Drip system!

So, got the main drip system in place now. It is now functioning for the main garden, two flower beds, the center path (which has grass) and the two trees in the back yard. Works wonderfully!

The well wasn't working so great. Flow and pressure kept fluctuating. Think the pipe was too large. So, dropped a 3/4" pipe with foot valve last night. Haven't hooked it up yet but have high hopes for it. 

When it was running at full flow and pressure, it pumped out enough that it would be too much for the drip system for the main garden alone. Think it should be good with the entire front and back hooked up. 

One of the good thing about the drip system is that it will be great for direct seeding. Can keep the ground moist more consistently. I currently have ten tomato plants but had hoped for more. So going to try direct seeding some. Don't see any reason that shouldn't work, since I've had random tomato plants come up last year and this year where I had not planted them.

Even hooked up to the municipal water supply, I've seen great results in a short time. Corn sprouts which looked quite stressed shot up several inches in under 24 hours. Melon and pumpkin vines popped up which were not there the previous day. 

Going to go against common advice and plant corn near the tomato plants. Giant blue corn. Maybe they won't draw the same pests as other strains, which is the reason advised for planting separately.  


Saw first evidence that the mantis eggs actually hatched. While pulling weeds, saw a tiny mantis in the garden yesterday! If I saw one, I'm sure there are lots more I haven't seen. Daughter has found a lot of baby ladybugs, so waiting for them to mature. I have not seen much damage from aphids yet this year and have not had to treat for them at all. That's a good indication that something is keeping them at bay. I may have to order more beneficials once the growing area is enlarged but going to hold off on that decision for later.

Lots to do. Gonna get to it!

More indoor planting

Since flooding the front yard, I've seen some improvement there. Though I applied iron sulfate a few days ago, still seeing signs of both iron and Nitrogen deficiency, so have to do something about that. 

Going to cultivate the front yard one more time and heavily apply acid to kills off remaining weeds where I can. Use weed killer and pull where the acid could damage other things. Long as I'm at that, go ahead and apply the batch of gypsum I have dissolved. Try and correct as much of the soil balance as I can before planting new grass seed again. And kill off as many weeds as possible. Going to cultivate as best I can behind the line of sunflowers and plant more, varied kinds behind the ones already growing. 

Got more indoor planting done last night and tonight. Dwarf Red Crape Myrtle, Princess Trees, Peppermint, Hummingbird Vine, Jasmine and Giant Mathiolas. Aside from esthetics, Trying to attract beneficial insects in large numbers. 

Brain is dead. Lost a lot of sleep this week, then smoke blew in from wildfires hundreds of miles to the south. Smoke gets carried up into the high atmosphere, then settles to the ground when it gets cooler because of the inversion. That sets off my bronchitis. Harder to think clearly when you aren't breathing effectively. Taking medication but it only helps to a point.

Getting to bed soon. Control what I can about the situation.

Flood irrigation!

Got the well actually running yesterday! The utility pump does the job rather effectively. There are a couple of issues but I think they're caused by the setup. Used pipes that are too large and too high. Got some supplies to correct that but need one or two more items. It puts out lots of water and lots of pressure but rate and pressure fluctuate drastically. Though at full force, it produced enough pressure to blow out an oscillating sprinkler when all flow was directed to that one. However, trying to use three sprinkler at once drops pressure where they don't move. Won't be an issue once the drip system is completed, I'll still have to use a pressure reducer. Trying to avoid having to buy a pressurized tank, so I'm adding a foot valve at the bottom and a higher check valve. Maybe that will do the trick.

Any way, since the pump is working, I flood irrigated the garden yesterday, letting the sprinklers run for several hours. Saw positive results by this afternoon, so this evening I repeated the process. Now let it sit for a couple of days. Results I saw were taller and greener plants all around with new corn coming up. Not sure if any of them are giants.

Since the pressure blew out the sprinklers in the front yard (one sprinkler at a time x 2), I manually flooded the front yard tonight. Flowers and rosebushes were looking weak, most likely because of sodium. See tomorrow if that theory works out. 

