Just a few pics of our clearing after all this rain:
Yeah, I know it looks like there is some "dry" ground here and there, but don't be fooled...
the minute you step down on it, it sinks about 6-12" and the water comes up over your shoes (I'm barely putting any weight down here because I didn't want to flood my shoes!):
4 comments:
Starts some rice patties! We been getting lots of rain here as well.
Is any of that coming from the melt from underground? If the ice is still there will it make the water stand longer, no place to go?
We had to dig little draiage ditches to remove water, took off like a little river. Will you be doing this too. Or do you have a good run off?
Your soil looks rich, what types of soil do you have put there and have you taken any soil test yet?
I like that first picture with the floating skid or hauler pull thing. I bet you use that alot in the snow hauling wood and water and other goods.
tc linda
oops excuse sp. drainage (draiage)- up (put), probably more : (
tc linda
Hi Linda - most of that water is ust rain, but the ground was already saturated from subsurface melt and the remaining ice/permafrost layer is keeping it from draining properly. If the rain would stop and the clouds clear out, then the ice would finish melting allowing everything to drain.
We normally have pretty decent drainage around here once the spring melt and rainy season is over. This year just had really weird weather so it's taking longer than normal. When we build the cabin and out buildings we will be forming swales to capture and route any surface water to the gardens and the "wetland" we'll be creating to "scrub" our greywater. Since we don't actually (normally) get more than 10-16 inches of rain all year, trapping the water in the soil around the garden really helps with irrigation during the height of the dry season. It's just May/June that's super-sloggy.
The topsoil is fair. Most of that lovely dark stuff is pure humus, not really topsoil since it takes forever for things to decompose up here. But in most places we've dug test holes, there's about 4-6" of humus and 3-6" of topsoil beneath. So we'll likely have to import some topsoil for the first set of raised beds and slowly work our compost pile to make more. We will need some soil amendments as well since the soil is very acidic (great for all berries though!) and the NPK balance is a little off for most veggies -- it's mostly a spruce forest after all. Subsoils are almost all glacial silt with pockets of gravel and/or clay... not too much loam to be found :(
Our little tobaggon sled came in real handy for hauling wood and gear through the snow this winter for sure. And it's pretty good over the mud as well -- anything with tires would get stuck right now. Not bad for $40 investment at Wally-World.
I can't believe how tough you guys are. After 5 years in Australia and 30 years in south Texas the last two winters in WV are about all I can take. I guess I'm just a woose.(sp?)
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