Infrastructure: 14 raised beds (4 × 16 ft), two parallel rows of 7, 3–4 ft walking paths. Rows run N–S. 9 beds assigned to berries, 5 available for expansion. Fencing: Meadow area 50% enclosed by 9 ft fence, remainder 5 ft fence.

Row A (west) — Cane Berries

Row B (east) — Bush Berries + Available

Separate locations

Trellis runs: A1↔A2 (floricane), A3↔A4 (primocane), A6↔A7 (blackberry). Posts at bed ends + center.

Fruit on second-year wood (floricanes). Remove spent floricanes after harvest, thin new primocanes in late winter. See Pruning Calendar for details.

Row 1 total: 8 plants, 20 ft row.

Fruit on current-year canes. Simplest management: mow entire row to 2–3" in late February/March → one big fall crop. See Pruning Calendar for details.

Row 2 total: 9 plants, 22.5 ft row.

CRITICAL: Plant 75–100+ ft from ALL red raspberries. Red raspberries asymptomatically carry mosaic virus; aphids vector it to blacks, which it kills. Site in Lower Meadow or a far property corner.

3 plants, 11 ft hedgerow. T-trellis recommended — blacks get heavy and arch. Tip-prune primocanes at 24–30" in summer to force lateral branching.

All three varieties are thornless. Ouachita is erect (self-supporting); Triple Crown and Chester are semi-erect and need T-trellis.

Row 3 total: 7 plants, 38.5 ft row.

Separate acidified raised bed — pH 4.5–5.0 (everything else needs 5.5–6.5). Do not co-plant with any other berry type.

One 4×8 ft raised bed filled with 50/50 peat + pine bark fines. Elemental sulfur to reach target pH. Mulch with 3–4" pine needles or pine bark. Techline CV drip at 12" emitter spacing. Remove ALL flowers for the first two growing seasons — establish roots, not fruit.

Row 4 (with Red Lake currant): 6 plants, 27 ft row. Bush form, no trellis. Fruit on 2–3 year old wood. See Pruning Calendar.

Row 5 (back edge): 2 plants, 7 ft row. Must be within 50 ft of each other for cross-pollination. Grows 8–10 ft tall × 8 ft wide — site where they won’t shade other plantings. Remove canes older than 3 years each winter, keep 6–8 vigorous younger canes.

Planted in three existing 4×8 ft raised beds, not in the Berry Patch.

75 plants total. Spacing: 4 rows × ~7 plants per row at 12" × 14" within each bed.

These are non-negotiable and determined the layout:

1. Black raspberries 75–100+ ft from reds — red raspberries asymptomatically carry mosaic virus. Aphids transmit it to blacks, which it kills. No exceptions.
2. Blueberries in separate acidified bed — pH 4.5–5.0 vs 5.5–6.5 for everything else. Soil pH runoff could affect neighbors.
3. Floricane and primocane raspberries in separate rows — completely different pruning cycles. Mixing leads to pruning mistakes that destroy next year’s crop.
4. Elderberries within 50 ft of each other — cross-pollination required (York + Adams).

T-Trellis (Rows 1–3, black raspberry block)

Posts every 15–20 ft along the row. Set posts 24" deep (below frost line). 4×4×8 ft pressure-treated posts or heavy-duty T-posts.

Materials estimate: 14 posts total, ~350 ft wire, 12 crossarms, 16 wire tensioners.

No trellis needed

Ouachita blackberry (erect habit), gooseberries, currants, elderberries, blueberries.

All berry plantings tap off the existing Netafim drip system.

Watering schedule (established): Cane fruits every 2–3 days, 45–60 min. Blueberries every 2 days, 30–45 min. Bush fruits every 3–4 days, 30–45 min. New plantings: daily for first 2–3 weeks.

Head assembly: Spigot → GHT-NPT Adapter → Disc Filter (120 mesh) → Pressure Regulator (25 PSI) → YoLink YS5012 Valve → 3/4" Mainline

Winterization (November): Remove figure-8 end caps, flush lines, close valve, drain mainline. HCVXR rated for freeze/thaw — lines stay buried.

Between rows: White Dutch clover — fixes nitrogen, suppresses weeds, feeds the apiary. Broadcast seed 3–4 weeks after berry plants establish.

Row edges: Sweet alyssum — pollinator support and beneficial insect habitat. Self-seeds and returns each year without replanting.

Goal: expand berry plantings across the property using propagated stock.

• Tip layering (black raspberries): Bend cane tip to ground in late summer, cover with soil, roots form by spring. Cut and transplant.
• Division (all raspberries): Dig up suckers from base of established plants in early spring. Replant immediately.
• Root cuttings (red raspberries): Cut 4–6" root sections in late fall, plant horizontally 2" deep.
• Blueberry cuttings: Softwood cuttings in June–July from new growth. Root in peat/perlite mix under mist.

Order recorded in farmdb as order ID 2 (supplier: Stark Bros, ID 5). All items received. Total: 24 line items covering 22 varieties plus 2 gooseberry collections.

Plus 2× Gooseberry Collection @ $35.99 each ($71.98 total).

Database: species IDs 219–232 (original) + 255–261 (added 2026-05-17). All have full species_berry subtable records.

