Green things appear!
My garden has green things in it now! I'm so excited!( Pics under cut!Collapse )

Current Mood: bouncy

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My friends and I are trying to start a community organic garden in our town. We've even already had land donated by some local farmers. The problem is, from that point on we have no idea what to do, especially during these still wintry months. Everyone is so disorganized and there's not really good communication going on... the boy whose brainchild this is tends to be really busy with school and can't give the project a lot of attention. Since it was his idea, we kind of assume he's the boss- no one wants to rob him of that. It's just that without any really organization, I'm afraid nothing is really going to happen, and the local generosity will go to waste.
Has anyone out there put together a medium to large scale community garden before? How do we really get this ball rolling? What should we be doing while it's still cold?
Please help!

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I just finished up my spring planting, and have taken some pictures to share.  This year we have Bell peppers, jalapenos, broccoli, kale, okra, black beans, chick peas, snow peas, green runner beans, corn, radishes, carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, garlic, chives, lavender, oregano, basil, tarragon, sage, thyme, peppercorns, cloves, as well as the pineapple plants my mom gave me when she moved, and I started an Avocado tree as well.

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For those wondering, The 2 ltr bottles are for my "compost tea" it's a homemade liquid fertilizer, and the bike wheel I found and gave it new life as a vine trellis (it works wonderfully for that).  The rug I crocheted myself using clothing too worn/holey to wear or pass on or donate.  took me months to make, i'm so proud of it.

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Noob question: fungus on newly-started seeds?
Hi, noob here and apartment-dweller. I've grown herbs and tomatoes before, on roofs and balconies, as well as houseplants galore. This year I'm busy with school so I scaled back and decided just to grow some arugula on my windowsill. This is my first time growing food from seed.

I got some paper disks with pre-embedded arugula seeds and planted them in a box on my windowsill. They sprouted within a couple of days, but today when I checked them for the first time in bright light I saw that they had a little white fuzz growing on them. At first I thought it might be wisps of decomposing paper, but no, it's pretty clearly a fungus.

Can my seedlings be salvaged? I refrained from watering this morning and placed the box in a sunnier spot. Is there anything else I can do to help these little guys?

TIA!

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Country????? Me?????
I MADE A GARDEN!!!!!!

Well, it's a mini garden. I didn't have a rototiller to use, so all the ground was turned using people power! The land hasn't been worked in a decade, since my dad died. It took me all day to do this, if you will believe it. Breaking the ground, ripping up the weeds, picking out the big rocks, mixing in the fertilizer. I have the nastiest blister on my palm from it all. So I only did half of the box. HA! My dad used to do a whole quarter acre of stuff, and used the box just for small things like radishes, carrots, green onions, etc. But he DID have a rototiller. So...yeah.

I know it's really not anything super interesting, but I'M DAMNED PROUD OF IT! It's my first go at something of this nature, & I'd been wanting to do it for a long time. SO THERE!


Before... kind of. I'd already kind of started tearing at the grass there...but you get the idea.

Awe! Look at the baby veggies!

And yes, that is a hydraulic car hoist in the back.

....so this year....if it all works out, I should have:

Tomatos
Pickling cucumbers
(Yes, I plan to try to make my own pickles.)
Crookneck squash
pumpkins
Zucchini
Green Bens
Strawberries
Watermelon
Cantaloupe
Rosemary
&
Sweet Basil

WISH ME LUCK!!!!

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New to growing
Hi all, I've never grown anything before but I'm ready to start. I live in an apartment so any growing I do will have to be in containers in a window or on my back porch. I have a large back porch but there's a lot of wildlife in my area especially rabbits. I have a cat but she usually doesn't gnaw on plants. So does anyone have any tips for a complete newbie?

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Patiofarmers' Guild
Hi all,

I hope that this is allowed and if it isn't, please let me know and I'll delete it ASAP.

I just wanted to let you know about my new website, http://patiofarmersguild.com for anyone who is interested in organic gardening/farming and self-sufficiency in small or unconventional spaces. It's part blog, part forum, part resource guide and hopefully much more. It's very new but it's worth a look and I'm hoping that it'll keep growing with time. I'm also always looking for contributors, so if anyone is interested in writing an article or essay, passing on a tip or idea, reviewing a relevant book or even just adding pictures of your own patiofarm, I'd love to hear from you. My email is [email protected]

Again, I'm not trying to break any community rules, so please forgive me if this isn't allowed. I'll be happy to delete it. Thanks so much for your time and I hope to see you on the forums!

