4.3.3 Supporting Evidence -- Journal Entries

Nursery is awesome. I am amazed at the layering planting I am doing combining vines and ground cover and trees and shrubs. Abundance helps me recognize the value of this permaculture principle in layering. I learned so much through simply DOING the process. I didn't successfully scientifically figure out whether SH, SW or HW was the best or which rooting hormone but in some ways I learned that simply doing it gives my hand a good sense of how I do it. And many good strategies and techniques arose. Also, the plants around the edges receive the least water. Compost pile was great. I can't believe I used to dig holes to keep the flies down. Simply load on more brown. Fun to have 5 different soil creation projects on the land mulching, sheet mulching, mulch basins, hugelkulture, active compost. Flowers and Vegetable garden are going to seed. I've been teaching Bea about seed saving. HErebierto helped me understand the value of seeds for nurserymen and I am keen to start planting seeds more often than cuttings for plants which I can.

Herebierto Session- Big learnings: Some things -- might as well do SEED, Cashews -- "eliminate transplant shock, super easy from seed", Cappucino -- Allspice -- I've been crazy how to propogate -- Seed Cinnamon -- Perhaps no pollinators I've seen the flower many years but never the fruits/seeds.  Perhaps hand pollinating will support the pollination of cinnamon and allspice (this also flowers but no fruits -- Rita's fruits as well).  AIR LAYER Great technique on air layering Sphagnum or Peat moss -- Wet but not drenched. Cut down and eliminate the whole cambium layer just below the node you want to shoot roots 1" segment cut away -- all around the bark.  Put the middle of the moss around the node (not the 1" cut) Wrap TIGHT Really do a wrap job and then twist the edges. It's not that much soil. Make sure it stays wet. NAMES Herbierto knows the latin binomial and the mexican common name for many plants Finally know the final tree from Paul's planting -- chico sapote SHADE I have been nervous about how big some of our trees are getting Herebiertos assures me that I will find the shade valuable although I think he has acres as opposed to just one acre. SUCCULENT PROPAGATION Amazing talking about succulent propagation. He makes it much easier allowing leaves to root without water is amazing.

Gift Economy: I realize that Capitalism has in some facet destroyed the gift economy by making gifts and exchange become commodified. This isn't absolutely necessary; however, I see this quid pro quo in my own thoughts and in the thoughts of many others. Some of that is fair that I don't want to do for others if they don't want to do for me and/or don't appreciate what I offer. Capitalism helps add precise value to things; however, I think that many gifts become more meaningful when they are given freely rather than traded. ahhh love. . ..

Deadheading roses "The more you cut, the more flowers you get." - on pruning roses I cut a nice long central new shoot off my smelly white rose today. I realized that every node I cut had a beautiful new flower ready to send up, so I could have let this go down one node at a time. Although, right now with the amount of propagating I am doing, I am hopeful that this will shoot into new growth rather than a flower. In general, we want new branch growth as our new cuttings.

PRUNING Palms Palms photosynthesize with their leaves Ultimately prune the leaves as they start to yellow and turn brown. Easier to prune when still green (machete) rather than brown (saw or clippers). Cut off inflorescence if I don't want energy going to seed Aesthetically, I think drooping palms begin to look a little bad. Never prune past horizontal. How many leaves does it need to feed the whole tree. Queens apparently will drop their fronds eventually -- not like royals but eventually. . .. REMOVING palms cut the weight of the crown off first so it's easier to fell. consider cutting in sections (and ideal if you can drop the crown weight first.

Returned from states, Very happy nursery, Much new growth apparent: Hibiscus -- the fattest sticks/cuttings did the best which surprised me, Purple and pink flowers from yoga circle did well, geranium didn't do as well as i expected, nor did roses, got a few orange vines -- very excited yes on -- mexican heather, passionfruit, i think one myrrh made it can't tell on cypress or kaffir lime one allspice hasn't died but no new shoots contrary to the hibiscus big sticks doing well, mostly the most successful cuttings were young new growth -- semihard wood KEY LEARNING --- use healthy vigorous shoots for new cuttings Can't stack functions of pruning dead wood and taking cuttings. Saturday rainy day inspired to start T - 2 from new moon SH Hibiscus red center, SH hibiscus by hornets, terminal SW passionfruit, purple flower, copal/myrrh in front garden. Cuttings 2 - Sunday got a hibiscus from Georg -- HW, hibiscus from james rita -- SH, moringa, big guava. SEEDS -- Tuesday Planted 80 rows of seeds in chirollas, Most of my favorite seeds that are here, Tomorrow, I will plant more.