              JUNE            JULY            AUG             SEP             OCT
        early  mid  late  early  mid  late  early  mid  late  early  mid  late  early
          │     │     │     │     │     │     │     │     │     │     │     │     │
Prelude   ████████                                              Red rasp, floricane
Latham          ██████████████                                  Red rasp, floricane
Nova                 ██████████████                             Red rasp, floricane
                                                                
Bristol                     ██████████                          Black rasp (ISOLATED)
Jewel                       ████████████████                    Black rasp (ISOLATED)
                                                                
Ouachita              ██████████████████████                    Blackberry, erect
Triple Crown                      ██████████████████            Blackberry, semi-erect
Chester                                 ██████████████          Blackberry, semi-erect
                                                                
Jaclyn                                  ██████████████████████  Primocane red
Heritage                                ██████████████████████  Primocane red
Caroline                                ██████████████████████  Primocane red
                                                                
Bluecrop              ██████████████████                        Blueberry (raised bed)
                                                                
H. Red                ██████████                                Gooseberry
Pixwell               ██████████                                Gooseberry
Red Lake              ██████████                                Red currant
                                                                
York                                          ██████████████    Elderberry
Adams                                    ██████████████         Elderberry
                                                                
Earliglow ██████████████                                        Strawberry, June-bear
Jewel (SB)       ██████████████                                 Strawberry, June-bear
Ozark B.                          ██████████████████████████    Strawberry, everbearing

June

July

August

September

October (until frost)

Raspberries (all colors)

• Ripe when: berry detaches from the white receptacle (core) with a gentle tug. If you have to pull hard, it’s not ready.
• Pick frequency: every 2–3 days during peak production. Overripe berries get mushy and attract spotted wing drosophila (SWD).
• Container: shallow containers (no more than 3 berries deep). They crush easily.
• Storage: refrigerate immediately, use within 2–3 days. Do NOT wash until ready to eat.
• Yield per plant: red raspberries 2–4 lbs, black raspberries 2–3 lbs (at full production, Year 3+).

Blackberries

• Ripe when: color changes from shiny black to slightly dull/matte. Shiny = not ready (will be sour).
• Pick frequency: every 3–4 days. They ripen over 3–4 weeks per variety.
• Test: taste one. Ripe blackberries are sweet with no tartness.
• Storage: refrigerate, use within 3–5 days. Slightly sturdier than raspberries.
• Yield per plant: 3–5 lbs (full production).

Blueberries

• Ripe when: fully blue, detaches easily, and has been blue for 2–3 days (the real test — newly blue berries are still tart).
• Pick frequency: every 5–7 days. They ripen slowly and hold on the bush well.
• Container: any container — blueberries are sturdy.
• Storage: refrigerate, use within 1–2 weeks. Freeze well for long-term storage.
• Bird netting: essential. Apply when berries start to color (early July). Robins, cedar waxwings, and catbirds will take 60%+ without it.
• Yield per plant: 5–10 lbs (mature plants, Year 4+).

Gooseberries

• Hinnonmaki Red: harvest when fully colored (deep red) for fresh eating. Or harvest slightly green for cooking/preserves.
• Pixwell: harvest slightly underripe (green-pink) for pies and preserves, or fully ripe (pink-purple) for eating fresh (tart).
• Pick frequency: every 3–4 days. Ripe berries can drop.
• Storage: refrigerate, use within 1 week. Freeze well.
• Yield per plant: 3–5 lbs (Year 3+).

Currants

• Red Lake: harvest entire clusters (strigs) when all berries in the cluster are fully colored. Strip berries from stems using a fork.
• Storage: refrigerate, use within 1 week. Excellent for jams, juice, and wine.
• Yield per plant: 3–5 lbs (Year 3+).

Elderberries

• Harvest entire cymes (flower clusters) — do NOT pick individual berries (too small, too tedious).
• Ripe when: most berries in the cluster are dark purple-black. Some green ones are OK — sort later.
• Processing required: raw elderberries are mildly toxic (contain cyanogenic glycosides). Cook before eating — syrups, pies, wine, or tinctures. Stems and leaves are more toxic than berries.
• Storage: process within 24 hours of picking. Freeze whole cymes if you can’t process immediately — frozen berries strip easily from stems.
• Yield per plant: 12–15 lbs of berries (Year 3+, with proper pruning).

Strawberries

• Ripe when: fully red to the tip, no white shoulder. Fragrance is the best indicator.
• Pick frequency: every 1–2 days during peak (June-bearing). SWD and slugs are constant threats.
• Pick technique: pinch the stem above the berry, don’t pull the berry (you’ll crush it).
• Storage: refrigerate unwashed, use within 2–3 days. Freeze for long-term.
• Yield per plant: 1–2 pints (June-bearing), less for everbearing.

Best for freezing

Blueberries (freeze on a sheet pan first, then bag), raspberries (same method — handle gently), strawberries (hull first), gooseberries, elderberries (freeze whole cymes, then strip).

Best for jam/preserves

Blackberries, gooseberries (especially Pixwell), currants (high pectin — set easily), elderberries (syrup).

Best eaten fresh

Raspberries (all colors), Hinnonmaki Red gooseberries, strawberries, blueberries.

Requires cooking

Elderberries (always), Pixwell gooseberry (tart — better cooked).

February–March (before bud break)

This is the main pruning window for almost everything.

May–June

July–August (after harvest)

September–October

November (pre-winter)

How they grow: Canes emerge in Year 1 (primocanes), overwinter, then fruit in Year 2 (floricanes) and die. You always have both ages of cane in the row.

Late Winter (Feb–March)

1. Identify floricanes — gray-brown bark, lateral branches (these fruit this summer — don’t cut them!)
2. Identify primocanes — green/reddish, unbranched, grew last summer
3. Thin primocanes to 4–6 per linear foot of row. Remove the weakest, smallest, and any growing outside the row
4. Tip remaining primocanes to 4.5–5 ft if they’re taller (improves fruit size, reduces wind damage)
5. Remove any dead, damaged, or spindly canes entirely

After Harvest (July–August)

1. Cut all spent floricanes to ground level — they’ve fruited and will die anyway. Removing them immediately redirects energy to the growing primocanes
2. Don’t touch the primocanes — they become next year’s floricanes

Notes

• Prelude sometimes produces a small fall crop on primocane tips. You can leave these or tip them off — your choice.
• Nova is nearly thornless, making pruning much easier.
• Row 1 will be in full production by Year 3 (2028). Expect 2–4 lbs per plant.

