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Originally Posted By turtle2472: Your logs! You must not have termites where you live. I can't do that or my logs would all be gone. Mine are all laying on things off the ground. Even then we have to check regularly for mud tubes. https://turtle2472.com/ar15/IMG_2257.jpg We have termites, but none visiting the shitake logs so far! We didn't miss the flush this time - should have even more after tonight's expected rains. 
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Fetchez la vache!
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Very nice! ETA: My wife went out this morning. Not as many as you, but a decent bit of them! 
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Wear gloves. For real.  I ordered the Grandpa's Goody Getter and it arrived yesterday. Put it together (just had to attach the handle and put it on a board, lube it up and started cracking nuts. After cracking black walnuts with a hammer since I was a kid (I'm 61) this think makes me dance in little circles. Comes with some kind of nippers from outer space that helps get the nutmeats out of the shell fragments. Anybody who loves black walnuts needs one of these I think. I'm not sure I have it adjusted just right, but it's my understanding that customer service is outstanding and I might call to see what I'm doing wrong. Where did she get the melon bags? I was wishing for something like that. ~Kitties |
Nobody ever wakes me at 2 in the morning telling me that my grass is out on the highway.~~Radiopat
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
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I'm jelly! Is there a certain season you have to innoculate? Do I need to figure it out and order NOW? |
Nobody ever wakes me at 2 in the morning telling me that my grass is out on the highway.~~Radiopat
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
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Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: Wear gloves. For real. I ordered the Grandpa's Goody Getter and it arrived yesterday. Put it together (just had to attach the handle and put it on a board, lube it up and started cracking nuts. After cracking black walnuts with a hammer since I was a kid (I'm 61) this think makes me dance in little circles. Comes with some kind of nippers from outer space that helps get the nutmeats out of the shell fragments. Anybody who loves black walnuts needs one of these I think. I'm not sure I have it adjusted just right, but it's my understanding that customer service is outstanding and I might call to see what I'm doing wrong. Where did she get the melon bags? I was wishing for something like that. ~Kitties She is wearing standard black nitrile gloves most of the time. The problem she runs into is that those shells will cut through them. I feel like I should be getting her heavy duty ones. For the melon bags, these are the ones she got though they are not currently available. There are plenty of other options listed near it though.  
Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: I'm jelly! Is there a certain season you have to innoculate? Do I need to figure it out and order NOW? Inoculation has more to do with when the logs have been harvested as I understand it. If they dry out too much then the mushrooms will struggle to take. It might be true that you shouldn't try to inoculate in the dead of winter, but I'm sure if you did it now they would be fine to survive through the winter. I would have to point you to the Farm and Field site though. |
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the black walnuts this year are the biggest I've ever seen in my lifetime. I don't know if they're bigger there than normal, but I'm a bit shocked at the size. And yes, the shells are insanely sharp. I use gloves for the hulling, but not for cracking the nuts. The hulling is where the worst of the stain comes from. The hulls make good medicine though. |
Nobody ever wakes me at 2 in the morning telling me that my grass is out on the highway.~~Radiopat
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
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Did everyone come through the bitter cold okay? I'm so glad that's done for the moment. A few days of warmer weather will be really welcome here in Kentucky. |
Nobody ever wakes me at 2 in the morning telling me that my grass is out on the highway.~~Radiopat
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
My family made it! However we forgot to get the mushrooms harvested before it happened. :(  I was setting up my steel range and noticed our totems finally produced! Then the arctic blast came and we didn't get them harvested because life happened. Not all loss though, they will go into the gardens for next year's crops. |
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Originally Posted By turtle2472: My family made it! However we forgot to get the mushrooms harvested before it happened. :( https://turtle2472.com/ar15/IMG_1199.jpeg https://turtle2472.com/ar15/IMG_1201.jpeg I was setting up my steel range and noticed our totems finally produced! Then the arctic blast came and we didn't get them harvested because life happened. Not all loss though, they will go into the gardens for next year's crops. Are those ones you inoculated? |
Nobody ever wakes me at 2 in the morning telling me that my grass is out on the highway.~~Radiopat
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
