New Soil Machine

IMG_1692, a photo by okfuskee on Flickr.

Couldn't stop myself from getting a second Soil Machine composter made by Good Ideas. I got it online from Hayneedle.com because they had a great deal and free shipping so the whole thing only cost $105. It is made in the USA (well the lid might be Canadian, but...) from recycled plastic. It has a very simple design and took only a few minutes to assemble. It seems very durable and has a spigot for compost tea. I decided to build a base for this one - makes it easier to get the compost tea if it is off the ground a bit. Some might say it is tricky to turn after it gets mostly full. I'm ok with that and it makes up for that with it's simplicity and sturdiness. I've seen others with various mechanisms for turning and they always seem like they won't hold up over time.

Proof of Evil

IMG_1651, a photo by okfuskee on Flickr.

Squirrels devouring our art.

Squirrels and the Evil They Do

Yes...I hate squirrels. They are evil incarnate. They randomly dig up gardens because they "feel" like it. They gnaw on pumpkins and squashes,  haphazardly destroying months of work for a few seeds. They bite tomato after tomato in search of that "just right" flavor and then they organize rodential fireman's brigades to carry the entire crop out of the garden. They laugh at me when I install motion detector activated water sprinklers. My slingshot reduces them to hysterics. True, I was using acorns as ammo, which was a somewhat ironic twist which they fully appreciated. Although merely rodents, they have caused this primate to totally revise planting patterns. No more squash and reduced tomatoes. Instead the following are favored in the garden: eggplants, peppers, carrots, lettuce, onions, broccoli, potatoes, herbs. All of these can handle the squirrel onslaught in this region. But no more will we grow monster squash vines that produce buds that get snipped off like clockwork. Those days of feeding the local squirrel brady bunch are over. Here is a partial list of other actions taken to deter the invaders:

1. Chicken wire installed at the base of fencing - ineffective, though perhaps creating inconvenient moments for them as I chase them screaming like a banshee and wielding various weapons.
2. Fox Urine - ineffective and once I left it out and they stole the lid to mock me, perhaps it provided a savory accompaniment to my green tomatoes.
3. CD's on strings twisting in the wind - the dancing reflected sunlight provided amusement to both me and the squirrels.
4. Giant Tripod built of former christmas trees with maniacally spinning wire arms at the apex- The neighbors began to notice me. The squirrels did not. However it did have a sort of Blair Witch-ian charm that I often reminisce about.
5. The ScareCrow by Contech - I had high hopes for this device. After all, if it can handle bear, why not squirrel? This one actually worked a bit and was also amusing to me. It definitely reduced incursions and helped seedlings sprout and survive. However, as the summer wore on, I noticed that the squirrels were purposely triggering it at the hottest time of the day, just to see the way the hose heated and piping hot water would wilt the leaves in the middle of the day. So...a good solution for early on, but not later. 

Next steps?

Is there any hope? Someone recently mentioned trying other kinds of urine - can't recall - coyote maybe. Or Mountain lion...that sounds promising, though perhaps difficult to acquire without injury.

I also found this recipe for anti-squirrel pepper spray which I might try despite all the bad press pepper spray has gotten lately. 

Other things to consider:

in My Empire of Dirt , Manny Howard details how he trapped squirrels in his backyard farm and was then uncomfortable with the next step and so left them to sit for a week or two. The screams and shrieks of the trapped animals proved a sufficient deterrent. Eventually he drowned them in a garbage can. Witnessing this probably helped watching squirrels make up their minds. Manny was seldom bothered going forward. Not sure I could do this one.

The husband of a friend has shot and skinned a couple squirrels. I think this was moderately successful, but I am pretty sure that would get me arrested in the highly dense area in which I live. Nevertheless, a boy can dream.

Official Compost Pail

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Cover Cropping

IMG_1597, a photo by okfuskee on Flickr.

Cover crop for this year is shaping up pretty well. This is red clover - good for fixing nitrogen, less good for weed suppression. It's building up slowly, but I think it will be ready for winter. If it's still there in the spring, I will "plow" under or just compost it. The goal is also to limit erosion and protect soil life from cold, etc. I also think it might help promote that fungus that interacts with roots...but I have no scientific evidence for that. Got the seeds from High Mowing - pricey, but good company to support. One other detail - squirrels seem to be having a pretty fun time killing it here and there. One day...I will have my revenge.

Next year I am thinking about trying rye or oats.

Dahlias

IMG_1592, a photo by okfuskee on Flickr.