Got lots of other things to plant in the next week or so, if I want them to grow this year. Get some potting soil this weekend and do some of that this weekend.

Six feet?!!!

So, the well contractor came by this morning. Cool, old fashioned guy who does business on a handshake and agreed to sink the well today and I will pay him tomorrow. 

It was he and his teenage son (I'm guessing 18). They sank the well the old fashioned way, by hand with an auger, slide hammer and sweat. Took them under two hours to finish the well. 

The most amazing thing is that it took them only six feet to reach groundwater! With screen, total depth is about 15 ft. But really. Six feet? I have spent all this time, effort, stress and money on this when water was six feet under my feet all along? OMG. So the well is definitely shallow enough to be able to use a shallow well pump. Going to try out the utility pump here shortly. Considering options. Saw one for a good price at Harbor Freight but not enthralled with the reviews. However, have not been unhappy with anything I have purchased at Harbor Freight, so may buy one from them, any way. If the utility pump doesn't provide enough power.

They use schedule 80 PVC, including the screen. I like PVC, it doesn't corrode like steel pipe does. It's placed in the back yard, right next to where the planned waterfall will be and in direct view of the kitchen window. Only a few yards from the house, so I can run underground conduit to that spot from the entry panel in no time with help from the tiller. Until then, can use an extension cord for the pump.

Today is the day for water pumps. Got the water pump for the truck after the contractor left. Now need to go install that. Since my water karma seems to be in positive swing, want to get it done today. 

Gotta get a move on. 

Seeds!

So, the seeds I was waiting for arrived today.

The giant corn really is giant! It's about 3-4 times normal size! Saw some pictures of the corn stalks these grow online and some grew as high as 15' tall. Judging from the size of these, one ear would be enough for a family of four for dinner! (As a side dish, of course.) 

The spinach seeds are about 10x normal size. Hope the plants are! 

There is some preparation before planting some of these. The strawberry and grape seeds have to be stratified (kept in the freezer for a few weeks) before planting. For blueberries, I have to acidify the potting soil or find some really acidic potting soil. 

Blueberry seeds are microscopic. No wonder I never knew they even had seeds! You can eat blueberries and never know you ate the seeds. 

Hoping the grape, hummingbird and jasmine vines all do well.  Then the entire fence line across the back yard will be covered with vines, mostly flowering. There is already one grape vine and two other vines I'm not sure of. Think the other two are English Ivy, though they look like grape vines that are likely sterile. Giving a shot at fertilizing one. Attempts to kill off the other one have failed and it has grown back stronger and greener than ever this year. Doesn't help that it's right by the compost bin. So, I'll just keep it trimmed. Least it looks decent now. Tried killing it because it looked tragic. It would be cool if they all started sprouting grapes! The main grape vine has been well fertilized and added sulfur, compost, gypsum and sulfuric acid to the soil around the main trunk. Hoping for some decent grapes this year instead of the miniatures of the last two years. 

More drip stuff

Got more drip irrigation stuff today. Start getting all of it installed this weekend, slowly. 

I have learned a bit about how to lay out lengths of soaker tubing and maintaining pressure now. That was a problem last year. Laid the lengths out too long, so some tubing lost pressure while I had jets digging small trenches in other places. 

Last night, I cultivated the south side of the garden and west side of the yard one more time. Mixed in compost, gypsum and small wood chips in various places. Spread some iron powder and then mixed a really strong sulfuric acid solution and applied that. Even if it has no immediate effect on the soil, it will kill nearly all the remaining weeds in those areas. 

Really tired and not much else to write about. Need to lay out the drip system and wait for new seeds to come in. But time for bed right now.

Giants and sulfuric acid safety

Okay, so I did make the decision on the giants. Ordered some seeds for more giant pumpkin seeds, also corn, spinach, strawberries and grapes. Most of those should arrive with good timing for planting this year. Others may grow enough to develop a root system but won't produce until next year. 

I also ordered seeds for Princess Paulownia trees, which are supposed to be decorative and the fastest growing tree known. Tossed in Jasmine, Blueberry bushes, Hummingbird vines and Red Dwarf Crape Myrtle.