Anyone ever heard of compost tea? I never had until my wife mentioned she wants a set up for it. I looked around and found what I was looking for and built her a compost tea brewer!   Parts all came from Amazon other than the bucket. Pump $29.99 Valves $7.99 Aerator $36.35 Strainer Bags $9.99 I put it to a test at my deep sink to ensure the valve doesn't leak. I used a step bit to drill the hole and mounted the valve. The ring on the aerator is to hold it down. Fill it with air and it is already more buoyant than the water. I'm hoping the strainer bag full will be enough to hold it down, but I also put the valve high enough that the aerator will fit under it and hold it in place. I also put the valve as high as I did to limit the junk that might get stuck trying to go through it. Hopefully, any debris will settle to the bottom well below the valve. The aerator is just bent PVC and about 8 holes drilled in the bottom of it. Not having to fight bending the PVC and having to get the fittings made just buying it worth it to me. |
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Originally Posted By turtle2472: Anyone ever heard of compost tea? I never had until my wife mentioned she wants a set up for it. I looked around and found what I was looking for and built her a compost tea brewer! https://turtle2472.com/ar15/IMG_1489_1.jpeg https://turtle2472.com/ar15/IMG_1492.jpeg https://turtle2472.com/ar15/IMG_1493.jpeg Parts all came from Amazon other than the bucket. Pump $29.99 Valves $7.99 Aerator $36.35 Strainer Bags $9.99 I put it to a test at my deep sink to ensure the valve doesn't leak. I used a step bit to drill the hole and mounted the valve. The ring on the aerator is to hold it down. Fill it with air and it is already more buoyant than the water. I'm hoping the strainer bag full will be enough to hold it down, but I also put the valve high enough that the aerator will fit under it and hold it in place. I also put the valve as high as I did to limit the junk that might get stuck trying to go through it. Hopefully, any debris will settle to the bottom well below the valve. The aerator is just bent PVC and about 8 holes drilled in the bottom of it. Not having to fight bending the PVC and having to get the fittings made just buying it worth it to me. Yes. This is the way of the future. Please do a thread on this. Most of us will want to do it in multiple buckets or a barrel probably. You figured it out and this is an excellent post! That said...where did you look to learn this and is there a chance your aerator is too strong for the microbes we're trying to nurture in such a small vessel (the bucket)? I don't know. That's just the questions that occurred to me as I looked at your photos. Seriously. This deserves a thread if you feel like it. But it's totally okay if you don't.  A thread is a lot of trouble.  THANK YOU for sharing this!  You have helped me!ETA: There is a gentler version of this with no bubbler and I'm trying to figure out which is best for which application. It's not clear to me. It's different microbes...the ones with the bubbler are different from the ones without. LISTEN!!!!! This is the future because we are all going to need to do some form of soil remediation because of the chemicals in the topsoil, compost, mulch components and anything else we buy. Even if it's labeled "Organic." The soil bacteria and fungi are apparently capable of remediating all that, if we understand how to use it. I saw one lady growing mushrooms in her beds to remediate the chemicals with long residuals. Gardening is changing, and we can resist the change but it's coming. We are all going to need to know this. 
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Nobody ever wakes me at 2 in the morning telling me that my grass is out on the highway.~~Radiopat
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
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Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs:Yes. This is the way of the future. Please do a thread on this. Most of us will want to do it in multiple buckets or a barrel probably. You figured it out and this is an excellent post! That said...where did you look to learn this and is there a chance your aerator is too strong for the microbes we're trying to nurture in such a small vessel (the bucket)? I don't know. That's just the questions that occurred to me as I looked at your photos. Seriously. This deserves a thread if you feel like it. But it's totally okay if you don't. A thread is a lot of trouble. THANK YOU for sharing this! You have helped me!ETA: There is a gentler version of this with no bubbler and I'm trying to figure out which is best for which application. It's not clear to me. It's different microbes...the ones with the bubbler are different from the ones without. LISTEN!!!!! This is the future because we are all going to need to do some form of soil remediation because of the chemicals in the topsoil, compost, mulch components and anything else we buy. Even if it's labeled "Organic." The soil bacteria and fungi are apparently capable of remediating all that, if we understand how to use it. I saw one lady growing mushrooms in her beds to remediate the chemicals with long residuals. Gardening is changing, and we can resist the change but it's coming. We are all going to need to know this. Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs:Yes. This is the way of the future. Please do a thread on this. Most of us will want to do it in multiple buckets or a barrel probably. You figured it out and this is an excellent post! That said...where did you look to learn this and is there a chance your aerator is too strong for the microbes we're trying to nurture in such a small vessel (the bucket)? I don't know. That's just the questions that occurred to me as I looked at your photos. Seriously. This deserves a thread if you feel like it. But it's totally okay if you don't. A thread is a lot of trouble. THANK YOU for sharing this! You have helped me!ETA: There is a gentler version of this with no bubbler and I'm trying to figure out which is best for which application. It's not clear to me. It's different microbes...the ones with the bubbler are different from the ones without. LISTEN!!!!! This is the future because we are all going to need to do some form of soil remediation because of the chemicals in the topsoil, compost, mulch components and anything else we buy. Even if it's labeled "Organic." The soil bacteria and fungi are apparently capable of remediating all that, if we understand how to use it. I saw one lady growing mushrooms in her beds to remediate the chemicals with long residuals. Gardening is changing, and we can resist the change but it's coming. We are all going to need to know this. Heh, I'm still learning about this! When we lost so many mushrooms because we didn't harvest them at flush we figured there must be something good we could do without having to just throw them in the compost pile. My wife read about compost tea and that became a thing. I told her how I thought it would work using aerobic digestion and then looked it up myself and was right on the money. Like, I nailed it exactly as premade kits out there. Anaerobic digestion is the one that stinks and creates pathogens. While still good for the soil, it isn't good for us humans. Aerobic digesters operate in the presence of oxygen, breaking down organic matter into carbon dioxide, water, and stabilized sludge, while anaerobic digesters function without oxygen, producing methane and carbon dioxide as byproducts. Each type has its own applications and benefits, with aerobic systems typically being faster and anaerobic systems being more energy-efficient and capable of biogas production. I might start a thread on it as I dig more into it. With the snow storms we've had through here the last two weekends, I can assure you I haven't done much outside. I'm also not willing to brew the compost tea in my basement. |
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Originally Posted By turtle2472: Heh, I'm still learning about this! When we lost so many mushrooms because we didn't harvest them at flush we figured there must be something good we could do without having to just throw them in the compost pile. My wife read about compost tea and that became a thing. I told her how I thought it would work using aerobic digestion and then looked it up myself and was right on the money. Like, I nailed it exactly as premade kits out there. Anaerobic digestion is the one that stinks and creates pathogens. While still good for the soil, it isn't good for us humans. I might start a thread on it as I dig more into it. With the snow storms we've had through here the last two weekends, I can assure you I haven't done much outside. I'm also not willing to brew the compost tea in my basement. So I've been diving deep into this since I saw your setup. Not just for the bubbler but for how to get the good compost to make the good tea. A LOT depends on the compost itself, and knowing what you want to grow. Do you want a bacteria forward compost, or a fungi-forward compost, or a balanced compost, etc. It's something I can totally nerd out on and now I'm looking for a microscope. Seriously though, you're right. You don't want to grow the anaerobic stuff. It will kill the good stuff you want in your soil. And I'm trying to discern the uses for compost extract vs compost tea. (One is just steeped for a short time--short enough to not go anaerobic-- and one is aerated like what you are doing). Evidently the bubbler is necessary to knock a lot more bacteria and fungal hyphae off of the compost. And you're doing it right. Your pump is OUTSIDE the setup and the brew is not fed through it (cuz this destroys the microbes). I'm going to do this. A barrel seems attractive, but once you've made it you've got to use it right then, so I think your bucket is just right for the home gardener. I think I will follow your pattern. Incidentally, if you haven't found a good recipe for the best compost, I've been following a young guy on youtube. The Permaculture Consultant. He has an unfortunate habit of giving advice on stuff he actually knows nothing about (like topping trees) but this compost stuff he DOES know about, and his advice is solid. His "three-ingredient compost" and "two ingredient compost" videos are really excellent. Twenty one days to a pile of compost that you can use to innoculate your entire garden using compost tea like you're set up to make. |
Nobody ever wakes me at 2 in the morning telling me that my grass is out on the highway.~~Radiopat
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
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Originally Posted By Deuskid: This forum needs thumbs up and like buttons I have wished we had those too. I've read some good arguments against it, but I haven't read any I agree with much.
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Nobody ever wakes me at 2 in the morning telling me that my grass is out on the highway.~~Radiopat
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
| I was looking forward to getting out there and trying to brew a batch of mushroom compose tea... and then second winter hit. Gonna have to wait a bit before jumping on this. I'm thinking of adding some of the tea to my grapes and seeing how they like it. |
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Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: I'm freezing.  Yeah. I’m further south and it is in the twenties with wind chill here. |
Louis L'Amour, “To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.”
