Last night a very strong wind assaulted the Island. All through my restless attempt at sleep I thought about the 50 foot dead maple blowing over, possibly smashing into our bedroom.
In the morning, bleary eyed, I stumbled around the property to find a tree had blown down onto our fence, breaking in half, and landing partially onto the side of the road. I knew then what I had to do. I needed to get out my weapon of the Green Peace Party - my 4 1/2 horse-powered STIHL Chainsaw.
Learning from previous mistakes, I tried to start my chainsaw by the shop rather than carry it all the way to the back with the possibility of having to carry it back (sheepishly) without being able to start it. So I pulled and pulled that starter cord. And I pulled and pulled. Nothing, not even a little sputter. Exhausted, I went back inside and removed my safety equipment.
After lunch, I put my safety gear back on and with optimism I tried again to start my chainsaw. I pulled and pulled. Finally, I went into my shop and got my 10" handsaw and holding it close to my body (just in case someone saw me with this little Mattel toy-like saw) I walked quickly back to the fallen tree. I began (GOD, is this boring or what!) cutting through the tree. After penetrating the tree bark I stopped so I wouldn't puke from the effort. Not wanting to give up I continued sawing until the tree was in four 8 foot lengths (please don't feel obligated to continue reading this pathetic story of male inaptitude. I'll never know. Delete it now before you become too depressed.)
Any ways, where was I...
Right. I had finished sawing the trees and went back to my shop and got my wagon.
(OK. This is getting ridiculous. Yes, I know; I have a wagon. But it's not just any ordinary wagon. Ok, yes it is green plastic, but I bought it at Lee Valley and it is made for the garden. Before you go mad, delete. DELETE!!!).
So I was a bit embarrassed pulling my wagon close to the road allowing passing motorists in their 350 H.P. pick-ups with their gun-mounts visible in the back, to see me with my little green wagon. Undeterred, I loaded the four logs onto the wagon and began the long journey back to the shop. I had gone about 3 feet when my load rolled onto the ground. I grunted and managed to stack the logs back on. This time I managed to go 5 feet before all the logs rolled off. 'OK, I won't be greedy', I thought. 'I'll bring 2 at a time'. Both logs rolled off my wagon in seconds. So, I left my wagon and lifted one of the logs and began to carry it back to the shop (did I mention, that it was pouring the whole time!). About 2 hours later, I had my logs near the shop, ready to be cut into firelogs when, one day, I get my chainsaw started....
36 comments:
You had me laughing with this story. How long ago did this take place?
I actually went out to the property this morning (saturday Jan 27) and was cutting firewood with my chainsaw. I'm trying to clean up the land, slowly.
JDH
I had never heard of adding water to maintain a well. This past summer, we had a summer-long drought that drove many area farmers to have new deeper wells drilled.
There is a well on the property but we don't know how deep it was drilled so we're planning on drilling a new well. And taking it as deep as we can.
JDH
CityBoy,
Why'd you delete that post?
This is a great site you have. I'd love to read more of your adventures in eco-friendly home life. They're very funny, the chainsaw and tree still standing are classic and very funny.
JDH
JDH: Wells. We had a very dry spring, summer and fall and did not run out of water. I think the previous owner either used a lot of water or my neighbour threw caution at me as my water comes from the same aquifir/spring as theirs, and they were hoping I would restrict my water usage. Whatever the reason for our neighbour's stories, we now feel that we have a very good well. Would you consider a diviner?
I was asking about zones, as I didn't want to recommend something that may not do well, in your climate. In Vancouver, we were a zone 6. Are you planning to grow veggies? I have lots of suggestions if you are.
I completely understand about revealing too much about one's self on the internet. I feel the same way. Though there are a lot of seemingly nice people at the EW Lost board, I would never reveal where I live or who I am in too much detail. I live a very simple, assuming and private life, I don't care to be under the microscope or in the spotlight. Or attract strangers with ill intentions.
JDH
"Would you consider a diviner?"
Is that like a person using a divining rod to find water? I might consider a diviner if I knew what one was.
My parents have an artesian well on their property.
"Are you planning to grow veggies? I have lots of suggestions if you are."
I am, but I don't know the first thing about vegetable gardening. I'd love to have several different vegetable gardens. Especially if I can build that greenhouse.
What's a water blanket? You mentioned it before.
I like the Permaculture illustration on tall fruit trees, smaller fruit trees, shrubs, and gound stuff. It seemed common sense, and really interesting.
