Self-watering Herb Spiral – An Idea Worth Sharing

A herb spiral is a great idea to grow herbs on a mound of dirt. However, in hot and dry weather with extra radiant heat from stones even herbs struggle to survive. To keep them alive a regular watering and a fair a bit of water is required. For that reason a self-watering way sounds like the way to go. But how to make it work in a spiral with steeping soil for herbs to grow? Being an engineer I came up with a very clever but simple design idea which should work marvellously. So here is a description how we designed and built our herb spiral.

The spiral has three water reservoir levels as shown on the schematic. Each level comprises of the following layers (described from bottom to top).

• Softening layer (carpet) to smooth ground surface to protect black plastic
• Concrete underlay (black plastic 0.2mm thickness)
• Protective layer (carpet) to avoid punching holes in plastic
• Ag pipe across an entire reservoir and bended upwards to supply and spread water
• Water holding medium (stones)
• Soil around perimeter and in fill soil in the middle
• Stone to build outside wall

The pictures show step by step how we built each water level. The plastic underlay is as high as the stone water storage so the excess can overflow. From the top level it overflows into a middle level, from there to the bottom level which then overflows into the ground underneath. Each level watering pipe has got a float (a wooden skewer in a styrofoam rounded piece) to indicate the water level.

At the bottom the soil is about 10cm deep. When it curves around the spiral the soil depth increases to about 40cm. That’s where the next level starts with 10cm deep soil again. So in that way we achieved continuously raising soil without any interruption.

Our self-watering herb spiral is about 2.5 metres in diameter and 1 metre high. We planted over 20 different herbs around it according to their needs (e.g. mint in shallow soil thus more moist facing east; oregano in deep – less moist soil facing north).

We (two people) built the entire herb spiral project in just over one day with mostly freely available material on our property. It cost us a couple of dollars for the black plastic underlay. We located it in our newly built kitchen garden less than 10 metres from our kitchen. It’s already been well used for every day cooking.

There are more bright ideas to come and share from our Spurtopia Homestead, so watch the space.

Spurtopia progress

Landscaping taking shape

In the last half a year we have been very busy establishing our Spurtopia Homestead. It is ever so exciting especially when you do something you are absolutely passionate about - materializing our vision and creating a beautiful reality and future for our family.

It has taken a lot of planning, sketching and thinking to get it right and make it work. So far we have:

• Installed solar power on the roof (6kW system);
• Solar hot water system ($700);
• Self-watering planter boxes to quickly start growing our food;
• Established several garden beds;
• Planted 25 native trees;
• Landscaping – created a stone retaining wall and levelled a part of land close to the house, prepared a pad for a shed, built swales on contours (about 500 metres) for an orchard and food forest;
• Set up rainwater harvesting – 5000L (five IBC tanks) for a garden irrigation and we are in the process of installing 50Kl of rain water tanks for home use;
• Three free range chickens, 3 beehives as well as 2 worm farms are our day-to day companions;
• 8 large compost bays for preparation of nutrient rich soil;
• House face-lift such as decoration, renovation of a bathroom, laying tiles etc.

We have used a huge amount of materials to improve our unfertile and very poor soil:

Capsicons in Self-watering boxes

• 6 truck-loads of crusher dust and decomposed granite – minerals for garden and fruit trees;
• 2 truck-loads of wood chips, four truck-loads of soil;
• 70 cubic metres of horse manure;
• three ute loads of cow manure;
• and grass clippings and palm leaves from local garden maintenance guys.

As a result we already have an abundance of greens, tomatoes, zucchinis, eggplants, squashes, sweet corn, capsicums and rosellas. In our opinion these are very good results considering such a hot and dry summer (while writing these lines the thermometer shows 42°C in the shade!)

Our home production is in a full swing, making yoghurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, sourdough bread, raw cakes, home brew beer, ginger beer, lemonade and absolutely delicious mead from our honey.

On a day to day basis we do natural parenting and home education of our two daughters which gives us a joy and meaning of life.

Vegi garden

Also establishing a local community in our neighbourhood is essential for us so we share our experience and produce which is starting some very nice relationships.

We already have a lot of people coming to see how we have been transforming our one acre property into a sustainable paradise. This year we are planning to have our place open to the public for visits, education, workshops and internship programs. We do what we are passionate about, we live our dream and in that way we’re creating our reality and shaping our future in which we want to live. 2017 will be another amazing year, full of joy, prosperity and happiness.