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Was helping my lady neighbor clean up trash in her pasture, things left there from previous owners. I had rented a dumpster so I loaded a truckload from her place too. Just random farm crap. But there were 2 sections of railroad rails, about 6' long each. I left those for later with some other big metal pieces, she said there is a metal recycling place in town that will pay. But are rails worth anything to someone else? People still make anvils? I was just coveting such a big chunk of steel, even though I was forcing myself to get rid of junk and "someday" projects. Gate posts or something decorative? |
"And I never did get my lawnmower back!" - Bandit 6
"On the bright side, the money we saved by not going to Mars in the 1970s, we spent on welfare and public schools." - @MorlockP
"On the bright side, the money we saved by not going to Mars in the 1970s, we spent on welfare and public schools." - @MorlockP
Saw this and thought of you guys. I don't eat fungus but I appreciate humans figuring out this stuff. Greg and crew inoculating shiitake mushroom oak logs harvested from newly formed silvopasture. |
"And I never did get my lawnmower back!" - Bandit 6
"On the bright side, the money we saved by not going to Mars in the 1970s, we spent on welfare and public schools." - @MorlockP
"On the bright side, the money we saved by not going to Mars in the 1970s, we spent on welfare and public schools." - @MorlockP
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Originally Posted By mPisi: Saw this and thought of you guys. I don't eat fungus but I appreciate humans figuring out this stuff.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfS5vdtFn6oThat is a cool video. It is exactly what we did, even bought supplies and consumables from the same place. The only difference is it was just my wife and I. I hauled and drilled and she inoculated and waxed. |
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Originally Posted By mPisi: Was helping my lady neighbor clean up trash in her pasture, things left there from previous owners. I had rented a dumpster so I loaded a truckload from her place too. Just random farm crap. But there were 2 sections of railroad rails, about 6' long each. I left those for later with some other big metal pieces, she said there is a metal recycling place in town that will pay. But are rails worth anything to someone else? People still make anvils? I was just coveting such a big chunk of steel, even though I was forcing myself to get rid of junk and "someday" projects. Gate posts or something decorative? I have a friend who was engineer for work done on the Brooklyn Bridge. He took girders from that project and made a really cool bar. |
Nobody ever wakes me at 2 in the morning telling me that my grass is out on the highway.~~Radiopat
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
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Deuteronomy 31:6 ~ Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6 ~ Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
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Been redoubling my efforts on the homestead lately. Bit the bullet and bought a decently high end chainsaw. I brought in a log deck of fir and lodgepole for me and my parents plus have a bunch of pine to take down and tired of making do with hand me down saws. Finally put together my automatic watering system for my berry plants. Raspberry row and six blueberry bushes. 50 gal drum with an auto timer gravity feeding to the drip lines. The parts have been sitting in the garage for probably two years so entire time to put it all together is about two years and two hours. Story of my life. Looking into getting an aerator set up for my small pond next. Pretty sure the ducks and geese ate the 100 or so feeder fish i put in there but I still want to get that water moving Good little Sunday |
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Yesterday was my work day for the homestead. I got a bit aggressive with the brush cutter and chummed my main irrigation line a flew weeks ago. No water other than rain, which there hasn’t been much in the last few months. :( I’m dealing with a summer cold that is whooping my butt. I still managed to get the tubing/hoses replaced/repaired. Something like 5 major sections. At least they are on a timer again though! |
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Where are y'all buying your drip supplies? That's got to be done asap, and I've got to build it so it can expand as the garden does. |
Nobody ever wakes me at 2 in the morning telling me that my grass is out on the highway.~~Radiopat
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
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Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: Where are y'all buying your drip supplies? That's got to be done asap, and I've got to build it so it can expand as the garden does. What supplies are you looking for? |
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Originally Posted By MongooseKY: Amazon all the things. I enjoy making fun of the ever-changing weirdo chinese brand names :) What supplies are you looking for? I don't have anything. I'll need the main line, secondary lines (is that what they're called?) and the little bitty "in-the-bed" lines. Plus whatever emitters I choose. This will be for raised beds largely. I've been watching videos from Drip Depot (I think that's the name). But I haven't had time to figure out if their prices are fair for what they offer, and how bad it's going to hurt to do what I need to do. |
Nobody ever wakes me at 2 in the morning telling me that my grass is out on the highway.~~Radiopat
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
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I'm getting mine from Amazon. I'm also moving mine to the quick connect style vs the barb ones. The bigger thing I'm running into is the metric vs standard sizing for the 1/2" tubing. Quick connect is where it varies. The store bought stuff is a hair bigger OD than the Amazon metric stuff. So the quick connect only works on the Amazon stuff. After having SO MANY emitters die by physical, UV and other damage, I'm just not willing to deal with the barbs. These are what I'm moving to now: 
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Louis L'Amour, “To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.”
