Today in the Garden

[veganblue]

I think there would be a great many vegans out there that enjoy growing some of their own food and there are no other garden threads. Garden/food/vegan - it is nice to hear what people are doing around the world as seasons change. As it moves into Winter in the southern hemisphere in a good six or more months , I would enjoy hearing about all things green and planty, stirring in the north. Maybe some will get comfort from garden tales from the south as it starts to cool.

Actually it was yesterday but I planted many tomatoes that were shared with me at a seed savers meeting; cherry, yellow, roma, black russian and 'Mr.Stripey' (red and green stripes), plus moon and stars watermelon, spagetti marrow, squash, and loads of basil seeds, French marigold, calendula and helichrysums. I have seedlings awaiting; the redskin eggplant is very exciting - I figure what's the point growing what you can get down the markets??? Even my potatoes are blue - great with fresh rosemary.

[MzNatural]

There is kale, collard, beet, squash, eggplant, turnip, leek, and garlic growing in the garden. The collards and kale survive the winter. I pick them daily to juice and make meals. In the herb garden I still have rosemary, mint, lemon balm, eucalyptus, and fennel. I am growing the wheat grass in the house.
It would be nice to my garden all year. I guess I would need to move to a warmer climate.

[Northern Lights]

I'm at the other end of the world- we've just finished bringing in the garden and there is over a foot/ 30cm of snow on the ground!!

My freezer is full with lots of green beans, beets, shread zuchinni, rhubarb, spinach, french cut pole beans, some corn, blueberries, strawberries and saskatoons.

I canned peaches, pie fillings, and enough apple sauce for everyweek of the year! I have cabbages in the cold room as well as potatos, carrots, onions and apples. We had fresh juice this morning from the apples and carrots. I love being able to bring out food that I KNOW what's been on it since the start.

I didn't grow the apples or potatos by the way, I 'gleaned' them from friends. Rule of thumb- always accept things from your friends. Sometimes you get things you don't want, but often you get things that are wonderful!

[cowpie]

Veganblue, it sounds like you got heirloom tomato seeds. I'd love to try them someday. I have a small yard, so I really don't have room for a garden, but I have grown tomatoes and green peppers in large five gallon pots. I love gardening. There isn't anything more rewarding to me than being able to walk into the garden, and pick fresh vegetables. I live in South Florida, so October is the time of the year we plant. We can't grow too many vegetables in the summer....it's so hot, the sun burns the plants up. We also have a frantic insect season in the summer, so if the sun doesn't get the plants, the insects will....

[veganblue]

Hey Cowpie! Yes, they are heirloom varieties. I did a quick check and you can get seeds from the address below in USA. I would send you some but do not know the quarrantine proceedures and would hate to inadvertantly introduce a pest into the States. There are ways you can treat seeds to ensure you are only sending the organism you want ... and I will ask at the botanic garden what are the regulations and proceedures, but for now there is the joy of starting your own seed bank the online catalogue. You can always ask around in local gardening groups or on the radio - you may find that there is a seed swap network in your area - plus they will have gardening tips for hot weather periods.
Seed Savers USA
For everyone else not in the USA, try
Seed Savers Web Site Links

[Panda]

My little garden has, lettuce ,beetroot, brocoli, parsley, rocket, silverbeet and peaches.

My wonderful Mum is my other source she has: basil,thyme, coriander, parsley, rhubarb, rasberries, strawberries, snow peas, cabbage, spinach, buk choy, silverbeet, radishes, beetroot, potatoes, tomatoes, capsicum, zuchini, brocoli, lemons, carrots, garlic. and prob others that I can't think of right now.

I would like to grow wheat grass.
I'm not sure where to get it, or how to grow it.
Any advice?

