waterpod living systems

2010-06-24T12:58:00.000-07:00

Creating Drainage

2009-06-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

Water pipes run through three raised garden beds, and planning for the drainage was the second step after welding the metal railings up. The garden walls needed to create a seal to capture the rain water, as it is not possible to off load soiled water run-off into the surrounding river estuaries. With some simple wood working and the help of master cody with plumbing, we were able to epoxy pipes and cover them with measurable inches of rock to create a slope that would create the lowest point for successful drainage. More details to come as the drainage "lasagna" was extremely effective and a great use of recycled materials.

harvesting greywater plants

2009-06-05T20:46:00.000-07:00

-two pairs of lent wellies
-thermos of coffee
-4 bananas
-cell phone
-ranger john's cellphone
-GPS to Floyd Bennett field
-two spades
-contractors bags
-small converted bus
-gardening scissors

Ranger Jose told us life firefighting stories and we shook off soil and found two earthworms and one beetle larvae.

let's wish the plants luck in their new home.

chicken coop!

2009-05-27T01:16:00.000-07:00

We have invited Genevieve from Montreal to create the chicken coop for the waterpod. She has proposed a favela. Aside from the fact that chickens like to "bunk" together, her urban mock of a home, is exciting.
We have selected materials for her to use and the challenge becomes, can you build a chicken coop with what materials we have foraged on site? The crate being the best structure, with little labor.

let's see what she comes up with.

the crew

2009-05-27T01:07:00.000-07:00

soil on site

2009-05-27T00:47:00.000-07:00

With a generous donation of soil from the parks department, we are beginning our on site garden. Mary brought her plants first. We are all impressed! Mary's tomatoes are TOUGH she said. They could withstand 3 days of no watering and then lots of love. Sometime half of the battle, is plants learning how to live like you do, on your cycle, on your rhythm. The soil on the other hand is 100% compost, which is amazing and we found out after the first rain storm, that the compost helps to absorb water. Drainage however is a challenge, and we are looking at supplementing the soil with a mineral base.

2009-05-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

temporary living systems

2009-05-22T15:16:00.001-07:00

Just because the barge doesn't have anyone living on it yet, doesn't mean we don't have to start worksite living system.
One bucket is sawdust the other compost and some fruit albeit pesticided covered grapes, taught us the hard way that we can't wait to be eating our own home grown food!

on site!

2009-05-22T15:09:00.000-07:00

Getting dirty, using our hands as tools of the earth to move large amounts of materials to change space, and enjoying the vision of sunsets on the cranes that will lift soil for us...come out and PLAY!

plants in places all over the city!

2009-05-22T15:07:00.000-07:00

garden fence

2009-05-22T14:55:00.000-07:00

The best part of working on a barge is the air, the sun, the cool breeze and getting to feel tough about working with metal. The garden railings are going up slowly but surely and sloping with the arcs of this salvaged stage that we are reinventing. Inside these sloped areas will be mountains of sloping soil.

Our welds are beautiful, strong and torched into place alongside some soft beaming sun.

Growing with the ladies

2009-05-13T21:03:00.000-07:00

A little help from our friends

2009-05-13T20:57:00.000-07:00

Ed Russel's tags speaks for itself...but what you wont know that is that he is a master grower! Strawberries and all.
Wait to see.

seedlings in May

2009-05-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

seedlings in May

2009-05-13T20:47:00.001-07:00

chicken coop updates

2009-03-26T05:11:00.001-07:00

Building a chicken coop are you? Are we? What should it look like? for 6 chickens we should have and 8' x 4' coop and a 8' x 4' run. This can happen in many ways and for wind and design purposes should be a bit lower to the ground.

external greenhouse

2009-03-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

The greenhouse I used to work out had a black shade cloth that we would use every summer, to prevent the greenhouse with exploding from direct sun and high humidity. we also had fans and I would spray the floor so it would feel like a jungle and satiate the plants with moisture.
With simple systems, we are evolving into a natural shade cloth, which will be vining plants that will quickly grow and wrap up along the outside of the sphere. The sphere is now however a half dome and may be easier to design a system to install plants in, instead of this fabric soil hanging container. Still the concept is the same. Create trellising string that will rise 1-3" from the infrastructure poles and lace string so the trellising plants have somewhere to go.
the plants must be SUN- LOVING! with suggestions for grapes, morning glory, peas........other perrenials, which is not a priority. Annuals should do fine, but having it edible would be quite a feat pending it is not too high, or a ladder will be in order.

Irrigation System

2009-03-25T14:56:00.000-07:00

The irrigation system is a 5 gallon square restaurant bucket. One will rest on the top of each mound and be outfitted with Drip tape that will gravity fill the mound with enough weekly water. Gardens in NYC have a general water requirement of 1' per week, which is 2 waterings 2 times per week. Of course, that is rain dependant.

Greenhouse

2009-03-25T14:47:00.000-07:00

There will also be a greenhouse on board, which is being outfitted with a hydroponics system designed by the engineering class in Northern Californian. For now the design specs are created so that the structure appromiately 20' x 20' will be a half dome. There will be an opening at the very top in the shape of a circle and a "cap" of sorts that will be the lid of the greenhouse. The lid of the greenhouse roof wil allow for ventilation, and will also serve as a rainwater catch system. the rainwater catch system will run directly down into the planters down below.

Inside the greenhouse will be a structure that is welded to fit the circular shape of the inside measurements and provide a hanging rack for the buckets of container plants that will fill it.

Chickens in the city!

2009-03-19T11:23:00.000-07:00

In New York City, senior gardener Abu Talib oversees the Taqwa Community Farm and its 13 chickens.
In 19th-century Manhattan, hogs roamed the streets and cattle grazed in public parks. Today, chickens are the urban livestock of choice, and not just in New York. City dwellers across the U.S. are adding hens to their yards and gardens, garnering fresh eggs, fertilizer, and community ties, with localities debating and updating their ordinances accordingly.

Urban chickens fell out of favor in the last century because of industrialization and other factors. In the 1990s, though, they enjoyed a renaissance in the local-food-loving Pacific Northwest. The current recession and farm-to-table movement have taken the trend further still. “Just get a few chickens and you can feed yourself,” says AbuTalib of the Bronx’s Taqwa Community Farm. “He who controls your breadbasket controls your destiny.”
—Winona Dimeo-Ediger
Photo: Ira Block
Posted by National Geographic Staff | Comments (0)Filed Under: Culture, Wide Angle

Seed Kits for seed growers all over NYC

2009-03-12T20:30:00.000-07:00

Developing seed kits is a small feet for extending the growth of tons of seeds

I must admit, featuring a wildly outrageous selection of greens,

tomatoes, 5 different varieties and tastes of basil is quite a treat.

Growing all of these different varieties is a whole other process.

We created 8 kits and are in the process of selecting people to nurture

these seeds.

Funny how seed sorting in the city, sometimes ends up on the empty desk at a fed-ex kinkos.

We have our first call out to sowers all over NYC.

seed starting 101

2009-03-12T20:11:00.000-07:00

There is so much info about seed starting, books, courses at the local botanical garden and through places like the lower east side ecology center, it is such a relief to come across these simple guides, and even more fun when they end up on your gardening pal's kitchen table in the Ukranian village in Chicago.

7 days after sowing

2009-03-07T14:28:00.000-08:00

The Calendula, Arugula and Onions have started to show themselves just 7 days after sowing. I have placed the started seeds in the window sills and in spaces receiving sunlight but away from the windows. The plants that have started to sprout are not in the window sill, so I'm wondering if its still too cold near the window for the seeds to germinate. The length of time to germination varies with plants so they could just need more time.

The 6 packs and oatmeal containers are holding up fine for now. The toilet paper roll, on the other hand, is starting to feel pretty soft. They have all held their moisture pretty well, so I've only watered twice since planting them.

I'm collecting more waxed 1/2 gallon milk containers for my next seed starting day. They can be used for individual plants by cutting in half when vertical, or can be turned on their side and used for lettuce/greens starting beds.

Water estimations

2009-03-06T14:23:00.000-08:00

What do you think? how do you measure how much garden a garden will need? We have a landscape architect on board getting specs. Often with hoses in our backyards, we don't have to think of emptying a tank. When having to estimate and take the options of resourcing water the factor becomes crucial, not just for the garden but for the crew of students at Humbolt University designing the water filtration system.

Here is the first attempt! Luckily with suggestion from scientist and permaculture consultant Andrew Faust we have two things on our side: A reminder that the average summer rainfall in NYC is a plentiful amount. Hard to depend on and often in downpours that drainage and flooding becomes a concern, but plentiful, if predictions can allow for it.
Also: the three sister's garden is the BEST for drought tolerant features. Meaning that once established, it needs little to no water (irrigation that is).

Here however are some speculations of water calculation.

Case 1: Using the landscape irrigation formulas that I calculate with at my job, I figured that if a vegetable garden consumed as much water as a lawn, exposed to full sun in New York City, that it would consume 4,040 gallons of water per month if it used drip irrigation. Spray irrigation was even less efficient.
Assumptions:1600 ft2 of garden full sun / maximum exposure New York City regional evapotranspiration rate for the month of July - 4.34Drip irrigation

Case 2: Using the same formulas, my other estimates involved converting units from metric to standard, but i was unsure of some other values. Assuming the worst with a best guess, i calculated that if a garden was equally divided up amongst cabbage, carrots, cucumber, lettuce, 2 kinds of onions, peppers, onions and tomatoes, that it would consume 8,773 gallons per month (I found crop evapotranspiration data for these plants in metric units online).
Assumptions:1600 ft2 of garden full sun / maximum exposure New York City regional evapotranspiration rate for the month of July - 4.34Drip irrigation

Case 3: I looked for another way to figure out the water use consumptions, so I took it back to the basics and tried to find an online resource that talked about inches of water applied when irrigating. This case assumes a traditional spray irrigation - I found one website that said apply 2" of water "often" to vegetables during peak growth. I know that you have to water vegetables AT LEAST every other day during the height of the summer, so i figured conservatively - 2" of water over 1600 ft2, 15x per month equals 29,995 gallons. That seems way too high.
Assumptions:1600 ft2 of garden2" water per irrigation Water applied every other day (15x per month)Spray irrigation

still yet to be finalized...each answer varies the water supply so heavily!
we'll keep you posted

sowing wildly

2009-03-06T13:36:00.000-08:00

With a crew of us planters, visionaries and artists who are passionate about edible creations..we would like to share with you an update of the garden planning:

This is the list of goods that we have planned into our garden plan:

These are the list of seeds from my archived collection

giant grey stripe sunflowers
deep orange safflower
amaranth
supermane sunflower
torch sunflower
fuji dawn
Hollyhock seeds
snapdragon
Marigold
mini loofah
african Marigolds
deep purple hollyhocks
yellow hollyhocks
Tall amaranth
Pink Hollyhock
Tomato Heirloom Mix
Yellow Bell Pepper
tennis ball lettuce
Forellesnschluss lettuce
arugula Heirloom
Loiusianna Green Velvet Okra
wheat
afphan sesame
arugula roquette heirloom
red rocoto pepper
Super Red HYB Cabbage
pan de zucchero chicory
chia
rat tails podding radish
Weeks NC Giant Watermelon
Weeks NC Giant cantaloupe

Seeds just recently bought at BBG and whose care they are now in:

Flying Saucer Morning Glory

Spinach

Red Onion

Yellow Onion

Celery

One meal Cucumber

Planning: the Feat of 1/4 year system

2009-03-06T10:06:00.000-08:00

Every year, there seems to be a seed RUSH! it feels like tomatoes must be sown now, eggplants now and onions, last month...oh my!

