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===Local Soil===
===Local Soil===
Soil series in the area of the Eureka, California neighborhood we are working in is quite acidic, around 5.0 to 4.5 pH, some kind of clay loam moderately well drained to poorly drained. (UC Davis | NCRS SoilWeb) <ref> “SoilWeb.” (n.d.). SoilWeb: An Online Soil Survey Browser | California Soil Resource Lab, <https://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/gmap/#> (Feb. 19, 2018). </ref> This should inform our choices of edible and native plants, because soil is the source of the plant. This information is very specific to the neighborhood we are working with, and others using this as a reference should utilize the same tool if the project is located in most of the United States, also referenced here<ref> “SoilWeb.” (n.d.). SoilWeb: An Online Soil Survey Browser | California Soil Resource Lab, <https://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/gmap/#> (Feb. 19, 2018). </ref> to get a general idea of the soil type without expensive testing.
Soil series in the area of the Eureka, California neighborhood we are working in is quite acidic, around 5.0 to 4.5 pH, some kind of clay loam moderately well drained to poorly drained. (UC Davis | NCRS SoilWeb <ref name="SoilWeb"> “SoilWeb.” (n.d.). SoilWeb: An Online Soil Survey Browser | California Soil Resource Lab, <https://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/gmap/#> (Feb. 19, 2018).</ref>). This should inform our choices of edible and native plants, because soil is the source of the plant. This information is very specific to the neighborhood we are working with, and others using this as a reference should utilize the same tool if the project is located in most of the United States, also referenced here<ref name="SoilWeb"/> to get a general idea of the soil type without expensive testing.


===Designing a replicable garden===
===Designing a replicable garden===

Revision as of 03:50, 15 April 2018

Template:305inprogress

Background

Students from Engineering 305: Appropriate Technology Spring 2018 semester will being working on a front yard garden in Eureka, California with the Cooperation Humboldt group.

“Cooperation Humboldt exists to help develop a solidarity economy across the North Coast. We identify, support and nurture cooperative economic efforts that help people meet their needs without exploiting or oppressing anyone, without being exploited or oppressed by anyone, and without destroying Mother Earth.”

Problem statement

The objective of this project is to provide the surrounding community with access to local, freshly grown food. The goal is to provide access to fresh food by making a front lawn into a food garden for all to enjoy

Project Evaluation Criteria

The following criteria will be used when considering the best possible design for the project. This criteria was developed by the students working with Cooperation Humboldt. The weight scale (1-10) represents the importance level of meeting the constraint of each listed criteria.

Criteria Constraints Weight
Usability Must sufficiently produce edible plants for the community. 10
Maintainability Must be easy to maintain, water, and harvest plants. 9
Educational Must provide educational value to the community about the benefits of planting edibles and the benefits of having such available resources. 9
Aesthetics Must look pleasing to the eye. 8
Cost Must be economically friendly and not exceed budget. 7
Sustainability Must have native pollinators to keep the plants healthy and its own source of water. 7

Costs

Below is a proposed budget with rough estimates for the project. Materials that are donated or reclaimed will be helpful in lowering the total cost.

Quantity Material Source Cost ($) Total ($)
1 Seed starter ACE Hardware 10.00 10.00
20 Bags of soil Store 7.00 140.00
2 Lumber Donated 75.00 0.00
1 Irrigation supplies ACE Hardware 50.00 50.00
1 Pack of screws Donated 7.00 0.00
1 Tank Donated 45.00 00.00
1 Miscellaneous ACE Hardware 60.00 60.00
Total Cost $260.00

Proposed timeline

Task Completion Date
Review materials to be used/cost of materials March 10
Gather all materials together March 23
Dig up front lawn March 24
Plant edibles/natives/pollinators March 25
Add rainwater catchment system March 31
Make any necessary adjustments to garden April 7
Complete project update to Appropedia May 1
Final Project report due May 1
Final Presentation May 8

Literature Review

The following is a review of the available literature pertinent to the components of implementing a community garden and a rainwater catchment system for it.