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Originally Posted By turtle2472: I'm getting mine from Amazon. I'm also moving mine to the quick connect style vs the barb ones. The bigger thing I'm running into is the metric vs standard sizing for the 1/2" tubing. Quick connect is where it varies. The store bought stuff is a hair bigger OD than the Amazon metric stuff. So the quick connect only works on the Amazon stuff. After having SO MANY emitters die by physical, UV and other damage, I'm just not willing to deal with the barbs. These are what I'm moving to now: www.amazon.com/dp/B0GJNR5PRJ www.amazon.com/dp/B0BY29QBNL www.amazon.com/dp/B0F8HSPY4H www.amazon.com/dp/B0G4PG2WZV www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKNM6PRS Hey this is great, I was lost. What is a decent timer that can run untended for a couple weeks? I have electric there. |
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Originally Posted By turtle2472: I'm getting mine from Amazon. I'm also moving mine to the quick connect style vs the barb ones. The bigger thing I'm running into is the metric vs standard sizing for the 1/2" tubing. Quick connect is where it varies. The store bought stuff is a hair bigger OD than the Amazon metric stuff. So the quick connect only works on the Amazon stuff. After having SO MANY emitters die by physical, UV and other damage, I'm just not willing to deal with the barbs. These are what I'm moving to now: www.amazon.com/dp/B0GJNR5PRJ www.amazon.com/dp/B0BY29QBNL www.amazon.com/dp/B0F8HSPY4H www.amazon.com/dp/B0G4PG2WZV www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKNM6PRS Thanks! Do you lay your tubing on top of the ground (your main lines?) or do you bury anything? ETA: Oh wow that seems stupid cheap! When you went to the quick connect emitters, did you have to change out everything? Or can you sideways them into the system you currently have? (sorry if that's a dumb question. Since I haven't actually SEEN these things I'm kind of in the dark. Everything I've used in greenhouses has been very different and was a few years back. |
Nobody ever wakes me at 2 in the morning telling me that my grass is out on the highway.~~Radiopat
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
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For my peppers and tomatoes, I use 1/2" tubing for my main runs and push-in 2gph drippers. The drippers are connected to short pieces of 1/4" tubing to deliver water right at the base of the plant. I designed and printed my own 1/4" tubing stakes with a 5 degree slope so the water doesn't run back toward the main line. I elevate my 1/2" main line using stakes I also designed and 3D printed. This, in combination with the slanted 1/4" tubing stakes, keeps the main line above the end of the dripper to further reduce the chances of water running back down the 1/4" tubing and watering it instead of the plant. For my beans I use a drip line with built-in drippers every 6". Attached File Attached File |
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KY, USA
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Originally Posted By MongooseKY: For my peppers and tomatoes, I use 1/2" tubing for my main runs and push-in 2gph drippers. The drippers are connected to short pieces of 1/4" tubing to deliver water right at the base of the plant. I designed and printed my own 1/4" tubing stakes with a 5 degree slope so the water doesn't run back toward the main line. I elevate my 1/2" main line using stakes I also designed and 3D printed. This, in combination with the slanted 1/4" tubing stakes, keeps the main line above the end of the dripper to further reduce the chances of water running back down the 1/4" tubing and watering it instead of the plant. For my beans I use a drip line with built-in drippers every 6". https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/77386/20260620_132827_jpg-3782351.JPG https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/77386/20260620_132813_jpg-3782352.JPG That's really interesting to understand...that the water comes out slowly enough that it will dribble back from the end of the line. BUT...I also thought the emitters would be ON THE END of the line. Not in the feeder. Lots to learn! Thank you! |
Nobody ever wakes me at 2 in the morning telling me that my grass is out on the highway.~~Radiopat
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
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You can do it either way, but if you put the emitters on the end by the plant you have to use a Barb to connect the 1/4" tube to the main line. The emitters have barbs built in, so they just push into the 1/2 inch tube without an additional connector. The water comes out of the tube quite slowly, and if the angle is wrong it will run back up the tube and land closer to the main line. That's why I designed my own stakes to keep them at the proper angle so that doesn't happen. |
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Originally Posted By mPisi:Hey this is great, I was lost. What is a decent timer that can run untended for a couple weeks? I have electric there. Right now I'm using an Eve Aqua because it is paired into my Apple Home. I'm going to move to a Zigbee based brand because I need more and am moving from direct to Apple Home to Home Assistant instead. Then I'll expose it to Apple Home from Home Assistant. Really, I should be using something like a Rachio, but I haven't run hard lines to the distribution point yet. I literally have a garden hose feeding the distribution point across my driveway. Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs:Thanks! Do you lay your tubing on top of the ground (your main lines?) or do you bury anything? ETA: Oh wow that seems stupid cheap! When you went to the quick connect emitters, did you have to change out everything? Or can you sideways them into the system you currently have? (sorry if that's a dumb question. Since I haven't actually SEEN these things I'm kind of in the dark. Everything I've used in greenhouses has been very different and was a few years back. I lay mine on the ground like MongooseKY does. Thankfully, the emitters all use the same size tubing (or close enough that the metric / standard size doesn't matter). I also change mine up some times where my emitter is in my 1/2" line and a feeder goes down to the plant. Others it is a nub in the 1/2" tubing and the emitter on the end. Nowadays, I don't use regular drip emitters on the plants themselves at ground level though. I use those sprinkler style ones and just choke them down. The primary reason is the regular drip emitters get clogged and you can't really clean them out. The sprinkler head like ones can be opened and flushed. Sure it isn't a "metered" like a set flow emitter, but I'm getting water to the plants and don't fight it anymore. ETA: Oh, when you lay hour feeder lines, think about ground care. I chummed mine really good a few weeks ago with a weed eater trying to beat back the growth were the main line feeds a 4 way splitter. I think I had to replace tow sections and add three couplings. 
