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Messages - Standardbloke

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1
Picked up a plant yesterday. Is it basically the same as sweet potato?

2
The most bland fruit I have ever tasted have been dragonfruit. Some dragonfruit I have tried have literally tasted of pulp and nothing. The worst chocolate pudding fruit I have had has had more taste than the worst dragonfruit I have had. And I say that as a fan and collector of dragonfruit.

3
Was at Whole Foods today wrestling with the other pre-Thanksgiving shoppers. These caught my eye as I walked by the fruit section. No wonder people don't buy more exotic fruit. Some unsuspecting person is going to pay premium Whole Foods money for a disgusting never-to-ripen fruit.



Not only is this terrible, but it is also dangerous. Green starfruit have significantly high concentrations of oxolic acid. If someone with Kidney issues eats one of those they could very easily die.

4
Table saw and a lot of patience/care. Lined the printing up with the fence and then marked the other side based off that (I forget exactly but it wasn’t too crazy with two people).

I am very happy with them but wouldn’t do them again if starting from scratch. I would try 100mm pipe to keep them lighter or just box up square posts. Where are you located?

Brisbane Northside. I have a few fruit trees but I mostly collect dragonfruit. Not sure how many different types I have now, around 50 I guess. I don't collect everything, just the types I think might be good. I only grow one white for pollination.

5

Those look great. I'm assuming you use stormwater pipe to cast them...but how does this work, and how do you get the post out once it has set?Or do you just cast each hemisphere them join them together, somehow?

Yeah 150mm pipe cut lengthways and hoseclamped/taped together during casting. They are way overkill. I made a video but it sucks, I am getting better at that haha.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3GNTeLxD8rg

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rO9NELjNBuc


Nothing wrong with those videos mate, I think they're pretty good. It's a good idea, I'd wager they way a tonne each. How in the name of Jesus tapdancing Christ did you cut the storm pipe straight? Did you do it on a bandsaw?

6
These are the best vertical supports I've seen so far.  Wish I could purchase those forms in the US.  Their rebar on the top supports looks to be mass produced also.  It's not so easy to reproduce for the home gardener.  But I will probably try.  My neighbors and I are pretty handy, we will try and copy them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7REsQWNG9U&t=20s&app=desktop

Yes those are quite good. The actual post would not be difficult to cast but the crown would be trickier. That said, I'm fairly confident you could approximate it making a mould from ply. It would obviously need to be hexagonal and not circular, but it wouldn't bee to difficult to knock up. Probably worth just getting a laser cutting place to make a kit, really...then you could simply glue it together, epoxy it, and use it to cast as many as you liked pretty much indefinitely.

7
My concrete posts


And tops (pvc with concrete in top half supporting frame)


Those look great. I'm assuming you use stormwater pipe to cast them...but how does this work, and how do you get the post out once it has set?Or do you just cast each hemisphere them join them together, somehow?

8
What I have seen that is very economical and functional are concrete posts.  I’ve seen this in CR and Mexico and I think I’ve seen the same in photos from Israel.  A field of cement posts at about 2m spacing.  The plants grow up and hang down off the posts.  There’s no horizontal structure.
Peter

I agree concrete posts are an excellent solution.  They are cheap if you have the manufacturing down and will last forever. 

I have considered this. However, I think cement and the other requisite materials are considerably more inexpensive in the states and elsewhere than in Australia. The numbers aren't there for me...it's actually cheaper for me to buy a hardwood post and give it a few coats of 2 part epoxy resin than to make a concrete post. It's a bit of a bummer because otherwise I'd definitely be doing it, I have seen them grown in stacked tires before but this doesn't make sense to me, because you'd have no access at the base of the plants to apply fertilizers etc.

Im leaning towards concrete posts for future supports even though I already have lots of cattle panels and fencing material that could be used.

9
I see no need for fencing what you need is strong vertical support for heavy plants. Chain link fencing doesn't hold anything up it must be held by horizontal piping.
In Taiwan they have gone to trellis in a linear form. The plants are spaced closer along the row than post culture but probably need more pruning work, maybe between every crop cycle where you might get several crops on a post culture before hard pruning. Post culture gives you four plants/post, so 680 posts/acre x 4=2720 plants/acre . Linear trellis gives you four plants every 8 feet or so along a row, so do the math to figure how many plants per area.