My hope is that planting trees and bushes at varying heights will form a wind break, while flowers attract lots of pollinators. Shading the ground may help reduce temperatures in the immediate area. I'm considering using dwarf trees in various places through the garden in sunken containers to give shade to the garden. The Red Crape Myrtles may be just the ticket for that. 

I have been worried that maybe I would apply too much sulfuric acid to the soil and kill everything off. Turns out, that's not so much a worry. Read an old article online about orchard growers using sulfuric acid. And the article was mostly about New Mexico. Seems orchard growers apply the stuff in amounts as high as 1 ton of pure sulfuric acid per acre per year. In some places, even higher amounts. Though, as I suspected, best time to apply high amounts is in fall and winter. Note that pure sulfuric acid is about 95% acid, while automotive sulfuric acid is about 65% acid. So, applying in the amounts I've been using is fairly safe. It does have to be applied each year, though. 

After talking about applying sulfuric acid, I thought it wise to include some warnings for anyone who may be thinking of doing this, themselves. 

Precautions for Sulfuric Acid Soil Applications (Domestic):

Concentrated sulfuric acid should only be used for places where annuals are planted. It will kill any roots or seeds it contacts directly in high concentration.  You can use it for trees and other more permanent plantings but it must be applied at considerable distance, beyond the drip line. Applying too close in strong concentration will kill the plant!

High concentrations are not advised at all for home gardens. It takes special respirators and safety clothing which is devised for acid. Your dust mask or paint respirator will not protect you! The amounts and concentrations I mentioned above is done only by professionals who are specially trained, equipped and licensed for this application! 

Sulfuric acid application should only be used for soils which have known problems with sodium or calcium carbonate which is causing alkalinity issues. It should not be used for otherwise healthy soil that just needs a small boost to the acidity.

Sulfuric acid by itself is largely useless. It must have calcium in the soil to act upon. Be sure to have your soil tested or apply calcium (usually carbonate) to the soil before applying acid. 

Do not attempt to apply sulfuric acid at any time without doing some serious research before applying it!  If you have no experience with handling chemicals, get help from someone who does or forget the idea. You can always apply acetic acid (vinegar) or sulfur, instead.

Never, ever, ever mix water into sulfuric acid. Always mix acid into water and check the pH every few drops! It lowers very quickly! To lower the pH of two gallons of water to a pH of 3.5 from 7.0 takes less than one half ounce of automotive sulfuric acid.

Do not mix other chemicals or fertilizers in with the acid or acid solution. It can violently and instantly boil, fume or explode!

Less intense, more frequent applications are just as or more effective than single, intense applications. 

Be sure to wear safety goggles, a mask and nitrile gloves when handling sulfuric acid!

For wide area applications, if you have not handled acidic chemicals, are not comfortable or just not sure, do not try it alone. Do not trust your brother, your cousin or your friend who works at Home Depot to do this or assist you. Do not trust anyone who says safety equipment is not necessary. 


You can burn your skin, blind yourself or permanently damage your lungs by handling this the wrong way!!

If even thinking of applying sulfuric acid to your soil, print these warnings and live by them!

Considering giants

In considering how so many things here are dwarfed because of heat and, I'm guessing, sodium and alkalinity, there aren't too many options. I have not seen much produce grown here which is not under-sized. Locals accept it and grow crab apples, tiny grapes and things like that. 

I'm not that easy. Something I am no looking into is giant plants. Seeds are fairly difficult to find and produce quality can be questionable. Worth a try, though.

There is a vendor on Amazon who specializes in seeds for rare and giant plants. Reasonable prices and shipping. Going to try ordering a few things from them soon. Giant corn, various flowers, etc. If quality isn't what I want, may try grafting plants or seeds. As it is, they have seeds for corn which allegedly grows over 16' tall and up to six ears per plant. Some other things are more "normal" plants which just grow large or very quickly, like Jasmine and various other flowers. 