[ConsciousCuisine]

Panda, I like Whole Hard Winter Wheat Berries...you easily can sprout them yourself...

http://www.sprouting.com/wheatgrass.htm

[veganblue]

Panda, I like Whole Hard Winter Wheat Berries...you easily can sprout them yourself...
http://www.sprouting.com/wheatgrass.htm

Thanks for the link CC! I sprout mine over a tray of loose soil and have had a few problems as a result - the thing about growing it outside is you can get slugs in your tray which are not nice to pick out of the grass - that was a lesson only needed once. Growing on a tray with an organic liner makes it possible to compost the exhausted roots; soil is not necessary since the seedling only requires a minimum of trace element - the rest is supplied in photosynthesis - at least for the ten day life expectancy of the crop.
What kind of wheat grass juicers do people use? I have an old hand wound fruit press that looks unfortunately like a meat mincer but the thread ends at a point and mascerates the grass past a fine mesh and extrudes the dry pulp out the other end. Gets the blood circulating first thing in the morning and is quite easy to clean.

Panda - as CC suggests, the organic wheat are the best since they are likely not to have concentrated any of the nasties used on crops including seed preservatives, but chicken wheat from the fodder store will work just as well and is markedly cheaper. If you soak the seed overnight, it gets off to a great start - you may like to wash the seed like you would rice, before soaking, but use the cleanest water possible, bottled is great, rainwater is better - depending on how clean the air is in your area - but another way of making better water is to stand the water in a bucket over night to let the chlorine evaporate. Cooled boiled water is good if it has been allowed to re-oxygenate - boiling reduces the dissolved gas concentration which is why you should never used recently cooled boiled water in aquariums without having put a bubbler through it.

Something I have never really taken to but know people do - drinking the overnight soak water. It is called rejuvelac and in my experience is for the extremely hardy souls. The sprouting seed undergoes a great deal of chemistry as it comes out of dormancy and some people feel the soak water that contains some of the by-products is good for you. I would only do it with fresh water and organic seed. It may contain antibacterial and antifungals but also other compounds I could not ensure are not anti-people... Check it out first if you are tempted.

[JaredM]

I would love to start planiting my own vegetables. I have a big yard but know nothign about growing anything. Anyone have any good websites that have good information on growing vegetabls and/or fruit?

[cowpie]

Hey Cowpie! Yes, they are heirloom varieties. I did a quick check and you can get seeds from the address below in USA. I would send you some but do not know the quarrantine proceedures and would hate to inadvertantly introduce a pest into the States. There are ways you can treat seeds to ensure you are only sending the organism you want ... and I will ask at the botanic garden what are the regulations and proceedures, but for now there is the joy of starting your own seed bank the online catalogue. You can always ask around in local gardening groups or on the radio - you may find that there is a seed swap network in your area - plus they will have gardening tips for hot weather periods.
Seed Savers USA
For everyone else not in the USA, try
Seed Savers Web Site Links

Hey, veganblue, I've heard that the heirloom seeds aren't disease resistant. Is that true? I live in Florida, where the insects run rampant twelve months out of the year. We're advised to grow disease resistant plants here. Thanks for offering to send me some, though...hahaha....

[veganblue]

It's a complicated one - all plants have some level of disease resistance - the ones that don't die out. Heritage varieties are genetically vastly more diverse than modern cropping varieties and you will find that some of them contain resistances to diseases that the modern varieties are not - this is one of the reasons it is so important to have 100 varieties of tomato - not five. "Old" varieties are eagerly looked for so that some of their characteristics can be incorporated into the monocrops that we currently use to increase resistance. The problem is that a monocrop provides a huge resource for whichever organism can "access that resource" or eat it. With a huge crop you get massive population increases that can devestate the crop because there is no genetic diversity.

Some modern crops are susceptible to some diseases. Some heirloom varieties are susceptible also but not necessarily the same diseases and may also be resistant to the monoculture crop diseases.

There is no simple answer of yes or no to this one. There is a strong argument against monocultures and monocropping but I would suggest if that you are having problems with insects, look into companion planting. There are things that you can plant that encourage predatory insects, repel unwanted insects or act as a sacrificial crop. Your best bet is to plant lots, expect some loss and account for it.

There are things you can do that don't require artificial chemicals that will repel nasties but strong healthy plants often will use their own defences. My struggles are with slugs, snails and earwigs - they love my sprouting seedlings...! I am working on it though

[cowpie]

Veganblue, you sure know your "stuff". I know about companion planting. We have so many problems in Florida with nematodes, microscopic worms that'll eat your plants right down to the roots. They love sandy soil, so it's suggested that we mix compost, peat moss, etc., in with the soil to discourage them. Growing vegetables in South Florida is like nowhere else in the world. Even master gardeners fail sometimes. It's a real challenge....

