solarpunkfarmer hashtag performance

I grew this gargantuan crop of Blue Java bananas without feeding them any store bought fertilizers - even though most tropical horticulture enthusiasts recommend dumping massive quantities of consumer nutrient products on them. Instead, I replicated the warmth, moisture, and high decomposition rates of bananas' native secondary succession tropical forest habitat - and they are THRIVING. . . How did I create conditions similar to a clearing in an Indonesian rainforest resulting from a tree falling in the semi-arid Mediterranean climate of Southern California - and without huge expenses and a high ecological footprint for that matter? It's simple - all I did was plant them against a large south facing thermal mass (the wall), I continually pile "difficult to compost" organic refuse around the base of the clump, and I feed them wastewater generated in the garden (we only use biodegradable soaps, etc.). . . Bananas have been utilized by Indigenous cultures throughout the tropics and subtropics for thousands of years to transform trash into food. Grow them in any sufficiently warm climate (USDA zone 9 and above), and use them as a sink for your yard trimmings, weeds/invasives, allelopathic foliage, pet waste, urine, and household graywater. In return, they will gift you with massive quantities of fruit and high quality, nutritious, water retaining biomass to feed your other crops. Amend with compost or composted manure at planting. . . The total fruit count is 182. This defeats a Namwah I grew the conventional organic way (fish emulsion, kelp, and azomite) - a supposedly higher yielding variety - which produced a bunch of 158 fruit for me 😎 . . . . #gardentok #tropicalfruit #sustainable #sustainablegardening #regenerativeagriculture #composting #urbangardening #californiagarden #solarpunkfarmer #solarpunk

If you are #gardening in #LosAngeles this week, MAKE SURE you are wearing #PPE! In fact, I would say if there's a significant quantity of ash in your area, talk to an environmental health professional prior to gardening AT ALL. I'm in a less severely impacted area, so here's my kit: . . 🌱 P100 respirator with OV/AG filter (removes 99.97% of particulates larger than 0.3 microns, plus SOME VOCs) 🌱 Durable safety goggles that can stop dust from contacting your eyes 🌱 Long-cuffed leather work gloves (kevlar works too) 🌱 Long-sleeved pants and shirt 🌱 OUTDOOR ONLY work boots . . Avoid working outside until we get a major rain event, if possible (I can't avoid it, it's my job!). I'll be posting a video later this week with more precautionary tips. Stay healthy, y'all! 🌻😷 . . . . #wildfires #eatonfire #palisadesfire #gardentok #sustainablegardening #ecowarrior #maskup #solarpunkfarmer #solarpunk

🔥 FIRE POLLUTION SAFETY FOR GARDENERS 😷 . . Urban wildfire smoke and ash can pose significant health risks due to the presence of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), PAHs, VOCs, dioxins, furans, and heavy metals. These pollutants can irritate the respiratory system, exacerbate conditions like asthma or bronchitis, and lead to long-term multi-organ damage and cancer with prolonged exposure. Direct contact with ash can also irritate the skin and eyes, making it essential to take precautions when working outdoors in affected areas. Use proper safety gear to minimize inhalation and skin/eye contact with harmful air pollutants and toxic soot/ash: . . 🌱 P100 mask with an OV/AG (organic vapor/acid gas) filter: Provides superior protection by filtering out fine particles and some harmful gases and VOCs. . 🌱 Safety goggles: Shield your eyes from ash and airborne irritants, preventing discomfort or potential damage. . 🌱 Long cuffed work gloves: Protect your hands from direct contact with ash, which can contain caustic or toxic materials. . 🌱 Long sleeves and pants: Create a barrier to prevent skin irritation . 🌱 High-top work boots: Keep your feet and ankles safe from ash and debris, reducing the risk of contamination or injury. . 🌱 For extra protection, you can also wear a Tyvek suit/coveralls, nitrile gloves, and gaiters. . . In general, you want to reduce the amount of soot and ash that makes it into your home as much as possible.  In addition to leaving your work clothes outside, wet mop your floor regularly and run a HEPA filter indoors 24/7. . . Unless structures burned nearby, these safety precautions are generally no longer necessary once your area receives a good rain event - as this will wash many of these pollutants down into the soil and gutters. . . These are my recommendations for moderately affected areas.  I am an informed citizen with an environmental science background, but not an EHS expert, so talk to a professional if you are very concerned about the risk level in your locale. . . . . #PlantTok #gardentok #wildfire #wildfires #lafires #eatonfire #palisadesfire #gardening #firesafety #personalprotectiveequipment #solarpunkfarmer #solarpunk

Mugworts are an incredible group of temperate and Mediterranean climate perennials from the sunflower family that can serve as potent weed suppressors and high yielding chop and drop plants. . . Although this video discusses mugworts' effectiveness in suppressing grasses, they also work well against many broadleaf weeds. . . Mugworts tend to be invasive outside of their native distributions.  Please be sure you're choosing the regionally appropriate species or finding a functionally similar alternative if you live outside of their ranges: . . 🌱 California Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana):   Native to Western North America (from British Columbia to Baja California and Nevada). . 🌱 Common Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris):   Native to Europe, Asia, North Africa, and Alaska. . 🌱 Chinese Mugwort (Artemisia argyi):   Native to China, Korea, Mongolia, Japan, and the Russian Far East. . 🌱 Yomogi (Artemisia princeps):   Native to China, Japan, and Korea. . . Have you grown mugwort in your garden?  Tell me about your experience with it below! . . . . #sustainablegardenjng #organicgardening #medicinalherbs #foodforest #permaculture #syntropicfarming #solarpunkfarmer #solarpunk

💧🌱SINK TO GARDEN GUIDELINES 👇 . . ⚠️ GENERAL SAFETY: Sink to garden graywater systems are suitable for washing anything that isn't soiled with synthetic/hazardous chemicals, microplastics, or other environmentally persistent or toxic substances.  Unless your area is extremely polluted, typical contaminants found in urban dust are usually not concentrated enough to negatively impact your crops or get translocated into fruiting crops fed by your system. Irrigating leafy crops with graywater is okay in sites with low levels of pollution as long as none gets on the leaves - whereas it should never be used to irrigate root crops, as harmful microbes in the graywater could contaminate the edible portion. . . 👨‍🔧 PLUMBING: 1.5-2" diameter pipe is large enough to handle sink outflow.  Use schedule 40 PVC or another material that is safe for agricultural use, and select lead-free components wherever possible. . . 🌻 GARDEN DESIGN: Follow best practices for a sunken garden bed - including being mindful of nearby structures and designing in an overflow route to discharge excess water from the area in case of flooding. . . 🧼 SOAPS AND SPONGES: *Never* use regular dish or hand soap in a graywater system - only a biodegradable product such as Castile soap.  I recommend using a silicone sponge (shown here) or a biodegradable sponge to prevent microplastics from entering the environment.  When cleaning equipment, use only biodegradable products. . . 💩 URINE AND FECES: Avoid introducing urine and feces into a graywater system whenever possible.  Contamination risk from very small amounts is low if you are only growing fruiting crops, but not non-existent. . . How do you recycle graywater?  Tell me in the comments! 💧🌻 . . . . #gardentok #sustainablegardening #graywater #urbangardening #PlantTok #waterconservation #waterislife #permaculture #Sustainability #solarpunkfarmer #solarpunk