Your Spurtopians

The Spurtopia Cottage

We had to move out of our rented place in inner city Brisbane. Our very good friends who are like our “Australian parents”, offered us the opportunity to live temporarily with them on an acreage close to Jimboomba until we find a new home to buy.
So “the deal” is we can live in a shed for free in exchange for some help on their property. This, to us, sounds like a pretty good deal, doesn’t it? There are so many people who own a property with a lot of space but do not have the time or strength to look after it, while there are many people who are young, willing to work and have time in their hands. So combined together it is a win - win situation and everyone benefits.

Our intention is to prove the case and show it is possible to achieve, also that converting a shed into a liveable shed does not need to be expensive. The existing shed (6m x 6m) comprises of concrete floor, three windows, an entrance door and a roller door. It is connected to the electricity supply and a rainwater tank with a water outlet on a corner of the shed.
The majority of the materials we used for the conversion are reused, recycled, donated or unwanted items such as:

•  Kitchenette comprising of a bench, a sink, tap ware and cupboards is a “throw away” from a private hospital
• Large (2.1m x 2.4m) glazed sliding doors with a crim-safe screen and a kitchen oven from a kerbside collection
• Wall and roof insulation from the manufacturer off cuts (30cm wide off cut rolls 24m long) about 120 square metres.
• Camping compostable toilet and gas cooker are donated by our friends
• Brand new hand basin, tap ware and laminated floor as leftovers from a construction site
• Plywood wall boards and flyscreens are reused
• Shower cubical in exchange for a couple of jars of our honey
• Wooden stove in exchange for three bottles of our home brew mead
• Recycled garden and swimming pool hose
• Some minor materials used from the property

So all we had to buy were a few metres of pine studs, plaster board, reflective foil, a sliding door rail, a tiny instantaneous hot water heater and some screws.

First, we insulated the walls with 6cm of thermal insulation and lined with plywood. The kitchen was reassembled and cupboards used as an L - shaped partition to create the bathroom. There are pine studs, a ceiling grill was fitted with two layers of thermal insulations and a reflective foil then lined with plaster boards to create a flat insulated ceiling. The existing roller door was dismantled and replaced with sliding doors which provide a great view at greenery and connectivity with nature. Finally, the plumbing of the existing water supply outlet at the corner of the shed is connected to our shower, kitchen sink, washing machine and an instantaneous hot water heater via a recycled garden hose. Drainage of these outlets is done by reused swimming pool hose.

So now our “Cottage” is spacious open plan space with plenty of daylight, functional, fully liveable, and sustainable, using a minimum amount of rain water and electricity. We collect grey water to irrigate the garden and using the compostable toilet (without chemicals) to fertilize the soil before planting trees.

We look after the existing veggie garden comprising of two shade houses, which produce herbs, greens and veggies which we share with our friends who live here. The existing fruit trees bear a lot of fruit. Our compost heap, which we moved from the old place, became a productive food source with self-seeded tomatoes, thorny cucumbers and other volunteer plants. Lately we built three water efficient, self-watering bath tubs and styro-boxes to extend our growing space. We are also, looking after 7 chickens, of which 3 girls moved with us, laying an abundance of fresh eggs. We keep our bees in our friend’s place in Mitchelton as they are more productive in the city, just recently we harvested over 100kg of honey from two beehives.

The entire conversion of a workshop shed into a “cottage” was done within a couple of months while living there. It cost us less than $600. Our ongoing expense is less than $1 per day for electricity and internet access.

This is a prime example of sustainable existence, where we help each other. It costs nothing extra and there is no need to waste resources, money, time and effort to sustain a family while living a wholesome, frugal and fulfilling life.

Your Spurtopians

SpurTopia virtual tour on Google maps

Now you can take a virtual tour on Google maps and be inspired.

Thanks Google for capturing Spurtopia place.

SpurTopia virtual tour

SpurTopia - A Small Kingdom of Happiness

SpurTopians

My family and I have been living in a rental property in Brisbane for over five years. We have adopted a sustainable lifestyle becoming less reliant on the system and more self-sufficient.
We created a “farm” that produces vegies, fruit, honey and eggs in abundance. Most of our fruit and vegies come from our garden. Excess is shared and swapped within a functional community of neighbours.

We grow organically over 100 different types of vegetables, 25 herbs and 25 fruit trees utilizing every available space (yard space, block walls, fences, staircase) of a typical urban block.
We continuously improve effectiveness with our new ideas and inventions e.g. vegetable pyramid, self-watering/fertilizing planter boxes, worm farm planter pots, gravity fed irrigation, chicken feeders, maggot tin grower - all made from recycled materials.
Our “farm” is productive, efficient and visually pleasing. It includes:

• Chickens, honeybees, worm farms 
• Rain and grey water harvesting, home-made solar hot water system
• Preparing organic rich soil and fertilizers, seedlings, seed saving, multi-purpose bamboo pyramid
• A bath tub with fish and water vegetables
• A cob and solar oven
• Use of locally available resources
• Sprouting, fermenting, preserving, cooking from garden produce

The low maintenance urban “farm” (under 1hour a day) provides us with fresh organic food, fun, physical and mental exercise and a connection with nature. Gardening is extremely rewarding making life simpler, cheaper, healthier and more sustainable – it is another dimension to life.