[veganblue]

I used to spend hot summer days at the kitchen table reading Mum's magazines and books on gardening - she loves organic gardening and permaculture etc.
Nematodes is not a problem that I have been aware that I suffered from in a gardening sense. This said, I always grow marigolds which are renowned for deterring and reducing nematode populations. I like to intersperse them in my garden for the brilliant colour they give but for problem soils it is recommended to grow them as a bed full of flowers ready for the following years crop. I try and plant as many fragrant herbs as possible and the general idea is to keep the garden soil as well covered as possible with foliage of some type. Bare earth allows to weedy invasion, makes desirable plants a target due to the open space and soil moisture is lost. Mulch is a great idea of course but can harbour earwigs - which like to decimate seedlings and eat all sorts of things you wish they wouldn't! Lots of fragrance and colour will not only deter pests and encourage beneficial insects but will make your garden a wonderful place to be. I wish you the very best.

[blue]

I don't have a garden, but would love some tree's that produce fruit.

[veganblue]

My delightful rabbity friends decided to take a romp in the garden this morning, neatly halving my seedling count, felling a bean plant and romping on the newly tilled seed bed. I am sure that they had a wonderful time but don't know how to impress upon them; no seedlings - no yummy plants...
Somehow I think they like lawn better anyway...

[veganblue]

Growing mangos from seed

I think that you both, blue and cowpie, are in regions that will support mango trees - Florida definately, but Texas - possibly also with some protection and a lot of water. If you were after an amazing fruit tree blue, the mango would have to be top of my list, closely followed by avocado, nectarines and a range of citrus. Have you ever tried blood oranges? They look a little disturbing from a vegan perspective but eh flavour is wonderful and the texture also. When I have my own place one of the first things I will be doing is putting in the biggest fruit and nut trees that I can afford; a whole range of nuts, almonds, pecans, macadamias, pistacio's, walnuts etc. Blood oranges, pink grapefruit, valencias, sevils navels, imperial mandarines, kaffir and regular limes, plums, peaches, apricots and nectarines, apples, persimons and pears...
Think I am going to rename the 'car' savings account as 'fruit trees' - this is a much better investment!!!

[mysh]

We have a scrawny old grapefruit tree that doesn't have much of a yield anymore, but the ones that we have had were gigantic and delicious!
We also have an orange tree (honeybell tangelo, to be specific), which produces absolutely fantasticly sweet oranges - they make the best juice, bar none! This tree was enormous, but sadly it got blown over in hurricane Frances, and they had to chop off most of the branches to be able to stand it back up again. And we lost the entirety of this year's crop. About 100-200 oranges.
But, Florida being Florida, in a month and a half it already has double the amount of leaves and branches it did after the trimming!
And the bananas that grow just outside the fence are kind of bitter, but they make pretty good banana bread.

I grew up with a back garden that grew apples, pears, sour cherries (yummy!), strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, gosseberries, rhubarb, red currants, white currants, chives, and, best of all, quinces.

I love having food-bearing plants in my garden!

[PinkFluffyCloud]

Back to Reproduction again.....(sigh)

[Mystic]

Last week I enjoyed bok choy from my garden in a stir-fry. I also have some beautiful parsley and thai coriander. Sometimes I get a broccoli floret, but that is all...

I have also entered the wonderful world of sprouting

[PinkFluffyCloud]

I have just started 'sprouting' too, Banana! How were yours? Mine were delicious - next time I would like straighter ones though!!

[Mystic]

I will let you know later coz I am having my 'raw' hummus for the first time for lunch today!!!!

Now I am sprouting some lentil seeds. I only started this morning - I hope they work

[veganblue]

It's raining heavily today and the garden is loving it. I slept in the loungeroom next to the window where I could best hear the rain and the wind in the pine trees out the back. If it lets up a little (even if it doesn't) I will run around poking more seeds into the ground as this will give them a great start.

[blue]

This thread really makes me want to do some investigating on getting some trees. The problem is, waiting on the first yield of fruit!

[veganblue]

This thread really makes me want to do some investigating on getting some trees. The problem is, waiting on the first yield of fruit!

