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Don't believe in electroculture
There has been some discussion of a gardening fad called "electroculture". The idea is that you stick a wire in the ground near the growing plants to serve as an antenna and bring electrical potential to the growing plants. The YouTuber "Garden Like a Viking" did an experiment in his garden, with some plants having these…
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Tips from Unusual Places
Facebook is not a place that I would normally turn to for tips, but lately it has had some interesting/fun tips. Here is one I saw this morning.
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Weeds indicate soil quality
I am curious what you know about what weeds indicate for soil conditions, & what it indicates for nutrients, whether lacking or abundant. If there is stinging nettle, for example, it should indicate rich & acidic soil, but also dampness in the soil. What can you name for me? Here are a few weeds to kickstart the thought…
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Growing Sprouts for Food
I’ve been growing shoots for years under lights, giving me some fresh microgreens in the winter. “Shoots” means I have planted the seeds in potting soil, watered them, and grew them as normal small plants before trimming them with scissors and eating the trimmings. You can keep shoots going for weeks, letting them regrow…
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What have you been preserving?
I froze 2 flats of Strawberries and 10 pounds of blueberries so far this year. I have green beans (2 different varieties) coming in strong. I have been picking for a week. I did two plantings. I planted peas this morning with another planting going in next week. The greens, carrots etc are not doing as well as expected.…
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is it possible to transplant greens?
I was reading someone else's information on transplants but I didn't see the information I was looking for. Is it possible to transplant greens? I always plant seeds too close together. I noticed I had two twelve inch spots that didn't come up at all. Either they are slow or I will be doing a lot of transplanting of…
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Transplanting to increase harvest
By doubling the quantity of seeds planted, it keeps out much of the weeds, but there are extra plants that need to eventually be removed to allow for proper growth. It seems a shame to discard these young plants since many are quite healthy. They can be eaten, but has anyone gotten success from transplanting these extra…
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How many people?
How many people can you get into a two-bedroom apartment that is less than 900 square feet.? Two more people moved into my tiny apartment. They did get a storage unit too. Getting used to this is taking more of a toll on me than I expected. They are family which helps. I have not had time to be on this site at all. I am…
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Drones picking apples... AI and the future of food is here.
If you recall, a few years ago I had the priviledge to interview Dr. Kai Fu-Lee - a self made billionaire who was an expert in AI. My questions were directed towards the impact AI would have on food production, and backyard food production in particular. He predicted that by the end of this decade (so to 2030) 40% of all…
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Mint as a ground cover?
A friend of mine in Northern California is thinking about using mint as a ground cover. She has some empty land around her home where there is nothing planted right now. Knowing how mint can spread and take over, my immediate reaction was: don't do it! But, thought I'd ask here if anyone has any thoughts on this or has…
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Farm Bot: the AI powered robot to automatically grow food - it was only a matter of time...
OK, so you know my love of gadgets. This one has finally surfaced. I'm not sure what to think about this. The interaction and engagement is what makes growing so fulfilling. But you knw there are so many people who will need to get growing and I guess this is a possbile good entry point for the ultra tech oriented people…
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Syntropic agriculture
Tried & true
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Soil science/permaculture textbooks for homeschooling
Soil science/permaculture curriculum is available for children/homeschoolers. This company is based in the US.
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Is there a way to determine if my chicken manure is cool enough to put on my garden? I have burned
I’m a newbie to this. Looking for some input on using chicken manure on my garden. Can I test it to know if it is composted enough? A ph test…?
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Experiment with structured water on peas - amazing!
OK, so I attended a workshop with Dr. Andrew Kaufman all about water. Really interesting.. And I've been reading Pollacks book on "The Forth Phase of Water". The book is way deep on chemistry so I've sort of skimmed it... But after the results below, I am going to go back and really dive into the details. So i'm in this…
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Any Gardeners in Zone 4 (9,500 feet up)?
Heard Marjory on “Coast to Coast” tonight and got so excited to join the forum! I won’t say I’m an experienced gardener but I’ve had great success every time I’ve tried! We just build a geodome here on the peaks of the Rocky’s. Our last frost to first frost is typically 60-90 days 🤣 but the geodome should extend that…
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Building greenhouse shelves
Here is a picture of me taking apart a chain to put “s” hooks on. I will hang the grow lights from these movable chains. I bought fancy grow lights, but I have to wear special dark glasses so I don’t get macular degeneration when I am older, so wishing I bought fluorescent lights. More pictures to come. What is your setup…
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Planting by the moon
Planting by the Moon (botanicalinterests.com) Do you plant by the moon?
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What I am doing now (in a colder climate)
Even though I am in a colder climate, I am trying to see the germination of my seeds, and planning what to plant and how to plant it. What steps do you do for your own garden? Where are you doing now for your garden? Planning? Seedling? Biointensive? Harvesting? —Christina
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No mow alternatives to lawns
11 No-Mow Alternatives to Your Grass Lawn (bloomingbackyard.com) Some of these may not work in town or HOA area.
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Growing in cold weather or early spring
This will work to protect plants if you don't have a greenhouse. Of course, really cold weather it will not work as well. I can do this in my zone 5. My friend used it in zone 4. Photo from gardenweb
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Trellising plants - Tomatoes
Blight is a huge growing issue in my area and tomatoes that are grown vertically or in containers have less issues. From what I have read the blight virus settles in the soil so when it rains any dirt or wet soil hits the plant and blight can begin to set in. Trellising the plant, keeping the lower branches trimmed off and…
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Trellising - Summer squash
Trellising summer squash will save you room and is great for the urban gardener and renter. It also helps me control insects, especially the borers, and spot those small Zucchini that seem to grow one foot in an evening. Here's a link on how to prune them if you stake or trellis them. How to Prune & Stake Zucchini - Huge…
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Garden Tips February 2023
For me, it's almost garden time. My outdoor planting time, if I follow the last frost date, is May15. I start cool weather crops earlier and peas go in the ground March 15th. Indoor gardening never stops. Here is a link with some different money saving tips. 23 Insanely Clever Gardening Ideas on Low Budget…
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Revolution Garden - James Fry - Did anyone else try it?
I just invested in James fry Revolution Garden System: That I saw on the Homegrown food summit. I did do it cheaper than he suggested using my kids old swimming pool for a nutrient tank. And I found 2x3 x6” Black plastic cement mixing bins to use for the grow beads. At 13 each Much cheeper than the Bonticare flood and…
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gardening articles
There are many great articles here. Microclimates · Permaculture Women Magazine
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Keeping your Aquaponics warm
How is everyone doing at keeping their Aquaponics systems warm? We had to make some changes in our outdoor system and it is honestly struggling, since I cannot put a top on the fish tank. With my original home built design, I could place a styrofoam sheet over the top of the fish tank and it held most of the heat in there.…
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Hydroponics
Hydroponics is another form of gardening that many people use. I am one. (But of course I do most forms of gardening, lol) Who has done hydroponics and what works for you? If you have not what questions do you have?
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Suggestions for heat mats for plant starting?
I'm interested in buying a couple of heat mats, mainly for starting tomatoes, but possibly other starts as well. I looked at Amazon and same quite a few models that get decent reviews, but I am uncomfortable with the number of reviews that say something like "worked for a few weeks/months and then quit." I'd like to spend…
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indoor greenhouse
Does anyone have an area that they would consider an indoor greenhouse area? I have used my basement area, more than half is exposed to sunlight, for years. But heating this year with heating costs makes me want to change plans. I have ideas but thought I would see what you are doing.