I am totally open to any suggestions, I would love to be semi-self-sufficient (growing foods) and living off the grid.
Are you a vegetarian/vegan?
JDH
JDH! Thanks for understanding my cautionary ways. The greenhouse design, I saw, had a waterjacket which was just a big container built into the wall of the greenhouse. This 'box', which doubled as a countertop, held rainwater and had a tap for filling watercans. I would be careful what materials are used to contain water as various ingrediants can leach bad chemicals into the water. If you are interested I'll post the book I read about building watercontainers.
Yes, I use to work with a Lady that claimed to be a 'water diviner'.
I understand the book 'The new organic grower' is very good. I read a book called 'Carrots love tomatoes' which explains 'companion planting'. Companion planting and crop rotation methods are important to know. The basic rotation is based, primarily, on quality of soil and soil-bourne diseases. 'Heavy feeders' like rich soil. Light feeders follow 'heavy feeders, Finally, 'soil improvers' gives back nutrition to the soil. Gardening is ALL about the quality of soil. I really enjoy chatting about this, so please feel free to pick my brain. I love reading and tend to overload myself with every possible shred of info before proceeding.
I have been involved with nutrition for over 15 years. We are not pure vegetarians but rarely cook red meat. We will once a month have chicken (organic) and wild salmon. I have great legume/bean recipes too!
That was one of my next questions - beans? What kind? When to harvest and plant? A vegetable garden is fine, but it tends to lack a source of protein.
Would you seperate vetegables by color?
I had only recently read about companion planting, and deer proofing your garden by planting other plants next to the ones you want to deer proof. Hadn't read anything about the soil quality plants. Are there types of vetegables that fit those three categories?
I've become aware that certain trees enjoy a more acidy soil or an akalin (ap?) soil.
Are you familar with vermiposting (sp?) (worms), I understand it's REALLY rich compost? I plan to do that on the property.
JDH
http://www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/rcbtoa/services/seeds-sources.html#suppliers
http://www.greenpeople.org/seeds.htm
The above are 2 links to seed companies. There is a seed org. called 'Seedy Saturdays', which sell organic seeds indigineous to your locality. Generally, they are held in March. If you do a google search, you may find a seed exchange in your area. The nice thing about them is the seeds are grown in your own zone so it bears the abilities to thrive in your area. All the ones I've gone to, the vendors are very helpful in selecting seeds appropriate to your needs. There are numerous beans/legumes to choose from. Beans/legumes typically 'add' nitrogen to the soil, improving it. I'll add a few companion planting sites here: http://www.ext.nodak.edu/county/cass/horticulture/vegetables/companion.htm
I'll add a number of cool sites in my next post...
http://www.pfaf.org/index.html
http://newfarm.org/
http://www.ghorganics.com/page2.html#RADISH:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic_gardening/2004_August_September/Let_Bugs_Protect_Your_Garden
http://www.organicgardening.com/feature/0,,s1-5-27-1209,00.html
http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/resourceguide/appendix/appendix_e.php
http://www.wildaboutgardening.org/en/dig_dwell_den/section2/index.htm#l8
http://www.ivu.org/faq/vitamins-minerals.html
http://www.ivu.org/faq/protein.html
http://www.nutritioninfoods.com/#legumes
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies/wsquash1.html
http://homepage.mac.com/cityfarmer/PhotoAlbum23.html
http://www.gaiagreen.com/products/product_detail.asp?ID=4
JDH: Some beans you can plant in Oct/nov, but most are planted in Feb/Mar/Apr. Bush beans, yellow beans, green beans are planted later when the soil warms up, typically late May or early June.
Deer proofing is a big problem around here; we have a 6 foot wire fence around our property, but our dogs keep them away. Many people put a single wire at the 6 foot level and attach plastic strips to confuse the deer. They say if you place another parallel fence 3 feet away from the perimeter fence the deer wil not jump over, as they want to see where they will land. Deer will virtually eat all greenery so the best measure is to keep them out.
