planetrj

Was 104 here on the Mesa. NOT cute

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you will never have enough bananas ^_^

Richard

Here's the progress report ...

Lay the bottom course of the 2nd side.
Insert the rebar and lay second course.
Fetch 15 bags of cement.
Fetch 1.5 cu.yds. Humic Compost.
Mix cement and center pour the blocks - 1/2 day.
Fetch 30 feet of 4" drain pipe and parts, then install drain - 1/2 day.
Mix Humic compost with existing 1 cu.yd. local soil to fill the plat bed - 3/4 day.
Plant 6 bananas from 2 and 25 gallon pots -- couple hours.
Install irrigation "heads" and test -- 1/2 day.
Fetch and install 1 cu.yd. of perennial mulch over the entire surface -- 1/2 day.

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Richard

And another one bites the dust

Lay the bottom course of the 2nd side.
Insert the rebar and lay second course.
Fetch 15 bags of cement.
Fetch 1.5 cu.yds. Humic Compost.
Mix cement and center pour the blocks.
Fetch 30 feet of 4" drain pipe and parts, then install drain - 1/2 day.
Mix Humic compost with existing 1 cu.yd. local soil to fill the plat bed - 3/4 day.
Plant 6 bananas from 2 and 25 gallon pots -- couple hours.
Install irrigation "heads" and test -- 1/2 day.
Fetch and install 1 cu.yd. of perennial mulch over the entire surface -- 1/2 day.

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Richard

Today Tony and I installed the 3 inch perforated drain pipe inside a filter sock and buried it in 1/2 inch gravel. At the far end you see an access pipe sticking up vertically that still needs to be shortened. At the near end the pipe is connected to an existing drain pipe (buried) and exits to the street 75 feet "behind" you.





Here's what's left to do:

Mix Humic compost and other amendments with existing 1 cu.yd. local soil to fill the plat bed - 3/4 day.
Plant 6 bananas from 2 and 25 gallon pots -- couple hours.
Install irrigation "heads" and test -- 1/2 day.
Fetch and install 1 cu.yd. of perennial mulch over the entire surface -- 1/2 day.

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damaclese

Looking Good Richard you are way more ambiguous than I. Good Luck with the rest.

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ShearMe

This project will be worth the wait.

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momoese

Getting close to planting time!

It could just be the angle but it doesn't look like you have much room for soil amendment, maybe 10 inches or so? What's in the planter now other than oem soil and gravel?

Richard

Thanks, the night-time temperatures are dipping to 60 F so I am definitely anxious to plant!

Mitchel, there is 16 inches of space for amended soil above the french drain.

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Want Them All

Richard is pretty clear to me. I think you meant "ambitious".

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momoese

That's about enough room for a big corm!

djmb74

looking good!

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Richard

This morning Tony and I finished filling the bed with soil mix and planting the banana plants -- five of which were in 25 gallon tubs. Afterwards, I watered the whole thing down with a solution of 10-20-30 (100ppm P) to encourage root growth, then innoculated the soil around the plants with Gro-Power "Pure & Natural" (1/2 cup each).

It's almost finished. On Wednesday I'll have time to install the irrigation and cover the bed with a thick layer of 1-inch diameter mulch.

The soil mix I used was half compost and half "dense materials" that would keep the plants from tipping over but also provide aeration and drainage. I used:
6 parts humic compost
2 parts local "loamy clay"
2 parts sand
1 part scoria
1 part worm castings

Here's how it looked at noontime. The photo is taken from about 15 feet above the ground level of the planter bed:

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momoese

Cool! I see your pooch there garding the plants.

ShearMe

Now to add that waterfall into the koi pond, some nice bamboo & elephant ears and maybe even a pineapple or two!

Very nice work.

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Richard

Thanks Zac,

I will be adding pineapple to the banana plat, but you won't ever find bamboo growing on my property.

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djmb74

Hey richard what is it you don't like about bamboo? I was thinking of growing a privacy fence and to use it as a wind buffer for my banana plants...

Your yard keeps getting better by the way!

Martin

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*PEOPLE WILL FORGET WHAT YOU DID.
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Richard

Bamboo is invasive. Even the clumping kind will expand to a "clump" 15 to 20 feet in diameter over 10-20 years. If you like the way it looks then grow it in a box and regularly check for rhysomes trying to "escape". There are so many other things you could grow instead -- and many of them produce fruit!

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djmb74

Well the thing also about growing the bamboo is I want to grow a large construction type as I have so many ideas for different things and projects I could harvest it for...

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Richard

Well it is novel. Just contact an importer and buy a truckload of it.

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the flying dutchman

Richard,

Congrats with your new bed. I was just wondering, what is the spacing between the plants, i see the first one is on the edge. Has it to do with the leaf-size of the plants(esthetical reasons) or other reasons?
And how long do think you can keep the bed productive? I think you
have to replant the whole bed at some time?

Ron