The waterpod has been through a range of changes. The garden is changing size and shape, weekly. Water systems are being designed and altered to scale, needs...as the structural componants change the artistis vision get to amalgamate to take form.

Trying to plan for an early harvest because the waterpod is launching in may is tricky.What will artists eat for the first 6 weeks while the tomatoes are growing from green to red, when tomatillos are like pea size in their husks and while corn has little sparks of silk and not a kernal more. It makes sense that living off of the land is a year endeavor. Last summer while at an artist residency we ate from the demonstration garden, almost 1/4 acres of rows of delicious produce. There were times when the production levels of some was so great we could have the tomatoe squash fest of spain, or can tomatillos till our eyes turned green. Swiss chard became apart of every meal, and even snack, crunchy in the oven or tucked in between filo dough. This is a larger challenge. There are no cans of tomato sauce canned from October, no pickles jarred and in the pantry. We are living in NYC trying to sustain. In my gypsy life at present, rich with artist opportunities, I have not a window sill that I can water every morning, nor a radiator that I can call my own to get the warm of tricking spring into plants.

Another call of force and community arises from this opportunity. Meg, the co-manager of Living Systems ingeniously foraged through recycling bins, gathering containers of all shapes and sizes. Mary and Mira and Derek have devised a system, as artists, sculptors and inventors, I am sure theirs is equally as inventive. I am going upstate to a friends greenhouse later this week to sow her seeds and have a mini-exchange, hoping to get some carrot chilies and her best squash or rhubarb, although a perrennial is so desireable.

In the meantime resourcefulness is at it's best. There are Greenhouses all over the city, believe it or not, at places that aren't just botanical gardens. People invent coldframes, have window sill systems....plant in old waterbottles and have winter tales to teach you!

This is where you might come in! You as a grower, as an artist who wants to grow, as a scientist, teacher, supporter of the arts.....We have a larger mission in the 1/4 system of a NYC garden. We want you to collaborate with us.

Just when you thought building a community of gardeners in the greatest city in the world couldn't happen, it is! Across all boroughs, through subways, and brownstones, 6th floor walkups and sunny morning window sills, department of agriculture cold frames and kitchen counters.....

surprises of the seed exchange

2009-03-02T11:31:00.000-08:00

What do you do with amazing seeds besides ogle at how amazing they are!!!

First of all, we sorted them in the craft aisle at Pearl paint, next to the elevator! Mary took a handful of exciting varieties to start at home and deliver to Mira and Derek.

There is so much to look forward to!

Suyo Long Cucumber to Green Zebra Tomatoes.......just to tempt you.

First Seeds of the Season

2009-03-01T16:54:00.000-08:00

Here I have just planted a some veggies and flowers in my newly found containers. I started arugula, onions, calendula, broccoli, swiss chard, morning glories, and grape tomatoes. It may be a bit early for tomatoes, but I thought I would give it a try and see how they take.

I started these all on March 1 and plan to have them in these containers for the next month and a half. The tomatoes are in plastic containers because I expect they will need a little extra time.

Seed Starting Containers

2009-03-01T16:28:00.000-08:00

Today I began gathering containers for the Seed Starting Kits and quickly found myself rummaging through the neighbor's recycling bin. I found oatmeal containers, milk jugs, toilet paper rolls, various plastic dairy containers, and my personal favorite - 6 pack carriers.

I brought them in, washed them out, cut many in half, poked holes and filled with store bought compost. The 6 packs only needed a small modification. I decided to use those for the greens and lettuces, and simply cut out the dividers on each half and created two small rows.

I like the 6 packs because they are portable, already divided into smaller compartments and easy to find. I'm curious to see how well they will hold up with all the watering. I plan to use a variety of containers in the Seed Starting Kits.

Seed Sowing Schedule for NYC

2009-03-01T10:28:00.000-08:00

I found this great seed sowing calendar on Just Food's website. It was created specifically for New York City and is based on an estimated Last Frost Date of April 15.