The Dahlias have really come on strong at the end of the season. Perhaps due to all the rain, and maybe the raised beds, which helped with drainage. We have over twenty flowers on one plant right now....with more on the way. This plant was from the Columbia Pike Farmers Market. Their plants always do pretty well. The beds in the background are filled with clover as a cover crop.

peas climbing in the summer past

peas climbing, a photo by okfuskee on Flickr.

Just about the only thing we got this summer - peas. Well I guess we also got some potatoes, lettuce, mustard greens, and a bunch of carrots. I didn't take the soil buiding process seriously enough. Threw down a bunch of ground up leaves and expected them to turn dirt in 6 months. It didn't work.

whiskey barrel planter

whiskey barrel planter, a photo by okfuskee on Flickr.

Got this here puppy dog at Meadows Farms...kinda pricey, but a pretty cool barrel half. I put it on a couple bricks, drilled some holes in the base, and lined it with weed block and...tadaa!..a new place for plants. Got the idea in my head after reading some of the Square Foot Gardening book. Good book, though I don't quite agree with everything. So add a grain O' salt and you'll be fine.

Good Enough to Drink

compost tea, a photo by okfuskee on Flickr.

Got this compost tea from the Soil Machine 2000. Sometimes it just shows up and sometimes I add water (moisture being an important element to composting) and then drain the excess.

Drive for Life

IMG_0182, a photo by okfuskee on Flickr.

Check out this crazy grocery store potato. He spent a winter in the ole potato n onion box and spent the time sending out roots on a quest to nowhere. That failed and so then he started some baby taters right there in the box. Never saw that before. You gotta admire his pluck. He really is endeavoring to persevere. I rewarded his efforts by planting him in a nice spot. We shall see what comes of this.

Taters!

IMG_0180, a photo by okfuskee on Flickr.

Here's some red fingerlings just about to go into the ground. They are from the Maine Potato Lady. I've always felt potatoes could be my ticket to financial independence. Largest harvest for least acreage. Worked for the Irish (never mind that pesky famine thing) and it can work for me. Although we've gotten some tasty tubers (argh) we've never quite realized my potato dream. Last year was particularly disastrous. I went looking for my bag of seed potatoes to plant and found them, but they didn't look lke what I ordered - different kinds of potatoes, not red fingerlings, not the right size. I considered complaining to the Tater Lady, but planted them anyway in my designated potato spots. Couple months later, I find my actual seed potatoes and realize I just planted grocery store spuds in my prime spots. Didn't get much.

This year will be different as these guys all have their own dedicated spot with nice mulchy leaves and decent sun. I can almost taste them now.

And here's an idea that I might try someday: http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/gardening/how-to-grow-100-pounds-of-potatoes-in-4-square-feet-081760

Half and Half

red and yellow living in perfect harmony

Onion sets about to be planted. Got these from the Maine Potato Lady.  I didn't naturally think of using these, but seeds never seemed to work and Bambi's parents always used them and so...we tried them out last year. They worked well and we discovered another vegetable that squirrels, mice, rats, and rabbits mostly ignore. They do well, don't need too much love, and you can consume them at your leisure. For about 4 bucks plus shipping ( 50 cents more for the red) you get 70 starter onions. That works out to about a 6 or 7 cents apiece. It should also be noted that onions, like so many other things, have a lot more flavor when you grow them yourself. 

Last year's did well, but didn't get much bigger than a golf ball. I read something about planting them near the surface for increased size. I did not try this since the squirrels mess with anythig they see even if they don't want to eat it. I am hoping the new loose "soil" will allow bigger growth. I have doubts about the ground up leaves, but I think they are closer to soil than I previously thought....and getting closer all the time. 

Extra Compost

IMG_0134, a photo by okfuskee on Flickr.

The joy of unintended consequences: Pollan writes a a book about food production, Michelle Obama starts an anti-obesity push for school children, my school district starts a "fresh snacks" program to get kids HOOKED on healthy new foods - my class gets fruit or veggies every Friday...so far so good. But the stuff is sent to the school on Monday (or Tuesday) and doled out to a couple grades each day. My day is Friday - the end of the week. Turns out that if you want kids HOOKED on healthy foods, you probably should not send slightly damaged veggies, or maybe they shouldn't be sliced on Sunday and served on Friday. This week's peppers were slimy...not high on a ten year olds list of "ways to make veggies fun." Anyway - I got a nice pile of compost this time. Yum!

Laundry Day!

Laundry Day!, a photo by okfuskee on Flickr.

The garden also doubles as a clothes dryer. I figure I save about 50 cents a load with line drying. I have the line on two pulleys so I don't need to walk around the garden for this. For some reason I became obsessed with laundry lines on pulleys a few years back. Nothing better then sending your clothes out to dry - save money, reduces emissions and mountain top removal and you get a little exercise for free. The only thing is I can't plant snow peas under the line, like I did last year. Disaster.

