As we can see, the collards and kale are coming along in a spot near the house, which at first, I thought would be less conducive to growth because of the partial shading during various hours of the day, however, it seems they are doing well.
Above is a picture taken just recently.
The main problem I've had with these greens so far are the 'greens-eating only-come-out-at-night' insects, such as caterpillars, slugs, and so forth.
The picture above was taken after I had bathed the greens in a spray-on organic soap solution leftover from last growing season. I'm going to back this treatment up with a homemade insecticide made from ground cayenne pepper, garlic cloves, and onions soaked in warm water, and then strained and bottled with a little bit of liquid dish soap added.
This solution is just one of dozens of homemade remedies posted online. If you have any sure-shot remedies, please email them to me and I'll post them here on the blog.
As you can see, the spinach that was in the back row was removed a few weeks ago, for it had began to bolt (go to seed), which usually makes the greens taste unpalatably bitter, however, I harvested mines just in time and was able to use them in a few stir-fries and smoothies. The bolting is invoked by the hot weather, for spinach is more of a cool weather plant.
Above is a picture taken just recently.
The main problem I've had with these greens so far are the 'greens-eating only-come-out-at-night' insects, such as caterpillars, slugs, and so forth.
The picture above was taken after I had bathed the greens in a spray-on organic soap solution leftover from last growing season. I'm going to back this treatment up with a homemade insecticide made from ground cayenne pepper, garlic cloves, and onions soaked in warm water, and then strained and bottled with a little bit of liquid dish soap added.
This solution is just one of dozens of homemade remedies posted online. If you have any sure-shot remedies, please email them to me and I'll post them here on the blog.
As you can see, the spinach that was in the back row was removed a few weeks ago, for it had began to bolt (go to seed), which usually makes the greens taste unpalatably bitter, however, I harvested mines just in time and was able to use them in a few stir-fries and smoothies. The bolting is invoked by the hot weather, for spinach is more of a cool weather plant.
A neighbor down the street donated some of her compost from her backyard bin. She's a young college student who's not gardening, yet compost I assume just for the sake of the planet and being green.
I left it in the wheelbarrow until I can define a good spot for a compost bin for my own garden.
I have some old anaerobic compost in a few trash cans that I was going to throwout until I read up on anaerobic composting, which is an ancient agricultural practice. So I believe I'm going to mix some of the aerobic and anaerobic soil together to build up my composting stash.
As can be seen in the picture, there is already some type of garden variety plant growing out of the pile, and they're looking like melon or squash seedlings. So far the sake of curiosity alone and possibly some free eats, I'm going to plant several of the plantlets and see what I'll get. This will be quite interesting and very educational to say the least.
I left it in the wheelbarrow until I can define a good spot for a compost bin for my own garden.
I have some old anaerobic compost in a few trash cans that I was going to throwout until I read up on anaerobic composting, which is an ancient agricultural practice. So I believe I'm going to mix some of the aerobic and anaerobic soil together to build up my composting stash.
As can be seen in the picture, there is already some type of garden variety plant growing out of the pile, and they're looking like melon or squash seedlings. So far the sake of curiosity alone and possibly some free eats, I'm going to plant several of the plantlets and see what I'll get. This will be quite interesting and very educational to say the least.
These seedlings also look rather healthy...
Here is what's going on in the main garden area.
Everything seems to be growing rather slow and I have had some of the more mature outer leaves of my chard and kale to turn yellow. I just gave both a good nitrogen-boosting feeding and watering.
These greens and several tomato plants have me a little worried, but I'm going to stay on top of their nutritional needs and progress the best I can and see how it goes along with posting any new results or growth spurts.
I also have a few garden and house plants growing and rooting in recycled drinking bottles, both in water and soil.
I try my best to find ways to recycle used and disposable goods first before I send them to the recycling center.
Throughout this next week I will be testing many of my old seeds to see which are still viable for planting and which ones will go into the compost pile.
Everything seems to be growing rather slow and I have had some of the more mature outer leaves of my chard and kale to turn yellow. I just gave both a good nitrogen-boosting feeding and watering.
These greens and several tomato plants have me a little worried, but I'm going to stay on top of their nutritional needs and progress the best I can and see how it goes along with posting any new results or growth spurts.
I also have a few garden and house plants growing and rooting in recycled drinking bottles, both in water and soil.
I try my best to find ways to recycle used and disposable goods first before I send them to the recycling center.
Throughout this next week I will be testing many of my old seeds to see which are still viable for planting and which ones will go into the compost pile.
Here are a few spiderlets from one of my two spider plants.
Both plants were part of about a dozen or more large spider plants that I had let die, yet, somehow, when the root balls of these two were placed outside temporarily in a black plastic bag with the next step being composting, they miraculously came back to life, for both had become dried-out and were seemingly dead-to-the-bone.
From these beginnings, or reincarnation I'm going to develop another generation of spider plants just as numerous and large as the former.
Both plants were part of about a dozen or more large spider plants that I had let die, yet, somehow, when the root balls of these two were placed outside temporarily in a black plastic bag with the next step being composting, they miraculously came back to life, for both had become dried-out and were seemingly dead-to-the-bone.
From these beginnings, or reincarnation I'm going to develop another generation of spider plants just as numerous and large as the former.
Here I have some tomato plant clippings, for you can grow whole tomato plants from just one spliced offshoot, which will obviously give you several plants from one.
And as we can below, I have a few sweet basil and sorrel seedlings braking soil.
And as we can below, I have a few sweet basil and sorrel seedlings braking soil.
“Gardening is the most therapeutic and defiant act you can do, especially in the inner city. Plus, you get strawberries.” — Ron Finley
Ron Finley: A guerrilla gardener in South Central LA
Ron Finley: A guerrilla gardener in South Central LA