Great IDEAS FOR NEW, LIMITED SPACE, GARDENERS

 I was recently visiting with a young lady who really wants to learn gardening but has limited space.  There are many ways to garden in a limited space, ie in buckets pots and such.  I found this article from  beprepared.com and thought was great so am sharing.

https://beprepared.com/blogs/articles/garden-in-a-crate

Don’t be scared to get started.  I encourage you to start slow until you get a feel for gardening especially if you have limited time to care for a garden.  Don’t get discouraged on your first go at it, if it doesn’t go like the pictures look.  There are more links to gardening info on this blog.  If you find some new info please let me know.

GREAT SITES FOR GREAT QUALITY FOODS

Patsy and I consider good quality foods a must to maintain healthy bodies and minds.  These days of cancer, diabetes, hypertension and much more seem to go with life here in the good ole USA.  We kinda refuse to except that.  So if there is an interest here are a few of our choices to buy those good quality foods eg olive oil, salmon and coconut products.

OLIVE OIL. 

We met the Sciabica’s(Greek family) while working in Modesto, California.  We loved their olive oil and learned they are very careful to limit chemical use,  and although not qualified as organic their oils are quality.  They have won most every international awards for their oils.  Their flavored oils are wonderful.  Try the Jalapeño or Mediterranean oils or just their plain oils are a few steps above most over the counter oils.  Their oils are Kosher certified.

https://www.sunshineinabottle.com/

SALMON and TUNA.                                                                  The Northwest offers the best choice in quality seafood (our opinion). Vital Choice has really great salmon and tuna as well many other wild caught varieties.  We just order their canned traditional Alaska Salmon and canned Tuna.  It is just delicious.  Their website is full great recipes and health info.

Most are Kosher certified.

https://www.vitalchoice.com/

COCONUT OIL, COCONUT, NUTS AND SPICES.  

This a great site for coconut products.  This company was recommended to us by our good friend and mentor, Dale Peterson MD, also a health and wellness physician.  We use a lot of coconut oil so buy it by the gallon.  We add it to our dogs foods too.

https://wildernessfamilynaturals.com/

Pepper problems

I had a question today concerning peppers that were hanging on the plant with part of the tip missing with no evidence of bugs or other problem. I understand blossom end rot in tomatoes but not in peppers.  The following links may be of help:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/pepper/pepper-blossom-end-rot.htm

http://thehotpepper.com/topic/55698-blossom-end-rot/

Hope this helps.

GARDEN IS GROWING WITH ALL THIS RAIN

Here it is July and the garden is really growing.  We have had 5-6 inches of rain in the last few days so now the garden is happy.  Blueberries are just about done and blackberries are slowing down.  Now it is green beans, cucumbers, tomatoes and garlic.  I am in process of digging Garlic as well as beets.  I am also redoing strawberry beds as some of the plants are pretty old.

 We picked a nice bucket of green beans this morning.  It should be enough for a canner full.  The pic below is our picking for today.  Berries, tomatoes and cucumbers and beans.  Mostly is what we had for lunch.  The beans are rattlesnake climbing beans and believe me they do climb.  Some of my trellises are 8 ft high and they quickly climb over the top and hang down 3-4 ft.  As you can see a days picking is generous.

I have included more pics below and will put labels on them.  One will show a Bean trellis and another grapes, blueberries and raspberries.
This spring the National Forest drained our local lake and cleaned out the bottom.  They hauled out 2800 dump truck loads and we got a couple of loads (approx 44 ton),  I have mixed a lot of this soil into the garden beds and it has been a good addition.

Muscadine Grapes (lt)  Blueberries  (ctr)  Raspberries (rt)

8 foot x 10 ft of green beens

      

WONDERFUL MAY SURPRISE

Yesterday morning we were looking out at the bird feeders and these two Orioles were checking out the feeders and hummingbird feeders.  Pat immediately cut an orange and laid it on the birdbath and the picture tells the rest.  We are hoping they stay around for a while.

NOVEMBER 2016 DRY AND WARM

Here it is almost Thanksgiving and roses are still blooming, tomatoes still on the vine and grass is even green although it's pretty dry.  I added this blog post to update you on a few recent projects and ideas so here goes:

I decided I needed a homemade gate and wanted it to be made from whatever I could find around the place.  The wrought iron was one of two panels I bought at an estate sale several years ago and the wood is used white cedar fencing left here by the previous owner.  It is a bit heavy but does the job.  The solar lite looks neat at night.