Don't forget the delicate pink blossoms of the almond that suddenly erupt with a sweet pink fragrance and herald the start of the warm weather then are gone within a week. Soon the tips swell and the tree is covered in a mist of green shoots. You can pick the last of the loquots, while waiting on the apricots and juicing Valencias or the last of the winter navel oranges.

Suddenly the house is full of buckets of ripe fruit demanding drying and bottling for winter delights. Clouds of vinegar flies hover in the warm air over the bucket with an over-ripe bruised fruit going unpleasantly liquid at the bottom of the bucket releasing a tangy sugary smell.

As the leaves fall you can sometimes find a missed apple that the birds and bugs have not found amongst the leaf litter, the bare branches expose the now empty nests of the black birds and the occasional pigeon raft of twigs that seem ill-advised to hold round eggs.

There are many nuts still to be found beneath the pecan tree and the macadamia that were missed earlier and the jerusalem artichokes are ready for digging up and eating fresh and raw, scrubbed like carrots in the backyard.

There is always so much in the garden. Plant so that you will always be just on the edge of harvesting something; it keeps the excitement alive all year round.

[blue]

When I was growing up, we had a fig tree, and a pecan tree, it was wonderful! I've always missed it!

[veganblue]

My daylily decided to open two blossoms instead of just the one - I really need to get e digital camera then I'd be able to share the images with everyone. I have a blue waterflower in the pond at the moment; it's these little joys that keep me gardening. Nice day out today - wish I were out there and not doing an assignment! (this is a break )

[cedarblue]

today in the garden....

i dug over the prepared bed for putting my 2nd early spuds in next week and cleared the surface of my pond on a horrid tiny-leafed weed, that apparently once you get it its really difficult to get rid - and there, mooching about i found 4 (so far) newts!!! hurrah, they have seen out the winter!!
one (stripey) one looks very pregnant (not sure how to tell males/females apart) there seem to be 2 males & 2 females.

do newts feed off of frogspawn? i put a load in the pond and cant see any tadpoles swimming around but lots of the spawn are empty and the newts are around the spawn area??

i love pondlife

[tails4wagging]

yesterday in my garden, I planted early potatoes. My beetroot,carrots,onions lettuce and spinach are sprouting too early to put them out yet (in greenhouse). Yelling at the dogs to get of the veg, beds!!!!!.

Planted primula. My cowslips are blossoming well, bluebells are beginning to show their heads. So are the violets. Primroses are now dying off and so has the crocus. daffadils are also dying off.

[veganblue]

i dug over the prepared bed for putting my 2nd early spuds in next week and cleared the surface of my pond on a horrid tiny-leafed weed, that apparently once you get it its really difficult to get rid - ...

Huge windy gales brought the first rain in ages so I gardened today - instead of planting I dug blue potatoes and found heaps of pear shaped cherry tomatoes (heritage variety - look like little red light globes!)

Really want to put in the 10 lavendar bushes but am not totally sure where to put them.

I think I will set up some "Ester Dean's No-dig garden beds and fill them with loads of rich soil and compost as the soil here dries quickly and the plants stop growing.

Cedarblue: I think that the tadpoles will be very hard to see until they are bigger than peas so hopefully they are still there. They will like eating the roots of the floating weed too.

Tails4wagging: something strange has happened here - the daffodils are coming up very early - looks like it will be a good winter for bulbs!

[tails4wagging]

When does your daffs, flower then is it the same time as the uk, which is your autumn isnt it??

[veganblue]

When does your daffs, flower then is it the same time as the uk, which is your autumn isnt it??

It is Autumn now - I always think of them in early Spring though so their appearance always surprises me

[cedarblue]

Cedarblue: I think that the tadpoles will be very hard to see until they are bigger than peas so hopefully they are still there. They will like eating the roots of the floating weed too.

the spawn is quite large and i can see lots of tadpoles, some wriggling, some not. cant see many actually swimming freely around though. oh well, we shall see, am checking daily for newt babbies and developing spawn.

[Roxy]

Ahhhhhh.........I like this thread. Back in Australia, I used to have a house with a garden. Now I live in an apartment with no garden. I miss my garden! We are looking to move to a townhouse, but it seems that there aren't many available for rent in our area. Well......I will keep looking and keep my dream alive, of having a garden again!