Further reading: OSU: Raspberries for the Home Fruit Planting (HYG-1421)

How they grow: Canes emerge in spring, fruit in late summer/fall of the SAME year, then can fruit again the following summer if left standing. Two management approaches:

Option A: Fall-Only Method (Recommended for Simplicity)

Late winter (Feb–March): Mow or cut the ENTIRE patch to the ground — every cane, 2–3" above soil. That’s it. New canes emerge in spring, fruit Aug–frost. No trellis maintenance, no floricane identification, no confusion. One crop per year but the total yield is similar.

Option B: Two-Crop Method

Late winter: Leave the strongest canes standing (they’ll produce an early summer crop as floricanes). Thin new primocanes as they emerge in spring. After summer harvest (July): Cut spent floricanes to ground. Late summer–fall: Primocanes produce the second crop.

More total fruit over a longer season, but significantly more pruning work and you need to maintain the trellis.

Summer

• Jaclyn produces heavy crops that bend canes to the ground — keep tied to trellis wires
• No summer tipping needed for primocane types

Notes

• Heritage and Caroline are in full production Year 1 with the fall-only method — no waiting
• Jaclyn starts bearing lightly in Year 1, full production by Year 2
• Ground cover (clover) establishes well under mowed primocane patches

Further reading: OSU: Raspberries for the Home Fruit Planting (HYG-1421)

How they grow: Floricane-only — canes emerge Year 1, fruit Year 2, die. Unlike reds, blacks do NOT sucker from roots. They propagate by tip-layering (cane tips root when they touch ground).

Late Winter (Feb–March)

1. Remove dead/weak canes. Keep 4–5 of the strongest canes per plant
2. Shorten lateral branches to 8–12" (leaving 12–15 buds per lateral). This is where the fruit forms — shorter laterals = larger berries
3. Remove any tip-layered plants growing where you don’t want them

Summer (May–June) — CRITICAL

When primocanes reach 24–30", pinch or cut the growing tip. This forces lateral branching, which produces next year’s fruit. Unpinched blacks produce long, floppy, unproductive canes. This is the single most important pruning step for black raspberries.

Check every 3–4 days during active growth — they grow fast.

After Harvest (July)

Cut all spent floricanes to ground level immediately.

Notes

• NEVER plant within 75–100 ft of red raspberries. Reds carry mosaic virus asymptomatically; aphids transmit it to blacks, which it kills. There is no cure.
• Bristol and Jewel are vigorous — expect 2–4 lbs per plant by Year 3
• T-trellis helps manage the arching growth habit

Further reading: OSU: Raspberries for the Home Fruit Planting (HYG-1421)

How they grow: Floricane-bearing like reds — canes emerge Year 1, fruit Year 2, die. Ouachita is erect (self-supporting); Triple Crown and Chester are semi-erect (need trellis).

Late Winter (late March — prune as late as possible for cold hardiness)

1. Remove all spent floricanes if not done after harvest
2. Shorten laterals to 12–18" on remaining primocanes
3. Remove weak or crowded canes — keep 4–6 of the strongest per plant
4. Tie remaining canes to trellis wires (Triple Crown, Chester)

Summer (May–June)

Tip primocanes to force lateral branching:

• Ouachita (erect): tip at 42" (3.5 ft)
• Triple Crown, Chester (semi-erect): tip at 48" (4 ft)

As primocanes grow, train them onto the trellis (for Triple Crown and Chester). Weave or tie them to the wires.

After Harvest (Aug–Sep)

Cut all spent floricanes to ground level. The new primocanes growing alongside are next year’s crop.

Notes

• Blackberries are less cold-hardy than raspberries — prune as late as possible in spring to assess winter damage first
• Triple Crown produces the largest berries of the three
• Chester is the latest season and most cold-hardy
• Ouachita can be managed as a hedgerow without trellis

Further reading: OSU: Pruning Erect Blackberries in the Home Garden (HYG-1431)

How they grow: Multi-stemmed shrubs. Fruit on one-year-old lateral shoots growing from older wood. Oldest canes (6+ years) decline and should be removed.

Years 1–2: NO PRUNING (almost)

Remove ALL flower buds — the plant must establish roots, not fruit. Strip flowers as they appear in spring. The only pruning is removing dead or broken branches.

Year 3: Light Pruning

Allow the plant to fruit for the first time. Only remove crossing branches and dead wood.

Year 4+ (ongoing, late winter)

1. Remove 1–2 of the oldest canes at ground level each year (identified by thick, dark, peeling bark)
2. Open the center — remove crossing branches and inward-growing shoots for light and air
3. Tip leggy branches to encourage bushier growth
4. Remove twiggy growth at the base
5. Remove horizontal branches below knee height

Notes

• Prune in mid-March after the worst cold has passed
• Bluecrop is vigorous and may need more thinning than other varieties
• The goal is a vase shape — narrow at the base, open at the top
• Never remove more than 1/3 of total wood in a single year

Further reading: OSU: Pruning Blueberry Bushes in the Home Garden (HYG-1430) · OSU: Growing Blueberries in the Home Garden (HYG-1422)

How they grow: Multi-stemmed bushes. Fruit primarily on 2–3 year old wood. Canes older than 4 years decline. Open-center bush form.

