Soil Mixing

The Ratios will be

4 parts compost

2 parts sifted compost 1/4"

2 parts native/local soil

1 part shredded coconut husk

12 lbs Azomite

1/2 cup humic acid

2 oz Mycogrow

Compost

(food scraps, plant trimmings and yard waste)

Sifted compost 1/4"

Shredded Coconut husk 

Local Soil 

In our area the soil is glacial sediment and is considered marginal to poor.

Azomite

 (A to Z Of Minerals and Trace Elements)

Absolutely necessary if growing sustainably and organically.

Add 1 lb to 1 cu. ft soil 

(1 lb Azomite is 2 cups)

Myco fungal inoculate, helps establish a strong fungal colony.

1 oz per 12 gallons

Humic Acid 90% soluble,  basically the final byproduct of microbes eating organic matter.

 Use a respirator when working with fine particulates

 Adding local soil

 Adding Humic acid 

 Adding Azomite

12 lbs

 Mixing soil using a tarp and shovel

Soil watered

All folded up, leave to homogenize.

9/6/13 Photos

Roll up Sides

Trimming Plastic

Roll up Side gear box

Cleaning pipe ends before sweating.

Attaching 2"x6"x96"boards to the greenhouse rafter poles.  These boards will hold the hot water lines

Manifolds for compost heating coils.

Brass PEX - Galvanized T -  1/2" Poly hose barb

Attaching 3/4"PEX to Boards

More 2x6 framing.

Heating lines PEX 3/4"

Heating Lines

PEX-AL-PEX used for tank filling

Heater Board with mulch

Manifold with Boiler and South bib lines attached.

Yard waste for compost heating

Chocolate Mint still in their starters

Strawberries in Pots

Strawberries in small pot in watercress beds.

This plant an sent out a runner that has rooted itself in the gravel.

Watercress

Before adding fish to an aquaponic system, the system must be cycled.  

What this means is bacteria must be grown to convert the fish waste ammonia into nitrate.

To do this I add fish emulsion to the tanks.  Every day adding about 1/4 to 1/2 cup to each tank, after a week the bacteria is usually fully established and any fish emulsion that is added is quickly converted to nitrate.  

A note of caution when cycling your Aquaponic system

With all that available nitrate plants will grow rapidly, be sure to have enough plants in the system to absorb that nitrate or algae will begin to grow and soon become the dominate plant in the system. 

Beginning to revamp the chicken hoop

Attached framing to the exterior of the hoop house end walls to staple plastic to. 

End wall after stapling and chicks.

Attaching plastic to Greenhouse with staples and firing strips.

Big ol Worm

Durango Apple Days 

Pie Eatin

Katie won the Pie eating contest, fuck yeah.

Finishing Pie

9/23/13 Photos

Installing a valve on the south end.  The pipe is 3/4" steel pipe housed in 2" PVC with foam insulation.   Buried at 18" 

Where the PEX water line exits the PVC, the gap gets filed with expanding foam to keep debris out.

Trench for the 1/2"PEX water line.  Dug to 12"and bedded with sand.

Water line covered with sand.

Almost Finished water valve.  Still must seal any remaining gaps.

Water line, meter and valves

Standard $80 water meter

Finished manifold

Growing Water cress

Duckweed

Water cress starting

Garden Snacks