Native Plants

When doing agriculture to any extent, from a large farm to an apartment window garden, it's a good idea to remember the plants (and their associated pollinators)that have evolved to live in your area. These native flowering plants can attract native pollinators, which is a method we and Cooperation Humboldt want to use to improve the yield of the garden. (2015)[1] Per our criteria, we want to prioritize low maintenance perennials where we can. To that end, some California natives that could suit our uses:

Achillea millefolium

Yarrow is a low-maintenance, drought tolerant flowering plant that is good for borders and flowers from late spring to early summer. Fully grown it is 1 to 2 feet tall, spreading 2 to 3 feet, and likes sunny conditions and is adaptable to many soils. (Schmidt 2012 [2]).

Fragaria vesca

Woodland Strawberry is a native to California that doesn't produce as large fruit as the varieties commonly used by industrial agriculture circa 2012, but is a native groundcover. It prefers full sun to partial shade and does well placed between shrubs. It is adaptable to many soils. Its small fruits ripen in summer. (Schmidt 2012[2]).

Oxalis oregana

Redwood Sorrel is a groundcover native to Humboldt county that prefers occasional to moderate water, is adaptable to any soil and is perennial. It doesn't flower to a great enough extent to attract pollinators. It is adaptable to any soil and grows 4 to 8 inches tall, and spreads as a groundcover. It requires shade. (Schmidt 2012[2]).

Rhododendron occidentale

Western Azalea is a tall shrub from 3 to 5 meters tall that is native to Humboldt County. It flowers in spring, and prefers shade and can tolerate acidic soils. It requires a lot of water but is easy to take care of, needing water perhaps once a week in some climates. (CNRS 2012)[3]

Filtration

Filtration is important in keeping a rainwater catchment system clean. By including filtration, usually a screen, the storage will not have to be cleaned as often to get rid of larger particles that are brought down from the roof. Screens are used for preventing large debris from entering either the storage tank or conveyance which includes gutters or downspouts (Grafman 2017[4]).

Types of filtration

There are multiple types of materials, shapes, and sizes that can be used for the screen. A few are included below.

Expanded metal sheet screen

Expanded metal sheet usually comes with openings in the shape of diamonds. It is economically friendly and has a strong structure since the metal is stretched instead of having holes punched through (Adame 2013[5]). This type of metal sheet can be difficult to handle and install.

Wire Mesh screen (welded)

Made from different alloys such as steel, stainless steel, brass, and copper. This type of screen comes in all shapes and sizes allowing for versatility. This type of mesh is easy to handle and install, but can be costly (Metal Supermarkets 2016[6]).

Wire Mesh screen (woven)

Woven wire mesh screen can be made from steel, stainless steel, brass, copper. Woven wire mesh gets its name from the wire threads it has that are woven at right angles. This type of wire mesh is easy to handle and install, and durable. The woven type of wire mesh can be costly, but easy to maintain (Metal Supermarkets 2016[6]).

Perforated sheet metal screen

Perforated sheet metal comes in different shapes and sizes making it versatile. Made from sheet steel with round holes punched through. The outer area of the sheet is not surrounded with punched holes so it can retain stability. Its structure is not as strong as that of expanded metal sheet (Adame 2013[5]). Sheet metal screens with punched larger holes cost more than the ones with small holes.

Cold withstanding edible plants

A few vegetables that can withstand cold weathers include hardy vegetables, half hardy vegetables, and tender plants. Hardy vegetables are good at withstanding cold frost and can be planted in Spring. Some hardy vegetables are spinach, kale, mustard, turnips, onions and peas. Half hardy vegetables can be planted two weeks before a frost is over, and some vegetables include carrots, beets, parsnips, celery, and lettuce. Tender plants can grow in areas with cold weather if transplanted. Tender plants include cucumbers, beans, sweetcorn, pumpkin, squashes, tomatoes, and some pepper plants (Singh and Davidson 2016[7]).