I posted the DIY greenhouse last year and just finished some updates.  The first was a river rock floor (3 inches) laid over two layers of weed block fabric.  I also added a hanging wire shelf for seed trays.  Half blue barrels and 5 gal buckets work pretty well for planting in a small area.
I just finished running underground electric service to the greenhouse so a heater could be used during cold nights.
Don't forget to install an outdoor ground fault receptacle for shock protection. I hope to have salad greens (lettuce, spinach, radishes and several herbs) throughout the winter. 
I did remove the plastic fabric for the summer to make it last longer.  The greenhouse fabric has a 4-6 year life if left on all the time but I thought I might extend that some by removing it for the summer

WONDERFUL SMALL SPACE GARDEN IDEA

I just received a great idea, from Mother Earth Living (email message), on building a small vertical garden site.  This should be easy for almost anyone to build and take care of.  This uses four shipping pallets which generally can be found for free and you could paint them for extra pizazz.
The website is as follows:
http://www.motherearthliving.com/gardening/vegetable-gardening/vertical-pallet-garden-plan-ze0z1407zpit.aspx

THE DOCTOR ORDERED A GREENHOUSE

I have struggles with extending our growing season both spring and fall and decided to try my hand at building our own greenhouse.  I used building materials that were left over from other projects as often as possible.  I did buy two cattle panels (50 in x 16 ft) and greenhouse plastic for the project.  The framework was made with red cedar lumber from a tree I cut down and the polycarbonate ends were left over from a carport roof.  The base frame was made from salvaged 5x6 red cedar set on salvaged concrete blocks.

I made the door from 1x3 red cedar and dual channel screen molding.  The inside groove holds a bug screen for summers and the outside groove holds greenhouse plastic for cold weather.  The door plastic can be removed for air circulation.  I added hinged vents at the top of each end for more air circulation.

The floor will have a double layer of landscape fabric with a layer of small stones to walk on and for drainage.   Planting will be in buckets so moving them around will be easy,  The buckets below are cabbage plants that will go in the greenhouse when frost is near.

DIY PLANS FOR CONTAINER GARDENING

As promised I have included plans of making gardening grow containers.  This post is specifically for making patio grow containers from plastic buckets.  Food grade buckets are available from many sources including bakeries, restaurants and second hand stores.  White buckets are best since they do not absorb heat like darker ones.  Food grade buckets are heavier grade so last better.  I can buy  them for $.50 - $1.00 each.  Firehouse subs sell their red buckets for $2.00 each.
I have outlined how I make my buckets in the page on the right column of this blog. 
 The plans are to cut the bottom off one bucket and insert it into the second.  You could just as easily drop the 1st bucket inside the second after the necessary holes are drilled in both.  Fill the bucket with a combination of good grade potting soil and compost.  Soybean meal and cottonseed meal are good natural fertilizer.

Many crops can be grown in these buckets including tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, squash that can be grown vertically.  In other words place the buckets against a fence or build trellises for them to grow on.  Use plant twine to tie them to the fence or trellis.  I use cattle panels to grow on.  They will last for years.
You can also grow any other vegetable you would want, including onions, carrots, radishes, even blueberries.

Water the crops when they need it.  There is a 4 inch reservoir in the bottom that will wick upward to help water when they need extra or you are gone for a day or two.  You will know when the bucket has enough water in it when water runs out the holes in the side of the bucket.

RAIN BARREL for FLOWER WATERING

I recently found a new idea for a homemade rain barrel diverter.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Rain-Barrel-and-Diverter/step2/Assemble-the-Diverter/

 This diverter works pretty well and looks good.  I built the stand from red cedar lumber,  Make sure your deck is strong since a full 55 gal barrel weighs 440 lbs.

I picked up the barrel at a garage sale for $5.00.  The red cedar lumber came from a cedar tree we cut down, that was damaged from an ice storm.

I did make a few changes from the above link but theirs should work well too.  I may need to add an overflow at the top of the barrel side.


My barrel is upside down.  The two bungs were sealed with silicon.  The barrel is made of thick food grade plastic so you can drill a hole for the faucet connection screw it in and seal it with silicon.  A hole in the top (actually the bottom) the size of a disposable plastic flower pot provides access for the diverter.  I added a screenwire and foam filter to the flower pot so the rainwater will stay fairly clean.