Late Winter (March)

1. Remove all canes older than 4 years — identified by dark, rough, peeling bark
2. Keep a balanced mix: 3–4 canes each of 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year wood (9–12 total canes)
3. Open the center — remove inward-growing branches for airflow (reduces powdery mildew)
4. Remove low-hanging branches touching the ground (fruit contact = rot)
5. Thin if crowded — gooseberries sucker freely and will become a thorny thicket if ignored (especially Pixwell)

Notes

• Hinnonmaki Red is sweeter and can be eaten fresh; Pixwell is tart and best cooked
• Powdery mildew is the main disease concern — good airflow through open pruning is the best prevention
• Wear heavy leather gloves when pruning Pixwell (thorny)

Further reading: OSU: Growing Currants, Gooseberries, and Jostaberries in Ohio (ANR-0162)

How they grow: Very similar to gooseberries. Fruit on 2–3 year old wood. Multi-stemmed bush.

Late Winter (March)

1. Remove canes older than 4 years
2. Keep 8–10 canes total — balanced mix of ages
3. Open the center for airflow
4. Remove any suckers growing outside the desired footprint

Notes

• Red Lake is self-fertile — no pollination partner needed
• Planted in Row 4 with the gooseberries
• Very similar care to gooseberries — same pruning timing and technique

Further reading: OSU: Growing Currants, Gooseberries, and Jostaberries in Ohio (ANR-0162)

How they grow: Large multi-stemmed shrubs, 8–10 ft tall. American elderberries fruit on new wood AND second-year wood. Canes older than 3 years decline significantly.

Year 1

Minimal pruning — remove only dead or broken branches. Let the plant establish.

Year 2+ (Late Winter, March)

1. Remove all canes older than 3 years at ground level (use loppers — canes get thick)
2. Thin to 6–8 vigorous canes per plant
3. Remove suckers growing beyond the desired spread (elderberries sucker aggressively)

Alternative: Coppice Method

Cut ALL stems to ground level with loppers or sickle bar in March. The plant regrows entirely from new wood, blooms, and fruits in the same season. This approach produces more uniform fruit ripening. Note: this only works for American elderberry (York, Adams) — never for European varieties.

Notes

• York and Adams must be within 50 ft of each other for cross-pollination
• Elderberries are extremely vigorous — pruning is mostly about containment
• Use prunings as mulch or compost (they break down quickly)

Further reading: OSU: Elderberry Production in Ohio (ANR-0110)

Year 1

Remove ALL flowers for the first 4–6 weeks (June-bearing: Earliglow, Jewel) to establish roots. Ozark Beauty: remove flowers until July 1, then let fall crop develop.

After Harvest — June-Bearing Renovation (Earliglow, Jewel)

This is the most important annual maintenance for June-bearing strawberries:

1. Mow or cut all foliage to 1" above crowns — immediately after last pick
2. Narrow rows to 12" wide by tilling or hoeing the edges
3. Thin plants to 6" apart within the narrowed rows
4. Fertilize with balanced fertilizer (10-10-10, 5 lbs per 100 ft of row)
5. Water to encourage new growth

New leaves and runners will regrow by fall. The bed renews itself. Replace beds entirely every 3–4 years (or sooner if vigor declines).

Everbearing (Ozark Beauty)

• No annual renovation — skip the mow-down
• Remove runners as they appear — Ozark Beauty fruits on the mother plants, not the daughters
• Remove spent flower stalks periodically
• Replace plants every 2–3 years

Always disinfect tools when moving between red raspberries and black raspberries to prevent viral transmission.

All from Ohio State University Extension — authoritative for Zone 6b Ohio:

SSH write pipeline:

cat /Users/bee/farm_update.sql | ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no \
  -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null root@192.168.8.221 \
  'pct exec 100 -- docker exec -i postgresql psql -U farmuser -d farmdb'

Direct psql access (from CT100):

ssh root@192.168.8.221 'pct exec 100 -- docker exec -it postgresql psql -U farmuser -d farmdb'

Postico 2 connection (works anywhere via NetBird):

34 tables organized around a central species catalog with category-specific extension tables.

Core Tables:

Operational Tables:

The species_images table tracks photos of species and individual plantings over time.

Image storage: /nvmepool/images/farm/ with subdirectories seed-packets/, plantings/, species/. Accessible via SMB share “Farm Images” on hpve.

Plant ID pipeline: The webhook at plantid.edmd.me (port 8902 on CT100) accepts plant photos, identifies them via Plant.id API, and automatically links or creates species in the database. iOS Shortcut available for phone camera → identify → database workflow.

The species table has 44 columns. Fields are populated via web research from multiple authoritative sources (NC State Extension, Ohio State Extension, Prairie Moon Nursery, Xerces Society, and others).

Identification: common_name, scientific_name, variety, category, description, native_status, hardiness_zone

Growing Conditions: sun_requirement, water_requirement, drought_tolerance, wet_feet_tolerance, deer_resistance, invasiveness_risk

Size & Spacing: ecological_layer, mature_height_ft, mature_spread_ft, spacing_inches, lifespan, growth_rate

Bloom & Pollinator: bloom_color, bloom_start_month, bloom_end_month, pollinator_value, pollinator_groups, host_plant_for, wildlife_value

Uses & Properties: edible, medicinal, nitrogen_fixer, primary_uses

Propagation & Care: propagation_methods, seed_collection_notes, cold_stratification_days, self_sows, fertilization_notes, pruning_notes, common_diseases, planting_guide

Reference: notes, sources (Ohio State Extension URLs), web_links (NC State Plant Toolbox URLs)

Planting Status Lifecycle: researching → planned → ordered → in_inventory → planted → established → propagating → dormant → dead → removed

Enum Types:

The farm-data MCP server exposes 19 tools for querying and managing the database from Claude Desktop and Claude Code.

Server location: ~/.mcp-servers/farm-data/server.py

Config in Claude Desktop: Add to mcpServers in claude_desktop_config.json:

"farm-data": {
  "command": "python3",
  "args": ["/Users/bee/.mcp-servers/farm-data/server.py"]
}

Note: farm_sql is read-only (SELECT only). All writes must go through the SSH pipeline or use specific farm_add_* / farm_log_* tools.

