Everything falling into place for the Coop Prairie Community Orchard. These 275 gallon IBC totes normally sell for anywhere from $30. to over $100. around these parts, depending on quality and what they contained.
Our source is used once, in excellent condition, no toxic or harmful contents held, a whopping $2.50 to pay for the scrap zinc in the support cage. A bank of these piped together will collect rainwater from the church gym roof and distribute to the trees via drip irrigation system.
Once the bank is in place, it will be covered to protect from the heat and UV rays that will degrade the plastic. Hoping to score at least five more of these for the project, a dozen would be welcome. Free would be even better but we're not going to complain over the price of scrap zinc.
Most if not all the majority of trees we'll be planting are considered to be drought tolerant once established. It's the critical first few years to get a tree established that will make a lasting orchard in time.
Having stated the educated obvious, there is one Hardy Chicago Fig, a first-year air layer planted out at the church now and has been since early Spring of 2016. It's in seemingly poor red clay soil, was watered twice all last year, once to apply a dose of fire ant killer around the tree and once to apply a dose of fish & seaweed fertilizer. Other than that, it was in God's hands.
That tree has done as well or better than all our yard trees that I personally pampered all year, including it's own mother tree and made a couple dozen good size and delicious figs!
Figures.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are moderated so spammers need not waste their time.