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Post by mskrieger on Sept 23, 2016 10:32:40 GMT -5
and richardw , how do you sell the wool? Wholesale or to individuals? I sell to to this roadside guy who grades it into the different micron thicknesses bales it up and he on sells it at auction
Oh, I had no idea...neat insight into a corner of the global economy!
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Post by philip on Jun 12, 2017 16:09:35 GMT -5
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Post by philip on Jun 12, 2017 16:23:30 GMT -5
I am trying to create A microclimate for my avocado using stones. I would love to write more but my virus-ridden computer is driving me nuts. I really have to restrain myself not to get the sledge hammer.
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Post by philip on Jun 13, 2017 0:24:38 GMT -5
The spot in my garden where i planted the avocado is sheltered by trees to the north and east.
It gets full sun from around midday until late. It's completely open to the south, west and north-west. I couldn't get hold of sheep wool yet so i used black plastic under the stones.
I still have to finish filling it all up with stones.
I imagine sheep wool would still be better in insulating the stones from the soil underneath.
I suppose a stone on wool looses less heat to the ground than a stone on a plastic sheet, so more heat gain.
The avocado survived the last winter because i protected it well.
It did grow since but the leaves are very yellowish streaked with red and one can tell that its having a hard time.
Hopefully this setup will be effective in helping it.
Also i hope for some degree of acclimatisation since the mother tree grows outside in brittany on its own and makes delicious fruit (very much like a Hass avocado- so that's probably the parentage)
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Post by steev on Jun 13, 2017 0:47:08 GMT -5
I wonder whether stone insulates the soil before it can get heat, so perhaps preventing soil from warming, although it could surely maintain heat longer when the weather cools.
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Post by imgrimmer on Jun 13, 2017 15:14:00 GMT -5
Hi Philip,
which variety is it?
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Post by prairiegardens on Jun 14, 2017 10:46:42 GMT -5
Years ago ran across a book detailing how a man in Nebraska grows citrus in a greenhouse heated with air geothermally. For some reason everyone around here does some sort of liquid I believe, the air system seemed very simple and easy. Drainage for condensation is really important and appears to be the only tricky bit, enough slope and pipe with a smooth interior so moisture can't collect in crannies and develop mould. Although the initial installation would tend to be a bit pricey for the excavation and piping and backfill, the whole shebang runs with only a couple of small fans and his trees look wonderful, healthy and productive. I think there are still videos of tours, the book is called Citrus in the Snow.
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Post by prairiegardens on Jun 14, 2017 11:08:09 GMT -5
I asked on a regional FB group what people did with their wool, most of them whined and whimpered but didn't actually say; a few use it for spinning and a couple use it to insulate chicken houses and such. I said I was looking for any that people were going to discard or burn but the only reply I got was from someone two days drive from here, not exactly feasible. People are strange here, it seems most of them would rather pay to destroy stuff than give it to someone who can use it. A local guy who cuts grass and pays to put it in the dump in plastic bags offered to sell me the clippings at 50 cents a bag, " to pay for the raking and bagging." . That's not going to happen, so apparently he'd rather pay to dump it, after raking and bagging it, of course.
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Post by imgrimmer on Jun 14, 2017 16:15:19 GMT -5
Here is a link to Citrus in the Snow. If you search google you will find more information and some videos.
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Post by philip on Jun 14, 2017 16:30:47 GMT -5
Hi Imgrimmer! The avocado was grown from seed so it's not a named variety. The mother tree the seed came from grows outside in Brittany near the coast, is self-fertile and makes delicious fruit
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Post by steev on Jun 14, 2017 21:14:52 GMT -5
I think the geothermally-heated greenhouse idea has legs; I'm not sure that it couldn't be entirely passive, with the right configuration of pipe-heights; certainly something to investigate on the farm; possibly something to give attention to in the process of running septic lines; gotta trench for that anyway, right? To me, the problem looks like a thermal-transfer issue; how not to max out the transfer capacity; soil doesn't pass temps very fast, so the necessary pipe-length might be prohibitive.
I think I already have a pretty good idea for geothermal cooling of the house, since I'd rather burn neither propane nor electricity, when I have a running supply of 50-55F well-water during the hot months, which I can divert through a radiator array and pipe the cooled air into the house passively or with a small fan.
Have I mentioned that I'm a tight-wad? I'd rather think than spend; I have to work to earn, so I can spend, and I am a lazy bastard. The hammock, the rocking-chair, those are my preferred environments.
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Post by prairiegardens on Jun 15, 2017 17:14:00 GMT -5
The cost of excavating and pipe is what's kept this option off the table for me. Over time it's likely more than worth it but the upfront costs are pretty steep in this area. There's a place in BC in the Kootneys that built a big one as a community/high school project that seems to be a solid success,iirc correctly it also incorporates solar power. I can find a link if anyone is interested.
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Post by steev on Jun 15, 2017 21:13:17 GMT -5
Off-grid solutions are always of interest; the farm is nearly at the tail-end of the power lines; the local road-house/restaurant/gas-station/mini-mart/RV-park mostly shuts down when the power fails; I'll never connect to that grid, so anything I can do with solar or geo-passive is a go. Up-front costs can be spendy, but I can still earn, so whatever I can manage now will save costs when I can't earn.
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Post by xdrix on Aug 24, 2020 14:47:45 GMT -5
In reality it existed two freezing : The freezing by advection and the freez by infrared ray. The freezing by advection is du at the wind wich he blow a cold mass of air( for example the wind Moscow Paris or bora). By ray infrared, the heat in the ground up toward the space( when thr sky is without cloud).The mulching protected the heat of the infrared ray.They are of differents effects. Imaginate if a atlantic perturbation came after a freez period, the soil protected by the mulching will be more long to warm up. The wind uniformated the temperature between the heat and cold mass of air.
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