Kelly the PatioFarmer

x-posted a bit.

Current Mood: excited

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Intro & question
 Hello!

I live in WV. We just moved to our current home last September. 
We never had a big back yard before, now that we do I'm trying to get a little more self sufficient. 
We just got our first chickens, and I started a compost. 

I eventually plan to have a garden. My dad was REALLY into his garden. He was a chemist, and that was his hobby/passion. 

He passed away in 1990. 
I recently came across some envelpes of seeds that he had put up. He would hand cross polinate certain plants. 
Like his tomatoes were the BEST ever. Then he would save the seeds from those plants for the next year... etc. 

So these seeds are over 20 years old. What do you think the chances are that they will still germinate? 

And what do you think would be the best way to do so?
Being able to grow from my dad's seeds would be... Well, I'm sure you understand. I'm not counting on them being viable, but it would be nice. :)

Thanks!
~Jen




Current Mood: hopeful

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pineapple!




I got this adorable Pineapple plant for my birthday today! Anyone here ever grow one or know any tips? I've been reading about them tonight, but it's always nice to "talk" with someone about these things!

Also, I'm so ready for the garden to grow! My heirloom seed order gets here soon and I can't wait to get 'em in the ground! What fruits, veggies, herbs, plants are you looking forward to growing this year?

Hope your weekend has been wonderful!

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Keeping extra seeds?
What do you do with extra seeds/eyes? I plan to plant all of my tomatoes and give away the extras as gifts, but for things like potatoes, corn, broccoli, bell peppers, etc.. what do you do with the extras? How do you keep them, if you do?

Current Mood: curious

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Cloche and polytunnel versus greenhouse?
Greetings All,

I am running a communal allotment in the South West of England, currently with 4 of us who are all learning together! I would like to bring some seedlings on at home (we do not yet have a greenhouse) but I currently live in a basement. I have access to a garden, although it is small I am sure I could have a cloche or two set up.

Could anyone suggest good seedlings to rear in a small cloche arrangement and when to do this? I am interested to try herbs or novelty crops for salad, chillis or anything really...! But as I am new to this I don't want to try anything too risky or demanding.

Secondly, in our allotment we currently have a bit of a debate regarding poly tunnels versus greenhouses. We have secured some funding but can probably only afford one. I expect the size will be limited (I need to check allotment rules, but greenhouse / sheds are limited to 8' x 6' so I am assuming something similar for a polytunnel). Advantages or disadvantages of both? Longevity and versatility?

I'm interested to hear your thoughts. Thanks All!

Current Mood: curious

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Co-op CSAs
I heard about this on the Farm & Garden show on KZYX&Z Monday. They interviewed a farmer in Oregon, a very smart and eloquent guy (great radio!), and one of the things he does is a cooperative CSA with several other farmers. They each decide in advance what they will grow and provide for the subscriptions, and the result is a box with several kinds of produce, plus meat, eggs, jam, etc. I'm really intrigued by this idea. Anybody here participate in such a scheme, on either end of the deal?

x-posted to organic_farms and pollanesque

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Que the Banjos!
So, there has always been that huge bit of land between Mom's house and mine.  When Dad was alive we used the space as a kitchen garden.  After he died the land went flat and has been unused.  I am hopeful that I can use it again as a kitchen garden.  I don't know what I need to really do though.  I mean, it's not like I'm doing a small bit of ground for flowers..... It's quite a piece.  I'd say you could park a few trucks in the space I have to work with. I've ordered this book for one...

An old rototiller was purchased from a yard sale a few years back, so I have that. I also plan to talk to a family friend and ask what to do.  Perhaps do any of you have any ideas?

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Hello. I grow food. Lots of it, enough to sell the surplus at a local farmer's market. My place was an orchard, about 100 years ago, but fell into disuse for many decades. We've got the orchard producing again, and now we're expanding the vegetable and berry production. Soon I expect we'll hit the limit of what we can handle with our own labor. Our neighbors inspire us; they have been farming organically for about 20 years, starting with raw ground, and they produce an amazing quantity of high-quality food. They are extremely generous people and we've learned a lot from them.

There's a strong local-food movement here, with groups like the Noyo Food Forest helping people find land on which to grow food. It's great to be part of this movement and connect with the community in this way. I can't tell you how many people buy produce from me and then say something like "Thank you for doing this!"