Automated plant identification via the Plant.id API, running as a systemd service on CT100.

Endpoints:

iOS Shortcut: “Identify Plant” — take photo → POST to webhook → shows result. Requires NetBird or home LAN.

Workflow: Photo → Plant.id API → species match against farmdb → auto-link image if match found, auto-create species if confidence >70%, flag for review if low confidence.

Photos saved to: /nvmepool/images/farm/plantings/

When adding new species or filling in missing data, the species-enrichment skill (~/skills/species-enrichment/SKILL.md) defines the full workflow:

1. Web research — search authoritative sources (NC State Extension, Ohio State Extension, Prairie Moon, GrowItBuildIt, Xerces Society, etc.). Never populate from a single source or training data alone.
2. Build SQL — generate UPDATE/INSERT statements with correct enum values.
3. Write to Mac — save SQL to /Users/bee/farm_update.sql via Filesystem:write_file.
4. Pipe via SSH — execute through the SSH pipeline to the PostgreSQL container.
5. Verify — spot-check with farm_get_species.

Each species gets:

• web_links — NC State Plant Toolbox URL (pattern: plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/{genus}-{species}/)
• sources — Ohio State Extension (Ohioline) fact sheet URL when available

A browser-based species catalog at farm.edmd.me — search, filter, and view full species detail pages.

Features: full-text search by common/scientific name, filter by category and native status, species detail pages with growing conditions, bloom timing, pollinator groups, wildlife value, and collection membership. Links out to NC State Plant Toolbox and Ohio State Extension.

Tana integration: Each species node in Tana’s Brownsville workspace has a web_url field linking to its detail page on farm.edmd.me. Collections are mirrored as Tana nodes with species as children.

The farm database and Tana Brownsville workspace are bidirectionally linked:

PostgreSQL → Tana (collections sync):

1. Query collections and their species from farmdb via farm_list_collections + farm_collection_species
2. Create/update collection nodes in Tana with species as children (via tana-local:import_tana_paste)
3. Each species child node in Tana gets the common name, scientific name, and a link to the web app

PostgreSQL → Tana (species web URLs):

• Species nodes in Tana’s Brownsville workspace have a web_url field
• After the web app deployed, all species nodes were updated with farm.edmd.me/species/{id} links
• Enables one-click from Tana research notes to the full species profile

Tana → PostgreSQL (research → enrichment):

• New species are researched in Tana (notes, sources, ecological context)
• Once ready, the species-enrichment skill creates SQL from the research
• SQL is piped via SSH to CT100’s PostgreSQL container
• The tana_node_id column on the species table links back to the Tana node

Key fields for the link:

• species.tana_node_id — Tana node UUID for the species
• species.web_links — NC State Plant Toolbox URL
• Tana species node web_url field — farm.edmd.me detail page URL

All 200 species are fully enriched with web-researched data across 15+ fields including pollinator groups, wildlife value, host plants, diseases, planting guides, and NC State Plant Toolbox links.

The lavender stake (LAV-001, planted 2026) is the master reference for all future stakes. Every new design starts from this template. The aesthetic, layout, fonts, spacing, and marking parameters are locked.

Visual elements (top to bottom):

1. Botanical illustration (line art, ~50mm tall)
2. Common name (large, bold sans-serif)
3. Scientific name (italic, abbreviated genus per botanical convention)
4. ID number (medium, plain)
5. Year planted
6. Data Matrix code (7mm, encodes full record + URL)

The Data Matrix at the bottom does double duty: scanning returns the complete plant info as text (works offline, no infrastructure needed), AND includes a URL for database lookup when online.

For stakes the laser cannot mark in one shot, the F1 conveyor advances the stake through the marking window in sections.

Layout (top to bottom)

Typography

• Common name — bold sans-serif (the lavender stake used a clean modern sans)
• Scientific name — italic, follows the botanical convention (abbreviated genus + species epithet, possibly cultivar in single quotes)
• ID and year — same sans-serif as common name but plain weight, smaller
• Consistency rule: never change fonts between stakes. Use the same two faces (one bold sans, one italic serif if they’re different) for the entire collection.

Spacing

• Generous margins above illustration (~10mm from top edge)
• Tight grouping of text elements (each line ~2-3mm spacing)
• Wider gap between text block and Data Matrix (~5-8mm) so the code feels like a separate functional element

Primary method: Nano Banana (Google Gemini image generation)

Used for stake 001 (lavender). Produces clean, consistent botanical illustrations when prompted with locked language.

Prompt template — keep this exact language for every illustration:

Botanical illustration of [PLANT NAME], black and white line art,
simple clean linework, no shading, no color, white background,
single specimen centered, vertical composition,
traditional herbarium style, fine consistent line weight,
suitable for laser engraving on metal

Workflow:

1. Replace [PLANT NAME] with species (try common name first; if results are off, try scientific name)
2. Generate 3-4 candidates
3. Pick the one closest to the established style (clean lines, no shading, vertical composition)
4. Save as PNG, drop into stake template

Style consistency rule: Never change the prompt wording between stakes. Variation in prompt produces variation in style. Even small word swaps (“botanical drawing” vs “botanical illustration”) shift the output.

Backup sources for obscure species

When Nano Banana doesn’t know a plant well (rare natives, specific cultivars), fall back to public-domain historical sources:

• Biodiversity Heritage Library — biodiversitylibrary.org — massive archive, browseable via their Flickr
• USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection — usda.library.cornell.edu/concern/publications/9c67wm88c — apples, pears, berries, stone fruits (1886-1942)
• Wikimedia Commons Botanical Illustrations — commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Botanical_illustrations — by family, genus, species
• Köhler’s Medicinal Plants (1887) — clean line illustrations, easy to convert
• Britton & Brown’s Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States (1913) — directly relevant to Ohio natives

When using historical sources, process to match the established style: convert to pure black-and-white line art, scale to template dimensions, place in the same position.