Next time I take this pic, all the clothes will be tan, gold, or red.

Official Radio of the Garden

IMG_0021 a photo by okfuskee on Flickr.

This here's the official garden/deck radio. I finally decided against outside speakers and went for this tiny Tivol iPal (hate the name, like the look). I thought it would have greater flexibility since it has a rechargeable battery and doesn't need to be tethered to anything. When not in the garden it fills in as kitchen radio which we were also considering purchasing. It gets great reception which was an important consideration and gets loud enough to enjoy, but won't bring the cops or annoy the neighbors. Its tiny and sounds good and also has a ipod jack. I'll be out back listening to WPFW until the mosquitos come.

I Hear the Rain I Hear the Rain

IMG_0048 a photo by okfuskee on Flickr.

Ok, so the garden and mulch paths aren't handling the rain quite like I wanted. An overflow tube runs from the rain barrel and down one of the garden paths. I took a little time to grade that particular path away from the house and to go with the flow of water from the overflow tube. It is kind of working, but it is turning some of the paths into a kind of liquified mulch. In a way, this might be evidence that it is effective and sending the water where I want it to go. I just need to continue the "water path." Right now, it ends prematurely a few feet from where it will eventually end up and so it is kind of backing up and getting stuck mid-garden. Some day, I will try to send it to the very back of the yard - the compost zone. I have heard that in olden times, there was a creek there that got filled in during the 30's/40's.

On the bright side, the basement has not flooded yet. There is a lot less water by the side of the house compared to days of yore. And - overall, the yard feels less waterworld-y.

Columbia Pike Video

Nice Video on the Pike...nothing about gardening though...skip past the intro to get to the good stuff.

Rain Barrel Action!

MVI_0039 a video by okfuskee on Flickr.

Here's the rain barrel doing its thing in light to moderate rain. Some might wonder - why a rain barrel? Isn't water pretty cheap around here? Well right after we moved in we had a 100 year storm that put the basement under about 6 inches of water. Ever since then, we have been doing many different things to prevent future such events. Everything we have done has been external to the house...well almost everything...I did caulk a few coins into some basement holes that were squirting water like some dutch levee without a dutchboy. Bambi didn't like that idea even though each coin was selected to be meaningful in some way - MA quarter, Ohio Quarter, CT quarter (It has a tree!) and I think something from 1976... to be patriotic or something. Also I finally caulked one bad window...but anyway we did nothing drastic inside. We graded the earth around the house to slope away, took out a few planter boxes on the side of the house that seemed to collect and hold water against the house, took out a wide concrete walkway on the side that sloped into the house, and have added great quantities of organic matter to our clay soil. The result has been a gradual diminishment of basement flooding. At this point, we haven't seen it flood for quite a while. Anyway, the rain barrel takes 55 gallons out of the equation - not much...but maybe enough to take it past the critical mass needed for flooding, and when it does fill, the overflow tube sends the extra far out into the yard.

We do save a few pennies on water but that doesn't feel like much. A bigger issue is the amount of water that no longer ends up as storm run-off which is costly for local government and damages the Chesapeake Bay. Looking for more info? See Arlington County's Sensible Explanation and their What Can I Do Website has other ideas that go beyond the rain barrel.

And one last thing...it is kind of fun...hoping for rain so I can get some free water to water the native (and not so native) plants in the front.

To get even more up close and personal with that spout, click here.

Mulched Up

IMG_0032 a photo by okfuskee on Flickr.

Got all energetic, loaded up the mulch wagon a couple times, and got most of the garden paths done. Looks pretty good. At first I was all uptight about making the cardboard covereage perfect...that wore off pretty quick. Got 2-6 inches of wood mulch down most places. Should help with weed suppression, flooding, and muddy shoe syndrome (MSS). Over time, it will compost and be usable in the beds. Thought there was something else to say....ummm...smells good...oh yeah: I was worried about laying down some mulch that would make a great slug habitat (as in the Great Slug Attack of the summer of ought 9) but this stuff is (I hope) too well ground for slugs...too fragmented to make good shelter or a good slime trail surface (he said...starting to wonder an' worry).

Cardboard Paths

IMG_0002 a photo by okfuskee on Flickr.

Put down some cardboard in the paths. In the past, wood mulch in paths got pushed/sucked into the mud and just disappears. Now I am laying down some repurposed cardboard. It will also contribute to the whole weed suppression thing too. Seems to confuse squirrels a bit as well. Also - makes rats and rodents stand out a bit more for hungry hawks. I was tempted to just leave it all cardboarded...though I suspect it will not appeal to B. Hmmm...for another overview type pic, see here.

