
> need) when they need it as their nutritional requirements change 
> throughout the growing season.  Performance and quality results can be 
> truly dramatic.  And - a nutritionally-balanced plant can require up to 
> 70% less water(!) (per university studies) - And a healthy plant is 
> subject to fewer disease and insect pressures!
> 
> With respect to your drip (�dribble�) plan:  This involves a different 
> set of problems.  Commercial drip tape usually operates in the 8 - 10 
> psi range.  The total opening presented by the micro-emitters is 
> calculated for a maximum run length given the diameter of the tape to 
> ensure consistent flow from each of the emitters over the entire length 
> (same flow out of the first emitter through to the last).  The 
> electrical equivalent is presenting a number of very high-impedance 
> (bridging) loads to a very low-impedance source.  Tapes are usually 
> ploughed-in at a depth of about 8�; however, some installations have it 
> laying on the surface.  Systems are designed to deliver about 9 gpm/acre 
> - 24/7 in worst-case drought conditions.  Tape emitters are extremely 
> susceptible to plugging.  Accordingly, manufacturers provide fairly 
> elaborate filtration systems.  The allowable particle size varies 
> somewhat with the manufacturer but it is always quite small.  Tape, 
> especially buried, is subject to varmints.  This problem has not been 
> entirely resolved.
> 
> For some row crops and often in orchards, an above-ground round trunk 
> drip line is sometimes used.  Many installations have a large buried 
> trunk line with risers and valves at intervals to which smaller, local 
> lines are connected.  With most all trellised crops (grapes, 
> blueberries, hops, etc.), the trunk line is suspended from the trellis a 
> few inches above the ground (but sometimes laying on the ground).  With 
> a manufacturer-supplied tool, holes are punched at desired intervals and 
> small [micro] drip lines are inserted.  These may be either open on the 
> end or have emitters attached.
> 
> Flow through these open micro-drip lines is determined by pressure and 
> length.  The various emitters available have published flow rates.  You 
> may want to look carefully at these, however, as they may involve 
> internal sharp right-angle turns to regulate flow.  Also, some systems 
> offer emitters that are pushed right in to the trunk line.  These 
> components are most readily available through Lowe�s or Home Depot - or 
> other garden centers.  The rated operating pressure is 10 psi, I think. 
>   And there are also many commercial systems available.
> 
> Again, consider trunk line diameter and length versus your flow 
> requirements.  The manufacturers have published tables to assist you in 
> this.
> 
> Again, particle size is a consideration in these systems, so be prepared 
> to have a strainer with the appropriate screen mesh installed.  In the 
> case of compost tea, you may want to have several strainers of 
> progressively smaller mesh sizes.  And again, if you use one of these 
> systems, don�t use their pressure regulator!
> 
> There are several ways to non-destructively regulate pressure:
> 
> 1. Control pump speed.  This can be done electronically when a DC or a 
> 3-phase AC pump motor is used.   An expensive approach.
> 
> 2. Maybe the best method is to have an overflow standpipe.  At 0.433 psi 
> per foot of head, this would be a pipe 23� tall (for 10 psi static 
> pressure - much under 1 Atm.) � returning to the tank.  This might be 
> the most practical for you.  But whatever pressure is specified for the 
> system, it must be constant.  If use this approach, your pump must have 
> the capacity to provide at least some overflow continuously - to 
> maintain the static trunk line pressure.
> 
> 3. A much less desirable method is to provide a bypass ball valve after 
> the pump to return excess material to the tank.  Not recommended � 
> possible velocity and impact issues - and variable flow rates.
> 
> ABOVE ALL ELSE � Provide a washout fitting or valve at the end of each 
> line!  Sediments and growing things will accumulate in the system.  You 
> will have to periodically flush and clean (using bleach and/or Hydrogen 
> Peroxide (32% - Beware!)) the system.
> 
> I suggest you make a trip to any of the above-mentioned stores and see 
> what they have to offer � might give you some ideas.  While there are 
> several manufacturers of these systems, the one that comes immediately 
> to mind is Rain Bird - but there are other good ones.  For me, there is 
> nothing like looking at the stuff in flesh and actually seeing how it 
> all goes together�
> 
> AND � don�t overlook WATER QUALITY!  With drought in many parts of the 
> country resulting in falling aquifers, we�re seeing a dramatic rise in 
> serious quality issues - mostly bicarbonates - sometimes Manganese and 
> Iron - and sometimes salt.  If your water is from a public utility, ask 
> them for a water MINERAL analysis.  If you�re using water from any other 
> source, get an irrigation water test.  Depending upon where you are, 
> your water chemistry can be changing fast - even from a public utility. 
>   Depending upon your soil type and water, bad water can literally turn 
> your soil to stone.
> 
> What�s in your water becomes part of your soil!�
> 
> Finally, we strongly, strongly recommend AGAINST using manure compost 
> for teas.  There is much more to compost, itself.
> 
> By the way, ACRESUSA published a book several years ago, titled, �Ask 
> The Plant�.  It is a very valuable resource.
> 
> Frank Schultz
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