Local Soil

Soil series in the area of the Eureka, California neighborhood we are working in is quite acidic, around 5.0 to 4.5 pH, some kind of clay loam moderately well drained to poorly drained. (UC Davis | NCRS SoilWeb [8]). This should inform our choices of edible and native plants, because soil is the source of the plant. This information is very specific to the neighborhood we are working with, and others using this as a reference should utilize the same tool if the project is located in most of the United States, also referenced here[8] to get a general idea of the soil type without expensive testing.

Designing a replicable garden

Sprouting Education, a 2011 group of students from the Engr 215 course at Humboldt State University, worked with Locally Delicious to create a garden that is functional and can be easily replicated at other schools. The final design included a rainwater catchment system, kiddie pool gardens, and a pallet garden with a greenhouse top.

The pallet garden with the greenhouse top was a success in this project. Children were able to easily access the plants without having to remove the top. Sprouting Education used clamps and a wooden dowel into the design to easily roll up the top and make the plants accessible. For the rainwater catchment system, Sprouting Education used a barrel for the storage, a spigot and hose to access water, and a cut out window screen for filtering out large debris (2011[9]).

Climate

For oceanic regions on the west side of continents are that of a maritime climate. Since Eureka is a part of this climate, it has a set of temperatures it experiences throughout the year. This area also experiences a lot of humidity throughout the year. The rainy season for Eureka starts in October and goes through to April which accounts for about 90% of the annual precipitation for the area (Horstmeyer, 2011[10]). Even during the dry season, a majority of the time there is fog or heavy cloud cover.

Easy maintenance and garden design

Edible garden design has an art behind it that includes accent, association, color, composition, structure, etc of the landscaped area (Kourik, 2004). In order for an edible garden to be as low maintenance as possible, the edibles have to be specifically chosen for the area. As well as to start the vegetable area small and in a rectangular shape. Having a low maintenance garden would also need low care ornamental plants for ground cover while the edible plants grow. Ornamental plant gardens tend to be less maintenance than edibles, so the garden should be about half and half of each plant type.

Low Pressure Irrigation

While creating a garden space in a flat, urban environment using a rain water catchment system, it is important to realize that there is a limiting factor in regards to water pressure. Having a tank be vertically close to the garden being watered is a difficult hurdle and must be compensated for in the design process, unless a water pump is being used. Water achieves only 0.43 PSI[4] of pressure per vertical foot, which is problematic when comparing it to standard household water pressure of 40-45 PSI. To compensate for this, drip irrigation must be used. Whenever possible, adjustable or low pressure drip emitters must be installed to compensate for lack or pressure and ensure the garden remains properly watered[11]. This can be coupled with a "Low pressure water timer" for ease of use. The timers are generally standard garden hose thread and allow water to flow on a schedule, without the requirement of pressure like most modern water timers.

Types of Wood

During the process, raised garden beds may need to be installed. The benefits of raised beds include more control over your growing medium, and being able to garden in a larger space than container gardening without having to till into the existing soil. Wood is a cheap and readily available resource in most areas, and some is more locally available than others.

Longevity

Redwood has been shown to be one of the best building materials available for raised beds, because it is naturally resistant to rot and mold[12]. This material is readily available in certain areas of the West coast of America. While it is generally more expensive than other woods, its longevity pays for itself by having a longer replacement interval and is aesthetically pleasing. Cedar is another excellent choice for its beauty and mold resistant properties. Pine, while generally being one of the least expensive woods, is a viable option but will need to be replaced more frequently.

Health

It is ill advised to use certain recycled materials such as pallets for food gardening. Pallets can be pressure treated or sprayed with harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde, which poses obvious risks to human health[13]. Other materials such as OSB or particle board can also leech toxic wood glues into the surrounding soil. These types of materials should be avoided as much as possible.

References

Template:Reflist


4. Salisbury, A., Armitage, J., Bostock, H., Perry, J., Tatchell, M., and Thompson, K. (2015). “EDITORS CHOICE: Enhancing gardens as habitats for flower-visiting aerial insects (pollinators): should we plant native or exotic species?” Journal of Applied Ecology, 52(5), 1156–1164.

