Devonviolet Acres

[Devonviolet]

The 'ditch' is intended to blanch the roots as they grow. The more they are blanched, the more white leek to green leek leaves.

As someone mentioned before, be careful adding to the ditch or you will have even more dirt-filled leeks than usual.

We have read Ruth Stout's book about deep mulch gardening. The thought just occurred to me, what about just piling hay around the Leeks, instead of dirt, to keep the Leeks white?

 

[Smart Red]

As long as they are away from the sun it should work. I just remember what Crockett from the first "Victory Garden" show on PBS always did. I take my leeks any way I can and that means I just plant, weed, and pick.

 

[Devonviolet]

Ah yes! I remember (with a smile) Victory Garden! I loved watching that show. I always had an interest in growing healthy foods - even back 40 years ago, when I was young.

However, it wasn't until I got sick with Lyme Disease & other problems related to a non-existent immune system (including Multiple Chemical Sensitivity [MCS]), that I began to fully understand the importance or raising GMO free, organic vegetables. I also came to realize the importance of raising my own free range chickens, for meat & eggs, and dairy goats for safe milk & dairy products.

 

[Smart Red]

James Underwood Crockett! I've been worrying on about what his name was all day long. It just came to me.

 

[Nyboy]

I used to love watching Victory garden, was very disappointed the old shows are not on youtube.

 

[Devonviolet]

We had an exhausting, busy day today!

Tomorrow we are supposed to have rain all day. Since we got the water totes last week, we wanted to get them set up to start our rainwater collection.

Before we could do that we had to drive to town (Sulphur Springs) to get some supplies, at Lowe's, to hook our gutters into the totes. Last week, we we went to Home Depot & bought 32 - 8X16" cinder blocks to set the totes up on.

The totes needed to be rinsed well, before using, because they had contained phosphates, which are water soluable. We have been assured that giving a really good rinse makes the totes safe for potable water. So, we can use that water for watering our garden & use with our aquaponics system.

The plan was to set up 2 totes on each side of the roof, at the downspout, to collect the runoff from the gutters. We also wanted to set up 3 - 55 gallon food grade barrels, to collect water being pumped out of the crawl space.

By the time we finished the first two, it was 6:30 pm. We decided to get the barrels set up, for crawlspace water. I had already put 8 - 12" concrete patio blocks thare, but they needed to be leveled with dirt. Only 2 of the barrels fit there, and we were too tired & in too much pain, from all the heavy lifting. Each one of the totes weighs at least 100+ pounds + we moved 12 cinder blocks (each about 31 pounds) & the patio blocks, and washed out 2 totes & 2 barrels.

It was getting dark, but I was able to get these 2 photos:

 

[Carol Dee]

Great way to collect rain water. Very GREEN of you.

 

[Nyboy]

Can you start a new thread on water collecting? I need collection for my orchard,so far only have 1 55 gallon rain barrel set up.

 

[baymule]

That looks great! I bet ya'll slept real good that night! Exhaustion will do that to you.

 

[Devonviolet]

Oh yeah! I slept like a rock!

Here are the tops of the totes, from the porch.

Well, the storm finally got to us. It's pouring now! In 20 minutes we have already gotten 1/2" of rain in the rain gauge. We can hear the water running into the tote!