Something I did not know. Blueberries grow from seeds. I wasn't even aware blueberries had seeds. I'm sure it would take much longer to grow them this way but much more affordable. 

This kind of brings back the idea of the tree project. Starting trees which grow flowers and fruit, letting them get to some size and then planting them out. Not quite as easy as I would hope but it is possible. 

The iron sulfate came today. Treated part of the garden and the front yard with that this evening. See how things look after this. This formula is 30% iron, 15% soluble. Waiting for the other iron to arrive and then treat the other side of the garden and other sections of the yard. Then compare results.

The well guy is supposed to be here tomorrow to discuss a possible new well. Says he'll take payments. See how it all pans out. 

Unfortunately, walked outside today and found someone had stolen the well pump. I was more than a little upset. Can't prove it but sure I know who did it. Damn drug addict SOB. I still have the utility pump, which works pretty good. Good enough until I can get a new formal well pump. 

A starting collection

Bought a starting collection of drip irrigation equipment yesterday. Mostly tubing of various types and some connectors. However, quickly realized after getting home that I'm going to need a lot more soaker tubing. Plus various types of connectors.

The initial cost of setting up drip irrigation is not cheap for such a large area. However, the tubing is supposed to last for several years, longer if covered. I read some estimates of up to 7 years. That makes the cost more acceptable.

Some of the garden isn't looking much better than last year, so far. Corn is looking better and so is lettuce, neither of which grew at all last year. It is still early in the season, though. And I haven't planted green beans or many pumpkin seeds yet. Some of the pumpkin seeds I did plant seem to be doing rather well. 

Before setting up drip irrigation in currently bare areas, I want to till in the gypsum and iron this week. I'll decide while tilling whether to add more compost to those areas. I know some spots will need it, not sure about others. 

Waiting for the iron I ordered to arrive. However, just ordered it early Fri morning and it just shipped later Fri, so won't be here for a few days. That's okay, I have to work 4 nights in a row. Should have the iron by Wed or Thur, when I'm off. 

Admittedly, those bare areas had spinach planted which didn't grow. Haven't planted anything else there yet, so it's no wonder it's bare. The frustrating spot is the area next to the fence, where I planted a huge amount of flower seeds. Nothing growing there at all. Haven't tested the soil there, so need to do that. I suspect previous residents had animals housed there, so the sodium is probably worse there than other spots. I'm still hoping I'm not dealing with chemical contamination. 

Finally got a bicycle to ride with my daughter. She's outside playing with a neighbor kid. Have to go check on her and maybe go ride with her for a while. 

Drip irrigation

I'm trying to set up drip irrigation. Not quite as easy as it sounds. To wind my way through it, I had to buy a book. (Got it second hand on Amazon.)

You have to hook a water pressure reducer and filter into the system. That hooks to 1/2" tubing. Then you hook a manifold to that and run 1/4" tubing to various areas. 

From there, it gets confusing. There are an astounding number of options available and not much good information pertaining to what fittings to use where. I ordered an assortment of micro-sprinklers, to let me play around and figure these things out. The assortment alone has 15 different sprinkler patterns. And that is from one company. There are a number of different companies that market these things. That isn't even taking into consideration the wide range of tubing types available which have sprinkler emitters built in already.

Of course, like most things, you have to shop around. Prices vary widely on the same items. May not be a big deal if you are irrigating a small area. For me, I'm trying to set up irrigation for something like 5000 sq ft of back yard and 500 sq ft of front yard. No telling how many micro sprinklers I'll have to install, so it counts to me not to be paying more than I have to for each piece. 

Not going to be able to afford the new well this paycheck. Too many bills to pay and some fairly expensive truck maintenance to do. Probably next check. At least it's within view. 

Corn and more

Corn, tomatoes, pumpkin and melon plants are gaining in size now. Especially happy about the corn, as it seems to be a good indicator of the soil health improving. Last year, the corn began growing, often got to a little over 1 inch tall and then died. Right now, the average stalk is around 4 inches tall and looking healthy. 

Between the corn, melon vines are sprouting. Nothing spectacular as yet and waiting to see how they do. Still going to plant more of them. 