6. Warner, M. D., Mass, C. F., and Salathé, E. P. (2012). “Wintertime Extreme Precipitation Events along the Pacific Northwest Coast: Climatology and Synoptic Evolution.” Monthly Weather Review, 140(7), 2021–2043.

8. Bonine, P., and Campion, A. (2017). Gardening in the Pacific Northwest: the complete homeowners guide. Timber Press, Portland, OR.

9. Kourik, R., and Kane, M. (2004). Designing and maintaining your edible landscape naturally. Permanent Publications, East Meon, Hampshire, UK.

10. Gorgolewski, M., and Komisar, J. (2011). Carrot city. Monacelli, New York.

11. Bohn, K., and Viljoen, A. (2012). “Chapter 38 The CPUL City Toolkit: planning productive urban landscapes for European cities.” Sustainable food planning: evolving theory and practice, 479–494.

  1. Salisbury, A., Armitage, J., Bostock, H., Perry, J., Tatchell, M., and Thompson, K. (2015). “EDITORS CHOICE: Enhancing gardens as habitats for flower-visiting aerial insects (pollinators): should we plant native or exotic species?” Journal of Applied Ecology, 52(5), 1156–1164.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Schmidt, M. G., and Greenberg, K. L. (2012). Growing California native plants. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.
  3. Calscape.org. (n.d.). “Western Azalea, Rhododendron occidentale.” Calscape, CNPS, <http://calscape.org/Rhododendron-occidentale-(Western-Azalea)?srchcr=sc5a84e63962e19> (Feb. 18, 2018).
  4. 4.0 4.1 Grafman, L. (2017). To Catch the Rain. Humboldt State University Press, Arcata, CA.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Adame, E. (2013). “What's The Difference Between Expanded Metal And Perforated Metal? .” ADAME Expanded Metal Solutions, <http://www.adameemsolutions.com/News-Events/whats-the-difference-between-expanded-metal-and-perforated-metal.html> (Feb. 17, 2018).
  6. 6.0 6.1 Metal Supermarkets (2016). “Difference Between Perforated Metal, Expanded Metal and Wire Mesh.” Metal Supermarkets - Steel, Aluminum, Stainless, Hot-Rolled, Cold-Rolled, Alloy, Carbon, Galvanized, Brass, Bronze, Copper, <https://www.metalsupermarkets.com/difference-between-perforated-metal-expanded-metal-and-wire-mesh/> (Feb. 18, 2018)
  7. Singh, D. J., and Davidson, J. (2016). Growing Vegetables in Your Garden - Tips for Planting Vegetable Crops Outside. Mendon Cottage Books.
  8. 8.0 8.1 “SoilWeb.” (n.d.). SoilWeb: An Online Soil Survey Browser | California Soil Resource Lab, <https://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/gmap/#> (Feb. 19, 2018).
  9. Sprouting Education. (2011). “Locally Delicious school garden.” Locally Delicious school garden - Appropedia: The sustainability wiki, <http://www.appropedia.org/Locally_Delicious_school_garden> (Feb. 16, 2018).
  10. Horstmeyer, S. L. (2011). The weather almanac: a reference guide to weather, climate, and related issues in the United States and its key cities. John Wiley & Sons Inc., Hoboken, NJ.
  11. Valipour, Mohammad. “Sprinkle and Trickle Irrigation System Design Using Tapered Pipes for Pressure Loss Adjusting.” Journal of Agricultural Science, vol. 4, no. 12, 2012, doi:10.5539/jas.v4n12p125.
  12. Wolford, DaNelle, et al. “The Best Material for Raised Garden Boxes.” Weed 'Em & Reap, 15 Sept. 2016, www.weedemandreap.com/best-material-for-raised-garden-boxes/.
  13. Contributor. “How to Know If A Pallet Is Safe to Use DIY Projects Craft Ideas & How To's for Home Decor with Videos.” DIY Projects Craft Ideas & How To's for Home Decor with Videos, 13 Mar. 2017, diyprojects.com/know-safe-use-pallet/.
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