Extreme Urban Gardening: Straw Bale Gardens Here’s a very simple technique for gardening in tight spots and in places with no/terrible soil (from the arctic circle to the desert to an asphalt jungle). It’s also a great way to garden if you have limited mobility (in a wheel chair). What is Straw Bale Gardening? You simply plant your garden in straw bales. As you can see, the basic technique is actually quite simple. How to grow a Straw Bale Garden There are lots of techniques on how to grow a straw bale garden. Days 1 to 3: Water the bales thoroughly and keep them damp.Days 4 to 6: Sprinkle each bale with ½ cup urea (46-0-0) and water well into bales. Essentially, plant the seedlings like you would do in the ground. Remember, the bales (like most above ground gardening techniques) will need extra water and fertilizer during the early period. Plants Number Per Bale Tomatoes 2-3Peppers 4Cucumbers 4-6Squash 2-4Pumpkin 2Zucchini 2-3Lettuce Per package directionsStrawberries 3-4Beans Per package directions Resiliently yours,
How to Grow 100 Pounds of Potatoes in 4 Square Feet On many occasions, we've been tempted to grow our own potatoes. They're fairly low maintenance, can be grown in a pot or in the ground, last a fairly long time if stored properly, and can be very nutritious (high in potassium and vitamin C). Here's more incentive: according to this article, you can grow 100 pounds of potatoes in 4 sq. feet. Learn how after the jump... According to this article from the Seattle Times, potatoes planted inside a box with this method can grow up to 100 pounds of potatoes in just 4 square feet. Lumber Seed potatoes Soil Careful attention to watering The Times' guide for building a potato growing box yields up to a 100 lbs. of potatoes in a mere 4 square feet is shown below: Plant as early as April or as late as August 1, with an approximated 3 month till harvest turnaround time. Here are some pointers from the article: Cut apart larger seed potatoes, making sure there are at least two eyes in each piece you plant. Seattle Times via LifeHacker.
Projects | Vertical Garden Design Another three vertical gardens at the fairs. View project Three green walls at Malmö University. View project Indoor vertical garden in Replay’s flagship store in Barcelona. View project Outdoor vertical garden in a small patio. View project How to Grow Vegetables | Guide to Growing Vegetables Some general considerations for growing vegetables: Sowing Tips When sowing seeds, a good general rule of thumb is to sow to a depth of approximately twice the thickness of the seed. Some smaller seeds require light to germinate and should not be sown too deep; otherwise they may never germinate or break through the surface of the soil. Conversely, large seeds planted too shallow may not develop properly. Keep seeds well-moistened while awaiting germination and check regularly. Select a light-weight, well-drained medium for sowing to ensure good seed to soil contact. Growing Tips Most vegetables will produce better results if sown and grown in a soil-medium that is well-drained, rich in organic matter (fertile), and fairly lightweight. Most vegetables will prefer good quantities of natural, direct sunlight daily. Harvesting and Seed Saving Many vegetables will be harvested in the fall, especially if grown in lower hardiness zones.
Urban Gardening: Indoor and Balcony Gardening Tips Posted on Nov 19, 2010 in DIY Projects , Emergency Preparedness & Survival , Urban Gardening, Farming & Homesteading It’s quite feasible to grow your own food even if you live in an urban space and have no outdoor room to garden. If you have just a bit of space on a balcony, patio or rooftop, you can grow even more. Here’s an overview of how to grow food for yourself and your family if you’re living without a large yard and transportation to move large quantities of plants and supplies to your house. Gardening inside presents unique challenges. Supplies: where to find, how to have them shipped Space: small apartments aren’t conducive to traditional fruit-tree growing techniques Light: light levels are drastically reduced on the inside Crops: which will produce in shadier conditions Pollination: certain fruit crops require pollination (generally done by insects) in order to produce There are ways to get around all of these issues. The Internet has made getting supplies much easier. Lettuce Peas
Propagating and Starting Potatoes Sunday, 13 March 2011 10:35 Seeds growing from seed is almost unknown (GV) seed potatoes, which are small potatoes saved from last season's crop are the preferred method of starting potatoes Seed Potatoes 2.5 pounds of Mountain Rose seed potatoes are laid out in this photo; each bag in the background also holds 2.5 pounds of seed potatoes of other varieties 2 to 2.5 pounds of seed potatoes plants 25 row feet. it's critical to buy certified disease-free seed potatoes. Chitting 2.5 pounds of Mountain Rose and 2.5 pounds of German Butterball seed potatoes laid out for chitting Note: I shouldn't have cut them before chitting them. Chitting seed potatoes shortens the time between planting and harvesting. Saving Seed Stock SSE: Save the very best potatoes for planting next year. Microplants specilist heritage varietes can be grown from microplants (GV) Cuttings Division Germination
Greening Medicinal Plants Climb Walls of Paris Pharmacy February 20, 2014 MaPharmacie is a Paris pharmacy of a greener kind. On the exterior, the standard green flashing cross which represents French pharmacies, belies what’s inside. Tinctures and capsules appear to float on living walls of medicinal plants, all reflected in mirrors … Read More… Rendezvous in Green: Botanical Tiled Vertical Garden February 19, 2014 Add this botanical tiled vertical garden space to the list of wonderful places to sneak off to for an afternoon rendezvous. Grow With the Glow: Mush-Lume Compostable Lamp Shade Grown From Mushrooms February 18, 2014 There is a creative fungus among us. Historical Roots: 6 Types of Hydroponic Gardening Systems and Countertop Planters January 14, 2014 When my kids were little, they enjoyed a family hydroponic gardening project conducted on the kitchen counter. New York City’s Intervale Green Rooftop Urban Farm Cultivates More Than Food January 10, 2014
Growing your own: Pumpkins & winter squashes Sow: April Plant: May - June Harvest: July - October Recommended varieties "For winter squash try Uchiki Kuri or Onion Squash," says Charles Dowding. Sowing and planting Winter squashes and pumpkins need a long, hot growing season to ripen. Cultivation As with courgettes and marrows, the plants can have their trails pinned round in circles or guided with sticks to save space. Pests and diseases Pumpkins are unfortunately the favourite dish of many bugs, including the cucumber beetle, which carries a disease that can lead to a powdery mildew developing. Harvesting If you want to use your veggies fresh, pick them when they reach the required size. Storage Cure the skin by exposing your crop to the direct sun for about 10 days. Extending the season These plants need a good three to four months of warm weather to mature. Growing without a veg plot Squashes can be grown in deep containers (a bucket with a 60cm diameter should suffice).
3 Uses for Eggshells in the Garden and Beyond Photo Credit: Egg Shell Mulch by London Permaculture used under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter Eggshells are such a wonderful nature created invention. They provide the perfect protection for the raw egg material inside, which will become either human breakfast or a chicken. But did you know they can also benefit the garden. Well, they can and the tips below will help you maximize the use of these amazing little calcium-rich containers. 1. 2. 3. While eggshells in the garden may seem a little odd, they are free with ones breakfast and easy to use.
Growing Your Own Garlic - Planting Growing Harvesting and Storing Garlic As far as I'm concerned, garlic gets the blue ribbon for growing your own. It's absurdly easy to plant and care for; it tastes great; it looks beautiful and it takes up so little ground that even those with very small gardens can raise enough to be self-sufficient in garlic for a good part of the year. All you have to do is choose the right varieties; plant at the right time, in the right soil; then harvest when just right and store correctly. 1. If you look in a specialist catalog like the one at Gourmet Garlic Gardens, you'll find dozens of varieties of garlic listed. You see where this is going – and you can see a lot more types of garlic on either of those websites, but for general purposes the most important difference is the one between softneck and hardneck. Softnecks are so called because the whole green plant dies down to pliancy, leaving nothing but the bulb and flexible stems that are easy to braid. Gardeners in most of the U.S. can try some of both. 2. 3. 1. 2. 4. 5. 6.