We set an example of what can be achieved in a rental property, passionately sharing our experience, knowledge, ideas and inventions with the general public via TV, radio, newspapers, public events and workshops .

We have created the notion of “SpurTopia”, a small kingdom where we are living a fulfilling and happy life.

Gravity irrigation system using recycled material

A vacuum cleaner pipe and a watering rose

We use gravity to irrigate our garden by collecting water from the roof into a series of caged water tanks and wheelie rubbish bins. Our total rain water storage capacity is over 5000 litres. All this cost us less than $100. What a deal! (We can buy a caged 1000 L tank for $25. Contact us if you want to know where to source them.) From these tanks, a swimming pool hose and grey PVC flexi pipe bring water to the garden. At the end of the pipe is a vacuum cleaner pipe with a watering rose. Gravity (about 1-1.5m height difference between water tanks and garden bed) is sufficient to deliver enough water and pressure to hand irrigate the garden with a nice and gentle sprinkle of water from the watering rose. No pump and electricity needed – just the height difference. More importantly it saves us a lot of walking with a watering can.

A caged water tank with a swimming pool hose

We also use a gravity fed drip irrigation system successfully. Brown, irrigation drip tube with dripper nozzles, spaced about 30cm apart, works well on low pressure. A standard garden hose syphons from a rubbish bin to the garden bed and it connects to the drip tube. By varying the depth that the garden hose is placed into the water storage (half way or at the bottom of the container), we  can control how much water will be used (half or all of the water storage). Also, by adding a liquid fertilizer (seaweed, a compost tea bag) into the stored water,  your garden can be fertilized.  The only issue we found was that seedlings need to be planted near the drippers as the plants might struggle for water.

A tip: Water tanks which do not have an outlet at the bottom such as rubbish bins can be connected in series with a piece of hose from one to another over the top. The symphonic effect via pipes full of water  automatically levels water in all tanks.

Down the drain? OR Down to the garden!

Harvesting grey water for garden irrigation

We use ‘grey’ water from our washing machine to water our garden. We are fully aware of the fact that conventional laundry detergents and fabric softeners contain a lot of nasty stuff which will make grey water unsuitable, even toxic for a garden. That is the reason we use a  home made washing detergent (soap, washing soda, borax)  and Citrus Fabric softener (citrus peel and water) which are friendly to nature, very cheap and easy to make (10 Litres of washing detergent for less than $2) and the fabric softener is literally free. Because we know what our home made detergent and softener contain, we are happy to use grey water from the washing machine  on our garden. 
Generally, a grey flex pipe is used to drain water from the machine. However, we did not have a 30 metre long flex pipe between our washing machine and the garden. Instead,  we use a 13 mm garden hose  and a bucket which collects water from the machine pipe. The bucket acts as a buffer water storage from which water is gravity drained via the garden hose to the sugar cane and banana patch. The height difference between the bucket and the  plant patch is approximately 1.5 metres. Sugar cane and banana plants love a lot of water and nutrition which is provided all year round. No wonder that  even during hot and dry weather, as we had last summer, plants were thriving. 
Did you know that a top loader washing machine uses approx. 160 litres while a front loader only about 60 litres per load. 
The average Australian household uses about 30,000 litres of water for a washing machine per year? Every day about 80 litres (8 watering cans) of grey water from a washing machine can  be used on a garden rather than going down the drain.

Washing water irrigating sugar cane and banana

Gravity fed grey water irrigation via a garden hose

Lada - The World Class Water Saver, Recycler and Fertilizing Machine

Lada bathing

Lada's contribution to environment - Saving water, recycling  and  fertilizing plants. Since the start of her duty, 11 month ago, the banana plants have gone berserk producing huge bunches of bananas. So how does she do that?
Water from her bath is used for soaking her cloth nappies. This  enriches the water  with her wee and poo. Water boosted with nutrients is then used for watering the bananas. The banana plants produce beautiful and tasty bananas.
Lada eats the fruit of her hard work, producing more fertilizer and the cycle continues. What can be more efficient?

Watering bananas

Enriching process of  soaking nappies

Fruiting bananas

Lada loves bananas