has55's R & D Journey

I'm late reporting my results with the Aquajet. As many knows I have the earthmister underground irrigation system installed in my SFG beds. I been please with the system, but I'm getting better results with the Aquajet that I have installed in my pepper and tomatoes beds. the earthmisters no longer exist. One of the founder (Robb) made another similar system called the Aquajet. it better design and stronger with delivery of water and oxygen. there is a learning curve, like getting use to not seeing the water above ground, getting use to decrease watering time, or if the soil is too porous and how to address it.  I tended to want to water till I see the water or longer minutes, thus overwatering and panicking. Robb helped me think differently. maybe others will give it a try.

John K did a follow up video to an Aquajet video he made earlier that received many negative remarks because most people didn't listen to the whole video. He addressed it with this video. the first video is long, but the followup is shorter. hope it's helpful for those who like to learn more. I used bricks for my Earthmister and Aquajet supports.

Best Raised Bed Irrigation System to Grow the Biggest Vegetables-follow up to aqua jet


Easy to Install AquaJet Irrigation System Review - Did it Work??

I placed this follow up because I'm still having good result with the aquajet. I was impressed with what john had to say about growing his food in 100-155 temps and thought it may be helpful for those who are to thinking about getting it, esp those you live in hot climates and have water restrictions . I just found out that NASA has asked them to be part of the space testing for growing food in space since the system is underground, waters and aerate the soil with each watering cycle. I'm a space nerd, so this is exciting to me. 
Go where no man has gone before.
to infinity and beyond
leave no one on Mars. Its not American:D:D

If I may, I would like to high jack your post to mention a book I just finished yesterday, It was hard to put down once I started. The book The Martian describes the odessy of an astronaut/botanist left behind on Mars and what he does to stay alive. I don't know if the movie was any good but I enjoyed the book.

sanderson wrote:If I may, I would like to high jack your post to mention a book I just finished yesterday,  It was hard to put down once I started.  The book The Martian describes the odessy of an astronaut/botanist left behind on Mars and what he does to stay alive.  I don't know if the movie was any good but I enjoyed the book.

Sanderson, so you're a space buff too. My wife and I enjoyed the movie and I would referred friends to view it. I been slow on reading since my vision change. I'm trying to make the adjustment. It seem to have took my fire and joy for reading down a notch or two.

I'm sorry your vision has shifted. I like any book that is well written, especially those with a "what if" scenario. This one has botany, biology, chemistry, physics and space (and humor). I can't wait to rent the movie. Maybe this winter we can have a book and/or movie review topic. Not much else one can do when it's freezing.

I'm at work and it looks like I didn't add the youtube video to the 10/19/2015  post. At least I don't see it here. So I'm going to put it in now. If it there, I just put in twice. Bare with me. thanks. The temperture part was interesting.

aquajet on Facebook

for those he may want to get more info on the aquajet. There a guy who installed it in F octagon green house. Also a school and someone near me here in Texas on their backyard farm. As in earlier post, they were asked to submit for possible approval for experimental trails. They just been accepted and approved to be part of NASA trials here on earth for possible use in future space exploration.
 

great video of SFG and the aquajet installed by Tatiana Ortiz.
The video song kind of make want to lift your hands and wand back and forth in the wind and whisper," Look at california".

Published on May 26, 2015
My first video posting on Youtube and my first container garden. We made the beds and installed the irrigation system ourselves! Research and inspiration all found here on YouTube. Main resources: Growing your Greens, Irrigation system by Intelligent Irrigation LLC., Soil amendments, water filters and tea from Boogie Brew.

The initial plan was building two beds. Once we finished we decided why not, lets build two more! Eac

cool sfg bed project with aquajet

picture of front yard with aquajet. Wanted to show this esp for people in the desert area or in the drought or having severe high temperature. 

I decided to place future detailed videos or research articles under this title. 

 Today, I'm posting Dr. Ingham videos, reposting Gabe brown videos and some one yard revolution video together because they pertain to the same subject and together connect the dots. This is why-Dr. Ingham said she is trying to do in one hour what she teaches in her 5 day seminar, so the other videos connect the dots, hopefully. 

There is a Paradigm shift in soil knowledge 
1.  Differences from Dirt and soil.
2. from soil testing elements to testing for  Bacteria:fungi ratio and the number of other microorganism in the soil. 
3. building the soil with fungal dominated compost.
4. Hopefully, this will allow us to cut cost,have more time to do other things, esp if we're not retired.