Why Data Matrix (not QR code)

Data Matrix is the industrial standard for laser-marked metal parts. Half the size of a QR code for the same data.

What to encode

Full self-contained record + database URL. This gives offline access AND database integration:

LAVENDER|Lavandula angustifolia|001|2026|edmd.me/p/001

Format: pipe-delimited fields in this order:

1. Common name (uppercase)
2. Scientific name (full genus + species, plus cultivar in single quotes if applicable)
3. ID number
4. Year planted
5. Database lookup URL

Why this format:

• Self-contained — scan it, see everything, no internet needed
• Pipe-delimited — easy to parse programmatically
• URL at the end — most scanner apps will offer to open it on phone
• Future-proof — if database/infrastructure changes, the stake still has the data

Sizing

7mm × 7mm code reliably encodes ~70-80 characters with strong error correction. Marks in ~15-20 seconds with 2 passes.

Convention

Use 3-letter prefix + 3-digit sequential number for self-documenting IDs:

For other categories beyond plants (the same database extends to property infrastructure):

Database URL pattern

edmd.me/p/{prefix}-{number} for plants, edmd.me/i/{prefix}-{number} for infrastructure (when the lookup service is built).

For the encoded Data Matrix, use the simpler form: edmd.me/p/001 — the prefix can be inferred from context or stripped on the server side.

These are the parameters used for stake 001 (lavender). Do not change for future stakes — consistency in marking depth and contrast is part of the collection aesthetic.

Botanical illustration (line art)

Text — large (common name)

Text — medium and small (scientific name, ID, year)

Data Matrix code

Pre-session checklist

• Z-height calibrated using F1 focus stick or auto-focus
• Stake material is bare aluminum (not anodized — different parameters)
• Stake clean, free of cutting oil residue
• Ventilation/exhaust active
• Honeycomb or sacrificial plate under stake (not on bare F1 stage)

At locked parameters, a complete stake takes ~2-3 minutes:

Batch estimates

From “I planted a new thing” to “stake in the ground”:

1. Plant the thing. Note species, variety, date.
2. Add to farm database — assign next sequential ID for the category (e.g. RAS-007 if 6 raspberries already exist).
3. Generate illustration — run Nano Banana with the locked prompt template, replacing plant name. Pick best of 3-4 candidates.
4. Open master template file in xTool Creative Space (or LightBurn).
5. Update template — swap illustration, common name, scientific name, ID, year. Update Data Matrix encoded text.
6. Mark stake with locked F1 parameters. Stake exits conveyor complete.
7. Plant the stake at the planting location, pointed end in the ground.
8. Capture GPS point with Emlid Reach RS3 — code p, voice memo describes plant and references stake ID. See Emlid workflow.
9. Office side: Emlid GeoJSON export ingestion script links GPS coords to stake ID, joins to species table, full record in PostGIS.

What’s stored where

The stake holds the identity of the plant. The database holds the history.

• Database lookup service — Caddy + Python/Flask service routing edmd.me/p/{id} to PostgreSQL queries with rendered HTML output
• Multi-domain stakes — same workflow extended to beehive tags, pond structure markers, mushroom log tags, equipment asset tags
• Photo on stake — F1 can do photo-style engraving with dithering. Possible to add a small photo of the plant in flower/fruit at top of stake instead of (or alongside) illustration.
• Anodized aluminum upgrade — for premium stakes (orchard trees, special plants), use black anodized aluminum. Higher contrast, longer outdoor life. Currently too expensive for mass stakes but worth considering for select special plantings.
• Replacement workflow — when a stake fails or is damaged, the database has all the info to regenerate it. Just open the master template, swap variables, mark a new one.

• xTool F1 documentation
• Emlid GNSS Workflow — GPS capture for each planted stake
• Berry Gardens — primary use case for stake collection
• Seed Collecting Garden — secondary use case

Pond shape: Imagine a rectangular box with a tilted floor. Steep walls drop straight down from the shoreline all the way around. The bottom is essentially flat but tilted — sloping uniformly from 5 ft at the shallow end to 30 ft at the deep end. The bottom doesn’t curve toward the center — it’s a single tilted plane.

Why this geometry matters for structure placement:

Without basin curves, points, or saddles, the base of the perimeter wall is the only depth-change feature in the entire pond. It’s a continuous break line running all the way around at gradually increasing depths. This is your single most valuable structure zone, and it spans every depth from 5 ft to 30 ft.

Bass behavior on this geometry:

• Spring: shallow end of the wall base (warmer water faster)
• Summer: middle and deep end of the wall base (cooler water, escape heat)
• Fall: shallow end again (chasing baitfish toward warmer water)
• Winter: deep end of the wall base (warmest stable water)

The same break line serves bass year-round — they just move along it as conditions change.

Goal: Build a managed, slower-growth-but-bigger-bass fishery in the new pond rather than replicating the stunted population from the existing pond.

Why NOT to relocate small bass from Pond 1: Moving stunted small bass into a fresh pond brings the imbalance with them. Within 1-2 years the new pond becomes the same situation. Bass eat prey 25-35% of their body length, so 6-10" stunted bass are too big to be eaten by anything realistic and too small to be the dominant predator — they just become the new stunted population. The fix is to start the new pond fresh with proper forage establishment first, then add bass from a hatchery.

Three-phase plan:

Stocking targets per acre:

Forage pyramid logic: Fatheads alone won’t sustain bass — 50-100 bass would wipe them out in a single season. The bluegill are the actual bass food long-term, and the fatheads feed the bluegill until they establish. Redear sunfish are optional but worth considering — they eat snails, which break the lifecycle of yellow grub parasites.