SPRING OF 2015 IS PERFECT

We are having a beautiful spring, here in the Ozarks, and everything is growing well (including weeds).  I am experimenting with some new ways of gardening which could be really great for those of you who don't have a lot of room.  It is container gardening (buckets, barrels and more).  No weed problems and few bug problems.  If and when we scale back a bit, container gardening could feed us well without a lot of work.  Place the buckets on a bench or concrete blocks and no bending over.
We have planted potatoes in the blue barrel which is a 55 gal barrel cut in half with drain holes

April 18, 2015

April 18, 2015

drilled in the bottom.  As the potatoes grow we will add growing soil and straw and when the plants grow over the top of the barrel we will add a wire fence ring and continue adding straw and soil.  Potatoes will grow all the way to the top of the wire fence or at least that is the plan.  I will update as they grow.

May 4, 2015

Picture at the left is two weeks later from last post on potato growing in containers.  I have added several layers of soil and straw so the soil straw layer is almost at the top of the barrels.  I will continue to add these layers to the top of the wire and then let them grow where they will.
Soil is a mix of good quality potting soil, composted cow manure, soybean meal(for nitrogen) and garden lime.  Water regularly.  We use stored rainwater saved from our barn roof.(See previous post)

May 23, 2015

The photo on the left is the latest image of the potatoes growing in th barrel.  The next photo will be when we harvest the potatoes. Right now they are just starting to bloom so it will be a few months till harvest.
The history of the planting and soil/straw addition is outlined above.
These are all red potatoes but as soon as we see how successful this method is, then we may try other varieties.

May 4, 2015

May 4, 2015

5 gal buckets work well for raising most any garden produce.  Placing the buckets close to a fence, arbor or trellis allows you to grow vertically and in a smaller space.  These buckets have a raised inner bottom allowing for
a 3-4 inch water reservoir in the bottom.
Pinterest.com has several ideas for these buckets.  Just search for "bucket gardening".  We raised lots of tomatoes with several of these set against a 5 X 16 ft cattle panel as shown above right.  The photo above left shows the buckets lined up against a fence.  A few string ties will help the tomatoes and cucumbers grow up the fence

PATIO GARDENING

For those of you who would like to try their hand at growing some of their own food but don't have a lot of space here are some ideas.  Container gardening does not have to be just for flowers.  One fair size pot can raise quite a lot of fresh herbs.  Potatoes and sweet potatoes grow in pots quite well.

I have several Geo-Pots, a fabric pot that breathes and keeps the plants from becoming root bound and I have been very successful growing tomatoes and peppers in them.  After the season is over it is best to empty the pots, wash and dry them well and put them up for the winter.  With that care they will last for years. I usually put the used potting soil back in bags or a trash can and reuse it the next year.  I will add some fresh potting soil, compost and fertilizer to reconstitute the soil before refilling the pots.

Geopots at Dripworks.com

Planters at parkseed.com

Ebay.com/bhp/geo-pots

A good potting medium would be as follows:

1/3      Good quality potting soil or Peat 

1/3      Good quality compost or well composted cow manure or homemade compost

1/3      Vermiculite - Vermiculite is a mineral that absorbs and disseminates water so your watering lasts                    longer.

square-foot-gardening-method

Mix the above ingredients (In a tub or on a tarp) before adding to the pot.  Most potting soil has fertilizer so fertilization will not be necessary for a month or so.

Depending on what you are growing, i.e. tomatoes, you may need to add stakes or tomato cage or grow beside a fence.  As they grow just tie the plants to the fence and wait.  Oh, and be sure they get plenty of sun. Try mixing some epsom salts in the soil when you plant your tomatoes.

Dripworks.com has lots of information and supplies for building an automated drip system for all your plants.  You can also buy drip products at Lowes or Home Depot.

CURRENT INFORMATION ON FOOD QUALITY

New information about the quality of our grocery market food is more available as folks like us are becoming more concerned about what we are eating.  GMO  (Genetically Modified Organisms) foods seem to be a lot in the news recently so to learn more I have included several links that can update you better than I.
Non GMO Project.org/learn-more/   
Mother Earth News Genetically-Modified-Foods-
Non-GMO Shopping Guide
Food Revolution Network

The label at the right is considered to be the best guarantee of NON-GMO foods although the FDA Organic label supposedly guarantees 90% GMO free ingredients.

Another concern is the treatment of our food in the field and after it is harvested.  The following is an article from a Mother Earth Living blog concerning a study done on sprays found on produce in the supermarket.  I suspect if there are sprays on fresh foods, there are probably sprays in processed foods as well.
Apples-reported-highest-in-pesticide-contamination

I recently wrote all three of our Arkansas congressman asking for their support of Non-GMO labeling and controlling of GMO products in foods.  It was fairly obvious from their return comments that they had been brainwashed to believe that GMO foods are safe and more important to our ability to grow more food than food safety.  I encourage each of you to reach out to your elected officials and ask for their support in providing proper food labeling.