One missing piece here is meat production. There are local producers of lamb, and some local goat farmers who might part with a kid once in a while, but that's about it. We're considering raising rabbits and chickens, but so far have been daunted by the added responsibility.

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Dry soil
Hi.

I live in the Blue Mountains in Australia. By yard is made up of slopes, and the soil is sandy but with a lot of decomposed shale making it fairly fertile. There's subtropical rainforest a few minutes' walk away but my yard isn't really in that zone.

With the house came a veggie garden, which I left to grow over with weeds for six months or so while I was working 6-7 days a week. The grass did very well, and there's some parsley in there that you need a whip and chair to approach. Potatoes also grow like weeds, but never to any decent size. You peel them and most of the potato is gone. The garden is on a steep-ish slope, and the furrows are pointing down the hill.

So over the last six months or so, I've been trying to get stuff to grow in there. Peas and beans first, but it was probably too cold so they came up stunted and didn't fruit much. Then when it got warmer, I put in some other crops. Nothing much has happened with them, one little vine has popped up, and a couple of peas even more feeble than the first batch, and no sign of the carrots. I started to think they weren't getting enough water.

More recently I planted even more seeds, and it has been raining every day, quite solidly though not very heavy. But even though there's puddles and mud everywhere, the dirt is still dry and dusty a millimetre or so under the surface of my garden. It's like the dirt is actually repelling the water. In the ditches between the rows the water has penetrated very well, but it isn't working its way up.

What is going on and how do I fix it? I want to keep it organic if I can, and I can't fork out huge sums of money either.

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Hello. I have questions about root cellars and such things.

I am about to acquire 20+ pumpkins [my boyfriend lives in the country and his family considers these decorations, not food].
-How long do pumpkins generally last in a root cellar?
-How can you tell if a pumpkin has gone bad--aside from the obvious super-rotten stage? Can you tell from the outside or do you have to crack it open to find out?

My house is a 160-year-old farmhouse and naturally we have a root cellar. However, we've never used it because the food co-op and the supermarket are within walking distance; we never had a need. We just keep all of our gardening things in there.
As far as I've seen, it's never flooded or been too humid in there..
-Aside from setting out bowls of uncooked rice, how do I keep it dry?
-How can I tell if it's in good shape?
-Any other root cellar tips you have are much appreciated.

X-posted to naturalliving

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Today I found the breed of sheep I want to raise. Ladies and gents, the Navajo-Churro.



"Navajo-Churro sheep are descended from the Churra, an ancient Iberian breed. Although secondary to the Merino, the Churra (later corrupted to "Churro" by American frontiersmen) was prized by the Spanish for its remarkable hardiness, adaptability and fecundity. The Churra was the very first breed of domesticated sheep in the New World. Its importation to New Spain by the Spanish dates back to the 16th century where it was used to feed and clothe the armies of the conquistadors and Spanish settlers."

This breed was brought to North America hundreds of years ago--thus, it is well-adapted to the climate--and in the 1970s less than 500 survived. I discovered it via Slow Food USA.
It bears a very durable wool that is highly valued and it gives ample amounts of milk. It is also kept for meat, but that's something I'm not really interested in.

To find out more, see:
The Navajo-Churro Sheep Association
Navajo-Churros on Slow Food USA
Navajo-Churros on the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy

To find more antique American livestock breeds, see the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. To find antique breeds in your corner of the globe, try Slow Food International.

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Introductory post.
Hello all. My name is Amy and I will probably be posting here so much you'll be sick of me pretty soon :)
Up until about four days ago I wanted to go to college to be a vet tech. But now, I realize that that is beyond what my sentiment and my nerves can handle. And that I was only doing it because I wanted to work with animals without exploiting them and that was the only way I could think of.
Now, however, what I really want to do is live off the land. I want to grow my own food--and maybe sell some at a farmer's market--using a horse and plow, I want my primary mode of transportation to be a horse/sleigh/cart. I want to adopt sheep and chickens, though I am not sure how many and I am still learning about it, as well as beekeeping. I wouldn't be raising the chickens for slaughter, I'd just be keeping them for eggs. I want my house to be on a greywater system and have rainbarrels and stuff like that. I want to get my energy from a windmill. Basically I want it to be as sustainable as possible. I know it seems really idealistic/ambitious, but I don't care. I think I can make it work because people already have/do.
I am an ovo-lacto vegetarian [I don't eat dairy or meat but I do eat eggs and honey]
Any suggestions you have would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance for putting up with me :P

Current Mood: happy

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