Stocking source: Buy from a licensed bait dealer or certified hatchery. Ohio law prohibits using minnows caught from public waters for private pond stocking. Jones Fish Hatchery (Newtown, OH) is a reputable regional source and offers free pond consultations.

Pre-stocking checklist:

• Call ODNR Division of Wildlife (1-800-WILDLIFE) to verify any permit requirements
• Contact Jones Fish Hatchery for consultation and quote
• Test pond water (pH, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen) — county extension office offers cheap testing
• Confirm pond is fishless (no surprise bass or carp from upstream/runoff sources)
• Add structure before stocking — brush piles, gravel beds, varied depths help forage and bass populations

After 6-12 months of forage establishment:

Why 50-100 per acre, not more: Lower stocking density = less competition = bigger fish. Most poorly-managed ponds are overstocked. Trophy ponds tend to run on the low end.

Why NOT relocated bass from Pond 1: Same reasons as in the strategy section — they bring genetic and behavioral baggage. Hatchery fingerlings start fresh on properly-established forage.

Florida-strain vs F1 vs Northern:

• Northern largemouth — native to Ohio, hardy, but slower growth ceiling
• Florida-strain — bigger growth potential but cold-sensitive; questionable in Zone 6b
• F1 hybrid (Northern × Florida) — best of both worlds, recommended for Ohio. Cold-tolerant like Northern, faster growth like Florida.

Recommendation: F1 fingerlings from a regional hatchery.

Counterintuitive but well-documented: removing mid-sized bass aggressively is what creates trophy ponds.

Harvest strategy:

Annual harvest target: 20-30 bass per acre per year in the 12-15" range.

Track each harvest:

• Length, weight, body condition (fat or skinny?)
• Gut content if curious — what are they eating?
• Date and water temp

A skinny 14" bass means the forage base is depleted — slow harvest, supplement forage. A fat 14" bass means there’s enough forage — keep harvesting to make room for them to grow into 18"+.

The new pond has no existing structure (blank slate from 2025 dig). Adding structure before/during forage stocking is critical — bluegill and forage fish need cover to spawn and hide, bass need ambush points.

Structure Inventory

Placement Strategy — All Structure at the Wall Base

Because the pond has no basin curves, points, or other depth-change features, the base of the perimeter wall is the only break line in the entire pond. All structure should be placed there, at the depth that matches its purpose.

Plastic Pallet Structures — Specific Placement

All three pallet structures go in the shallow half of the pond, along the wall base in 5-10 ft of water:

• Pallet 1: 5-7 ft on the wall base
• Pallet 2: 7-8 ft on the wall base, 30-50 ft from Pallet 1
• Pallet 3: 9-10 ft on the wall base, near the transition to mid-pond depths

Don’t put pallet structures at the deep end — they’re more useful in the shallow zone where bass actively feed and where you’ll typically be fishing from shore.

Mark with GPS coordinates using the Deeper PRO+ 2 once placed. Once submerged, structures are invisible from the surface — exact coordinates are the only way to find them again.

Tag in Tana with a “Pond Structure” supertag including: name (e.g. “P2-Pallet-East”), GPS coords, depth, install date, structure type.

Hardwood Log & Stump Placement

Cluster, don’t scatter. Three logs together in one spot hold more fish than three logs spread evenly across the pond. Bass concentrate at structure clusters.

Suggested clusters around the pallet structures:

• Cluster A (around Pallet 1): 2-3 logs near base of wall in shallow zone
• Cluster B (around Pallet 2): 2-3 logs at slightly deeper wall base
• Cluster C (around Pallet 3): 2-3 logs at the deeper transition

Then add depth-specific structure beyond the pallets:

• Mid-pond wall base (10-18 ft): largest, heaviest hardwoods
• Deep-end wall base (28-30 ft): 1-2 large logs for winter holding

Vary the orientation: Some logs flat at the wall base, some leaning against the wall, some with branches/roots reaching up vertically. Variety provides cover at multiple water column depths.

Wood Species

All structure logs should be hardwood. Available on the property:

Anchoring — Vinyl-Coated Steel Cable + Cinder Blocks

Recommended approach: 3/16" vinyl-coated steel cable with cinder blocks. Set it once, never think about it again.

Why steel cable over rope:

• 30+ year underwater lifespan
• Zero stretch — logs stay precisely placed
• Vinyl coating prevents rust at splice points
• Use cable clamps (U-bolts), not knots

Anchoring procedure for each log/stump:

1. Loop cable around log twice
2. Secure with two 3/16" cable clamps
3. Run cable to a cinder block
4. Loop through the block’s central voids
5. Clamp tight with two more cable clamps
6. Test by pulling — if it doesn’t budge, it’s anchored

For stumps with intact root balls: Often no block needed. Drop them root-side down — the roots act as anchor weight.

Alternative if rope preferred: 3/8" double-braid polyester (Dacron) rope, 30+ year lifespan, secure with bowline knots. Not as bulletproof as cable but works.

Never use: sisal, hemp, manila, jute (rot in 1-2 years), polypropylene (UV-degrades), uncoated steel cable (rusts at splice points), paracord.

Aquatic Vegetation Strategy

Plant carefully — too much vegetation chokes a pond, too little gives no oxygen or invertebrate habitat:

Avoid completely:

• Cattails — take over, hard to remove once established, low value to fish
• Filamentous algae mats — cover too much surface, low oxygen
• Hydrilla, milfoil, water lettuce, water hyacinth — invasive, illegal in Ohio
• Duckweed — covers surface, blocks sun, low oxygen

Optional: Aerator

Your pond has 30 ft of depth so winterkill is unlikely (deep ponds rarely freeze through). But consider an aerator if:

• Heavy snow cover for extended periods (cuts oxygen exchange)
• Heavy organic load builds up over years
• You want to prevent summer thermal stratification problems

A bottom-diffuser aerator (like a Vertex or Kasco model) runs $500-1500 and connects via 110V from shore. Can integrate with YoLink/Farm HA for monitoring. Not urgent for year 1 — assess after first summer.