I like the results Gabe Brown got on his farm, but the seed mix company is up north (http://www.greencoverseed.com.) I would like to keep my money in Texas with local supplier and who knows our weather and what would be a weed. That’s why I quit growing purslane  in the garden. It work well up north, a good tasting plant, but a aggressive self seeder and weed here in texas. 
 I included the one yard revolution video, because he has successfully achieved the results in his SFG bed of using the fungal dominated compost, cover crop and perennial seed replanting. He got this from other reading. But Dr. Ingham explains it.

    Elaine Ingham Research Farm Jul 20, 2015

   
Interview with Dr Elaine Ingham on Bush Library-Jul 5, 2015



       

        The Roots of Your Profits - Dr Elaine Ingham, Soil Microbiologist, Founder of Soil Foodweb Inc   Jan 25, 
2015  Oxford Real Farming   In this video, the farmer are getting corn with 5 rungs containing two each each. Her new research results. A different technique for testing your soil instead of testing for element, Bacterial to fungi ration and percentage of other microbes in soil. what are your thoughts on this? 

       

Building Soil Health for Healthy Plants by soil scientist Dr. Elaine Ingham may 11,2016




   Gabe Brown: Keys To Building a Healthy Soil  Dec 8, 2014


   
DCED - 2016 Gabe Brown - Designing Cover Crop Mixes--Feb 22, 2016





Dr. Mercola Interviews Gabe Brown (Full Interview)  Dec 15, 2014



10 Gardening Products & Practices I’ve Abandoned & Why    jan, 2015





   Top 6 New Ways We Grew More Food in 2015!  

Dec 20, 2015








Toward a Do-Nothing Gardening, pt. 3: Self-Sowing Annuals (Lazy Gardening)   May 14, 2015




 
Toward a Do-Nothing Gardening, pt. 4: Organic Weed Control (Lazy Gardening)   Jun 14, 2015

I found these article for cover crops that shows very effective results using legumes, or grasses or brassica and mustard. I will use the brassica and mustard as food and for  soil building and disease suppression in my fall beds and preparation for the summer beds in the springs.  The articles are very promising. I using the brassica and mustard because they break down quickly. I just going to cut the leaves off and put directly on the soil, but leave the roots in the soil for the fungi. I'm also going to plant the daikon radish around the beds to capture the nutrient deep down. According to the article it can go 6ft into the ground. Amazing. I will be planting more arugula . It can capture the bad nematodes and won't let them reproduce. Awesome.
Live long and prosper!!!

BRASSICAS AND MUSTARDS
Roles: Prevent erosion, suppress weeds and soilborne pests, alleviate soil compaction and scavenge nutrients

Nonlegume Cover Crops
Nonlegume cover crops are most useful for: 

Scavenging nutrients—especially N—left over from a previous crop 
Reducing or preventing erosion 
Producing large amounts of residue and adding organic matter to the soil 
Suppressing weeds

Legume Cover Crops
Legume cover crops are used to: 

Fix atmospheric nitrogen (N) for use by subsequent crops 
Reduce or prevent erosion 
Produce biomass and add organic matter to the soil 
Attract beneficial insects

 That is great, Has!  Thanks for sharing!

I love Baker Creek.  They're always my first choice when I'm shopping for seeds.  I love that BCHS is not just a seed company, but they are activists committed to educate the public about GMOs and the evils of Monsanto.  Thanks for posting the video!

Two years ago we visited the headquarters in Missouri. You can't walk into the store without buying something. They have a second outlet in Petaluma, CA. Same thing, can't walk out without buying seeds. They are a big promoter of the National Heirloom Exposition (Sept 6-8, 2016) up the road in Santa Rosa. Everyone should attend at least once - overwhelming variety of heirloom produce, products, widgets and gadgets for the gardener!

If watching that "comedy" film about eating that junk food does not change your way of thinking then you are toast.

Thanks has55, it will help keep me on the straight and narrow.

I have coffee with a friend a couple of times a week and she eats just like that.  I have tried my best to turn her around but she is addicted to the stuff.  She often tells me the the previous day she had been to McDonalds, A & W and Arbies all in the same day.  She is young enough to be my daughter but looks old enough to be my mother.  She smokes ten a day, and is on several medications.  She is arthritic and constipated all the time and takes laxatives and sleeping pills.  She never goes for a brisk walk because she can no longer do more than walk like a very old woman.  She does enjoy the canned peaches and the fresh strawberries and plums I give her, but she only eats them because they do not require any further preparation. 

I will do my best not to give up on her but she is a drain on my life.

There is nothing you can do for your friend except be her friend. You are a wonderful example of being physically and mentally active and I'm sure your diet is part of it, as well as all the walking you do. Some day, your friend will sit down and not be able to get back up. It will take something drastic for her to start changing.