A few of the links above talks about soil needs for various plants. I would highly recommend the 'Carrots loves tomatoes' book. I still struggle with crop rotation but companion planting makes it a lot easier. Some people say to grow the expensive crops, like tomatoes and buy potatoes as they are generally inexpensive. We like to grow a lot of our own food as know how they were grown. I think the Earthbound ecoli scare, surprised many people knowing that even 'organically grown' food can still have ecoli. We have been growing jerusalem artichokes (aka Sunchokes) and they are very easy to grow and we are able to harvest them right through the winter. I don't think the 'color' idea would work as many fruits and vegetables carry diseases, harmful to the plant. Raspberries and tomatoes would probably transmit diseases to eachother. Tomatoes are very susceptible to disease. We don't grow tomatoes in the same plot for 4 years. My Father actually moves the soil every spring so he can grow them in the same spot. This is a lot of work but his garden is small, so I can kind of accept his method.
WOw! Lots of information. I didn't know that about protein in your diet. I knew that beans were a great source, and nuts and seeds are great for you diet.
Do you use the glacial mineral dust?
Digging the pond, we have a lot of clay in the soil in this area of the US and a lot of rocks in the ground, makes it almost impossible to dig by hand. So with the abundance of clay in the ground I'm hoping I won't need a liner or a clay blanket for the pond. I think the pond size might be 17-20 feet wide and about 7-10 feet deep in the center. I'm very excited to get the pond underway, and designing the landscaping. I would love to have several large cactus. Maybe with a greenhouse it would be possible.
Thinking and planning all the gardening stuff, I see why farmers markets emerged, a single family household could not possibly be entirely self-sufficient. Producing all your own needs would be next to impossible - honey, milk, flour, all the fruits and vegetables, eggs, and so on. Sure creates an appreciation for what we have with grocery stores and super centers (well maybe not Super Centers). Home gardening would definitely widen a person's (child's) understanding and appreciation of the world on a smaller scale.
JDH
Hi JDH! You can see why traditional farmers would get up around 5 a.m. and work for 2 hours before breakfast (break their fast), and then work until nightfall! I guess they would get some rest in the winter months, unless they were building something! I think ALL schools should have a garden centre, compost, vermiculture, recycling areas. They could 'sell' their produce to the cafeteria or parents.
Yes, I love 'worms'. Worms in a container will need to be protected from the cold, winter months. Worms typically burrow deep in the soil to avoid the freezing temperatures. Either you will need to insulate the worm bin in winter or build proper insulation into the bin. I use straw bales around mine. Straw (no seeds) are a great thing to grow, as they aid composting as a 'carbon' (brown) source. Typically, 'nitrogen' (green) sources are abundant during the spring, summer and carbon is more difficult to find. The secret is to collect 'carbon' (dried leaves, dry weeds, straw, garden debris) in the fall. In the spring, grass cuttings, veggie scraps etc can be mixed or layered with the carbon.
JDH: I use granite dust, greensand, as additives to my soil. Remember not to call it 'dirt' or your neighbours will boycott you! ; )
Crop rotation: add compost to your beds (raised) and then plant 'brassica family'(broccoli, cabbage, kale).
year 2: plant the leguminasae family: peas, fava beans, beans, vetches, lupins alfalfa. In the summer plant solanaceae (tomatoes)
year 3: add more compost and plant chard, onion family (garlic, onion). in the summer plant peas, pole beans
year 4: plant corn, or squash family.
year 5: start again like year 1. The secret is to divide up your garden area into 4/8/12/16 etc. So, in any given year you have each of these 'years' growing. Plot 'A' is treated like Year 1. Plot 'B' is treated like Year 2. etc.
Other crop rotations are on a 3 year cycle:
yr.1 -- brassicas (Higher PH/limed soil)
yr.2 -- squash, peas, beans, onion family
yr. 3 -- root crops, (the ph will have dropped naturally, allowing better conditions for these crops). Root crops don't like high nitrogen, so typically it is the last crop to grow before adding compost.
Pond: You make want to make a slurrey out of the clay and coat your pond walls, to help make the pond more water-tight.
Sawsee, I have a whole new level of respect and admiration for you.
Are deer really attracted to green vegetation? Not just clover, but all green? I just planted, this past fall, a row of nine autumn blaze maples along the south side of the property. Right now I've driven three metal fence posts around each and wrapped barb wire and plastic deer fence. They haven't been disturbed so far, but I've herad of people hanging hotel-soap bars on string on the branches.
I had also heard that you can put gold fish in your rain barrels instead of the bio-degradeable misquito dunks.
And all of this talking is making me very anxious to get started on these projects.
