waterboy 2.0 Posted June 28, 2016 A bit different..... Chlorociboria aeruginascens 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterboy 2.0 Posted July 4, 2016 Found this monster blewit today whilst kickin the shit outta things.... 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterboy 2.0 Posted July 16, 2016 (edited) mad arse seasons... Edited July 16, 2016 by waterboy 2.0 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterboy 2.0 Posted July 21, 2016 Nearly time for some winter grafting....bottom shelf.....thanks to Olive, Eth and Evil G for the seeds Was too good to cut up for firewood....hasnt touched the ground so good for shiitake... was standing and nothing has got into the sapwood yet. I'll be adding them to the stacks to see if I can innoculate them that way.....unless any of you have some dowels/plugs innoculated about.... 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterboy 2.0 Posted August 15, 2016 Give a F factor and motivation has been low, but decided I am this spring finally having a go at strawbale gardening. I like it when a plan comes together, I sort of forgot that I made this raised bed up originally to hold 8 bales all nice and snug. Will only try this batch of 6 (snow and sugar snap peas in containers), and a coupla stray free standing ones....lol...only taken a few years Started "cooking" them a coupla days ago, 12+ days of "cooking" to get them fit for using. Be throwing some more ferts onto them today and another wash in. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mushfun Posted August 16, 2016 Nice one WB. Got any links on the bale cook procedure? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterboy 2.0 Posted August 16, 2016 not much to it mate - basicallly I'm using lawn fert (high N)and water to set it off composting inside the bale (already high C), can use straight organics but in larger amounts (like dyno lifter/rooster booster/bloodmeal). I'll throw some rooster booster over the bales for later feedings. I'm preferring the lawn fert initially as its more soluble and gets it into the bale better. Basically keep the bales moist, and get the N into them every coupla days as such.....gotta let it do its work past the initial "hot" composting phase before planting out. Straw Bale Gardens: The Breakthrough Method for Growing Vegetables Anywhere, Earlier and with No Weeding by Joel Karsten is a tidy book on the subject. epub (17mb):http://gen.lib.rus.ec/book/index.php?md5=CC6717A401AF95412051149ED0F3AF11 pdf (43mb): http://gen.lib.rus.ec/book/index.php?md5=45FB3F719E8ED52A861BFBF8B09D5AC6 There is also an Idiots Guide I found a good read on the subject, as I am an idiot.... and also some good vids on youtube, that said there is also some clueless ones as well from my understanding so far....lol....look at a few if going to youtube. The stray ones freestanding I have set up with the twine to the edges to hold the bale together, the ones above are held in by raised bed and pots and wanted the greater surface area to work with. I've got a few more bales I hoarded up, and now thinking about setting them out in a few weeks as well...lol....did consider trying a giant pumpkin in a few (as its a pumpkin year mofos....lol) but nah, I've got a good soil bed for that. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mushfun Posted August 16, 2016 Ah cool. Does sound nice and simple. Using lenses of compost to plant in to? Cheers for the links. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterboy 2.0 Posted August 16, 2016 I'm not planning on it, I'll condition them and give em a few weeks more slowly working away until planting seedlings., so they should be well on their way to humus formation. If I am going to sow some seeds (which may happen) compost or potting mix lense/pocket is the go though. Found this infographic that explains it better than me https://www.fix.com/blog/straw-bale-gardening/ 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theuserformallyknownasd00d Posted August 16, 2016 Thanks for info waterboy do you have any sustainable/raw suggestions for the high nitrogen component? I imagine this has been adopted from farming methods in poorer parts of the world, or even possibly visa versa.. Possibly a high nitrogen manure like chicken or pigeon if it was available. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterboy 2.0 Posted August 16, 2016 (edited) An american farmboy studying horticulture developed it (author mentioned above), when all his teachers told him it wouldnt work....lol...anywhere where they use mechanised bailing it would work, most of the real poor areas use sheathing (I think thats what they call it) and that wouldnt work I'd imagine. I reckon chicken/pigeon manure would be great also because the urine component is packaged with it. Drink more beer and wizz on the bales...lol neglect the lemon tree for a few weeks. Its another work in progress for me, so learning more as I read and go. Took me a while to get to go though... EDIT - the rooster booster I mentioned above is a pelletised chook manure Edited August 16, 2016 by waterboy 2.0 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterboy 2.0 Posted August 24, 2016 got steam coming out of the bales now at night when it cools right off....thats a good sign they be composting hard now I also note there was no frost on the bales as well yesterday morning, and it was a good hard frost. Didnt think much about that until watching the steam tonight..... 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterboy 2.0 Posted August 25, 2016 Was feelin ok...lol...feelin it now though...went a bit ballistic Forked over the giant pumpkin bed, brush cut the area back and set out another four straw bales and started to set 'em off today. Thank F I've run outta decent stashed bales...lol... did a few more things I probably shouldn't have.... I gotta learn how to pace myself when good.....meh. Pumpkin bed is lush....expecting big things this season Its done now...lol...time for a snooza. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theuserformallyknownasd00d Posted August 25, 2016 Looks sick man your gonna kill jt again this season! I've prepared my Pumpkin beds but am growing mini high sugar varieties over a garden arch / trellis cos of space! I envy your setup!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bℓσωηG Posted August 25, 2016 Looks like a dynamite place to be unemployed in! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Anodyne Posted August 26, 2016 On 16/08/2016 at 10:34 PM, waterboy 2.0 said: most of the real poor areas use sheathing (I think thats what they call it) and that wouldnt work I'd imagine. I think it's "sheaving" (because of the sheave, a pulley-type tool that you use to tighten the string/wire when you're baling by hand)? Great info about conditioning the bales WB, thanks for that! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterboy 2.0 Posted August 26, 2016 (edited) ^ thats it Ano *nods head*....lol...I aint that old Its good if someone gets something out my mad ramblings...lol.... yep want to have a good experiment with the bales as it will in theory make me vegie gardening easier.....beats getting the tools out on the clay here and digging.... that said I've got a bit more soil to turn over this season. lol...oh shit yeah I did too much. I feel like the tin man needing some dabs of oil. Took me ages to drag me sorry arse outta bed. The dabs of oil didnt help much....lol It is bℓσωηG, the tale has changed but since I started this and I am now unemployable in reality....long fucked story...lol .The tale may change again though I've done enough around here to take some of the pressures off though. Edited August 26, 2016 by waterboy 2.0 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theuserformallyknownasd00d Posted August 26, 2016 tinman hahaha Classic shit 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterboy 2.0 Posted September 12, 2016 (edited) the crazy little fckr makes me chuckle... Edited September 12, 2016 by waterboy 2.0 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterboy 2.0 Posted November 5, 2016 lol...the mini me has pulled off his first graft with minimal help 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
saylor twift Posted November 9, 2016 ahaha so epic bruh! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites