March 2012 – Nu Trac

something new every day

I learn new things every day. If I was an attorney I would be studying up on the impact of new legislation and recently decided cases. An accountant – the impact of new GAAP and the merging with international standards; a business executive – new moves by competitors as they strive for competitive advantage. For me, my classroom is observing what’s going on around me.

In my post of February 23 I noted that one of twelve muscadines (grape vines) I transplanted did not survive and I provided a sensible (to me) explanation for the failure. My test for viability (the universal test) is to scrape the trunk and if there is green underneath then it is ok. Eleven vines had green, this did not and its trunk was peeling and a piece at the end of the vine had broken off. So it was dead, or so I thought. This morning as I tended the vines, I noticed it was leafing.

033012 muscadine a — my “dead” muscadine is alive

033012 muscadine b — the trunk certainly appeared dead, but now there is a leaf

So I learn the slow way through trial and observation.

ps – it occurs to me that I planted 11 muscadine and one grape vine and the specimen above is the grape vine, which is why it looked so different/dilapidated compared with the others. It still failed my scrape test – perhaps I didn’t scrape deep enough or this is a characteristic of grape vines?

I have a constant companion for the ride to the farm and throughout the day – Trudy. She is a Heinz 57 who awaited us at the dog shelter after trying out and, presumably, rejecting two other families. A real cutie. At times I think of the dismissive comment of the Nearings in “Living the Good Life” (1954 page 28, one of my favorite books):”Cats and dogs live dependent subservient lives under the table tops of humans. Domestic pets kill and drive away wild creatures, whose independent, self-respecting lives seem far more admirable than those of docile, dish-fed retainers.”

Can this be my Trudy they are referring to? When we return to the house after working the fields she waits patiently for her snack. I usually hold it in my hand and she gently takes it from me. Once, being in a rush I dropped it on the floor for her to eat. She was not happy and ignored it. On another occasion she waited a bit and then ate it. And then it occurred to me, my second learning of the day. When she takes the food from my hand this is not an act of subservience but acceptance of reward for work performed, which in her case involves diligent searching for rabbits and rats and keeping an eye on me at all times. I think she views it as a fair exchange for services provided. I could go on about her and I will, together with pictures, at a future date.

spring activity

We have had a warm March to date here (latitude N34 22’52”), 50 miles north of Atlanta, with several days breaking 80 F.

Not surprisingly, there is a lot of growing activity.

My Kiowa blackberry has begun to flower and the American elderberry I bought last year, which looked anemic throughout the year, is leafing strongly.

0326 Kiowa blackberry in flower — Kiowa blackberry in flower

0326 American Elderberry looking healthy — American elderberry looking healthy

Some of the blueberries are in flower – most of my blueberries are rabbiteyes, which have a lower chill requirement than the highbush variety. I do have a southern highbush, which is in flower, and the bumblebee is busy with a Baldwin rabbiteye.

0326 Southern Highbush in flower — Southern highbush blueberry in flower

0326 bumblebee on Rabbiteye blueberry — Bumblebee on Baldwin rabbiteye blueberry

Since our last frost date is mid-April I was concerned that my pears, which blossom early could be frost killed, which happened last year. However, most of my pears have already fruited and the apples are now in flower.

0326 Kieffer pear has already set fruit — Kieffer pear has already set fruit

0326 Gold Rush apple — Gold Rush apple tree is in blossom

The crimson clover is beginning to flower and, once the bees have had their share and it has seeded, I will level it and the winter rye, which is providing a great scaffold for it.

0326 crimson clover in flower — Crimson clover is in flower

0326 in amongst the orchard a mass of crimson clover climbing winter rye — In the orchard a mass of crimson clover climbing winter rye

My garlic made it through the winter and is looking good. Less welcome is pokeweed which spreads easily and has a thick long taproot which is difficult to dig out.

0326 garlic looking good — Garlic looking good

0326 a tough visitor - pokeweed — Pokeweed - an unwelcome visitor, difficult to eject

My earliglow strawberries are deliciously sweet, seem invulnerable to diseases and pests and are now in their 4th year in the same spot, which defies conventional wisdom. To extend the picking season I purchased and installed last year an everbearing strawberry variety which survived the winter without any cover and is beginning to spread.