What really matters is support for the heavy weight especially if you have strong santa ana wind/typhoon/hurricane to worry about. Posts are pretty resistant but some of Gray Davis' trellises collapsed which looks like a nightmare needing to start over.
Taiwan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT6NPpVq8bM

Interesting. Is there an advantage to planting more cuttings on a single post as opposed to letting one single plant fill more of an area?This is something I've often wondered about; does more plants= a bigger yield than  less, or even a single plant allowed to take up more room?

I'd be using galvanized tube in the above described scenario. Maybe connectors to make a 'T shape' at either end of the row,  and cable could be run between these, covered in conduit to stop the metal heating and burning the plants, to serve as a top area support. They do kind of support themselves however. But yes I do take your meaning...wind force is a serious concern, especially the more vertical you go. I'd have to anchor the whole thing with tubing at intervals at a dept of at least 3FT.

Currently I use hardwood posts and rebar grib on top of it.

10
Look at the support at 1:45

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u3E2xKzVb0&feature=youtu.be

That's essentially the same deal, really....I dunno, I don't see the advantage. Let's say you grew them on a chain link fence at a height of 9FT. That would literally double the growing surface area of the kind of trellises displayed in that video, because it would be making use of vertical space.It would also reduce shading-out of lower growth, something which those trellises don't seem to be capable of doing, because they are too short to effectively allow for the staggered pruning method I described earlier. I also feel that rather than make the plants more difficult to control, it would make them easier to control, because a chain link fence has support points at virtually every area, whereas those trellis are basically just a wire fence with three support stages.

The more I think about it, the more bananas it seems not to do it. I think I'm gonna have a crack at trying this. I'll be sure to post results down the track.

11
You can use mesh fencing but its going to be more of a mess to keep pruned neatly.  I think the idea with all of the commercial supports is to get the plant to drape over the top and hang down.  With fencing dont you end up with the top vines hanging over the bottom vines and making a mess?

Do you have photos of yours?

Well, there's a very simple solution to that problem; simply build the fence to such a height that it can accommodate pruning of the lop growth to allow light penetration to the lower growth. By that I mean tip the top lengths shorter than the lower lengths. Dragonfruit needs to be tipped every year to encourage more budding regardless....so really, it's a zero sum game. I've not done this with mine because it's kind of just a neglected plant I stuck there to cover an otherwise unusable area, and the fence is probably too short for thbis anyway...but I'd wager 9ft height from the ground to the top would be enough.

12
I trained mine to go on arbor instead. Save money on shade clothes.   Right now, they are reach the top corner of each abor.   Can't wait to see all the blooms covering the entire arbor in the next few year.

Yeah that will look beautiful, eventually. Have to post pictures one day!

13
Theres lots of commercial DF farms growing in rows like a vineyard.  Look up gray martin on youtube to see how his DF farm here in california is setup.  Theres also farms in asia using similar supports.

I have seen this, yes. But I'm yet to see anyone actually utilizing chain mesh...and I kind of don't get why.
I mean what is the essential, meaningful difference between the below method and just plain old run-of-the-mil mesh fencing? It just seems like over-engineering for a less efficient and stable outcome, to me.






14
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Rusty's market for lunch
« on: November 25, 2019, 01:02:49 AM »
Yes and in Aus $ durian of various types is around 8 to 12/kg in January to about April. Mangosteens are 7 to 12/kg and lansium are less frequent and around 10/kg. They are a bit pricey for most people.

Maybe in your neck of the woods Mike....by the time The Queen of fruits gets to me in Brizzy she's close to the end of her reign. I reckon Sydney and Melbourne gets the best stock outside of Cairns.  I'm looking at 22/KG thereabouts locally, and it's a crap shoot. A lot of them are past their prime by a long way. I'd say only 1/3 are really good, at least that's how it is from my local Woolies.


15
I have a fairly hefty, large-sized red dragonfruit plant growing along a length of chain link fence. It's just Galvanized poles and chain mesh. Not even a top bar. And this plant produces very good crops, and seems to not mind the lack of anything wooden to send epiphytic roots onto at all. The plant largely supports itself, and lengths that become slightly restricted owing to the limited size of the mesh holes don't seem affected by this either, and produce as well as those that aren't constricted. I suppose even if this did prove and issue you could probably get mesh with larger hole sizes.