LSB: Herebierto / Ramona Nurseryman Validated many of my instincts: Very clear that down here, semihard is often the best: hibiscus, roses, llantana, llamarada, china cap. Softwood: cappucino wants very new growth as do herbs: rosemary, damiana (or SH), oregano. I've been watering my nursery too much. He says maybe 2x per week or every other day but he uses a greenhouse and waters even less frequently. The home terrarium is universally recommended on Youtube; however, my stuff seems to mold. It's so hot down here, it seems like more work to remember to open the bags than to water regularly (especially since i've got seeds going and everything so I need to water regularly anyway.) Fun to see his quickness and casualness with all the plants. I love how when people become skilled at anything there is a flow that resonates from their being/practice. Citrus trees- - he recommends air layering. Succulents With latex -- let all the latex leave/drip out -- the white stuff that comes out of plumeria and other succulents: plumeria -- 2-3 days, crown of thorns -- 1/2 - 1 day, desert rose 1/2 - 1 day, aloe and cacti can stick right in the earth -- peel back some leaves on the aloe.

PROPAGATION: Having a great time with propagation. Seeing roots in water and mold and the ziploc bag terrariums molding and not working; however, seeing new shoots on many of my cuttings is inspiring. Getting lots of familiarity with new growth, softwood. Stacking functions with making bouquets and saving the hibiscus and roses to keep rooting in water and transfer to soil. WATER : The neighbor has a leaking pipe which h.as shown me what rainstorms could be like and massive amounts of water coming onto the land This has inspired me to plant more at some of our water points where rivers flow onto our property. While water is running, I have carved various swales and trenches to mulch pits to preserve the water on our site and prevent erosion off our land.

Soil -- Deeper awareness around peat moss. This is a living moss that we use for it's ability to hold water. It is able to create ecosystems in otherwise wastelands as it has this unique capability Soil on my site -- Very fun watching the Compost pile and explore with adding water to the compost bucket -- makes it smell REALLY quickly. Understanding the factors of Brown/Green/water and air. New awareness. I assumed that once weeds or cuttings had turned "brown" they had lost their nitrogen and were more Carbon. Most people on the internet believe that some nitrogen is leaving but fresh yard cuttings are still a "green". I therefore have very few "browns" on my property and think hugelkulturing with the woody material seems smarter. (better design for our unique landscape). I am also very curious about anaerobic compost and I intend to try this out. Before I used to bury my compost with woody material and give it time and not use the soil quickly. I also was surprised that most people don't recommend meat, dairy or leftovers as these are main parts of many composting systems that I have been a part of. I do not however understand whether this is about optimizing the compost or safety (pathogens from meat).

Loads of cuttings: Watching videos has given me awareness of more and more considerations. Ultimately, I feel like a "scientific" test is functionally impossible at this point. Firstly, everything would have to be the same day to account for temperature, moon sign, humidity, etc.. . . . Next, EACH and EVERY cutting is different. I'm trying to learn so much right now on tips vs. softwood vs. semihard vs. hardwood. Then -- some of the Rooting hormone soil medium (some peat moss, some sand) I started with mostly amended soil with a bit of manure.  More research suggests that fertilization and manure are not useful for cuttings. So lightening the soil rather than enriching it seems important. Peat moss and perlite are what are available here.  Best Practices I see that semihard with a new shoot is the most likely to shoot when given abundant water. My sense is that hardwood rots with lots of water; however, all green tips love continuous water (like you can just leave them in water as opposed to earth Soil Medium -- Fun working with peat moss (conventional product) to see what the people do.

There are so many considerations in taking cuttings that I could use endless bags. I am going for volume with the realization that amassing hours of experimentation seems like the most important thing to me now.  In some ways this is an implementation of my original design; in a new modified view, this is surveying with new awarenesses. In order to run truly controlled scientific studies, I would need to be doing quite a bit more rigidly controlled studies, which would be difficult considering the volume of plants that I am working with. Some distinctions that I am trying to make Hardwood Semihard Softwood, Understanding how these root differently, trying them in soil (watering 2x per week), in bags (Watering daily), and in water.  Maintaining awareness of whether there is a significant discrepancy between cuttings taken at the new moon and the full moon is fun for me.  I tried 9 trial bags where I did the "same" cuttings in honey, clonex gel and liquid rooting hormone. Curious to see if one is a CLEAR winner I realize that if nothing JUMPS out at me than chances are it's not statistically relevant since even if one or two bags get a few more cuttings, it could be random in that I was cutting those more consciously or always put the sem,ihard wood in that bag while putting the tips and hardwood in the other two while rotating around.