[Cob] Cob: Washington, DC...Thatching

[Raduazo at aol.com]

        They say work in haste and repent at leisure. Today I was repenting 
for doing a rush job of harvesting phragmites for thatching. I got a full 
pickup truck of phragmites, but since the temperature was in the low 20's I did not 
tie them into bundles as I stacked them in my truck. As a result I spent the 
whole day untangling them and tying them up in bundles.
       The best tool for harvesting turned out to be the Japanese grass 
sickle. I also tried a scythe and a gasoline powered weed whip with a blade. The 
scythe would not cut neatly and was difficult to gather after cutting. The bush 
cutter shredded the bottom of the stem and tended to tangle them up making 
gathering difficult. 
       The sickle however cuts with a pulling motion so you can bend over and 
pull the stems toward you and gather them against your body. Ten inch 
Wellington boots were perfectly adequate for the environment since the phragmites 
were growing in 1-3 inches of water and the root mass supported my weight 
perfectly.
       I have found two books currently in print that teach thatching they 
are "Thatching: A handbook" and "How to Thatch a Small Roof." Of the two the 
first is better for most people, but the second book has nice drawings and you 
can write to the author for help. He seems to answer questions with in a couple 
of days.
       As soon as we get three or more days where temperatures are predicted 
to be in the 50's, I will begin thatching at Green Spring Gardens Park. Let me 
know if you are interested.
Ed