Floodles

[ysabetwordsmith]

A floodle is a giant puddle that forms in a low spot on relatively flat land. In some areas, they may only last a few hours or days, but in others they can last for weeks or even months. It depends on the soil composition, water table, and whether or not more rain falls. They can be natural, or because of human foolishness.

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Birdfeeding

[ysabetwordsmith]

Today is partly cloudy, breezy, and mild.  It drizzled again yesterday.

I fed the birds.  I've seen a small flock of house finches and a fox squirrel (female, but not Nipple Squirrel).

I started cutting sticks for my "hugelkultur in a pot" project, using one of the giant flowerpots.  I'm taking pictures of this process in hopes of having time to post a tutorial.

EDIT 4/12/24 -- I finished the first layer of sticks and got halfway through the second layer.

EDIT 4/12/24 -- I finished cutting the two layers of sticks and put them in the bottom of the pot.

EDIT 4/12/24 -- I started cutting short sticks to make a jumble layer.

EDIT 4/12/24 -- I finished cutting short sticks to make a jumble layer.  When I had about half a gallon (I was putting them in a gallon bucket) I dumped them into the bottom of the pot and spread them over the long stick layers.  So the stick part of the project is done (for this pot).  \o/

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.


  

Hugelkultur in a Pot Part 1: Stick Layers

[ysabetwordsmith]

Today I started on my hugelkultur pot project. The pot is about 21" at the outside top, 18" at the inside top, 16" tall, and 10 1/2" at the base.

I've been thinking about how I wanted to fill it. I didn't want to use all potting soil because sometimes it's too heavy and other times too light. I didn't want to use gravel or ceramic shards for drainage because eventually I'll want to dump it and refill it. So I hit on the idea of using sticks as the bottom layer, because they'll make good drainage but can also break down over time. Also, I love the idea of using things from my yard. A key rule of permaculture is "Obtain A Yield," and that can be anything you find useful. In this case, I'm using cut brush to improve drainage, so it's productive rather than just a pile of branches in the way of the lawnmower. I'll be adding leaves, compost, and potting soil later.

Hugelkultur is a type of no-turn compost similar to lasagna gardening where you make a pile of stuff, only this version can include anything from sticks to whole trees on the bottom. Eventually the wood decomposes.

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