0326 early season strawberry growing well — Earliglow early season strawberry, now in its 4th year

0326 everbearing strawberry planted last fall is beginning to spread — Everbearing strawberry, planted last fall, now beginning to spread

The 4 year old muscadines I uprooted and transplanted are coming to life (whew!) and the bees are very active. I really would like to split the hive but no mated queen bees are available for purchase and, unless I do it soon, they will swarm.

0326 transplanted muscadine showing signs of life — Transplanted muscadine showing signs of life

0326 bees are furiously busy — Busy bees

Finally, my first asparagus has emerged and a potato shoot has appeared at the bottom of the trench. When the other potato plants emerge I will begin the process of covering them with soil as they grow higher, until eventually they will flower atop a soil mound.

0326 first asparagus of the season — first asparagus of the season

0326 first potato flower has emerged — first potato shoot has emerged

to thine own self be true

I was forking the compost into a new bed (better to use a fork than shovel to save the earth worms) and my mind as usual was galloping along revisiting past scenarios, themes and friends. And the phrase from Hamlet “to thine own self be true” hovered into view.

Of all the bandied guidelines such as “a good name is better than great riches” or “love your neighbor as yourself” being true to our own self is for me the most difficult. And the difficult part is figuring out my own self.

I worked for major professional firms in London and New York in pressured environments where the mantra often was “you eat what you kill”. The body is immensely adaptable. And yes, physically, you can de-stress – for me running was the quickest, cheapest and healthiest de-stressor. But you lose something along the way and the loss occurs when you have conflicts. You have to pitch for an engagement/complete a critical project on a child’s birthday, or concert event, or family sporting event. I think the stress arises because you cannot control the options -two are in conflict and, absent deft footwork, a compromise or sacrifice must occur. For some there can be other conflicts too, where what they believe is right may not be right for the situation. And rationalization comes to the rescue – I must do this because my first responsibility is to put bread on the table for my family and if I do not then our source of income is at risk. And so it goes on and so we become more desensitized.

Along the way our value set also changes – worth and success are measured by income, and status is measured by possessions. These are easy yardsticks and do not require careful analysis. Also, self defeating, because enough is never enough and the bar for income and new goodies is continuously raised.

And with desensitization we lose touch with whom we once were – sensitive, optimistic, believing. So as I work with nature I am re-tuning myself to the draw of life, its cycles, infinite complexities and complete lack of pretense. And perhaps along the way I shall rediscover my own self.

corn origins

I received a gift from west coast visitors – Floriani Red Flint Corn. The accompanying information mentions it is a staple polenta corn and family heirloom grown for many years in the Valsugana Valley of Italy. The uninitiated would assume this corn originated in Italy, but it did not.

I am enjoying snippets from “1491” by Charles Mann which describes the Americas before Columbus. As we know, the corn kernels we eat grow on a corn cob. It is also apparent that a corn cob cannot self seed – it has no mechanism to shatter or shake the kernels off the cob/husk and the kernels will not survive a trip through the intestines of a bird or animal. Corn (maize) is entirely dependent on humans to seed it in the fields (unlike wheat, rice, millet and barley, the ancestors of which could self seed). If corn cannot self seed then how did it originate?

A recurring theme in “1491” is that the inhabitants of the Americas prior to Columbus were far more sophisticated than most of us suppose. Mann states that the early inhabitants of Mesoamerica (roughly Central America) developed not only corn but also tomatoes, peppers, most of the squashes and many of the beans. But corn is the most intriguing. Since it cannot reproduce itself the Indians must have developed it from another species. The closest genetic relative is a grass called teosinte, which looks very different. A debate raged amongst scientists as to whether corn developed from a mutation of teosinte or from a now vanished ancestor, Tripsacum, or from repeated mixings of other types of grasses. There appears to be agreement, however, that its development must have required biological manipulation by determined, skilled plant breeders.

There is a wide variety of corn in lots of different colored kernels and sizes with more than 50 genetically distinguishable “landraces”. Because corn is open pollinated and the wind can blow the pollen from field to field, if uncontrolled the result would be an homogeneous entity. But because early farmers sorted their seed and were careful with their plantings, they were able to maintain a large variety of different corn.

Mann also mentions that Indian farmers grown corn in a milpa, or maize field and will plant a dozen crops at once including corn, avocados, multiple varieties of squash and bean, melon, tomatoes, chilis, sweet potato etc. The “three sisters” corn, squash and beans are well known in permaculture but the milpa which Mann refers to is far more extensive. He suggests the milpa is superior not only to monoculture and its dependence on artificial fertilizers, but also to the practice of crop rotation, and that this is evidenced by its continuous cultivation and long term use.

It is corn planting time (advanced by the unseasonal warm weather we are having), the rain has let up, and I am heading for the field.

TGFI – tractor top link

“TGFI” – you may have thought this was a typo and should be “TGIF” – Thank God its Friday, but for me it is Thank God for Internet.

Most tractors have a three hitch system, which means the heavy implements at the back are hitched or connected to the tractor at three points, two horizontal at the bottom and one at the top. The top point is connected to the tractor with a top link. I damaged my top link and needed a replacement – one of the arms of the top link was bent, which meant I could not adjust its length in situ and so had to remove it each time I needed to adjust it. The top link I damaged was a replacement which cost <$30 from a local tractor dealer, now unfortunately out of business. So I was thinking in the $30 price range. With the local dealer out of business, the next closest dealers are about 30 miles away and, to avoid a wasted trip, I called ahead. I was flummoxed when told the replacement would cost $109 (before taxes). So since this wasn't time critical, off to the internet I went - even if it had been time critical I would not have paid that price!. I do not know whether the part they were selling was U.S. made or imported, and I will pay up to 20% more for U.S. made, but the price quoted did not merit further discussion. [caption id="attachment_1706" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="damaged top link on top - note bend on right side, replacement below"][/caption]

A top link has holes on each end through which pins are inserted to connect it to the implement and the tractor. The size of the holes is determined by the size of the tractor – larger tractors have larger holes. My tractor (Case 585) is 60hp which makes it a category 2 tractor (category 2 tractors have horse power ranging from 40hp to 100hp), and the holes are 1″ and 3/4″. I found a top link with 1″ diameter holes for $24 and for $2.20 I purchased a bushing kit, which reduces the internal diameter of the 1″ hole to 3/4″ diameter. Shipping was $11, and so for $37.20 and a 4 day wait, I had a new replacement top link.

It takes a couple minutes to replace a top link and, below, you can see the new top link in place.

0322 top link b — new (shiny) top link in place connecting top of yellow box blade to tractor

Now Georgia is about to pass new tax laws which will probably tax internet sales but even an 8% tax will not diminish the benefit of having an alternative source of supply for uncommon parts. TGFI!

neem oil – a remedy for chickens

I have been intrigued with neem oil for some time. Something exotic about it. When I first planted tomatoes in north Georgia four years ago, and they were overwhelmed by aphids, neem came to my rescue. Aphids were never a problem again, not because of the neem but my voracious ladybug population. (This week I have been collecting my overwintering ladybug guests and ushering them out to their workplace in my vegetable garden). My second recourse to neem was a couple years ago when the stinkbugs arrived. With my pistol grip sprayer I doused the offenders and they looked dazed and disgusted. Last year I awaited them but they did not arrive, again not due to neem but to some mysterious forces at work. And so my neem oil sat unused in the cool basement for more than a year, until last week when it was recalled to the front line.

