Confessions of a crappy gardener.

[Rumi in Hawaii]

Looks good, Jay.... something I'll check often.

Katie in Eden Roc

Wherever you go, there you are.

[Hotzcatz]

quote:

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Originally posted by JWFITZ

I definitely believe composting in a bin is a non-value added process. I've had no problem with rodents or anything other than dogs, but an electrified gate has solved that problem. As for smell, as long as you aren't composting meat wastes and the like, there won't be any. Really, when I'm saying that stuff won't last two weeks, I'm not kidding. The worms eat it right up, and the chickens eat them.
<SNIP>

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We've been investigating worm bins as a method to produce vermicasatings (worm poop) to use as organic hydroponic fertilizer. Not that we are really promoting organic per sae we are promoting producing your own fertilizer without having to ship the stuff halfway (or at least a quarter way) around the planet. That is is organic and better than chemical fertilizer is just merely a plus for us. So far we are just at the very beginnings of getting set up.

Considering the prices I've seen folks asking for worms ($160 a pound if you get them from the Oahu folks) growing those might be more profitable than anything else we could grow.

[JWFITZ]

One very interesting soil addition that I am researching, commonly known in tropical environments as a soil addition is charcoal. Once you consider it, the reason that it was used immediately becomes obvious--in high rainfail areas it's very easy to end up with depleted soils as nutrients simply leach out, and the addition of synthetic fertilizers are often lost. Charcoal absorbs and retains these compounds, making the soil much more chemically stable.

Since the guava wood makes the finest cleanest charcoal I've ever seen--lab grade, practically--this may be a very smart use of local resources.

[Hotzcatz]

Hmm, and what else to do with the leftover wood and ashes from smoking the pig that was digging up the garden? Or does it have to be charcoal and not ashes? How do you make charcoal? Isn't that technically different than ashes?

Ashes have lye in them, does charcoal? To make soap, drizzle rainwater through a big keg or box of ashes, collect the water after it has filtered through the ashes and then mix it with melted lard. (Gives you something to do with the extra fat off the smoked pig that used to dig up the garden.) That will produce lye soap. Guess un-concentrated lye is okay in the soil since ashes are supposed to be good for the soil.

[JWFITZ]

Charcoal is becoming a bigger and bigger part of my whole homestead picture. Guava charcoal has proven the ideal fuel for my electricity generation needs, and I'll need to ramp up my production. If someone can find me a couple of good steel drums with lids I'd appreciate it.

http://sanityandsimplicity.blogspot.com/

Here's the picture of the gengas unit if no one has seen it. I just can't understand why fewer people catch the value of this proven technology.

[allensylves]

Jay,
Your producer gas setup looks very interesting. Once I get to Puna, I will be very interested to talk to you about it. I tried to leave this comment on your blog, but it asks me to enter the characters in the picture, but there is no picture - just the words 'visual verification'. I just 'love' modern technology. That is why I have a garden - no interfacing with a computer.

Allen
Baton Rouge, LA & HPP

[MarkP]

I'm also interested in wood gassification. At the same time I have been mulling over what would be best to plant along the ripped edges of my driveway. This forms the property boundary as well and I would like to have some sort of privacy hedge. Too late to leave the waiwi there plus I would prefer to have something less invasive.

Cassuarina Cunninghamiana, or River She-oak, is one of the least invasive of the cassuarinas. You can get them from the forestry department. It is some of the worlds best firewood and will grow almost anywhere, which is why it is a borderline weed. I thought I was on to something with Gliricidia, which is used for fuel, animal fodder, and living fences, but was told it would be too cold in Eden Roc. I read that Koa doesn't like to be crowded in hedges and it likes deep soil, which I ain't got. I don't really know that much about Podocarpus except that it looks good and I see it everywhere. Good wood? Don't know.

Anyway I've seen cassuarina trimmed like a hedge so it would serve that function. It tends to supress the growth of other plants underneath it either chemically or by the build-up of a heavy mat of needles. I have heard of using these needles for fuel. They could be dried and used for fuel in a gassifier. Any idea whether this would work?

[JWFITZ]

I'd recommend planting something you can eat on YOUR property, as there will be plenty of people who will let you cut guava on their property for free.

[pslamont]

I have 30 acres and would LOVE for anyone who wants guava to come cut it down and haul it away...

[DanielP]

MarkP

No worries if you ripped the waiwi under; it will return a hundred-fold where it is ripped under.

Dan