Ok, talk me out of crushed shell paths (again)
10 years ago
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- 10 years ago
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Path: Thin layer of crushed gravel on compact clay?
Comments (13)I just think you would find that that construction method does not hold up--especially for heavy-ish objects on wheels.The fact that it would be over the compacted clay affects how the path handles water and so the thin layer that you describe will not necessarily compact together properly, as I understand it. So one point might be, if you are just trying to have a path that has some gravel showing here and there and you like the texture combo rather than just hardpacked dirt, it may be that no special kind of gravel is needed because--and I am not an expert here--you have bypassed the construction methods that promote the behavior of DG as packing and interlocking particles. If you were just aiming for a footpath to avoid mud, I would say that it is possible to make informal stepstone or paver paths with less rather than more preparation than is often recommended--again that is allowing for lower expectations for aesthetics and stability; but for rolling wheelbarrows and garbage cans, you need more width than a step-stone type path. Maybe it is because I take to heart your proposed dimensions--1/4-1/2 inch thick is not very much! I believe that some apparently well-worn hiking trails actually have additional gravel added over time for this very reason. Plus if you have hiked after a rain and after the park rangers have driven through you will see the ruts with standing water and mud. One concern I have is that adding the very thin layer may actually change the clay to be more of a weed substrate than before, because now the soil may become more porous and aerated instead of being relatively inhospitable. When you say "easy to hoe," I think, hoeing is so disruptive, it will make it worse, and then how does it end up looking better than just a beaten path? But what I hear you saying is, you would like the look of a gravel-ish path. So maybe if your expectations for better function are low and you like the aesthetics of a gravel-ly path, it is right for you. This is a long way of saying I have not made a path like this with good long-term results....See MoreAbout ready to pull my hair out again.
Comments (20)Wow Glynis, you really are walking a tightrope. Above all, you need to protect your safety. Any actions you take should be made anonymously. But, in my opinion, you should take action. I don't know if you do this already, but when I went on my crusade to oust Pig People, I kept a journel of every incident. Led Zeppelin tribute concert, 2:00 a.m. Mon. Crack deal in street, 8:00 p.m. Sat Escaped inmate pees in front yard 11:00 a.m. Sun. I logged in every time I contacted the police, the landlord, code enforcement, and HUD. I groused to anyone who would listen. In the process, I found out there were many agencies and programs that were available to help me. I was even encouraged to contact the FBI and ATF if I had strong reason to believe there was serious drug activity. In your case, with this deranged 15 year old, I would think a percautionary ringy-dingy to the FBI wouldn't be such a bad idea. I really hesitate advising you to meddle so deaply into this family's affairs, but something has to give. You shouldn't have to live like this. There was one program offered by the city called Street Beat. It was great while it lasted. Basically, it involved an officer coming to a neighborhood meeting and explaining ways you could help them help you. The officers then spent several hours each week walking the neighborhood, talking with folks. It was very effective and reduced loitering and graffiti. Alas, the city had to scrap the program this year due to budget cuts. But do pay a visit to city hall and the police to find out what all of your options are. What you said about your neighborhood being awsome but it was street by street really struck a chord. Ours is exactly the same way. Beautiful old homes and wonderful streets, pockmarked with bits of nasty. The city has made great steps and I have high hopes. Unfortunely, this sub-prime mortgage mess is going to make our efforts more difficult for a while. Two homes on this block have foreclosed. Two rentals sit empty. The market adjustment has stripped nearly all of our equity away. All we can do is sit tight and wait for the rebound. And stay vigilant towards those who would Pig against us. Be strong but be very, very careful GGG. Yours in solidarity, Steven...See MoreLet's talk tomatoes, again!
Comments (55)Sorry I haven't been around much lately---but here are the results for my tomatoes---which I covered during a snow fall last Saturday and pulled the crispy blankets off of them Sunday morning---they are still alive. They have some frost damage here and there, but not too bad. My favorites for canning this year: Campbells 1327---bright red, round fruit that resists cracking, and can handle sitting on the counter for several days. Flavor is good, good as a slicer, but since it can sit around it makes a great canner. Determinate Heidi---very productive bright red paste type, no BER, good flavor fresh, medium size. Handled the heat. Determinate Rio Grande---very productive large oval shaped paste type, no BER. Determinate Aker's Pink Plum---beautiful pink paste tomato, smaller than Heidi or Rio Grande, but peels easily and the perfect size for canning whole. Yellow Bell---pretty pale to bright yellow fruit with good flavor, about the size of Aker's Pink plum---on the smaller side, but got a little bigger later in the season, also easy to peel. My favorite slicers: Kellog's Breakfast: This tomato is so beautiful! It is large and tasty and very meaty! It started producing fairly early and is still producing huge bright orange beefsteaks. Burracker's Favorite: my first bi-color---stunning. It ripens to a deep golden color with a red blush on the bottom that extends in striped about half way up. When you cut it open it is golden with red marbling. Very large! Quite productive. Earl's Faux: a pretty pink beefsteak. Very tasty!!! Potato leaf variety that produced better for me than Brandywine. The fruit ranged in size from baseball to soft ball size. Consoluto Genovese: A small, bright red slicer that is fluted/scalloped and looks like a flower when you slice it. Very productive---no larger than a baseball,kind of flattened---looks like a red mini pumpkin. Good flavor and started producing early on---tolerated the heat well. Azoychka: A bright yellow, small beefsteak that is very early. Good flavor---a clean, tart flavor, but not too tart. Productive, fruit ranged in size from ping pong to soft ball sized, with most of the fruit in the middle. Noir de Crimee: A Black tomato a strain of Black Krim. Earlier than Cherokee Chocolate and a bit more productive. Great flavor, a very juicy tomato and beautiful to look at! Coustralee: a large red tomato---later than I like, but earlier than Big Zac, good flavor. It didn't produce very good for me, but I'll give it another try in a better spot. I'll have to do this in installments. Maybe I'll post a link to some photos too. I grew around 25 varieties this year! Later, Tyffanie...See MoreGetting the smell out of shells...
Comments (11)There may be 'raw meat' inside them. I got some big shells in the Bahamas that were being sold at a stand by the beach. They stunk, so I put them in plastic bags so the smell would not get in my luggage and I planned to wash them when I got home. Then I noticed flies IN the Zip-Lock bags. The shells were filled with maggots. Actually the maggots would be natures way of "cleaning" the shells. I did not want to throw away shells I paid for, nor did I wish to bring maggots and exotic flies home with me. So I boiled them and left them on a window sill to bake and dry out. When I got home I bleached them just to be on the safe side. While there, we noticed in front of one of the hotel doors a bunch of these big shells set outside the door. Upon meeting the occupants they commented that their room was filled with flies and they complained to the hotel staff. They were asked "Did you buy shells?" and told that that was the source of the swarms of flies in their room. They were told to just put them outside and let the maggots do their work and they shells should be OK in a few days. I guess it is a common complaint there....See MoreRelated Professionals
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