Fig update and i'm a moron... -

Encanto Farms Nursery > Categories > Fig update and i'm a moron...

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WillsC Registered: 1348087628 Posts: 1,698	1357778321 The fig project is moving along. I have 50 spots laid out, mulched and irrigation line run, buried and a riser with a spray head spinner set at each spot. Here we have RKN so it pays to get the organics in fast and get them rotting down to drive away the evil worms. Below is part of the new construction. That bed is 160 feet long, 10' out from the fence and a spray head every 10' feet. [IMG]http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/ss63/Bamboorabbit/IMG_2552_zps1d959904.jpg[/IMG] Back on the farm we use to raise plants to sell and have continued to raise plants all my life though not sell them but that whole baggie thing was a new one on me. I have to say though it is pretty darn slick and worked well, perhaps too well:) I only have room for as it turns out 70 30 ounce cups under my 3 4 foot lights. I have about 120 figs cupped.... Once the rack was filled up and as more cuttings started pushing leaves I had a space crunch. The room they are in faces north so that window didn't help much. This picture was taken 2 weeks ago. [IMG]http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/ss63/Bamboorabbit/IMG_2586_zpscaba3bd5.jpg[/IMG] This one today [IMG]http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/ss63/Bamboorabbit/IMAG0271_zpsbb3cfcab.jpg[/IMG] As you can see the Inn is full up. Now the front of my house is just about all glass and faces south but we have a nosy cat and nosy dogs. There is a series of window sills 10 feet up and figured why not. Built brackets to hold a narrow shelf and because my wife told me if a plant fell and got dirt on her floor she would kill me I had to make sure it didn't happen. My wife is Italian.....they HAVE BAD TEMPERS. I know there are a lot of people of Italian descent on the board and I mean no offense but the truth is the truth at least in her family. [IMG]http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/ss63/Bamboorabbit/IMAG0273_zps0113a927.jpg[/IMG] So I took some 1/2" plywood and a 4" hole saw and made some rings. The 30 oz cups fit down inside so there is no chance they can tip over which keeps me safe from my Lovely and Caring (she is standing behind me) wife. I added two layers of window screen behind the cuttings to offer some sun filtration and we shall see how it goes. If they wilt badly I will shade them further. [IMG]http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/ss63/Bamboorabbit/IMAG0274_zps9648d11e.jpg[/IMG] I have the same windows up stairs also so 9 high windows in total so room for maybe 75 extra cups. All of my cuttings (that have enough roots) are wicked, that is the cup under the cutting you see in the picture. On the light shelf there is a common reservoir under them. So far it has worked pretty well. I always use wicks so figured why not for the figs. There are a few advantages...the cuttings stay evenly moist, there is increased humidity around the plants, the perlite does not float up like with top watering, it avoids over watering. Because of the increased perlite content I have had a couple cups stop wicking. I have started using two wicks per pot and taking the wick all the way to near the surface of the pot. Just something different some may want to try. It is nice to be able to walk away from the cuttings for a week and now they are being automatically watered. So far have had no rot issues using the wicks. I do not use wicks in the cups until the cups have quite a bit of roots. I wrapped the cutting cups in foil as well as the reservoirs. Now the moron part.....So I get the two shelves done and crack a beer......I look over on the counter and see one of the two gallon jugs I used to fill the reservoirs is still full....but I know I had used two gallon jugs. What I did was grabbed a jug filled with bleach water. So in a panic I have to go and sniff each of the reservoirs to find out which ones I had filled with bleach water. It was not one of my shining moments.
scott_ga Registered: 1189222943 Posts: 302	1357778861 What a nice setup! And very tolerant of your wife to let you keep all your little ones in the window. You may have helped me keep a little dirt off the floor and my wife from having to dig a new "flower bed" in the back yard. Scott
omotm Registered: 1349913471 Posts: 886	1357780985 Great idea that cup holder in the window sill gadget.
jtp Registered: 1271516015 Posts: 980	1357781019 Very nice setup. Looks great.
newnandawg Registered: 1344130335 Posts: 2,535	1357781253 Very, very nice Willis. That is a lot going on. Thank you for sharing your set up.
Pattee Registered: 1345750012 Posts: 1,417	1357781696 Ingenious setup Wills ! Uh how many had the bleach :( ?
WillsC Registered: 1348087628 Posts: 1,698	1357782693 [QUOTE=Pattee]Ingenious setup Wills ! Uh how many had the bleach :( ?[/QUOTE] 3 ...of 19. It is an odd number because the first one I did I cut ten holes but found it a bit too crowded so reduced the next one to nine.
FiggyFrank Registered: 1347560723 Posts: 2,713	1357792689 Man, that's great. I'd love to have the room for all that. Unfortunately, my fig dreams are bigger than my yard.
Willofig Registered: 1347555552 Posts: 254	1357793275 Nice set-up!!!
DesertDance Registered: 1247674606 Posts: 4,518	1357795838 Its a wonderful set-up! JD is pretty cool with me putting fig cups everywhere, BUT he's shuddering about the portable chicken coop. He just doesn't get it! Suzi
JoAnn749 Registered: 1325443625 Posts: 1,184	1357806804 That looks really good.
WillsC Registered: 1348087628 Posts: 1,698	1357830670 Chickens are great, they keep the bugs down which is good for the figs. I have 11 hens....and 23 ducks they are great weeders as well though constantly mess up my mulch.
rcantor Registered: 1309799312 Posts: 5,727	1357834714 Great set up!
Dieseler Registered: 1215735852 Posts: 8,252	1357835405 Neatly done, i really like the view you have thru windows.
WillsC Registered: 1348087628 Posts: 1,698	1357840467 The two layers of window screen seem to be working as the plants have not wilted.