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Louis L'Amour, “To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.”
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Originally Posted By turtle2472: Right now I'm using an Eve Aqua because it is paired into my Apple Home. I'm going to move to a Zigbee based brand because I need more and am moving from direct to Apple Home to Home Assistant instead. Then I'll expose it to Apple Home from Home Assistant. Really, I should be using something like a Rachio, but I haven't run hard lines to the distribution point yet. I literally have a garden hose feeding the distribution point across my driveway. I lay mine on the ground like MongooseKY does. Thankfully, the emitters all use the same size tubing (or close enough that the metric / standard size doesn't matter). I also change mine up some times where my emitter is in my 1/2" line and a feeder goes down to the plant. Others it is a nub in the 1/2" tubing and the emitter on the end. Nowadays, I don't use regular drip emitters on the plants themselves at ground level though. I use those sprinkler style ones and just choke them down. The primary reason is the regular drip emitters get clogged and you can't really clean them out. The sprinkler head like ones can be opened and flushed. Sure it isn't a "metered" like a set flow emitter, but I'm getting water to the plants and don't fight it anymore. ETA: Oh, when you lay hour feeder lines, think about ground care. I chummed mine really good a few weeks ago with a weed eater trying to beat back the growth were the main line feeds a 4 way splitter. I think I had to replace tow sections and add three couplings. I'm also looking at Home Assistant and am interested in how that project goes for you! I'm focusing on Matter devices in my plan but will likely end up with some Zigbee/Zwave depending on device availability. |
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Originally Posted By MongooseKY:This is another reason I like punching the drippers into the 1/2" and running 1/4" to the plants - this way the only way the drippers would get clogged is if I have dirt in my supply line. I'm interested in your experience with the spray/sprinkler style emitters though. Can they be choked down to the point they are servicing just a single plant? I really like the control over water placement you get with the drippers. I'm also looking at Home Assistant and am interested in how that project goes for you! I'm focusing on Matter devices in my plan but will likely end up with some Zigbee/Zwave depending on device availability. I've been doing the sprinkler instead of drip emitter for a while. I love it. I have bags of drip emitters, but the clogging happens from the supply side more than the outlet side. I just barely crack open the sprinkler style and it drips just fine. Whenever build up (impurities in the water) would normally block a drip emitter, I just need to open the sprinkler wide, it flushes and choke it down again. Most of the time where I had the drip emitter at the plant I just cut the tube at the base of the emitter and shove that tube into the quick connect on the sprinkler emitter. The real drawback to the sprinkler types is the red head get real UV damage over time and crumbles. Super easy to replace now so I just swap it out. I wanted all Matter for my controls too, but that is still REALLY hard to find. Zigbee seems to be the "simplest" way to get them into HA. I've just got to get a repeater outlet/device outside "close" to the manifold I am setting up for the irrigation. Then I'll likely use the Sonoff valve controllers. I'm contemplating building them a solar battery system so I don't have to replace batteries too, but haven't gone that far yet. Heck, I don't even have the Sonoff valves yet. |
Louis L'Amour, “To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.”