Rain Barrel Time...or Not

IMG_0003
Originally uploaded by okfuskee

Turned the rain barrel over in a fit of over enthusiasm on a sunny warm day. Got fooled by the vagaries of climate change I suppose - 70's days next to freezing days. Very confusing. It filled up in a day, and we will freeze tomorrow night, so now I am emptying.

In case you are wondering - this is a rain barrel from the county - you pay 52 bucks, and go build your own. Caulking, drilling, and snacks! I recommend it. It is an old pickle barrel...painted with some house paint to add some style.

Bed Building Mistake #1

IMG_4054
Originally uploaded by okfuskee

So I forgot to mention - the first bed I built came out a little whopper-jawed. I built the sides - 4 by 4's and 3 by 2s and then brought all the pieces out to the yard separately. I did this since there were lots of things growing already including the sacred tomatoes. So the plan was to assemble the thing in situ (hooray for Latin!) . Anyway - big mistake. It was incredibly hard to drill screw that baby together and I pulled all kinds of muscles contorting myself to get good drill angles. First and last one I did that way.

The Name

Ryan asked me to explain the name. Well first let me admit it is a bad name. But it came to me, and made me giggle. Essentially consisting of two made up words, it is bound to avoid conventional online searches. But it fit my mood.

I was playing around with "Pike" because my garden/farm is right near the Columbia Pike in South Arlington, Virginia. I love the Pike, so I wanted it in the name. The Pike is diverse, busy, ramshackle, weird, and alive. You can see everything on the Pike. Signs in Spanish and Amharic, and if you go out far enough, Korean. Great ethnic restaurants - Salvadorean, Ethiopian, and Thai, Thai, Thai. Odd little shops selling bikes, magic candles, and ethiopian spices. Many people in Arlington seem to hate the Pike - too diverse, supposedly difficult traffic, messy, etc. The neighbourhood is changing slowly, but I still love it.

So I wanted Pike in the name. Then I thought I would modify it for laughs...I was playing with different things - thought Pike-ular as in modular, spectacular, etc. In my mind I felt like I was reaching for something else, but couldn't quite put my finger on it. So the first name was actually pikeular which is what is in the URL I think. But then it hit me that I was really reaching for peculiar which fits the garden better. This is not an ordinary garden - a few flowers and shrubs providing eye interest to a useless lawn. No - we dug up everything. No lawn remains. No space is wasted. So then I went with Pike-uliar as in odd and by the Pike.

As for "gardenings" - well I have no idea. I suppose I could have just used "Garden," but I guess I wanted to verb it in an unusual way, so I did. Gardenings reminds me of meanderings and I like that word. It seemed to fit the garden which does not always proceed on the shortest path to each destination. It is the 4th year and we are just bumbling along discovering things haphazardly but making progress most years.

So that's the name story.

Solving the Great Coffee Ground Drought of 2011

Coffee Grounds
Originally uploaded by okfuskee

Everything I have heard or read suggests coffee grounds are a great thing for compost. Worms love it. It adds nitrate. Heats up the compost. Etc. I used to get coffee grounds from Common Grounds/Murky Coffee but they are gone now and the new place, North Side Social, doesn't seem to do it anymore. I asked another local place if they thought about putting grounds out for gardeners, they said no. I should pursue that a little more I suppose, but then I thought....what about work? I know a couple people who make a bit o coffee, so I asked them if they'd share and tadaa...my little blue pitcher now requires emptying twice a week. Not sure exactly how much I am getting - a pound or two a week it seems like. The compost is quite happily munching on grounds and paper filters now.

Compost...It's What's for Dinner

Deeeeee-licious!
Originally uploaded by okfuskee

Well technically, it's what wasn't quite dinner.

Here's the compost in the Soil Machine 2000 - I made up that 2000 thing to make it sound better. I have been adding ground up leaves and/or dirt with each load of kitchen scraps. It seems to be proceeding well, despite the fact that it is winter. I noticed some worms hopped a ride into the bin on the last shovelful. They will either freeze and add to the mix...or they will help the process. Win/Win...for me...not necessarily for the worms. For them it's a Win/Die.

Filling the Raised Beds

IMG_4979
Originally uploaded by okfuskee

One of the things holding me back from doing the raised beds thing was not knowing what to fill them with. Composting wasn't producing enough. Couldn't use the dirt we have in the yard - mostly clay. I wasn't going to buy that much composted material. that stuff is way too expensive for something you can just make.