The Importance of Buying Safe Healthy Food

From our House

There are increasing concerns about the quality of our food supply that is available in the local grocery stores.  Is Organically grown food better than the standard grocery store offering?  We have been growing more and more of our own food and it is all organic, in that we do not spray or fertilize with toxic sprays or supplements.  I am careful about which soil additives I use.  If I can find manures that come from animals fed non-GMO grains I choose those first otherwise I have my own compost piles that are composed of kitchen leftovers and yard and garden leftovers.  There are no meat products in my compost piles.
The following link is from the Food Revolution Network.  These guys really know what is going on with our food supplies and are fighting tooth and toenail for better quality control and truthful labeling.  This is a good article on Organic Foods.

http://www.foodrevolution.org/blog/is-organic-better/

Follow up to Septembers Post on Fall Gardening

It has been a great fall here in the Ozarks, with plenty of sunshine as well as adequate rainfall.  Lettuce, spinach, onions, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower are growing well along with mustard and turnip greens.

 Roses are still blooming although not as much as  earlier and marigolds are still as pretty as ever.  We are still getting a few ripe tomatoes and my sister says  that she has made some great green tomato salsa and pickles.  Can't wait to try them.
Pat is making pear butter today with pears from a neighbors tree.  This is the second batch and really worth the work.  I suspect some homemade biscuits will show off the pear butter as well as anything I could say.  Here's hoping your fall is great and as pretty as ours.


PEAR BUTTER RECIPE
Ingredients:

Pears (40 medium-sized or 50 small)
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Preparation:

1. Peel, core and chop pears. Then, puree in a blender.
2. Put the pear puree, sugar and spices into a crock pot (4 quarts or larger), and set on high.
3. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half.
To Can: Ladle the pear butter into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/2-inch of headspace. Then, run a spatula or bubble remover tool around the inside edge of the jar to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims clean; top with a boiled lid; secure the band, and process in a boiling water bath – 20 minutes for pints, 25 minutes for quarts. Place the jars on a towel, and allow them to cool overnight. Then, test the jars for a good seal in the morning (press down on the lid; and if the lid doesn't pop back, the jar is sealed). Refrigerate any jars that did not seal.

To Freeze: Ladle the pear butter into clean, freezer jars, leaving 1/2-inch of headpace in pint jars and 1-inch of headspace in quart jars. Seal the jars, and allow to cool completely before freezing.

Yield: 4 pints or 2 quarts

LINKS FOR EMERGENCY SUPPLIES

If you read some of my tabs on the right of the home page you will see why I am promoting preparedness.  I recently purchased some really neat solar lights that appear to work really well.  They charge during the day and can light all night.  Great for home or camping.

Go to waka-waka.com and check these out.  They also have a solar unit that will charge your cell or smartphone as well as double as a emergency light.  I have checked mine out and they will easily run all night on their lower settings.  The charger unit charged Pat's phone in a couple of hours.

We also recently purchased a Berkey water filter which will safely filter any type of water, whether tap water, saved rainwater or pond water.  They have several sizes so check them all out to see which works best for your needs.  That brings up another point, that is, you may want to consider a rain barrel to attach to a gutter to save water for watering plants and possibly to filter for drinking water if necessary.
http://www.berkeyfilters.com/

https://www.lehmans.com/c-283-tabletop-filters.aspx


You can find all these products on ebay.com and amazon.com but pricing may or not be better than on the above listed websites.

FALL GARDEN AND PREPARING FOR SPRING PLANTING

It is not to late to plant a fall garden, especially for those in the more southern hardiness zones (6-10)
Link to Plant Hardiness Zones
Onions, lettuces, spinach, beets, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage are all good to grow this time of year.  Garlic can be planted later in the fall for harvest in the spring.  Check with your local garden center and Farmers Coops for most of the above plants that are ready to put in the ground.
Onions in the Fall Garden
Link to Growing Fall Vegetables
www.motherearthliving.com/vegetable-gardening/fall-gardening

Preparation for planting is much the same as the spring. Plant in a sunny area and add compost and light fertilizer such as cottonseed meal (get from Coop).  Plant seeds fairly close to the surface and keep damp so they will germinate quickly.