The Living Systems team will use this as a starting point and guide for the Waterpod Edible Garden.

SEED starting

2009-02-28T17:54:00.000-08:00

Planning for the garden has begun with a trip to BBG, selecting from an array of organic, heirloom and traditional italian seeds.

What came of all of this, is that sharing seeds and seed collecting can really help deter the costs, but I must say, seed shopping is almost better than buying new shoes. Suddenly the summer visions become so delicious...visions of meals, eating cherry tomatoes under shade trees.

Meg is gathering tools to get seed kits together, which will be recylable and easy DIY kits.

There are greenhouses all throughout NYC, and we are lucky to have some volunteer growers on board. The pride of a good tomatoe grower is impossible to turn down.

Here is a general list to guide upcoming seed sowing:

Growing vegetables
12 to 14 weeks: onions*, leeks*, chives*, celery, globe artichoke
8 to 12 weeks: green onions*, peppers, eggplant, lettuce*
6 to 8 weeks: Swiss chard, mustard spinach*, Oriental greens*, cucumbers, tomatoes
4 to 6 weeks: cucumbers, cabbage family crops* (cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, kale)
2 to 4 weeks: melon, okra, pumpkins, squash

Growing flowers
20 weeks: fuchsia
12 to 14 weeks: pansies*, lobelia, coleus, impatiens, poppies
8 to 12 weeks: snapdragons, alyssum, petunia
6 to 8 weeks: calendula*, daisy, nemesia, ageratum and other hardy annuals
4 to 6 weeks: African daisy, marigolds, zinnias, cockscombs, godetia, nasturtium, bachelor button, dahlia, canary bird vine, sweet peas and other tender annuals

Growing herbs
12 to 14 weeks: chives, oregano, mint, yarrow, parsley
8 to 12 weeks: thyme, chamomile, feverfew, valerian, catnip
6 to 8 weeks: dill, chervil, coriander, lemon balm, sage, arugula, savory, basil

http://www.plantea.com/seedstart.htm#when

MCU Mobile Chicken Unit

2009-02-20T15:16:00.000-08:00

Just when you thought it was getting exciting.....it just got better. The living systems team is creating a Mobile Chicken Unit, which is an interpretation of a chicken tractor. The benefits are endless. The uncompostable food waste from the team of artists living aboard will be devoured with delight by the 3-5 chickens that are selected to love afloat the barge.

Consideration are being designed to make sure that the wind is carefully considered in the structure of their home. With the shape of the garden taking the form of mounds, the MCU will become inventive in shape. Yet to be designed.

Suggestions have been made to search out hardy heritage breeds which include Barred Rocks or Rhode Island Red. Although the appeal of having Arcana chickens is exciting as their eggs have greenish-blue shells and contain a higher amount of protein and less cholesterol.

We will have to allocate two or three beds to supplement their diet with buckwheat and oats which grow up to 3-5" in height and should provide them with the proper nutrients to lay delicious eggs.

Greenhouse Innovations

2009-02-20T14:59:00.001-08:00

A large amount of square buckets have been made available to the living systems team to create container gardens. This simple system has been designed to fit inside the greenhouse sphere.

Because there will be on site welders, creating this structure will be possible. The railing will hold the buckets. Buckets can still be moved and shifted and will be elevated off of the floor so that proper drainage is possible. Overall, it will help maintain the feeling, walk ability, and workability of the sphere.

The irrigation rainwater catch system is featured in the sketch above.(rt) showing the route directly to each container.

Original Design from Late January

2009-02-20T13:11:00.001-08:00

A sense of scale is captured here in a drawing of the original design. Each garden plot was estimated as 4' x 8' with 2' working walkways. Due to challenges of hand watering, proper drainage from rainstorms and for aesthetic visions, the general shape of the garden has changed.

This rendering provides a sense of the run-off hay barrier, the MCU (mobile chicken unit), and showcases the variety of textures, surfaces and heights that the plants will provide.