Sanderson, I am resigned to the fact that she will never, ever, change.  As you say, I will be her friend but I know for sure that I will outlast her. I feel sad for her but I know there is nothing further that I can do.

Kelejan, I also have a friend who has many medical problems, does not eat properly, drinks gallons of cola, and gets very little exercise. I am very concerned for this individual but my advice does not and will not help.

Maybe both of our friends could use the following:

Cute!

My friend Heather Renaldi of Texas Worm Ranch is the one who used the microbe rich soil compost in her square foot garden . I posted her link to the pictures of her garden in july in our 100+ temp this summer. She used no fertilizer!! I received the email below and is reposted it for those who might have a interest. She does many classes on raising worms. She gave me permission to repost to our forum for the DFW group.

Good Morning, Gardeners!

Say "hello" to MICRO-DYNAMIX! Our new adventure is about creating a microbe rich, living, and successful soil mix for our raised bed and container gardeners. Over the years, I have seen too many pictures on local garden forums of newly planted garden beds filled with sad and struggling (if not dead) garden plants. A huge part of that failure can be attributed to the reality that most soil mixes are going to be fairly sterile by the time they get to the gardener. No soil life=a very difficult time for plant life. The 2nd issue is education, and we want to offer direct to gardener sales so we can TALK to and educate EVERY single one of our customers on the best ways to maintain soil life so they can maintain plant health. 

MICRO-DYNAMIX is going to be sourced from sustainable sources (no peat in our mix!) that will make an impact for your gardens, including:  Texas Worm Ranch worm castings, Activated Biochar, and Azomite trace mineral product.

Help us get started in our mission! Do you believe in starting with REAL, MICROBE RICH SOIL (not that dead stuff you are buying now that has been sitting in a compost yard shrink wrapped the last year)?  
We are taking pre-orders now for pickup by you between 9/22-9/30. 
Pre-order and pay now (helping us get our mission off the ground!) and we will give you 1 free bag of microbial activated mulch (to cover and keep alive your new living soil!) per 5 bags of MICRO-DYNAMIX pre-ordered by Sunday of this week. 

14 bags will cover a 4 X 4 Garden bed
27 bags will cover a 4 X 8 garden bed

$10/cubic foot bag. Send us an email at:  [url=txwormranch@gmail.com]txwormranch@gmail.com[/url] for interest and to support our goal of helping every North Texas Gardener be successful this season!
Thank you for your Support of Texas Worm Ranch,
Heather Rinaldi
Texas Worm Ranch

According to my calculations 14 bags will fill a 4x4 approx. 10 1/2" deep.

Have I got my sums right?  It will cost a total of $160US plus taxes.

Kelejan wrote:According to my calculations 14 bags will fill a 4x4 approx. 10 1/2" deep.

Have I got my sums right?  It will cost a total of $160US plus taxes.

you're right. In texas we need our beds near 12 inches due to the high heat and humidity. myself would filled the bottom half with wood chips, leaves, etc... to cut the cost and due to the fact that most plants grow in the 6-7 inch area. The alternative is make forest level fungal /bacteria compost. that's what they are doing. they have to send it to a 3rd party lab for testing to make sure it at the correct level.
For those who have a interest, contact Heather Rinaldi at txwormranch@gmail.com The new product is mot on the home page. She will help you directly to get your order set up.
 I planned to send my soil to one on the labs below for the microbiology ratio and will post result later. I sent my soil to the Arkansas lab and is awaiting results. will post results.

United States

California, US
Soil Foodweb, Inc.
(Note: The Lab will not be accepting samples from August 19 - September 12, 2016)
The Celebration Farm
13193 Oroville Quincy Hwy
Berry Creek, CA 95916
Phone: 530-589-9947
Mobile: 707-225-5762
Email: elaine@environmentcelebration.com
Website: soilfoodweb@aol.com
Testing: Soil, Compost,  Compost Tea, and Extract (Qualitative Assessments), Total Bacteria (actinobacteria, rods, cocci), Total Fungi (colored wide diameter vs narrow, clear), Protozoa (flagellates, amoebae, ciliates), Nematodes (to functional groups), Total Foodweb Package (Bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes), Mycorrhizal Colonization. Click on the link "Soil.Foodweb.Order.Form.a.pdf" to download the form to submit your samples.
Soil.Foodweb.Biology.Submission.Form.pdf
1.2 MB

Oregon, US
Earthfort LLC
635 SW Western Blvd
Corvallis, OR 97333
Phone: 541-257-2612
Email: info@earthfort.com
Website: www.earthfort.com