FECO Water Conservation Grant – Step Two – Treadle Pump
February 7, 2018
For three summers we have filled and lifted 5 gallon buckets to water the plants. That's fine if you have a strong back and a lot of time. Currently, we are working on a setup to move the water from the cisterns around the…
FECO Water Conservation Grant – Step One
January 21, 2018
Our newest cistern is in place, poised to capture 1,000 gallons of water every winter. A volunteer found it used on Craig's List and donated it to FECO.
On the last day of 2017, nine volunteers worked 2.5 hours to set…
Good Soil Biology – The Perfect Recipe For Plants
December 19, 2017
It's time to honor our important volunteers who live in the soil - the nematodes, protozoa, microarthropods, fungi and bacteria. All these fellows work tirelessly underground, decomposing organic matter and pooping out the…
Hot! Hot! Hot!
November 6, 2017
Last week, three of us poured our energy into designing a proper thermal compost pile. Today was the critical third day after the initial turning of the pile. Did the center stay above 131 degrees F? Drum roll. Both thermometers…
A Nod For Natives
October 16, 2017
These days I hang out with volunteers of the Washington Native Plant Society (WNPS). I don't tend to say much. I know my place (right field).
These are pleasant knowledgeable folks and I am learning a lot. One member coaxed…
New Watering System Is On Tap
October 1, 2017
It's fascinating how one mulberry or one thornless blackberry can sustain me while I work in the orchard. Just that brief sweet juicy explosion can satisfy, nourish and make me smile. These two fruits are new to the orchard…
Working With Weather When Watering
August 28, 2017
It's dry this summer. It seems like we are either watering, or obsessing about whether we are watering too much or too little.
Nobody wants to over water fruit trees. Why waste water. Excess water creates more tree growth,…
The Case of the Knife in the Watermelon
August 6, 2017
Well, no. Actually, the case of the missing spaghetti squash.
Laura and Mitch, new gardeners in the orchard, plopped in some squash starts Memorial Day weekend and by the end of July their garden bed was busting with yellow…
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
July 22, 2017
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Dog days of summer are here. Tomatoes are ripening, zucchinis are looking like footballs and aphids are blanketing the vegetables and flowers. With no rain to help wash the pests off, what’s…