Holey 2x4 Gardens

Holey 2x4 Gardens Family run homestead using permaculture principles to produce nutrient dense food through good design

Morning all
06/02/2026

Morning all

05/23/2026

Chicken Tractor Update: Thanks to this very rainy year, these chickens have been successful at planting a garden for me. They have also been weeding and clearing a path for a swale to plant future trees and bushes on.

05/12/2026

Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ) made from Cactus pads. While generally FPJ should be made from fast growing plants, I am hoping that the gel in this ferment will be helpful once the heat hits. Experimentation will be the final determination. Nopal is super nutritious too especially after the pad is around 40 to 50 days old like these were. Let's see if this can up the nutrition on the microgreens as well!

Bed prep! This cover crop has done excellently in this rain and is reaching its end. So it is crimped and then tarped to...
04/24/2026

Bed prep! This cover crop has done excellently in this rain and is reaching its end. So it is crimped and then tarped to terminate it and suppress all the new plant life that wants to spring up. After a few days and some good sun, the new crops will be planted into the mulch. I will probably drop some buckwheat as well to bring pollinators and to continue to feed the soil.

# crimping

04/20/2026

Garden update: Garlic and cloverand potato bed update. Not everything is a success, in fact most aren't but thats the idea to keep trying, learning, failing again, questioning, adapting, and having patience with what one actually can reasonably expect. Press on!

Making FPJ (Fermented Plant Juice). Part 1. Take new growth from a single species the morning after a full moon. Ideally...
04/03/2026

Making FPJ (Fermented Plant Juice). Part 1.

Take new growth from a single species the morning after a full moon. Ideally take it from robust weeds. Just the bits that are growing, not the older leaves. This time it is thistles. Weigh the plant parts and add the same amount of weight of cane sugar. Mix by hand (gloves recommended with thistles) but don't crush the plant material. The volume of the plant material will reduce significantly. Once it has reduced and started to produce a drip of juice, stop the mixing and add it to a jar with a breathable lid. Put it in a dark place and we'll check in 3-5 days to see how the ferment is going.

Swarm trap set on site. It holds 7 Layens frames as well. This year is starting out extremely dry so while the typical T...
03/22/2026

Swarm trap set on site. It holds 7 Layens frames as well. This year is starting out extremely dry so while the typical Texas spring flowers have been slow so far, I'm hoping the cover crops and crops and trees and bushes from the garden can bring them. Keeping a water source is key too. Hoping for the best!

Once the burn has slowed down and the lid of the retort can be removed, the char should be quenched. I add Sea 90 minera...
03/18/2026

Once the burn has slowed down and the lid of the retort can be removed, the char should be quenched. I add Sea 90 minerals along with rock dust and some kelp to 5 gallons of rainwater to quench the char. The steam fro.the quenching helps to fracture the char. This char should have been quenched a bit earlier as it was a bit too cool. After the quenching, the char goes to soaking in the same minerals for charging. Notice that the char breaks easily after the quenching.

03/12/2026

Biochar Part 2: The burn.
Fire is started from the bottom of the barrel. While I would love to say that no smoke is produced, there actually is. There are "smokeless" methods out there like TLUD and that maybe the next evolution for me. I would love to see a rocket version as well. None the less, not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good, the burn does turn smokeless at the end of the run. I will let the process continue for another 15 minutes or so before opening up the barrel and starting the quenching process.

Retort biochar part 1: Prep.I started making biochar over a year ago and it has made a huge difference in garden. Making...
03/08/2026

Retort biochar part 1: Prep.

I started making biochar over a year ago and it has made a huge difference in garden. Making it like I am showing here is simple but not the most efficient way. Since the rock doesn't allow me to simply dig a hole, I went with the retort method. First the metal trash can is placed inside the 55 gallon drum. Holes must be drilled in the bottom of the trash can to allow for gases to escape. The trash can is filled with seasoned wood. Do NOT use green wood. This can lead to creation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)—which you really dont want in your soil. I fill in any gaps with dry canes (bamboo is great). I want to maximize how much material I can fit but there needs to be room for airflow. Filling the can with wood chips would not work. Once full, I make sure the lid fits snug and add wood around the sides with some weight and more wood on top. Next up, the burn.

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