Farm Notes for Week Seven, 3/9/11

Thank you Katy for the these Farm Notes!

On the Farm – Week 7 March 9^th

Today on the farm Jesse and John, both part of the North Bay Conservation

Corps Crew and our class, showed us the completed rainwater catchment system

they have installed to catch rainwater on the greenhouse roof to be used for watering

plants in the nursery and for compost tea. The whole roof is 1250 square feet that would receive approximately 26,000 inches of rainfall in a year. This system collects water on one side of the roof, receiving approximately 13,000 inches of rainfall a year and channels it into 22 barrels holding 1500 gallons in all. The barrels are from General Hydroponics in Sebastopol and were free. In the inflow tubing coming off the roof a first flush system is built in to capture initial water with debris. After the first flush which will not be sent to the barrels for storage, the following waterflow is then directed for capture in the barrels. Design for overflow is also in the construction as overflow is directed in a channel on the ground that will go into the creek. The 22 barrels function as one in that water comes out of one bucket into the next via a pipe above and below the barrels. (It was debated whether a pipe was needed both above and below). There is a spiket on the front barrel where water can be collected in a bucket for watering plants in the nursery and for compost tea. It was mentioned that tubing and barrels should be dark in order to keep water clean from algae growth as well as to prevent negative effects from sunlight. Also to keep water in best form well placed holes in the top of tubing allows the tubing to breathe. Jesse and John started this project in September, working on it 1-2 days a week. What they have provided with this system will be the water supply that will allow IVCFG to get a compost tea system up and running in a good, resourceful, sustainable way!

Next the class went in two groups, one to work in the Orchard to mulch the recently planted fruit trees, the other to the Greenhouse to transplant those plants ready to transition out of the nursery, making room for many hundreds of tomato plants which are ready to come in.

The group mulched in the orchard used rice hulls and duck manure, great topdressing high in silica and calcium, and woodchips. The mulching at this time keeps the soil moist around the tree to help fungal growth.

The group at the greenhouse looked at the roots of the plants that were ready to transplant. Wendy showed us to see that the plant is in balance, that the above-ground tops and below-ground roots are in balance. We looked at starts that had been in trays of perliote at a 45 degrees angle for 6 weeks. This cool, well watered and well drained medium allows the opportunity for strikes to send down roots. We then transplanted a variety of herbaceous perennial plants and flowers from small 4 inch pots with lunch mix to larger pots with lunch mix. Once placed in the new pot with lunch mix we pushed down the soil around the edge of the pot (never press down soil around crown of plant), and we labeled with the date. We watered with care just to get the soil wet and see it drain out of the pot (avoid heavy water on plant itself). Today, ready for transplanting, was Salvia elegans, pineapple sage, whose strikes off the mother plant had been taken in early November. Every plant is different in its growth and timing, and today this fragrant plant with a beautiful red flower that attracts hummingbirds was ready transition out of the greenhouse. We also transplanted white and blue Campanula persiafolia ‘Alba’ and Echinacea purpurca magnus.