Please Sprout - Adventures in Patio Gardening

Garden Complete....for now

2009-03-29T15:55:00.005-05:00

This morning I finished planting. My porch is rather full, with pots lining nearly all the corners in search of the prime sun spots. Even though every plant I bought was designated 'full sun', I know some will fare better than others in the heat of the texas sun. So, placement of the plants is a bit fluid for now while I figure out who can handle the most direct light.

Here are a few photos...the aloe is up high because otherwise it takes up too much space. It's grown enormous in the past year!

This year's crop

2009-03-23T20:44:00.003-05:00

I am determined to start the growing season optimistically. At this moment, I will assume all of my plants will thrive. I will temporarily forget the difficulties of keep everybody happily watered in the depth of the Texas summer. I will pretend that I know what I'm doing.

To pump up my fragile gardening ego, my first purchases for this year's garden were the plants that actually succeed last year:

bell peppers
jalapeno pepers
strawberries - I didn't have to purchase them, they're actually still alive from last year. * shock*

And to push my burgeoning green thumb, I've added:

roma tomatoes
cucumbers

And finally....in a moment of BLIND optimism, I purchased some seeds. I realize I will probably have to chalk them up to a "learning experience"....so, if I even get a couple of sprouts, I'll be very happy.

snow peas
mesclun

Next step: I'm going to do some research into the right type of pruning for each type of plant.

Destination Big Lots!

2009-03-21T19:29:00.004-05:00

I just returned from the ghetto Big Lots near my apartment. And I mean GHET-TO. Was it worth it? YES!

For what I could easily spend on two nice looking, good sized pottery pots, I got a TON of stuff. The true steal was a large blue pottery pot for only $10. Then I went over to the plastic/foam section. Got a TON more for super cheap, as well as a trowel, gloves, shears, and a tomato-wire-thingy (I really don't know what they're called). I also picked up a solar light (also just $10!) that has a slight asian style to it. I'm looking forward to see how well it illuminates the garden. I'm hoping for a nice soft glow.

Now I have the fun chore of unloading the car and dragging everything to my 2nd floor apartment.

Spring has sprung, and I've returned!

2009-03-21T17:12:00.005-05:00

Well, last year was my first stab at gardening. I had some good results and some disappointing. My red bell peppers never turned red, but they were mighty tasty green. My jalapenos sprouted like mad, and I was so excited to cook with them that I made multiple dishes so hot that I had to throw them away. My strawberries grew, but never had the healthy large plump berries I was hoping for.

So...some lessons learned. And now, I'm back for more. Hopefully, I'll be a bit more regular about posting this growing season.

I am still living in an apartment and all my plants are in pots on the patio. I just went to the garden store today (along with the rest of suburbia) and picked a wide selection of flowers and herbs and veggie plants. Some of my goals for this season include:

trying some new veggies - tomatoes and cucumbers are currently waiting to get potted
trying to create pots with multiple layers of plants
trying to grow a few items by seed - i've heard lettuce is relatively easy, so that's what I'm trying.
learning to prune and pinch back properly - this is by far my largest challenge

That's about it. I hope to connect with some other aspiring gardeners this spring. Now, go get your hands dirty...

Gardeners are superheroes!

2008-07-12T19:39:00.006-05:00

I regularly visit a progressive news site called Common Dreams. It's a totally cheesy name, so I don't mention it to many people. Consider yourself the lucky few!

Anyway, they collect and publish articles that align with their political views, and I enjoy being able to find a wide variety of more liberal-minded articles all in one place. I don't always agree with what I read, but I appreciate the perspective. Especially being down here in Texas...land o'republicans!

Today an article was posted about the movie WALL-E, which I haven't actually seen yet, and how it stresses the importance of....gardening!! (I really had no desire to see this movie before I read the article, but now I'm rather curious.

Here's the first line of the article. If you'd like to read more, I've included a link.

Published on Saturday, July 12, 2008 by CommonDreams.org

Gardens Save the Day in ‘WALL-E’ and America’s Cities

by Olga Bonfiglio

The feature film, “WALL-E,” is a must-see for urban pioneers, environmentalists, teachers and community organizers because it reflects what can happen when citizens take control of their own lives — and plant gardens.

Full article here

Basil follow up

2008-07-09T18:20:00.005-05:00

About 2.5 weeks ago, I put some basil clippings in water to root, and here's the amount of grown I'm seeing after this short amount of time. Not bad.

The roots are showing the slightest bit of brown color, and I'm worried that some mold/fungus may be forming. So, I'm going to attempt to plant it in soil tonight. I have no idea if this will take or just die shortly after. Wish me luck.

Happy Blooms

2008-07-08T20:45:00.004-05:00

Having flowers intermingled among my veggies and basil provides so much satisfaction. Not knowing how long it will take for the oranges to ripen, my next pepper to grow, my herbs to fill out....it's nice to have the instant satisfaction of constantly blooming flowers.