I'm wondering if there's a reason we don't see this done commercially. From where I stand,  farming them this way seems to make the most sense. It's relatively expensive to set up, is strong, durable, and most importantly would maximize surface area for bigger crops and light exposure. The real advantage would be to taking advantage of vertical space, which most 'umbrella' type trellises don't.

Is there something I'm missing here?

I don't see any downsides, and  in my experience...there kind of doesn't seem to be any.

16
My grandafther used to hammer a few iron star pickets deep around where the mature the root zone would eventually be at the time of planting, making sure they were buried at least 1/2 a foot underground. Seemed to work.

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PM if you have any available.

18
Temperate Fruit Discussion / Re: Verry rare walnut
« on: May 31, 2019, 05:40:48 PM »
I use fresh manure because it contains more nitrogen than hardened manure but verry important its that i dilute it a lot.Dryed manure lacks nitrogen and i think it even draws nitrogen from soil to decompose.Its like composting straws,they rot verry slow until you add a rich nitrogen source.I use straw mulch and it doesnt rot until i add fertiliser rich in N.


In Australia, we have dung beetles. They were introduced from Africa (I think) and do a very good job of breaking down the manure and ferrying it underground. I do what you do; put  it in a barrow, wet it, mix it up with some volcanic ash or other rock flour, and apportion it around the roots of trees. Sometimes I'll mix in some shredded leaves. It seems to work and is a good, gentle fertilizer. Dragonfruit respond very well to it. Only downside is that because it's horse manure, I do get weeds coming up occasionally...cows are better at breaking down seeds, so I wish I had a cow! But I don't really have the room for one and I don't think my zoning allows for it.

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Temperate Fruit Discussion / Re: Verry rare walnut
« on: May 30, 2019, 10:34:54 PM »
Today, Sterculius himself ( the roman God of manure) visited my orchard.The big walnuts like the fresh cow manure diluted 50/50 with water.They got like 2 litters each and immediatly after ,half a bucket of water on the manure.The growth is almost a meter in just 3 weeks.


I like to do this too, especially if the manure is hardened. I use horse manure because I have a horse, but cow manure is better.

20
The thread is about using live sphagnum moss cover instead of mulch wich its dead matter.I didnt mix them with the soil.

Again, you're not talking about sphagnum moss. The moss in your photograph is not sphagnum moss. It's something from a different genus entirely. And yes, the moss of your kind as a 'mulch' is fine to use. In nurseries it often grows over the top layer of the soil naturally. That said, it's not going to be viable as a true mulch for anything more than situationally for the long term. You will burn it and kill it whenever you try to add topical fertilizers or nutrients. it will die off when you move the tree in to direct sunlight because it requires shade. The seedlings in your picture do not even require any mulch at all, in fact--and probably aren't even benefiting from the presence of the moss in any way. Perhaps this aids in water retention slightly more uniform soil moisture, but beyond that it's not doing anything at all. This is actually the way mosses contribute to the biocycle; they keep soil wetter for longer, which aids in decomposition of organic matter, which contributes to a more readily available nutrient (especially carbon) density available for plant uptake. They also aid in  in situ fungi development which is beneficial to root health, but again, that's all got to do with moisture. Unless there's leaves and wood buried in your mix, this effect is not doing anything for the overall health of those seedlings. It isn't hurting them, either. It's just not doing anything at all.It's fine for tiny little seedings, but it's not a practical, nor intelligent, solution to anything beyond this. If it was, professionals would be doing it, and they aren't.
 

21
Sphagnum peat moss is readily available, I've never seen coco coir for sale in any retail outlet I've visited.

It's worth finding. If you've not tried in, I strongly recommend you do. You will simply never go back. Get the really fine stuff that has about the same consistency as coffee grounds. Usually it comes pressed in to dry bricks, and you just add water. It's the best soil additive for water retention, drainage and root development I've found. Added to your mix at around 1/4 it's amazing. The chunky, bark-like stuff is an excellent top dressing mulch. On top of that it's the best seed germinating medium I've tried too.

Guarantee you guys in the states have it. I use stuff like this:

https://aussieenvironmental.com.au/product/coir-peat-coco-mulch-5kg-brick-3pack/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIteysyKDE4gIVwTUrCh2x0QZBEAQYASABEgKz8PD_BwE

They sell it at my local nursery and on amazon.  It is good stuff but its pretty expensive.


literally $9USD per 5kg brick. Add water and you've got 2 1/5 cubic feet of the stuff.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-5kg-Bricks-11-LBS-Coconut-Coir-Soil-Amendment-Growing-Medium-Hydroponics/372658545312?hash=item56c42e22a0:g:q0kAAOSwkERcG5Rx

Yeah 9$ plus 20$ shipping for 11lbs of "dirt" is not cheap.  I grow a ton of stuff, 2cu feet is not a lot of soil. 