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit
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KY, USA
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Originally Posted By turtle2472: Right now I'm using an Eve Aqua because it is paired into my Apple Home. I'm going to move to a Zigbee based brand because I need more and am moving from direct to Apple Home to Home Assistant instead. Then I'll expose it to Apple Home from Home Assistant. Really, I should be using something like a Rachio, but I haven't run hard lines to the distribution point yet. I literally have a garden hose feeding the distribution point across my driveway. I lay mine on the ground like MongooseKY does. Thankfully, the emitters all use the same size tubing (or close enough that the metric / standard size doesn't matter). I also change mine up some times where my emitter is in my 1/2" line and a feeder goes down to the plant. Others it is a nub in the 1/2" tubing and the emitter on the end. Nowadays, I don't use regular drip emitters on the plants themselves at ground level though. I use those sprinkler style ones and just choke them down. The primary reason is the regular drip emitters get clogged and you can't really clean them out. The sprinkler head like ones can be opened and flushed. Sure it isn't a "metered" like a set flow emitter, but I'm getting water to the plants and don't fight it anymore. ETA: Oh, when you lay hour feeder lines, think about ground care. I chummed mine really good a few weeks ago with a weed eater trying to beat back the growth were the main line feeds a 4 way splitter. I think I had to replace tow sections and add three couplings. Okay. I like the sprinkler head idea. It'll get a slightly wider root area that way. Re: trimmers-- Since I'm not trying to grow pretty grass, I do beat everything around there hard with a trimmer. I'm surprised the bigger lines can't take that. OR..do you mean the little bitty lines can't take that? For me those will all be (mostly) in raised beds. |
Nobody ever wakes me at 2 in the morning telling me that my grass is out on the highway.~~Radiopat
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
|
Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: Okay. I like the sprinkler head idea. It'll get a slightly wider root area that way. Re: trimmers-- Since I'm not trying to grow pretty grass, I do beat everything around there hard with a trimmer. I'm surprised the bigger lines can't take that. OR..do you mean the little bitty lines can't take that? For me those will all be (mostly) in raised beds. |
01010111 | 57 | 127 | LXXXVII
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Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs:Okay. I like the sprinkler head idea. It'll get a slightly wider root area that way. Re: trimmers-- Since I'm not trying to grow pretty grass, I do beat everything around there hard with a trimmer. I'm surprised the bigger lines can't take that. OR..do you mean the little bitty lines can't take that? For me those will all be (mostly) in raised beds. The 1/2” poly lines are super easy to cut into with a trimmer. I mean, you can buy thicker tubing and it will withstand more, but it isn’t very sturdy against physical abuse. It hasn’t popped due to pressure or anything and the joints all stay in place well. It is getting nicks in them that is the struggle, at least when I have to run a trimmer near them. I’m more worried about grabbing the 1/4” stuff with the trimmer and just ripping it all out with the head rather than just cutting it.
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Louis L'Amour, “To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.”
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It was over 100°F today and I had to go about repairing my water lines again. Some rodent needs to die a thousand deaths. I’m going to look like Andy Farmer from Funny Farm, only I’m not stalking the mailman, I’m going to be aiming for critters. If only I had a can. Anyway, aside from my water lines being chewed up, I bought a freeze dryer! It should be here in a couple of weeks they said, I ordered right from Harvest Right. They price matched Costco’s buy more and save deal and I didn’t have to buy a second appliance! I’ve been wanting a freeze dryer for years! I dreamed of one as a kid when I had “Astronaut Ice Cream” at the Air and Space Museum in DC. Next up, figure out how to find the best deals on Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers. |
Louis L'Amour, “To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.”
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit
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KY, USA
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Originally Posted By turtle2472: It was over 100°F today and I had to go about repairing my water lines again. Some rodent needs to die a thousand deaths. I’m going to look like Andy Farmer from Funny Farm, only I’m not stalking the mailman, I’m going to be aiming for critters. If only I had a can. Anyway, aside from my water lines being chewed up, I bought a freeze dryer! It should be here in a couple of weeks they said, I ordered right from Harvest Right. They price matched Costco’s buy more and save deal and I didn’t have to buy a second appliance! I’ve been wanting a freeze dryer for years! I dreamed of one as a kid when I had “Astronaut Ice Cream” at the Air and Space Museum in DC. Next up, figure out how to find the best deals on Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers. Let me know how you like it! I don't have room for one. Don't have the budget either but I could save up. Still, the space requirement and the power pull worry me for my situation. I'm very interested in how much yours gets used and your results! |
Nobody ever wakes me at 2 in the morning telling me that my grass is out on the highway.~~Radiopat
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
|
Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: Let me know how you like it! I don't have room for one. Don't have the budget either but I could save up. Still, the space requirement and the power pull worry me for my situation. I'm very interested in how much yours gets used and your results! Well, I'm not happy right now. I'm actually pretty pissed... hoping it is just a temporary issue. My new freeze dryer can't pull proper vacuum and can't retain it. Everything I can touch (without opening up the case) is tight and as sealed as I can make it within normal documentation. It just gets an alert for Inadequate Vacuum when attempting. I did a static vacuum test where I left the unit off but plugged the pump into the wall and turned it on. This certainly sealed the door shut to where I couldn't pull it open. I left it unlatched and put one of my surveillance cameras on it. Just a hair over two hours after turning off the pump the door popped open. I have a case with Harvest Right and my wife even managed to get a human in the US to help us. (Their default call center is overseas and knows how to read scripts in mostly understandable English.) Now I'm waiting for the escalation team to review our notes and what we've done to then tell me what to do next. I have so much ready to freeze dry because we were expecting the unit and prepped food in the freezer for it. Now, we are on hold. ETA: I was called by HR support and walked through the pump troubleshooting with their support tech. They condemned my machine and will be sending me a replacement machine, pump, and vacuum hose. |
Louis L'Amour, “To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.”