I hope to be planting some river birch this April/May and have the pond and ravine/gravel bar dug out before that in March. I've been saving ten dollars every month for the past 6 months, WalMart sells river birch for $9 each. I'd like to buy fifteen or twenty to plant on the southside of the ravine. The ravine would follow the natural lay of the land where rain water drains and that would lead into the pond. Also there was a HUGE dead tree and I'm trying to cut the trunk smooth across and leave the stump. It would be absolutely beautiful, the trunk lies in the center of where the ravine will be.
I cannot wait, ever since film school and the intensity that my life took on, I feel the need to constantly be active and productive if I'm not I feel bad.
JDH
JDH! Thank you! If Deer are hungry they will even eat waxy leaves. Rhodos are the last thing they will eat but a public garden, near here, had their prize-winning rhodos were gnawed to the skeleton. I would have to double check but I'm pretty sure one of the links I posted, talks about 'hedge rows'. Hedge rows are grown to create bird sanctuaries; and can keep deer away with various kinds of prickley shrubs.
Waterbarrels should have finemesh overtop keeping mosquitos away. The more birds you attract, the less 'mozzies' you will have. We have hundreds of dragonflies which devour mozzies, and flies. The secret is to know you will have pests. Pests inturn attract beneficial insects and birds and bees. Many people promote different types of weeds that are succeptable to aphids, and various insect pests, to provide 'food' and to keep the good guys on your property.
Goldfish in your pond will eat larvae and frog eggs. It's just nature. Create 'hiding places for frog larvae and for goldfish.
It is always good to leave a big stump, as it attracts insects, which are food for the birds. I love your tree selections!
Thanks (about the tree selections). Any other recommendations?
I like dogwoods and japanese maples. Magnolias are beautiful, as are whitebud and redbud trees. I really like conifers too, there are so many to choose from.
In researching the green living stuff I found these two facts have really stayed with me - a gas-powered lawnmower emits 11 times the air pollution of a new car (both running the same length of time). And this one on household water usage - toilet 32%, bathroom sink 5%, bath/shower 33%, kitchen 7%, laundry 23%. That didn't even factor in yard irrigation. Greywater (from everything except the kitchen and toilet) could eliminate the 32% for toilet use and still have a large portion for yard irrigation, especially if you water every other day or couple of days.
How often do you water your garden? I read some where that you should water trees and shrubs even in the winter months.
JDH
Hi JDH! I really like Maples, and Japanese Maples! We have one Star Magnolia which is the smaller variety. I like both varieties. We've begun to plant Hazelnut/filberts for the critters and us. I really like Smoke trees and the burning bushes--very strong colours in the fall. We love our snowdrop bush as it has very nice small white flowers for 4 months of the year. We are planting a lot of Cornus Alba which has brilliant red bark in the winter months. It's easy to focus on the spring and summer but it is a lot harder to have an interesting yard in the winter months. We are slowly planting lots of naturalizing bulbs; especially snowdrops which begin to bloom in late Jan/early feb. Unfortunately, deer love flowers from bulbs...
If a winter is particularily dry or if you have plants in the greenhouse then you need to water them. I just watered a few plants on the weekend. I use a watering can for 99% of my watering; rarely will I use the hose. Peat moss and compost absorbs water and makes watering not as imperative. It sounds like we have the same soil structure. Ours is very rocky, with lots of clay and bad drainage. The good news is this soil does have a lot of minerals but needs organic material. Worms will not thrive in a clay environment. We have water-wise toilets. The name is 'Toyo' and are highly recommended.
I was surprised to learn you are a zone 6-7, I guess being so far north is what threw me. It must be the costal climate that makes it warmer than inland? Do you have lots of rain?
The house we have now, we have one little gem Magnolia, a very beautiful tree, and it seems to keep its leaves all year round. And it is a small tree, not suppose to grow over 20 feet tall.
The burning bush is a very striking plant, I love the coloring too.
I hadn't heard of the smoke tree. And the red bark tree sounds very beautiful as well, like the coral japanese maple. I look into those two.
I am also interested in ground cover like snowdrop and lily of the valley (I think that's it). I've planted an assortment of bulbs, kinds that bloom at different times through out the year. It makes a flower garden fun and interesting to have blooms coming out all year long. Especially when I've forgotten what I planted and where.
I agree, it is harder to have an interesting yard in the winter months, takes some real planning.
I like heavenly bamboo, I keep it pruned back or else it would tower over me.