[tails4wagging]

Roxy, You can grow things in your flat in containers??.

[Seaside]

Posted by cedarblue:

i love pondlife

I miss my pond! For several years a mama duck would use it to raise her babies in. Then I decided to rescue some feeder goldfish from the pet store, and when the ducks came back I had to shoo them away because they tried to eat the fish. I never had any frogs, though.

[Roxy]

Roxy, You can grow things in your flat in containers??.

I wish I knew how. Everything I have tried to grow in containers has died Except for a little blue spruce which is still alive.

[tails4wagging]

Roxy, the blue spruce is hardy. If I lived in a flat again I would try growing potatoes in a deep container and just keep earthing up and watering well.
My problem with indoor plants is I dont water them enough especially in the winter when I have the heating on so they need more watering then.

[Roxy]

I'm thinking of trying to grow something on my balcony this spring. I'll have to check what the seed packets say, and make sure the conditions are suitable.

[tails4wagging]

On our tv the other day the programme 'Gardeners world' suggested you could grow anything in containers, lettuce, spinach,tomatoes and potatoes where suggested.

[Seaside]

Hi Roxy,

Try this book, "The Bountiful Container" by Rose Marie Nichols McGee & Maggie Stuckey. It's by Workman Publishing. www.workmanpublishing.com

[cedarblue]

raining today, so pleased i planted spuds last night. too wet to do much out there today so watching the birdies picking over the turned earth (sorry worms! ) and thinking about what to plant around my pond.

last night after doing spuds, played badminton in garden with daughter - well, when i say badminton, i mean our 'special' badminton which involved 2 odd bats, and knocking one of those soft squishy bath scrunchy things over the washing line. LOL, we never get more than a 7 rally going

[cedarblue]

binoculars at the ready!!

no - im not snooping, just watching a pair of jays collecting nesting material

[Roxy]

Hi Roxy,

Try this book, "The Bountiful Container" by Rose Marie Nichols McGee & Maggie Stuckey. It's by Workman Publishing. www.workmanpublishing.com

Thanks Seaside! That looks like it might be a very helpful book

[Aurora]

Lovely bright cold day. Going into the greenhouse to pot on my new seedlings and plant some seeds I bought yesterday

Black Velvet Nasturtiums
Viola Tiger Eye
Melon Sweetheart
Salad Leves
Bedding Miniature Lupins

Got lots of lovely things coming up at the moment.

[RockyRaccoon]

I'm thinking of trying to grow something on my balcony this spring. I'll have to check what the seed packets say, and make sure the conditions are suitable.

Herbs grown in containers work really well. They not only look good, they smell and taste wonderful too. I also grow herbs inside in the winter. I put mint in the bathroom and crush the leaves whenever I'm in there, mmm, it leaves the room smelling lovely and fresh.

[tails4wagging]

Mint in the bathroom sounds lovely!!.

We have had a forecast of wintry showers this weekend!! so I will have to close my greenhouse up!!.

[Roxy]

Herbs grown in containers work really well. They not only look good, they smell and taste wonderful too. I also grow herbs inside in the winter. I put mint in the bathroom and crush the leaves whenever I'm in there, mmm, it leaves the room smelling lovely and fresh.

I had a herb pot. They died My bathroom does not receive any natural light (no window). Do you think anything would grow in there? (Other than mould)

[tails4wagging]

roxy try artificial plants in the bathroom!!

[Roxy]

I could do that I suppose, but honestly, would anything actually grow in there?

[Seaside]

Roxy, see if you can find a moisture meter at your hardware store or garden center. Mine was about ten dollars, I think, and it is really handy. It doesn't even seem to need batteries; it works on the "potato" battery theory (I had a clock once that ran by using potatoes or lemons with two different metal spikes stuck into the potatoes and wired to the clock). Its got a plastic meter with two metal spikes, one copper, the other probably aluminum, or maybe zinc, coming out of the bottom. You push the metal spikes into the soil, and it will tell you how moist the soil is, what the pH of the soil is (different plants like different levels of acidity in the soil, but its not important unless you are growing azaleas, blueberries, etc.) and how bright the light is. It's a very helpful gadget!