The pic on the left is our onion bed (plants are just peeking through) and the on the right cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage plants.  There are beet and spinach seed planted in the near bed also.

This is also a great time for fall harvest.  We are currently picking Muscadine grapes, Winesap apples and raspberries.  Tomatoes are still ripening and okra still producing. There is a whole carrot bed that is ready to harvest also.  Never a dull moment.  After harvest is done there are things to be done to prepare the garden for sleep and preparation for the next planting season. Link to Fall Garden Cleanup

FLU SEASON, ALREADY?

Sounds like influenza is upon us once again.  At least the television is already making it sound like it's already begun.   I don't know how you feel about flu shots but to this point we have never taken a flu shot.  We recommend a diet full of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and plenty of fresh water.  There are certainly plenty of good quality food (vitamin) supplements available when there is not enough quality raw foods available.  Spend some time learning about which foods are loaded with nutrition and stay away from sugars, which suppress the immune system.
We recommend keeping a few bottles of Original Sambucol  on hand, especially through the flu season.  It is made from black elderberries and appear to support and enhance the immune system.  It comes as good tasting syrup and taken when you feel something coming on, will reduce the severity and length of illness.
( There are other brands of black elderberry syrups available but not necessarily the same)You can certainly take a little everyday to stay ahead of whatever might catch up with you. It is available at most health food stores and on line.  I buy mine from Lucky Vitamin.com .  They have several different choices so shop a bit.

For quality food supplements: http://www.mvpontheweb.com/531170    
                                                Click on List all items in our catalog

WHAT SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT GMO FOODS ?

GMO on food labels stands for Genetically Modified Organisms.  What do we know about these foods that are on our grocery store shelves?  Please read as much of the information from these websites as you can:

http://responsibletechnology.org/gmo-basics/gmos-in-food

http://www.responsibletechnology.org/posts/monsantos-roundup-herbicide-featuring-the-darth-vader-chemical/
Jeffrey Smith is considered the leading researcher and advocate against GMO foods.  Please watch the video associated with the above website.

Please do not take the stance that "What we don't know won't hurt us". Unfortunately we don't know all the potential side effects from GMO foods because few studies are being done in this country to find out. The more you read from this website, the more you will realize that we are being fed food that has potential health effects far beyond our current understanding.

Here is also a shopping guide that will help you choose companies that sell non-GMO food products.
http://responsibletechnology.org/Shopping-Guide-Spring-2013.pdf

We understand that products labeled properly "Organic" must not include GMO ingredients, however the labeling issue of what is truly organic is still in question.  Therefore it is imperative that we read labels and decide for ourselves what we are willing to eat.  I am still researching which organic certifiers are dependable.

This is the thirteenth installment of the Organic 101 series that explores different aspects of the USDA organic regulations.

The use of genetic engineering, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs), is prohibited in organic products. This means an organic farmer can’t plant GMO seeds, an organic cow can’t eat GMO alfalfa or corn, and an organic soup producer can’t use any GMO ingredients. To meet the USDA organic regulations, farmers and processors must show they aren’t using GMOs and that they are protecting their products from contact with prohibited substances, such as GMOs, from farm to table.

- See more at: http://blogs.usda.gov/2013/05/17/organic-101-can-gmos-be-used-in-organic-products/#sthash.xiwpQ4Ku.dpuf

Other sites:

http://seattleorganicrestaurants.com/vegan-whole-foods/top-20-genetically-modified-foods/

Please do your own research on this subject.  If you find more significant, relevant information, please let me know.  My position is to let my friends and family know what is being done to our food supply and you make your own decisions on what you feed your family.

ADD A STEAM JUICER

If you grow your own fruits and vegetables or have access to them you might want to invest in a steam juicer.  Basically, you add water to the bottom section, fruit or vegetables to the top section and steam the produce and their juices drain into the middle section and then you can use the drain tube to fill your jars, add lids and you are done.
The juice can be used as needed to make jams and jellies or just to drink. There are many recipes for steam juicing so you can make your own juice recipes that are ready to use.
These juicers can be purchased at Lehmans.com or other online stores.  We found ours at a thrift store in Arizona for much less than new.  It works great and it seems to get a good workout by our kitchen as well as neighbors kitchens.

Here is a link to learn how to use the juicer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6ad7X8T9rY

The steam juicer in the picture is made in Finland and here is a link to their blog:
http://canningwithmehuliisa.com/

Recipe book
http://www.juicer-steamer.com/fremehrec.html