Anchoring Hardware Shopping List

Total: ~$130-150 for complete pond anchoring setup

Verify with ODNR before stocking anything. Even on private property, fish transport rules apply.

Contact: ODNR Division of Wildlife, 1-800-WILDLIFE (945-3543) — short call, protects you legally.

Local:

• Jones Fish Hatchery (Newtown, OH) — stocking, free pond consultations — jonesfish.com
• Ohio State University Extension — publication AEX-251 “Pond Management for Bass and Bluegill”
• ODNR Division of Wildlife — 1-800-WILDLIFE

National / community:

• Pond Boss magazine and forum — pondboss.com — gold standard for private pond management
• Bob Lusk’s books — Perfect Pond, Want One? and others

Research before each phase. Don’t skip the ODNR call.

Existing pond has a stunted bass population (mostly small fish). Long-term, this can be improved with selective harvest of 12-15" bass and supplemental forage, but it’s a slower process than starting fresh on Pond 2.

Possible future actions for Pond 1:

• Aggressive harvest of 12-15" bass (same logic as Phase 4 above)
• Supplemental fathead minnow stocking each spring
• Bluegill supplemental stocking if population has crashed
• Habitat additions (brush piles, gravel beds)

Practice the trophy management on Pond 2 first. Apply lessons learned to Pond 1 once you’ve proven the approach works.

GPS points and observations land in farmdb (PostGIS) on CT100. Field data flows in via:

• Emlid Reach RS3 (RTK GPS) → CSV per session → ~/Sync/farm/emlid-exports/ → PostGIS. See Emlid workflow.
• Just Press Record (Apple Watch / iPhone) → iCloud → Mac Studio → Whisper transcription → parsed for dash-commands → TASKS.md + diary + #interaction nodes in Tana.

158+ GPS points loaded across multiple projects (Project 1 willow census, Project 2 trees, Project 4 willows, Project 5 cabbage, etc.).

Back Row (5-8 ft tall)

Middle-Back Row (3-5 ft tall)

Middle-Front Row (1-3 ft tall)

Front/Edge Row (under 1 ft tall)

Type: In-ground bed, approximately 10×20 ft Orientation: Tall species on north side so they don’t shade shorter plants Soil: Amend with compost at planting. Most species prefer average to lean soil — don’t over-fertilize natives.

Moisture placement:

• Marsh marigold and jewelweed on the downhill/wet edge where water collects
• Bloodroot and wild blue phlox on the north side where tall plants cast afternoon shade (woodland edge species)
• Everything else in full sun

Irrigation: Netafim Techline CV at 12" spacing, surface under mulch. Most native perennials need irrigation only during establishment (first 1-2 seasons), then can be disconnected.

When to collect: Wait until seed heads are fully dry and brown on the plant. Seeds should be hard and dark. If you can shake the head and hear rattling, they’re ready.

How to collect: Cut the entire seed head with 6" of stem. Place upside down in a paper bag. Label with species name and date. Let dry for 1-2 weeks in a cool, dry place.

Storage: Clean seeds by rubbing dried heads over a screen or into a bowl. Store in labeled paper envelopes (not plastic — moisture causes mold). Keep in a cool, dry, dark place. Most native seeds remain viable 2-5 years.

Cold stratification: Many native Ohio species need 60-90 days of cold/moist treatment before germination. Species requiring stratification: golden alexanders, wild columbine, bloodroot, blue false indigo, rattlesnake master, butterfly weed. Method: mix seeds with damp sand in a zip bag, refrigerate Dec-Feb, sow in spring.

Self-sowing species (minimal effort): Black-eyed Susan, partridge pea, jewelweed, wild columbine, blanket flower. These will naturalize on their own once established.

This garden provides continuous bloom from March through October:

Host plants included: Butterfly weed (monarchs), golden alexanders (black swallowtail), wild senna (cloudless sulphur), partridge pea (cloudless sulphur), sunflower (silvery checkerspot).

Ohio-based native plant nurseries:

Prefer Ohio ecotype seed/plants when available — these are genetically adapted to local conditions and support local pollinator populations.

• Beds: 16 × (4 × 8 ft) — sized for reach-from-either-side cultivation; no walking inside the bed.
• Spacing: standard walking paths between beds.
• Soil: raised-bed mix; topped up annually with finished compost.
• Sunlight: full sun for most beds (specific shaded beds noted where applicable).

Zone 2 — Netafim Techline CV — 17mm tubing, 0.53 GPH emitters at 12" spacing, run on the surface under mulch. Each bed gets its own lateral with an individual Twist Lock Start Connector that has a built-in shutoff, so beds can be isolated for replanting or repair without affecting the rest of the zone.

Head assembly per zone: Spigot → GHT-NPT adapter → 120-mesh disc filter → 25 PSI pressure regulator → YoLink YS5012 valve → 3/4" mainline. The YoLink valve is reachable from Home Assistant on the farm LAN (192.168.0.10) — schedule changes happen there.

Vegetable plantings flow into farmdb the same way other plantings do — plants table (individual physical plants where each has its own row + GPS link) and plantings table (batch / planning records). Field dictation via Just Press Record + Whisper turns “dash planted Beauregard sweet potatoes in bed 7” into a row in TASKS.md and later a farm_log_planting entry.

See the Planting Calendar for what should be going in when, and the Harvest Calendar for picking windows.