But a word about neem. A neat little book by John Conrick titled “Neem The Ultimate Herb” goes into much detail on its origins and uses. He traces its first use as a medical treatment to 4,500 years ago. He states it is a major element in preventing and healing diseases among Ayurvedic practitioners (a system of traditional medicine in India). The neem tree (Azadirachta indica) is a tropical evergreen which grows in much of Southeast Asia, welcomes extreme heat of up to 120 F but will not tolerate hard freezes – so unlikely to call my yard home. My interest is not in its medical properties, or how it is made, but its use for insect control. Unlike synthetic pesticides, most of which have quick acting nerve toxins, neem’s main action is as an anti-feedant, which dissuades pests from eating neem covered plants. It can also reduce an insect’s ability to reproduce. No wonder the stinkbugs looked dazed and disgusted! Conrick also mentions that neem has been found to be beneficial on bees.

So how did I use it as a remedy for my chickens? Our Buff Orpington rooster has a good looking comb but the tips of his comb turned black a few weeks ago from frost bite. He didn’t seem to mind and, as he is becoming more aggressive, I decided to leave him be. Then I noticed black spots at the base of the comb. One of the Golden Comets tried to peck at his comb (for food or as a grooming favor?) and he discouraged her endeavors. But this made me think that this was an insect problem not a frost bite issue. So how to treat it? Diatomaceous earth and Sevin dust have been suggested for mites and lice etc. but I didn’t want to powder a young vigorous rooster near his eyes. I also didn’t want to use a synthetic treatment given my recent success with an organic treatment, psyllium, for chicken crop problems. And then came the idea of neem – I cannot claim credit for this inspiration since I believe it was derived from internet browsing.

Neem is usually mixed with water but I was concerned this mixture could dribble into his eyes. So I took a little dropper bottle and mixed the neem with Johnson’s baby oil at 10% strength i.e. 36 drops of the baby oil and 4 drops of the neem oil (the neem oil is described as having 70% extract of neem oil). Administering the concoction single handed was not as big a challenge as I had thought. I cornered him in the coop, and held him firmly between my knees and then one hand held and pivoted his neck and crown and the other retrieved the pre-charged bulb dropper and doused the infected areas with the mixed oils. After initial hysterical protestations he submitted to the treatment. A day later most of the black infestation was gone and two days later he was cured. Easy enough now but, when his spurs are developed, I do not think this will be a happy experience for either of us.

This winter was very mild and the bugs are out and about and multiplying. I really would like not to use any organic treatments this year. I am hoping that with my expanded beneficial insects army and diverse plantings and good compost and strong plants I will be able to withstand the onslaught. Except in the month of August when we tend to become overwhelmed and then the best is to cut back on the plantings (so as not to subsidize future generations), and look the other way. But if I have to, then neem will be reactivated.

permaculture trending – comfrey

I like the pragmatic and intellectual underpinnings of permaculture. On the intellectual side, I am reading and enjoying Holmgren’s “Principles and Pathways beyond Sustainability”, at the quasi pragmatic/theoretical level I enjoyed Hemenway’s and Whitecraft’s books on permaculture in the United States and the United Kingdom respectively, and for a hands on approach, of course the two books by Holzer. And some of the suggestions have rubbed off.

Polyculture and biodiversity are not new to organic growing. I purchased in the 80’s Riotte’s book “Carrots Love Tomatoes – Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening” which was first published in 1975. However, the focus on perennial plants and guild’s is new for me.

I have grown Mullein (several varieties), Black Locust and Osange Orange from seed and will be transplanting them soon. My efforts to grow Gumi from seed have not yet succeeded. The plant that fascinates me the most is comfrey. My father-in-law was a serious organic grower in South Africa and he grew comfrey in the 60’s and 70’s. But its controversial history goes much further back in time.

An interesting read, is “Russian Comfrey – A Hundred Tons an Acre of Stock Feed or Compost For Farm, Garden or Smallholding” by Lawrence D. Hills published in London in 1953, which can be freely downloaded. The book begins with a quote: “Russian Comfrey is a weed; no stock will eat it; its yield in dry matter per acre is below that of orthodox fodder crops; it is impossible to get rid of, and fit only for a half-hearted trial on an odd corner of land where nothing else will grow. Its possibilities have been greatly overrated by those who sell it at high prices, and nothing reliable is known about it…..”