Its about 14$ for a block at the local store.

But I agree with you that the stuff is awesome.  I do use it in a lot of my potting mixes.

Granted, but you wouldn't use it like dirt. As I said and so did you, you use it as an additive, as a mulch, or a sprouting medium. It is on balance cheaper than sphagnum.It's also better in every way. The whole thread is about a comparison between it and sphagnum.

22
Sphagnum peat moss is readily available, I've never seen coco coir for sale in any retail outlet I've visited.

It's worth finding. If you've not tried in, I strongly recommend you do. You will simply never go back. Get the really fine stuff that has about the same consistency as coffee grounds. Usually it comes pressed in to dry bricks, and you just add water. It's the best soil additive for water retention, drainage and root development I've found. Added to your mix at around 1/4 it's amazing. The chunky, bark-like stuff is an excellent top dressing mulch. On top of that it's the best seed germinating medium I've tried too.

Guarantee you guys in the states have it. I use stuff like this:

https://aussieenvironmental.com.au/product/coir-peat-coco-mulch-5kg-brick-3pack/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIteysyKDE4gIVwTUrCh2x0QZBEAQYASABEgKz8PD_BwE

They sell it at my local nursery and on amazon.  It is good stuff but its pretty expensive.


literally $9USD per 5kg brick. Add water and you've got 2 1/5 cubic feet of the stuff.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-5kg-Bricks-11-LBS-Coconut-Coir-Soil-Amendment-Growing-Medium-Hydroponics/372658545312?hash=item56c42e22a0:g:q0kAAOSwkERcG5Rx

23
Sphagnum peat moss is readily available, I've never seen coco coir for sale in any retail outlet I've visited.

It's worth finding. If you've not tried in, I strongly recommend you do. You will simply never go back. Get the really fine stuff that has about the same consistency as coffee grounds. Usually it comes pressed in to dry bricks, and you just add water. It's the best soil additive for water retention, drainage and root development I've found. Added to your mix at around 1/4 it's amazing. The chunky, bark-like stuff is an excellent top dressing mulch. On top of that it's the best seed germinating medium I've tried too.

Guarantee you guys in the states have it. I use stuff like this:

https://aussieenvironmental.com.au/product/coir-peat-coco-mulch-5kg-brick-3pack/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIteysyKDE4gIVwTUrCh2x0QZBEAQYASABEgKz8PD_BwE

24
There are two main reasons for not using sphagnum moss; firstly, harvesting it is very ecologically deleterious and bad for the environment generally, and secondly it tends to act as a very good medium for growing nasty fungal infections. It also doesn't hold water as well as coconut fiber. nor last as long as this. Most major nurseries here in Australia have switched to coconut  at this stage. It's basically better in every way, and it's cheaper.
Coconut choir its not better because it has much higher ph than that of moss and the moss contains substances that kill pathogens and fungi.Its sterile and was even used to wrap soldiers wounds.Its true thats not eco friendly to harvest the moss but somme people can get it from cut logs for fire wood that are covered in moss and otther places like i did from somme concrete slabs.Dont collect it from the woods .

You're referring to fissiden sp and other mosses, not the 'sphagnum' moss that is sold at hardware stores and is harvested from peat bogs.  Coconut coir has a PH of between 5--6, so it's effectively neutral, which is ideal. If you're trying to raise or lower your PH through mulch, you're not doing it right anyway.  Once sphagnum dries out it is very difficult to get wet again, and becomes a breeding ground for bad fungi. This isn't an issue with coir.

There is no reason to use sphagnum , and no professional nursery that I know of still does.
The moss in the photograph you have provided is not sphagnum moss.
Just facts. Take them as you will.

25
There are two main reasons for not using sphagnum moss; firstly, harvesting it is very ecologically deleterious and bad for the environment generally, and secondly it tends to act as a very good medium for growing nasty fungal infections. It also doesn't hold water as well as coconut fiber. nor last as long as this. Most major nurseries here in Australia have switched to coconut  at this stage. It's basically better in every way, and it's cheaper.

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