Overall Layout

2009-02-20T12:54:00.000-08:00

The layout as of mid-february would include a 70 x 40 foot area. There will be an estimated 22 plots, some of which will be curated for design submission for artists working in agriculture and design.

General and basic layout details have been added to this sketch which include a 3 bin compost system, an extensive walkway and a hay bail fence perimeter barrier.

Additional features are not yet visible, yet being thoughtfully considered and include

portable/movable shade structures

MCU (Mobile Chicken Unit)

Seating

Wind Breaks and protection

Innovative trellising systems

location and ease of rain water catch systems to ease manual watering strain

general depth of working hay covered walkways to provide proper drainage

tool storage

Garden plots

2009-02-20T12:41:00.000-08:00

Soil mounds will be created to design a landscape that mimics the rolling sand hills of the desert. The shape of the mounds will vary for each structure. Dramatic vertical varieties of trellised edibles, flowers or varieties with strong root beds will be planted on the top of the mound. A simple water system will be installed atop of the mound with drip irrigation piping that extends to the outer region of the structure.

Greenhouse

2009-02-20T11:15:00.000-08:00

The Greenhouse is a 20' x 20' utopic oasis sphere providing the structure for an edible trellising environment. This growing systems will line the inner and outer wall providing shade for a hydroponic systems that will be installed upon the internal structure. A rain water catch system will be installed in an upper ventilation lid where the rainwater will flow throught pipes directly to the containers below. The greenhouse will also provide wind shelter for a city donated fruit tree, the possible installation of tanks for a variety of mushroom growing and seedlings and sprouts to provide the first source of food for the season.

Welcome

2009-02-20T09:20:00.000-08:00

The Waterpod team has created a living systems department to spearhead the organizing and designing of the 70’ x 40’ area that will include fruits vegetables, herbs and flowers as well as a 20’ x 20’ domed greenhouse. The role of the living systems is instrumental in the formation of an active and reliant system for developing and nourishing self-sufficiency.

Considerations for the following details are managed into the planning, care and maintenance of the garden areas.
· Using local, Hierloom seeds and supporting seed banks
· Thoughtful, efficient low watering needs
· Introducing diversity and native plants to encourage local pollinators
· Companion planting for pest management
· Run-off prevention as a city/environmental responsibility
· Xeri-scaping low water/green roof plants for education
· Enhancing garden nutrients with waste decomposition

Using local, Hierloom seeds
· Collecting clippings and cuttings from local Botanical Gardens
· Purchasing Seed Bank Seeds from Ulster County organization
· Bringing in local lore from featuring historical species
· Encourage non-gmo selections

Thoughtful, efficient Low watering needs
· Watering at night and early morning to decrease evaporation
· Mulching to prevent absorptions
· Enhancing garden nutrients with waste decomposition
nutrient/fertilizer to increase the soil’s absorption:

Fertilizer options
· chicken poop
· compost (made on site)
· seaweed
· fish bones

Each living area will carefully use collected Grey water, black water, desalinated water.
Water collection will include the following:
· Water collection tanks will collect water from the rooftop
· We will use gravity to install water tanks at least 5 feet high, to allow for a 5 foot gravity drop for practical use and lifting efficiency
· Thoughtful location of the water catch systems being within 50 feet of the garden area

Introducing diversity and native plants to encourage local pollinators by planting
· flowers
· Herbs
· Native plants

Companion planting for pest management
Companion planting encourages a wide and plentiful range of fruit, vegetable and flower species so that little to no pesticides are needed.

Run-off prevention as a city/environmental responsibility
· 2 feet deep soil beds
· plastic under-lining
· hay wall
· high organic matter soil to increase absorption
· low and fibrous root system plants locking soil into place

Xeri-scaping low water/green roof plants for educational purposes
· sedum, vines ect..

Accessibility/workability
· Main wooden plank walkways (possibly wide enough to be handicap accessible)
· hay working aisles