The story of Russian Comfrey begins in 1771 when an English gardener living in Hackney, London sold his nursery and became head gardener to the Palace of St. Petersburg for Empress Catherine The Great, of Russia. Between 1790 and 1891 he sent back to England several varieties of comfrey of which S. asperrimum became more highly regarded than S. officinale, the native species to England. Over the past 200 years it has had staunch supporters and harsh critics.

Apparently all species of comfrey require a deep soil, not necessarily a good one, and they have a reputation for growing on land where nothing else will grow because they have long and powerful roots which dive straight down and access subsoil water and minerals. A hard pan will defeat them, they need at least four feet depth, a 6.0 ph is as low as they can go, and they are at their best on clays, loams and sandy loams. They are used to cold winters and are moderately shade tolerant. However, they are unsuitable for planting under fruit trees not only because of the size to which they grow but because they will compete with the tree for nitrogen and potash. Comfrey must be cut frequently (every 4 to 6 weeks) in summer and not allowed to go to flower.

The Russian Comfrey does not spread by seed but by its roots and to prevent it becoming an invasive the ground near it should not be tilled. Since I shall not be using it for fodder, it will be composted. My poultry shall be doing the weeding and providing nitrogen rich droppings.

I purchased several Russian Comfrey root cuttings in the fall and they have now surfaced and are growing vigorously.

I also installed one cutting of Comfrey officinale, which does spread by seed and must be carefully watched. It has just surfaced and begun growing.

I mentioned my interest in guilds, a frequent permaculture topic. One of Hemenway’s suggestions is to plant daffodils around a fruit tree. They flower early in the season so will not compete for water in the dry months, they are poisonous and may dissuade predators and, they look pretty.

Most of my pears are now in blossom. Last year I lost all my pears to a late frost. The average last frost day here is mid-April, so I am watching the weather reports and if frost is imminent I may try wrapping my pear trees to protect them. Below is an apple tree with daffodils and various cover crops which I shall cut down after they have seeded – I know I shall lose the benefit of the nitrogen nodules on the hairy vetch and clover but allowing them to seed gives me more for next year.

I am not including a photo of an apple tree with a nearby comfrey since, having now read the book on Russian Comfrey I realize I planted the comfrey too close to the tree and must relocate it – watching out of course that I do not leave any root remnants behind.

horse manure control test

My two main nutrition inputs are leaf bags from my neighbors, which I pick up in the fall, and horse manure (well rotted/decomposed) from the stables. I have read articles about manure loaded with chemicals which wreaked havoc in growers’ plots. I have not experienced this problem but, to put this concern behind me, I ran a simple test.

I took two empty 32oz yogurt containers, drilled holes in the bottoms for drainage, and filled one 50% with recently collected manure and the other with compost. I then added another 30% sphagnum peat to both, so they were both about 80% full. Into each pot I planted two lettuce seedlings, one tomato seedling and one black locust seedling, all comparably sized. The compost pot is my control pot. Watered and left for a week plus in my greenhouse.

The result to date, is that all the seedlings in both pots are doing fine. Some of the seedlings in the manure pot appear better developed.

I shall keep an eye on both pots but I do not expect a change in the results. Which means the manure I collect is ok. Or is it? Driving in this morning I listened to a recent Paul Wheaton podcast and he mentioned that wormers used on horses to control gastrointestinal parasites, subsist in the manure and may kill earthworms. I have a well established hardworking earthworm labor force specialized in compost making. So this podcast tidbit gives me something new to think about. I could add a couple of worms to each pot and lid it (to prevent them from escaping) and see how they are doing in a couple of weeks.

egg production

I have mentioned my travails with the Speckled Sussex – one was ill and died and the other went into a serious slump and, despite my efforts also died. So from 13 hens and 1 rooster I am down to 11 hens and a rooster. Two of the hens had problems of sorts.

