A big project to restore a little pond on my farm is almost complete.
Restoring the health of a pond is very important. It improves the quality of the pond's water, supports aquatic life, and promotes a clean and balanced ecosystem. I began this project about a year ago with the removal of several large and unstable trees. The next step was to dredge as much of the pond silt as possible - decaying plants, dirt, old leaves, and other debris that had accumulated and settled at the bottom. After the cleaning phase, the pond walls were reinforced with huge rocks and boulders and the spillway was repaired. Here's the first of several blogs showing how it was all done.
Enjoy these photos.
This old pond is located on the edge of one of my hay fields, not far from a grove of beautiful weeping willow trees I planted when I moved to my farm. I’ve long wanted to restore this pond and make it cleaner, prettier and better for visiting wildlife.
A year ago, I began taking out the dead trees from in and around the pond. My outdoor grounds crew secured ropes to the logs so they could be pulled out.
One by one, the dead trees and all the limbs and branches were removed.
Just pulling out these trees made the pond look so much better.
The trees were all put through the chipper to make wood chips.
However, the pond was still murky and filled with decades of silt and other debris on the pond floor.
A pump was set up to help separate the water from the silt and empty the pond for cleaning.
A huge tractor and loader was used to clear a path, so silt could be removed and placed outside the pond.
The exact make-up of the silt, or sludge, in a pond depends on the location and the variety of plants that are around the water’s edge. When there is too much, it depletes the pond of oxygen.
Wood and steel mats are placed on the path so the tractor can work as close to the pond as possible.
Juan is an excellent tractor operator. He is able to maneuver the equipment in tight areas safely and efficiently.
This is a silt fence, a temporary sediment control barrier that keeps any removed silt from getting into other sensitive areas.
Separated water pumped out bypasses this area and goes to the clean streams beyond.
Here is one of the giant hoses that funnel the water out of the pond.
Smaller machinery is used to transport the silt away from the pond. Packed with nutrients, the silt will eventually be recycled back into the soil here at my farm.
This process took a few weeks. It is important not to disturb any wildlife or dig too deep. It should bot be dredged deeper than the clay layer which acts as a barrier preventing any water seepage into the soil.
This shows the pond a couple weeks later.
Other debris from the bottom of the pond is removed.
Here, one can see the bottom and debris that has been in the pond for years.
And here is a section of the pond after so much of the dredging is complete. It looks so much better already, but the project isn’t done yet. There’s so much more to be done to bolster and beautify the pond edge and repair the old spillway.
March is always a busy gardening month here at my farm. If my crew isn't prepping and cleaning the beds outdoors, they're starting seeds and transplanting seedlings indoors.
Many of my vegetables are started from seed every year in my greenhouse - onions, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, celery, etc. I use seeds from my favorite sources and seeds I find during my travels. Last week, I started several trays of eggplants and peppers.
Here are some photos.
I grow bounties of delicious eggplants every year. I try all different kinds to see what grows and tastes best and what I should plant again the next season.
Asian eggplants are often sweeter in flavor and vary more in shape and color than their American counterparts.
I also grow all kinds of peppers. They can be served stuffed, roasted, or eaten raw in salads and alone.
Bell peppers start out green and change color as they mature. If left alone they will turn yellow, orange, red, or even purple, depending on the variety. The longer the pepper stays on the vine, the sweeter it becomes and the more nutritional value it has.
Seed starting trays are available at garden supply shops and can be saved and reused every year. They are usually made from plastic, biodegradable paper or compressed peat.
When starting from seed, it is best to use a pre-made seed starting mix that contains the proper amounts of vermiculite, perlite and peat moss. I use Miracle-Gro Seed Starting Potting Mix.
Once all the packets are pulled and organized by type, Ryan determines what order the seeds will be started in the trays depending on how long it takes each plant to germinate.
I enjoy trying seeds from various vendors, but Johnny’s Selected Seeds and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds are two of my go-to sources.
Ryan fills the seed starting trays with mix and pats down lightly into each compartment.
The soil should be level with the top of the tray before starting.