JDH
hi JDH! We are in zone 7 or 8 depending on which site you look at. the government says 7 so I guess they are right.
Most of the area we are in is zone 8. There are so many pockets of mini-climes around here. Less than 30 minutes drive and we would be in zone 4 or 5. Most of the coast is much warmer than the inland regions as we are warmed by the Pacific Ocean winds. We get less rain than Vancouver: about 1000mm, which I believe translates into about 40". Most of the rain comes in November through March.
We had a bamboo plant in our Vancouver property and it started spreading underground, sprouting up 10 feet in all directions. We lots of Lily of the Valley -- a very poisonous plant though. We have planted wild strawberry and have lots of wooley thyme which is a great ground cover, and is covered in purple/mauve flowers in the spring/summer. Another bush we enjoy is the california lilac; very hardy and lots of flowers. Honeysuckle, wisteria, and lots of herbs: sage, a few kinds of thyme, oregano, and rosemary. I think it is a very therapeutic hobby, plus the benefits are more than rewarding.
I went hiking in northern Arkansas and was suprised to find a small patch of bamboo growing close to the river. This was easily ten feet tall. Are there types of bamboo native to America?
I would like to have bamboo as a natural privacy screen, but its invasive nature is a concern. The same with Japanese Blood Grass, it's extremely beautiful but totally invasive.
JDH
I don't believe there is any indigineous bamboo in North America. I know it is a real problem in many of our parks as people throw their garden waste (including bamboo) in parks and empty lots; any invasive weeds take hold and out compete our native species.
In England Rhodos are extrmely invasive and are being pulled out as weeds; on Vancouver Island English Broom has taken over and is treated as a 'weed'. We planted a type of euphorbia and within 2 years we were pulling it out. We had the same problem with lemon balm on our small city lot but now, I am trying to get it to grow here.
Our other fave plant is the 'Rock Rose' (cistus). It tolerates draught to a degree (as does lavender) and blooms for months.
Hi Cityboyfarmer!
How are you?
Have you ever used the Farmer's Almanac for planting or for weather? Or is it just plain hokey?
I've read some stuff about planting by the phases of the moon or lunar planting. Does that have any credance?
JDH
Hi JDH! I met the head gardener from Stanley Park (1000 acre park) and he would prune just before a full moon. He said that the moon's gravitational pull helped a pruned plant/tree draw upon needed water from the ground. He said he had experimented pruning during a waxing moon and the plant/tree did not bounce back as well as one during a waning phase.
In a few of the lcoal Farmer'sMarkets, I've seen people scrutinizing vegetable with a crystal for (???); they said they could read the vegetable level of energy or lack of it. I reserve judgement on that, but I do think there are forgotten practices ('old wive's tales) that do have credence. I tend to keep an open mind but tend not to bet the farm on whether they really do work or not...
It is interesting though. I see my Orach seeds are up already (a type of spinach). I love this plant as it grows to over 6 feet high, so all the leaves are easily plucked off as needed. My garlic are poking through too. Spring is almost here (I wish).
Do you get any 'light' pollution from the town or can you get a clear view of the stars?
At our house now, we get mild light pollution, we live near a mall and several strip malls (Borders, Pier 1, Barnes and Noble). But not nearly as bad as LA was (nauseating) or Las Vegas (I got headaches from visiting there). Here I can see the stars but not as many as I will out on the property. Our property is free of light pollution, highway and street noise pollution. Noise pollution was a BIGGIE in LA, there was never silence only a hum from the highways and streets (and this was at night, windows closed).
I checked and there are several kinds of bamboo native to America. In fact there are Societies and Organizations for the preservation of native bamboos. I did not know this.
I think I will try to have bamboo out on the property, I'll use a root barrier (concrete) to contain it. I like the idea of a resilient, dense, natural, 10 ft high privacy screen.
JDH
Out on the property one of the neighbors across the street has donkeys and a riding stable. I had heard donkeys are used for keeping coyotes away. Donkeys will fearlessly grab ahold of coyotes and literally rip them apart (I guess by shaking and thrashing).
In LA, I lived with my wife (then my fiancee) in Los Felis near Griffith Park. In LA, on the streets, I saw deer and skunks and racoons, possums. The deer freaked me out, I wasn't expecting to see a deer in LA in the city.
I wasn't afraid to walk to or around the area, I lived close to school (AFI) and I walked there in the morning and at night. LA never sleeps. And the homeless there is really sad and very appearent. Really heartbreaking, literally everywhere.
