Oh yeah, that's right! I found those little destroyers! I went out this morning to peruse my produce and I see evidence of their undertakings on more of my plants. I had only seen their nibbles on one plant, yesterday it was two, now it's all four of my broccoli plants. Well, I can't have my crop totally decimated by these tiny terrors so I started checking... and checking... and checking. Finally I found two of these little critters on one plant. OK, first of all they have eaten like 30 holes in each plant, Seriously? You'd figure that these suckers would be the size of a worm, or a snake even, right? Not so much. The little critters, emphasis on little, are less than a centimeter long and as thin as the lead of a mechanical pencil! Seriously, where did they put all of that food?
On another note, our cabbage has sprouted as have our turnips and spinach. Don't tell my friend but I forgot which side is spinach and which side is turnips. I guess we'll have to wait until they grow up!
Now for a back story: When I was little I was in foster care back east, my foster parents had a farm. Naturally, we ate the food we farmed, I'd help bring it in as much as a five-year-old could. I remember liking Turnips.
Fast forward a couple of decades: I get a produce box from a local farmer that contains all sorts of produce, my last one had turnips(you see where I'm going with this?) I can't stand turnips! What was I thinking growing something I haven't eaten since I was five!?! I really hope my friend likes turnips!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
So far so good
My friend and I have been splitting the cost of our supplies, potting mix, seeds, plants, wood for the planters. Naturally I am putting in a little bit more of the cost and most of the effort because our garden is at my house. We came to this arrangement because we both wanted a garden, we both have the same goals(being as environmentally conscious as possible), and we'll probably end up with more of certain foods than one family needs so we may as well pool our resources.
So far so good, we have encountered our first little leaf muncher. Our broccoli has been sampled but the little bugger is proving to be more elusive than one would think, I have checked the underside of all of my leaves and have yet to find it! I find it's little "presents" but no bug. I suppose it can't eat that much or people would have starved off a long time before there were commercial pesticides.
Bartholomew recommends a 4x4 box for planting but I made my boxes 2x4 because I have them on my patio. As of right now our peas and carrots are all coming up nicely in their box. The broccoli, kohlrabi and beets are coming up nicely as well, they have their own box. The third box I planted Wednesday with my 8 year old, that box has cabbage, spinach, and turnips. I ended up planting some broccoli plants that I got from the garden center rather than growing them from seed but everything else is from seed. We'll be planting our fourth box next week.
A little info on our family: I have five kids and I believe that every member of the family needs to contribute. Period. My kids are 15, 11, 8, 3(next week) and 1. My oldest three kids are not my birth children, I am their guardian. I do refer to them as my kids but they refer to me as their aunt. I do lump all of the kids together, I love them all, they are my kids, but they do have a mom so I'm Auntie.
My 11 and 8 year-olds are in cub scouts which requires that they do stuff to help out too, Great! They get credit for the stuff that mean old Auntie was going to make them do anyway!
My 8 year old has been helping me plan out our plantings. As a matter of fact he drew pictures of the boxes and wrote what we were planting in each section. One of the requirements for my 11 year old is that he participate in family meetings so for one of the family meetings we decided which plants we were planting. Easy! The boys like having a say in what we grow, even my 3 year old likes growing the garden. She is always trying to water the plants, sometimes I get frustrated because she won't STOP watering the plants. I love her enthusiasm though.
I just wish my 15 year old gave two hoots about what we were growing! I suppose if we had an ice cream tree he might be excited, oh well. I'm sure that even though he's "too cool" to be excited right now he'll enjoy the food when we eat it.
So far so good, we have encountered our first little leaf muncher. Our broccoli has been sampled but the little bugger is proving to be more elusive than one would think, I have checked the underside of all of my leaves and have yet to find it! I find it's little "presents" but no bug. I suppose it can't eat that much or people would have starved off a long time before there were commercial pesticides.
Bartholomew recommends a 4x4 box for planting but I made my boxes 2x4 because I have them on my patio. As of right now our peas and carrots are all coming up nicely in their box. The broccoli, kohlrabi and beets are coming up nicely as well, they have their own box. The third box I planted Wednesday with my 8 year old, that box has cabbage, spinach, and turnips. I ended up planting some broccoli plants that I got from the garden center rather than growing them from seed but everything else is from seed. We'll be planting our fourth box next week.
A little info on our family: I have five kids and I believe that every member of the family needs to contribute. Period. My kids are 15, 11, 8, 3(next week) and 1. My oldest three kids are not my birth children, I am their guardian. I do refer to them as my kids but they refer to me as their aunt. I do lump all of the kids together, I love them all, they are my kids, but they do have a mom so I'm Auntie.
My 11 and 8 year-olds are in cub scouts which requires that they do stuff to help out too, Great! They get credit for the stuff that mean old Auntie was going to make them do anyway!
My 8 year old has been helping me plan out our plantings. As a matter of fact he drew pictures of the boxes and wrote what we were planting in each section. One of the requirements for my 11 year old is that he participate in family meetings so for one of the family meetings we decided which plants we were planting. Easy! The boys like having a say in what we grow, even my 3 year old likes growing the garden. She is always trying to water the plants, sometimes I get frustrated because she won't STOP watering the plants. I love her enthusiasm though.
I just wish my 15 year old gave two hoots about what we were growing! I suppose if we had an ice cream tree he might be excited, oh well. I'm sure that even though he's "too cool" to be excited right now he'll enjoy the food when we eat it.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
My attempt at organic gardening
I've been reading All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholemew. This book lays out a plan for gardening that will give maximum yield from a very small space. I am also reading Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte. The idea behind all of my reading is that I'll actually get to eat some of the food I grow rather than just feeding the bugs. I grow without using chemicals and have had limited success with growing food.
I have a limited amount of space so I have decided to cut the boxes in half, making them 2x4, rather than the 4x4 prescribed by the Bartholemew, yesterday I planted Broccoli, kohlrabi, and beets in one box. In my second box I planted peas and carrots.
Tomorrow I'll be heading to my local garden center to pick up the components of my potting mix. I'm going to be experimenting with different plantings to naturally repel bugs. Wish me luck!
I have a limited amount of space so I have decided to cut the boxes in half, making them 2x4, rather than the 4x4 prescribed by the Bartholemew, yesterday I planted Broccoli, kohlrabi, and beets in one box. In my second box I planted peas and carrots.
Tomorrow I'll be heading to my local garden center to pick up the components of my potting mix. I'm going to be experimenting with different plantings to naturally repel bugs. Wish me luck!
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