Seeds are started several weeks before the last frost in the area. If you’re not sure, check online or ask garden center associates when the last frost usually occurs in your location. And be sure to read the valuable information on the seed packets.
Ryan creates a quarter-inch deep furrow in the middle of each compartment by pressing a finger gently into each cell. This can be done pretty quickly, even with multiple trays. The depressions are just deep enough to hold the seed in place.
One to three seeds is dropped into each cell. Pepper and eggplant seeds are small, so one must take time dropping them into the tray cells. It’s also a good idea to keep a record of when seeds are sown, when they germinate, and when they are transplanted. These observations will help organize a schedule for the following year.
Ryan places a label at one end of each row indicating the variety of seeds that are planted.
And then he adds more soil, covering all the seeds and leveling off the top of the tray. He lightly pats the soil down, so the seeds have good contact with the seed starting potting mix.
Now onto the eggplants… My greenhouse cat, Blackie, watches with some interest.
These wooden pot labels are from Johnny’s. At just about four inches long, they’re perfect for marking trays, pots, or even rows of a certain variety out in the garden.
Eggplant seeds are also very small. Ryan drops the seeds into the cells directly from the envelope. Germination is never guaranteed, so multiple seeds are planted. This provides a better chance at least one will take root. The seeds will be selectively thinned in a few weeks.
Once all the seeds are planted, Ryan covers the trays with a top layer of soil mix and pats it down gently to ensure good contact.
I am fortunate to have the room in my greenhouse for all the seeds I start every year. Because I share so many of my vegetables with my family, I am sure to grow many crops.
The trays are all given a good watering.
Within the next week sprouts will start appearing in the trays. I hope these blogs help remind you what you can do to get ready for the next gardening season. If you can, start some seeds today.
Protecting homes and maintaining the landscape sometimes means cutting down trees.
I always feel badly when trees are cut down. Trees are extremely important to our environment - they are the world’s single largest source of breathable oxygen, they absorb carbon dioxide and potentially harmful gasses, and they create an ecosystem to provide needed habitat and food for birds and other animals. However, like all living things, trees do not live forever, and occasionally they need to be removed. Trees that are dead, diseased, or growing improperly can fall and cause injury and damage. Recently, several trees were taken down from around my property because they were deemed unsafe by the town. A team from Bizee Bee Tree Service came to help and did an excellent job.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
This grapple loader is attached to a knuckle boom and truck. It is controlled by computer and an operator on the ground.
The machinery is brought in to remove this maple and several others marked with green. All the trees being cut down are large, dying, and pose a risk of falling.
This is co-owner and operator, Massimo, from Bizee Bee Tree Service in Mahopac, New York. He is holding the computer that controls the knuckle boom and grapple loader.
Massimo directs the grapple up to the top of the tree getting cut down first.
The grapple is positioned tightly around the limb as an arborist in the bucket cuts from below using a chainsaw. Every precaution is taken to do this safely and efficiently.
Once a limb is cut, the grapple carefully lowers the limb to the ground.
The grapple is able to safely maneuver in tight spaces and carry very heavy loads.
Because the tree is large and near other trees and power lines, it is taken down in sections.
It doesn’t take long before most of the tree is cut down. For smaller caliper trees or limbs, the grapple is also equipped with its own computer operated saw.
As branches and limbs are brought down, they are put straight into a chipper, which is a machine used for reducing wood into smaller, more manageable wood chips. The machine consists of a hopper, a collar, and internal blades or cutting teeth.
Massimo controls the grapple very carefully, but also watches that his crew is safe at all times.
Here is another 15 to 16 foot section of the tree now cut. There are only a few feet left of the trunk to remove.
Here is Massimo bringing the grapple loader back down for the last time – it has done its job.
It is returned to the knuckle boom truck and locked into place.
The rest of the tree can now be cut from the ground. It is sawed as close to the base as possible.
Big trunk pieces are shortened even more at ground level.
Then another grapple picks them up…
… and puts them into a nearby truck for hauling.
Sometimes a grapple can pick up multiple pieces at a time.
And then all that’s left is the stump. A stump grinder will be brought in next to grind the wood into chips taking the stump down to below ground level so it is not visible. And that’s one down, several more to go.
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