Today I made/bought/learnt (for a post oil world) 5

[careinke]

Planted a bed of peas today and prepped two more beds for beets and broccoli.

Bought the kindle version of "Creating a Forest Garden" even though I don't own a kindle. I can read it on the computer or my droid. It was way cheaper than the hard copy.

[careinke]

I can't believe I bought a blackberry vine today.

[careinke]

I learned today that I can use Seaweed as mulch! plus it has the added benefit of repelling slugs.

http://eartheasy.com/blog/2010/09/how-to-use-seaweed-to-mulch-your-garden/

I always thought the salt would kill the plants. Apparently, I was wrong. With 3,000 feet of private beach, this could be a very good thing for me.

[PrestonSturges]

This week I marked the last 68 spots with flags to have holes prepped for the 110 holly saplings

I am also working towards having a nice Asian girlfriend who has greater interest in gardening, making soap etc than the current wife. She also seems to have a bit of artistic flair.

Thus, if things go down the crapper in the future and the wife proves useless or worse, a hindrance, I can basically throw her under the bus and bring in a new woman.

Careful you don't end up living in a Ford Econoline down by the Patapsco.

[rangerone314]

This morning, I finished prepping the last of the holes for the holly trees. Then this afternoon, surprisingly, the 110 holly trees arrived in 2 large boxes... the weather outside though is rainy and wet and not conducive to planting.

[truecougarblue]

Planted 2 plum and 3 peach trees (5 gallon)

[PrestonSturges]

Looks like my neighbor is interesting in taking on some of my figs and maybe a mulberry, so I'm pretty happy about that. his parent are into this sort of thing. I notice that the urge to garden really does seem to run in families.

[rangerone314]

Well, despite the near continual rain yesterday, I managed to find a break and get the first 11 holly trees planted, so I'm 10% done planting this bunch. 99 more to go!

[rangerone314]

Meh. I feel like I fell down the stairs. I got another 77 holly trees planted today; just 22 to go for tomorrow.

One thing I did yesterday was re-pot most of the lemongrass... some leaves were damaged, so a few cuttings and I made some green tea with lemon grass in it (in a tea ball). Very nice!

[rangerone314]

Well I got the 22 holly trees planted on Monday and discovered they sent another bundle of 10 by accident. I got those 10 planted today and I weeded & mulched over another 20 square feet (the area most heavily resurgent with grass) in my southeast hedge.

[mlit]

Started my first worm bin - I actually promised my daughter I would eat some worms before summer is over. Going to mess with using the urine for experimenting with biochar

Also two garbage cans of potatoes might just go with more even though should produce more than I need and donate extra.

[Shaved Monkey]

Use your urine on the bio char too

http://e-biocharurinals.blogspot.com.au/

[mlit]

I meant the worm urine but I am open to both - I spent some time working as a mechanic for a PUD (The sewer with Ed Norton) and believe a huge amount of useful nutrients are burned with NG and dumped in a landfill or sent out to sea.

Also one more thing I forgot on my last post.

I'm guessing at nearly a gallon of coffee grounds in my current workplace are thrown away, I have provided a container that I hope to train people to use and i will take this home to compost

[Wootan]

I learned today that I can use Seaweed as mulch! plus it has the added benefit of repelling slugs.

http://eartheasy.com/blog/2010/09/how-to-use-seaweed-to-mulch-your-garden/

Seaweed is great in the garden. It can contain up to 30% sugar/10% protein in dry matter. And it has a lot of micronutrients. Since the iceage a lot of the soil's mineral content has been washed out. It is like using the same teabag for 10.000 years. The micronutrients ends up in the oceans where some of it is absorbed by seaweed. But not only seaweed, all things from the sea is great in the garden, fish offal, mussles.

But I don't agree with the author that it breaks down quickly. It takes some time. Compost it with horse manure and straw/wood chippings. Great for potatoes which like calcium.

To cut it, put it on the lawn and collect it with a lawn-mower. Some will be left on the lawn, enriching the soil. The rest will break down quicker with the added grass.

[PrestonSturges]

I'm guessing at nearly a gallon of coffee grounds in my current workplace are thrown away, I have provided a container that I hope to train people to use and i will take this home to compost

I used to get buckets of coffee grounds, and it's a good soil amendment, but I did not see that it had any nitrogen. I expected it to be much richer than it was.

[Loki]

I'm guessing at nearly a gallon of coffee grounds in my current workplace are thrown away, I have provided a container that I hope to train people to use and i will take this home to compost

I used to get buckets of coffee grounds, and it's a good soil amendment, but I did not see that it had any nitrogen. I expected it to be much richer than it was.

Found a good article on coffee grounds. The nitrogen is very slow release.

[PrestonSturges]

My online store did $100 of business, which took me by surprise, and my google rank is right up there with the established companies.

[careinke]

Placed my first two beehives. Will finish the last two on Sunday.

[rangerone314]

Only thing about bees is I don't like the part where you get stung even wearing a bee suit.

[careinke]

Only thing about bees is I don't like the part where you get stung even wearing a bee suit.

A little pain makes the pleasure all that much sweeter.