Finally, I settled on using county leaf mulch. That stuff is ground up pretty good and we have been putting it on the side of the house where it turned into good black compost in not too long. For years I have been driving down to the Free Mulch site down on S. Taylor street. Been stinkin up the car bringing load after load up that hill. But this time, we had it delivered. It cost $40 I think, but was very much worth it. We got the full load...which wa s alot bigger in real life than in the pictures. Took two solid days to move it all into the beds. Now it just needs to turn into compost. Not sure about that part. At the very least, the layer down near the dirt should turn.

Raised Beds

IMG_4988
Originally uploaded by okfuskee

Built these raised beds this Summer and Fall. I became convinced that this is the way to go after struggling with the clay and fill dirt in the yard for about three years. Also - my wife had been prodding me to go this direction for a while.

Each bed took about half a day to build - though I usually spread the work out over a weekend. I, more or less, followed the advice outlined at this site. I liked the idea they had of using PVC piping to make a little structure over the beds that could hold clear plastic or row cover...I haven't done that yet, though. Next year maybe. It was very useful having two drills - one for making the holes and a smaller rechargeable for installing the screws. I also needed two pretty big clamps for when the wood was warped. Beer was also pretty helpful....always goes well with power tools. Photos of the all big bed buildin' action are here.

The wood is untreated cedar and a little pricy. But still cheaper than buying ready made beds. The only place I could find it was ABC Distributors in South Arlington right near the Weenie Beanie. Yup...I said, Weenie beanie.

The cedar seems to come in a couple different levels of quality and if I could go back in time, I would go for the better stuff. I would have also asked if they could have ordered me some more 2 x 6's instead of the 2 x 4's I was mostly using. That would have helped with the cost I believe.

I made 8 beds: one at 2x10, 2 beds at 2x5, 4 beds at 4x8 and one at 4x6. And those are feet. Most are about 11 inches high. I was aiming for about 2 feet in between, but went a little smaller in some places to grab more sun.

The first one was assembled in place. Very bad idea. Better to build and later move.

One odd thing I learned is 2x4s and 4x4s aren't actually the size they say. 2 by 4's are more like 1.5 x 3.5. 4x4s...I am guessing they are more like 3.5 by 3.5. I guess the 2x4 designation refers to their size before they get dried or cooked or whatever happens before it gets to you. All my life I thought 2 by 4s were 2 by 4. But nope.

Later we will cover the paths with cardboard and then perhaps wood mulch. That is the plan anyway.

Solving the Rat & Possum Problem

Got this here composter from Hayneedle. Recycled plastic, made in USA or Canada. Has handles for turning. Turning is not too hard...though I wonder about when it gets fuller. It holds 52 gallons I think - 7 cubic feet of compost. Assembled very easily.

One thing I like about it is the compost tea collection system. The stand or barrel holder (which has wheels to facilitate turning) also collects compost tea. There is a spigot on one end and theoretically, come summer time, I just turn that for a big hearty glass of compost tea. Yum! The thing makes claims to turn compost to soil in 2 weeks. I will believe that when I see it. I have been adding county leaf mulch and regular dirt as instructed - the included manual says 2/3 ought to be "browns." Mike McGrath (who seems to hate compost) says the ratio should be even higher.

It is low to the ground and so has a low profile and also seems very sturdy. I have seen some on higher rigged systems that seem too complicated.

Price was reasonable (120something including my coupon). Shipping was free I think. And if you bide your time, they go on sale or these coupon codes seem to pop up here and there...as if the interweb knows what you been searching. I will see how this works out and get another later if it goes well.

So far no rodents have interfered with it, though at the start, when it turned easily, I think a few squirrels took joy rides on it.

Hawk Eating Rat

hawk eating rat
Originally uploaded by okfuskee

Started seeing rats this Fall. Hired a hawk to hunt and eat them. results were mixed and slightly disturbing. At first I was worried about the hawk...if he knew his job, was he good and happy in his work. I contemplated interrupting him, but got my camera instead. The rat struggled a bit, gave the impression that he was a somewhat reluctant participant. The hawk gave him a couple head pops and a good shake and next thing I new...it was all over. See it all here in super grainy video.

Why did I have rats? Well, Living just off Columbia Pike in Southern Arlington (Yes, the better half!) presents some interesting benefits and challenges. And rats are apparently one of them. I was using one of Arlington county's $17 composters (well it was $10 when I bought it actually) and...it was just too tempting for the rats. Those things are open at the top and the the old version which I had had pretty big holes in it...and even if it didn't some of my rodent friends can chew the holes bigger anyway. This thing brought lots of visitors. Mr. Rat and Mr. Possum were my least favorite. At least there is one less rat now. Come to think of it, there is also one less possum....but that is a story for another day.