mánudagur, 22. október 2012

Slow Growing in Scotland: Compost, at last


For years, it seems, we've been tipping kitchen waste into our two compost bins, but very little compost has emerged.  This has mostly been because of lack of time to empty them out.  I have wondered if 
the bins have Tardis-like properties.

At last on Sunday we got round to emptying one of the bins and relocating it round to the shady side of the shed.  The spot where we plonked the bins when we took on the plot turns out to be the corner which gets the last of the afternoon sun once the rest of the plot is in shade.  Far too valuable to waste on compost!

The contents have composted down nicely, except for the supposedly compostable bin liners.  These resembled nothing more than supermarket carrier bags, even after several years.  I've resolved not to waste any more money on them, but to line the kitchen waste bin with newspaper instead.

When it came to spreading the compost over freshly dug beds, I discovered that a lot of compost goes a little way.  Still, it feels good to have fed the soil more than we've been able to do so far.
 



Source:http://slowgrowinginscotland.blogspot.com/2012/10/compost-at-last.html
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þriðjudagur, 16. október 2012

Gróðursetning í Mosfelli | Fréttir | Um SR

16.10.2012

Í sumar og haust hefur töluvert verið gróðursett af sitkagreni og fleiri tegundum í Mosfell í Grímsnesi. Skógrækt hefur verið stunduð á leigulandi í Mosfelli í Grímsnesi sem er jörð í eigu þjóðkirkjunnar, síðan árið 1989.
16102012-(3)
16102012-(2)16102012-(4)
Fyrstu árin var mest gróðursett af stafafuru og lerki. Stafafuran spratt vel en lerkið átti erfitt uppdráttar. Upphaflega var lerkið gróðursett í aðra hverja rás og var hugmyndin að nýta skjólið af lerkinu fyrir aðrar tegundir, s.s. sitkagreni, og nú um tuttugu árum síðar er verið að bæta greni inn í gisna lerkireiti. Verktakar sáu um gróðursetningu í sumar og nú á haustdögum kom hópur frá 4. flokki handknattleiksdeildar Ungmennafélags Selfoss og gróðursetti í um 7 ha lands. Alls hefur verið gróðursett í tæplega 40 ha af gisnum lerkiskógi og standa vonir til að lerkið hjálpi greninu af stað yfir erfiðasta hjallan sem eru fyrstu árin. Eftir nokkur ár verður lerkið smám saman grisjað úr skóginum og upp vex nytjaskógur af sitkagreni og sitkabastarði.

Myndir og texti: Hreinn Óskarsson


Source:http://www.skogur.is/um-skograekt-rikisins/frettir/nr/1836
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Hér eru myndir myndir Aðalsteins Sigurgeirssonar frá október 2012 af Mosfelli:
Upprunalegur myndatexti: Hér stumrar Úlfur Óskarsson yfir "dæmigerðri sitkagreniplöntu" sem groðursett var í næringarsnauðan mosamóa vorið 1995. Á 17 árum hafa greniplönturnar náð 30-40 cm hæð.
Upprunalegur myndatexti: Nokkrum metrum norðar hefur lúpína náð að skjóta rótum innan um sitkagreniplönturnar. Með því hafa trjáplönturnar (jafngamlar og á fyrri mynd) náð að margfalda hæð sína á fáum árum

þriðjudagur, 9. október 2012

Grágæsadalur - yndisleg frásögn

Eftirfarandi innslag var birt í sjónarpsþættinum landanum, í október 2012.