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit
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Originally Posted By turtle2472: Well, I'm not happy right now. I'm actually pretty pissed... hoping it is just a temporary issue. My new freeze dryer can't pull proper vacuum and can't retain it. Everything I can touch (without opening up the case) is tight and as sealed as I can make it within normal documentation. It just gets an alert for Inadequate Vacuum when attempting. I did a static vacuum test where I left the unit off but plugged the pump into the wall and turned it on. This certainly sealed the door shut to where I couldn't pull it open. I left it unlatched and put one of my surveillance cameras on it. Just a hair over two hours after turning off the pump the door popped open. I have a case with Harvest Right and my wife even managed to get a human in the US to help us. (Their default call center is overseas and knows how to read scripts in mostly understandable English.) Now I'm waiting for the escalation team to review our notes and what we've done to then tell me what to do next. I have so much ready to freeze dry because we were expecting the unit and prepped food in the freezer for it. Now, we are on hold. ETA: I was called by HR support and walked through the pump troubleshooting with their support tech. They condemned my machine and will be sending me a replacement machine, pump, and vacuum hose. Really glad they are making it right but I bet that cost you a lot of time. |
Nobody ever wakes me at 2 in the morning telling me that my grass is out on the highway.~~Radiopat
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
|
Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs:Really glad they are making it right but I bet that cost you a lot of time. Yeah, the time "lost" is what bites the most. We had prepped ice cream (tubs cut open and the contents into slabs), fruit (like bananas and apples), and even some meals. That is lost freezer space among other things. Not massive and horribly inconvenient, just really annoying when we were ready! The replacement was delivered yesterday and set up. Now I get to turn it on and do the bread in about 2 hours. I'm really looking forward to this machine working. They didn't send a replacement vacuum hose though. Just the pump and machine. Hope it wasn't the hose!
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Louis L'Amour, “To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.”
It's working this time! We are so happy about this. :) It is just the bread loaf, but it is supposed to "season" the dryer. Neapolitan Ice cream is up next! My wife and I had "astronaut ice creme" on our various field trips as kids. So, now we are going to make our own. Then we will start getting into more things. Is there a freeze dryer thread somewhere? It would be nice to see what others have done and learn from them too. |
Louis L'Amour, “To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.”
First run went awesome! We had some "exploding" slabs in there, but nothing a soapy rag won't clean up. Apparently it is very normal based on the make up of the ice cream. This is stuff is everything we remember it being. I grabbed a chunk of the mint and it is so minty and smooth. Just letting it absorb the saliva in my mouth and it melted. Now we just have to recall that it is the same servings calorie wise even though it is a fraction of the weight!       
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Louis L'Amour, “To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.”
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Originally Posted By turtle2472: First run went awesome! We had some "exploding" slabs in there, but nothing a soapy rag won't clean up. Apparently it is very normal based on the make up of the ice cream. This is stuff is everything we remember it being. I grabbed a chunk of the mint and it is so minty and smooth. Just letting it absorb the saliva in my mouth and it melted. Now we just have to recall that it is the same servings calorie wise even though it is a fraction of the weight! https://turtle2472.com/ar15/IMG_2903_20260729.jpeg https://turtle2472.com/ar15/IMG_2904_20260729.jpeg https://turtle2472.com/ar15/IMG_2905_20260729.jpeg https://turtle2472.com/ar15/IMG_2906_20260729.jpeg https://turtle2472.com/ar15/IMG_2907_20260729.jpeg https://turtle2472.com/ar15/IMG_2908_20260729.jpeg https://turtle2472.com/ar15/IMG_2909_20260729.jpeg I assume you vacuum pack it after the freeze dry process? @turtle2472 Is it better to freeze dry cooked or raw meets and veges? thanks |