I have seen signs of iron deficiency. Unquestionably some of that is due to the sodium and the pH but adding some iron would be a good idea. I am torn between using iron sulfate and iron oxide. The sulfate is 30% iron but formulated for garden soil. The oxide is not specifically formulated for soil but is 100% iron oxide. Think I'll order both, apply them in different areas and compare results. May mix some of the oxide to sulfuric acid and apply it to still another area. Diluted, of course. 

One reason for the iron is the strawberries. Even though they're in containers, they seem to be showing signs of iron chlorosis. Means the potting soil is poorly formulated. Got some different potting soil today. Can change out some potting soil for some of them and need to move a couple of others to larger pots. They're drying out too quickly in the small pots they're in, even though I moved them to a shadier area. 

Cut almost all the remaining wood into fireplace size pieces today. Now have a stack about 3 ft tall and 20 ft long. Not completely done yet. Still have the largest trunks left to cut. Should have a considerable amount of wood once done. 

Finally finished the rabbit hutch yesterday. It's 6 ft long with a "house" that's 2 ft long, 2 ft wide and 18 inches tall. Left the area on top open as a balcony, which bunnies seem to enjoy. They adapted to it quickly and seem to enjoy it out there. It's quite sturdy, 2 ft off the ground and securely enclosed with steel poultry netting. Should be cat, dog and bird proof. Strong enough that I believe it will last for several years. I put a roof of reclaimed polycarbonate on it and it's placed where it gets shade from a neighbor's tree and then the fence in the late afternoon and evening. And my house smells much better already. 

It's working!

Did a few random checks of the soil pH this morning. The acid and sulfur are beginning to have an effect! Yay! Mostly it is still around 7 but a few spots are down to around 6.5. That's perfect for many plants in the garden. Few others will survive in that pH but need lower to thrive. For the sake of companion planting, I'm shooting for 6.5 through most of the garden.

One of the best parts of this news is that it also means the sodium has been counteracted in the areas which show an improved pH. I know it's a battle which will continue but at this point, I'm finally winning it. 

Countering the sodium means more nutrients become available to anything growing. So I won't have to fertilize quite as much. I am going to continue fertilizing fairly heavily for the moment, just to get things off to a good start. 

Another positive is that the acid is also doing a great job of breaking down the gypsum board. Where it took weeks for gypsum to dissolve in plain water, it is taking only days with the acid. Even the paper lining is breaking down easily. Daughter and I broke up some gypsum boards on Sat or Sun, filled the tub with a water/acid solution and let it sit. This morning, I took a shovel to mix it up and much of it has turned to mush already. Of course, the paper doesn't break down as readily as the gypsum does but I can strain the large pieces of paper out and add them to the compost. 

I spread the previous batch out before we filled the tub up. Going to spread this batch out this week and start a new one. It actually makes a fairly good mulch. Looks a little funny for now but dissolves into the soil with each watering. 

Tomato plants which I did this near seem to be perking up. This week, going to spread it around the corn and pumpkin plants. Also around some of the small trees. 

Next batch will probably be spread in the front yard. The grass once again just looks rather tragic. At least the sunflowers are coming up nicely! Or I'll try using the liquid in the garden sprayer or a sprinkler can and water the front yard. Doesn't last as long but avoids all the odd looking white chunks everywhere. Can put a ring of the mush around the rose bushes and it won't look quite as odd. Especially if I cover that with compost. 


Hmm. Using that approach, I'll change plans and use next batch for the bare area in the far west back yard. Going to apply one more highly acidic solution to that area this week to kill off remaining weeds. Next week, till in compost, the remaining wood chips and the gypsum mush. Probably give it a couple of days to rest and then spread more grass and flower seed in various areas. 


Found a guy who advertises he will sink a 2" well for $550. Going to give him a call. Since the old well is kaput, I'll just get a new well sunk in the back yard instead of the front. Haven't decided on exact placement yet. Want it somewhat near the house, so I don't have to run underground conduit and it will also supply the planned waterfall. 


Have to get ready for work.