Gardening

I had dreams of gardening in my old place, but moved before I ever got realize them. For now I'm pursuing other things.

Permaculture

Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than protracted and thoughtless labor; and of looking at plants and animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single product system.

Advice

seriously don't worry about more advanced gardening stuff until you:

1. have laid out paths based on ergonomics, proximety to your home, and with respect to the slope of land.

2. laid down thick compost and mulch

3. spread a cover crop everywhere around any plants you put in.

Throw red clover on the ground any season. Throw buckwheat in the summer. Add wheatgrass and Dikon over the winter.

Actually make that crimson clover

Compost

you don't have to be this precise but: if made right the pile should reach 137 within 24-72 hours.

if it doesn't and the pile is built right, maybe there are pesticides... if possible add 1% molasses or corn syrup to give bacteria energy to break apart pesticide bonds.

by day 4-5 it should go from 135 to 155-160F.
time to turn. if it gets hotter faster turn sooner it needs oxygen.

temp should drop again and then go up. turn before it reaches 165.

3rd turn after 7-8 additional days

4th after 3 weeks. after that the temp shouldn't increase much again.

5th around 5 weeks- turn again and let age.

So my compost pile Calc for the morning. A pile should be at least a cubic meter (3x3x3 feet) and a 4th if it should be high nitrogen: first season mown grass, cow manure, chicken manure (20%), coffee grounds. True for a bacterial or fungal pile.

A balanced ratio compost pile for garden vegetables
(Thanks to Dr. Elaine Ingham)
- 25% high nitrogen
- 40% green
- 35% woody