Gimpy, one of the hybrids inherited from my neighbor, developed a bad leg or hip. Don’t know why – could this has been from the rough attentions of the rooster? She hobbles with difficulty and I recently noticed she was now losing feathers on her back. Thinking this was caused by insects (lice, mites, fleas) I began dusting her with diatomaceous earth. I then ratcheted up the treatment and began dusting her with Sevin dust powder (deviating from organic principles here). Then she wouldn’t come out of the coop during the day and I thought this was because the weather was cold and she did not have all her feathers to keep her warm. But I noticed she wasn’t wandering around the coop but huddling in a corner under the nest boxes, so it occurred to me that some of the feather loss was because of feather-pecking by the other birds and she was sheltering defensively. One warmer morning, I dusted her with Sevin and, despite her protests, took her outside and placed her amongst the others. I noticed that two of the birds approached her as she balanced on a log on one foot (she tries not to use her damaged foot unless she has to) and pecked at her back. And got a bite of Sevin powder and backed off in disgust. Maybe this helped. I am pleased that she is now, of her own accord, coming out of the coop during the day.

My other patient is one of the Golden Comets whom I have named “Goldie” – a spur of the moment naming decision required when I took her to the vet. Her problem was her large crop, which was always large, and her unusual neck movements as she tried to get the food down and to stay in her crop. The vet realized I like to be hands on and was very helpful showing me how to insert a tube to try drain the crop contents. He also prescribed Nystatin for crop fungal infection and gave me a couple of tubes for administering the medicine and draining the crop, if I wished. Well, Goldie seems to be getting better, as well. After scouring the internet for advice and noticing what appeared to be conflicting suggestions, I decided to administer every few days, via a feeding tube, a capsule of psyllium fiber (Metamucil) mixed with 25ml of water and then massage the crop. And it seems to be helping.

I should mention that, unlike the now departed pair of Speckled Sussex which appeared devoted to each other and always stayed together, the other Golden Comet (Goldie’s sister as it were) appears little interested in Goldie and when I remove Goldie from circulation and then reintroduce her, the other Golden Comet pays scant attention. This other Golden Comet is also amongst the most intelligent of the birds, the first to run up to me on the off chance I am bearing food and, when I am digging trenches or turning the dirt, she is constantly at my side pecking at the worms in the upturned soil as soon as they appear. I am not suggesting intelligence trumps emotion, just that she appears to have reordered her priorities.

So it is spring now and everything is looking up, and the chicken appear happy and content and I am getting between 7 and 9 eggs a day – different sizes and colors.

031112 egg harvest — a day's harvest - the green egg (top right) is from the Ameraucana

home beer brew

When I lived in London in the late 70’s through the mid 80’s it was common to make your own beer. Boots, the large pharmacy retailer, sold a beer brewing kit for less than 10 pounds ($16 at today’s rates) which contained all you needed to make your own beer. Drinking beer at the pubs was popular and even when you visited friends for a meal, you would before or after the meal, head to the local pub. However, and I began to dread the moment, your friend would occasionally insist you drink his own brew. Some were good, most were blemished, including some of my own.

So now, many years later, I have returned to making my own beer. One reason is I am using yeasts for various other purposes such as making whole wheat bread and I am growing three different types of mushrooms (yes, yeasts are classified in the kingdom of Fungi). And I like beers, especially dark beers – each evening I have a Trader Joe’s Hofbrau bock.

I ordered equipment and a kit (described as German style dark all malt) and yesterday I began my brew. Relatively straight forward. Clean all the equipment which will be used, then heat 1.5 gallons of water and mix in the ingredients and boil for a while.

Next step is to move the hot contents to the fermentation vessel, allow it to cool down, add the yeast and leave it alone for a few days. Here is a ‘photo of my carboy fermentation vessel before adding the yeast.

And here is a ‘photo 16 hours after adding the yeast. The gadget at the top is an airlock which allows the bubbles to escape without admitting outside air, which could contaminate the contents. The cylinder next to the carboy is an hydrometer which I will use to determine when the beer is ready for bottling. It measures the specific gravity (“SG”) of the contents. Alcohol has a lower SG than water and as the yeast ferments and makes alcohol, the SG will fall. When the SG reaches the accepted range it will be bottling time and “Cheers!”