Traffic is horrible, 6 lanes (12 lanes both ways) of highway and it still gets backed up. What would take an hour during the week, took 15 minutes on Saturday/Sunday morning/afternoon. And driving through Hollywood (the township or area proper) you knew when you'd hit Beverly Hills, there was a visible line. The condition of the streets improved, the landscaping was lush and yards were greener and bigger yards/lawns. I think the sky was even bluer.
JDH
Wow! A thousand acres? I can't even imagine that size. Is it similar to Central Park NYC? Though I've never been to NYC, so it doesn't matter much. But still, a thousand acres, that's huge.
Pruning by the moon's phases I guess makes sense. I'm going to read up on it. I think I'll go by what it says. Pruning scares me, I don't want to damage the plants. Especially sensitive plants. Pruning and fertilizer scare. I burnt our yard last spring by putting down to much fertiziler, and I killed two fur trees that I had just planted (it was a combination fertiziler/weed killer). Once bitten, twice shy.
JDH
Chemicals are only a quick fix for plants. We don't use any chemicals or weed killers. Weed killers and a lot of chemicals poison the bees and worms. We now just try to 'feed' the soil. I will spray a compost tea on certain plants.
So far we only use green sand, rock phosphate, green crops and compost. We do, however, have a severe buttercup problem. We are trying to plant overtop, using permaculture mthods, or plant more aggressive plants like wild strawberry, comfrey, jerusalem artichokes.
That's really cool about native bamboo in North America. I know some people plant them in large containers.
We were in L.A. a couple of years ago and the traffic is pretty wild!
I had not heard about donkees as coyote commandos. I heard that geese make excellent 'watch dogs'. We used to have lots of coyotes in Vancouver.
Coyote story: I had taken out the dogs for their morning walk. I was on my bike and I looked behind and their was a coyote charging at our golden retriever. Our golden became very aggressive and scared it away but the coyote kept coming back nipping at our dog's tail. I got off my bike and scared it away and rode back home. When I was shutting our gate, leading into the backyard, there was the coyote watching me on our front lawn. It was spooky. I never even saw it following us.
There are a few Lhama farms around here and they sell the wool or some breed them to sell. They are very good 'watch dogs' too.
"I will spray a compost tea on certain plants."
That's funny, because after I burnt the lawn and I started doing the green research I have a "manure tea" concoction brewing in a large plastic bucket (with lid) at the side of the house (dried horse and cow manure to be placed in a panty hose and soaked in water until dissolved). This is my new safer fertilizer.
What happened to the coyotes population there?
We never use to get armadilo this far north, but with global warming they are everywhere around these parts. They're nasty too. Like opposum. Hideous.
JDH
Pruning: There are some very good pruning books out there. I believe Maples are pruned in the summer but a lot of plants/trees/bushes are pruned in the dormant season. I feel fairly confident with roses now but I still question my fruit tree pruning abilities. I don't like using lime/sulphur dormant spray, but I understand it is still considered organic. It helps eliminate scabbing and peach curl.
I read an article about this guy in the Philipines using indigineous microorganisms to combat diseases and for fertilizing.
There is a list on one of organic web sites that show what is allowed, and still be certified organic.
I was going to mention about building a very well insulated pumphouse. I just had 'frostfree bibs' installed which eliminate the problem of freezing pipes on faucets. If i was building a new home I would install them on all exterior faucets. You'll need a 'bladder' too for your pump.
Did you live in Las Vegas too, or were just visiting?
Just visiting. Both times we arrived at night and the glow of neon light was really powerful.
And the weird thing is, we were walking in the afternoon along the main strip and I looked out into traffic and saw a friend of mine who happened to be visiting Vegas. That was really weird.
PBS had a show where the guy talked about tea bags for fertilizing vegetation. Using a sprayer and garden-hose. And he went into in great depth, I kinda recall stuff about microorganisms.
Is the 'bladder' at the pump/well-house or in the actual house?
I meet with the architect this afternoon. Hopefully we will be closer to finishing the floorplans.
JDH
Very exciting about your floorplans!
Our 'bladder' is in the pumphouse. We need to keep a light on 24/7, plus have a heatcoil around the pipes to keep the pumps from freezing, in the heart of winter. If our pumphouse was better insulated, we would not have to worry about it.
Check out those 'frost-free bibs' for exterior faucets- very cool.
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