Úr umræðum um innslagið, í hópnum Vinir lúpínunnar, sunnudaginn 7. okt. 2012:

Einar Gunnarsson:
Völundur er bróðir Hrings listmálara og fleiri merkra bræðra frá Haga í Aðaldal. Hann rak trésmiðju Kaupfélags Héraðsbúa um áratuga skeið og var einn helsti frumkvöðull í Ferðafélagi Fljótsdalshéraðs. 
Hrafn Arnórsson:
Frábært að sjá þetta. Það fer síðan ekki hjá því, jafnvel þó ljóst sé að mikla vinnu og natni hafi þurft til að skapa þennan reit, að hann gefi vísbendingu um hvernig gróðurfar ætti í raun að vera á þessum slóðum. Auðnin er manngerð, íslensk náttúra er ónáttúruleg! 
::: Viðbót, júlí 2015:

Í þættinum Ferðastiklur þann 14. júní 2015 birtu Lára Ómarsdóttir og Ómar Ragnarsson meðfylgjandi umfjöllun um Grágæsadal ásamt viðtali við Völund.

::: Viðbót, september 2021:

Völundur lést 2021.


sunnudagur, 7. október 2012

Real Men Sow » Blog Archive » Just When I Thought I?d Kept Them Away! Deterring Slugs and Snails

Just when I thought I'd got a hold of the snail and slug population in my garden, this happens:

My healthy looking Mibuna decimated. The oriental salad leaves were on the cusp of being ready, and I was getting excited about the crispy, bitter greens accompanying my dinner.

Alas, the slimy critters had other ideas.

When we first moved into our house, the shrubs were overgrown and weeds were running amok. Each time I cleared or tidied an area, I'd find literally hundreds of snails hidden underneath. They were everywhere, even managing to climb up my plum trees and nibble on the fruit. And once darkness fell, you couldn't move on the lawn for slugs.

A Decreasing Population (or so I thought)
Gradually, as we got on top of the garden, the slug and snail population seemed to decrease drastically. I no longer visited the compost bins at the back running the risk of returning with loads of squished slugs on the bottom of my slippers.

This fresh attack has led me to dig out two lovely little books that I was bought on my last birthday: the delightful and very useful Tips from the Old Gardeners[3] and the funny, entertaining 50 Ways to Kill a Slug[4].

Soot, Salt and Beer
Tips from Old Gardeners has some interesting tips for keeping the slugs and snails away. I liked the idea of saving soot from chimney sweeping to put around flower beds, as well as diluted saucers of beer next to plants you want to protect. Apparently, the slugs and snails will gravitate towards the liquid and meet a beery end.

Salt – either in the form of seaweed straight from the shore or as jam jars filled with salt water – is another deterrent discussed in the book, as it is thought slugs don't like salt.

Sacrificial Comfrey, Sharp Stuff and Slug Races
50 Ways to Kill a Slug has some good ideas too, ranging from practical to rather zany. On the practical side, one of my favourite tips is to grow comfrey as a sacrificial plant. 'Slugs love comfrey!' says the book, before advising the reader to plant comfrey in slug hotspots. After a couple of days, pick the greedy guts off the comfrey and dispose as you see fit.

Other ideas include putting them off with sharp stuff like eggshells, grit and sand, or even the coarse texture of your own hair. If you've got little 'uns, why not hold a slug race? Get the kids to collect as many slugs as possible, and get them to race them. The winner gets a chocolate bar, and you dispose of all the slugs. Easy peasy. :)

Okay, maybe not. In fact, Tips from the Old Gardeners sum it up sadly: "All these things help to deter, but slugs and snails outnumber us and our plants pretty heavily, so we will always be fighting a rearguard action".

Looking at the remains of my mibuna, I couldn't have said it better myself.

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Source:http://www.realmensow.co.uk/?p=1817
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miðvikudagur, 3. október 2012

Mynd viku - flokkun stafafuru

01 Oct ' 10:55

(01.10. 2012)

Þuríður Davíðsdóttir var önnum kafin við að flokka stafafuru í gróðrarstöðinni Sólskógum í blíðunni á mánudaginn síðasta.  Starfsfólk gróðrarstöðvanna reynir nú að nýta allar stundir til að flokka skógarplöntur þannig að þær verði tilbúnar til afhendingar til skógarbænda næsta vor.  Fjólublái liturinn á furunni er eðlilegur á þessum árstíma, barrið fær þennan litablæ þegar næringarástand plantnanna er eins og það á að vera.

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