These are a butter colored variety of petunias. I had never seen ones like it before, and I find the delicate sunburst of yellow to be so cheery. The plant has gotten rather leggy. I need to get better at pruning it back, but I always feel guilty pinching back a perfectly good bud.

Patience

2008-07-05T08:47:00.001-05:00

I gotta get me some.

Lots of baby oranges

2008-07-05T08:36:00.003-05:00

My whole orange tree is covered with baby oranges like the ones in the photo above. I'm absolutely thrilled. I'm crossing my fingers and knocking on wood that I don't do anything to jeopardize their growing to full potential. As it's a dwarf orange tree, I'm not sure to what size the fruit will grow. Regular size? Dwarf size?

The orange tree is in the same pot it came in. I never re-potted it, even though I'm sure it probably needs it. I read somewhere (online, of course!) that once the tree is more than 2 times the height of the pot, then its time to repot. In which case, I'm overdue. However, I'll have to wait until these finish ripening.

Gardening at night?

2008-07-04T19:54:00.003-05:00

Watering in the heat of the day in Texas is not a good idea. The water evaporates faster than the poor plants can drink it up. That leave the choice of watering in the morning or watering at night. Since I started the garden, I have been regularly been watering every morning. Then, out of curiosity, I switched and started watering at night.

I honestly expected no difference in the health of my plants. Yet...they seem to be able to stand the heat of day better when I water at night. There is less wilting by the end of the day, especially in the broader leafed plants.

That said, if I learned nothing else with my master's degree, it is that correlation does not imply causation! So, I will keep my eye on this.

Trouble in pepperdise

2008-06-26T18:19:00.004-05:00

I had high hopes for my first bell pepper that started to grow a few weeks ago. But earlier this week, I noticed that it seemed to have stopped growing. It is only about 2 inches wide, approximately half of the expected size, and it never changed from green to red. This afternoon I took a closer look and found these bruises at the bottom.

I don't know caused it to go from healthy to unhealthy in a seemingly short amount of time. Over/under watering? Lack of nutrients? Too much direct sun? I'm hoping that the other two currently growing don't suffer the same fate.

If anybody has had success with peppers, I'd be happy to have any advice.

Basil sprouting roots

2008-06-25T19:45:00.003-05:00

Just one week after putting in water, my basil clippings are starting to put out roots. This is much faster than I thought it would be. In a few weeks, I assume, it might be ready for planting. Happy happy. More margarita pizza in the future!

Strawberries 101

2008-06-23T19:37:00.008-05:00

See these beautiful luscious strawberries? Yeah, they're not mine.

I had a comment today about my last strawberries post. The anonymous commenter cheerfully told me that although my first crop of strawberries was small (and they were small both in size and quantity), that with patience, I will find that my 2nd crop will be bountiful.

Oh how I wish ms. anonymous was right! Who am I kidding...chances are she is right. Therefore, I must have screwed something up. Here's the list of what I might have done wrong. (I suppose I should rephrase this with a more positive spin, such as "Here's what I should remember for next year.") But I can be cranky after a day's work....so here's a compromise.

What I Might Have Done Wrong/Things to Remember

Check what type of strawberries you are buying. There are three primary types:

June-bears: produce only one crop a year
Ever-bearers: produce two crops a year, spring and fall
Day-neutrals: produce continuously through out the summer

I'm hoping I bought the ever-bearers, for at least that would explain my lack of crop and allow for the possibility of strawberries to come! Although fall is a distance thought when it is not yet July. For more information on these three types of strawberries, check out this article.
Plant them early. I purchased and planted my strawberries in early May. That might be acceptable in Maine, but in Texas, where it's been over 90 degrees through most of May and June, it is simply too warm.
Apparently 6+ hours of sunlight a day is preferred. That is not a problem. However, I think the amount of heat, as mentioned above, may be.
Acidity level of the soil should be approx. 5.5-6.5. (I have no idea how to check this...and if the level was too high or too low, I don't know how I would fix it. Maybe I'll save this one for the pros.)
Supposedly, the first year of a strawberry plant's life, you should not allow fruit to grow. Pinch it back. This will ensure a good crop the 2nd year. Allow the plant to produce berries will weaken it for the following year. (oh no!)

This is my unofficial research. I will cling to the hopes that possibly I'll get berries in the fall, or possibly I'll get berries next year. Ah...the mystery of it all!

I should really be looking for a Gardening for Idiots book. I know it must exist, and it's right up my alley.

Update

2008-06-21T20:52:00.002-05:00

The pepper plant revived nicely. Phew.

I also did put the tops of my basil in water...waiting for some action there. According to wikipedia, it should take about 2 weeks for roots to sprout.

I am a bad plant mom!

2008-06-20T16:49:00.006-05:00

I came home from work today and found my red pepper plant in a PITIFUL state. Totally wilted from the hot sun. See? Is this not sad?

I dutifully water my plants every morning, but the last few evenings we've had some much needed rain showers. I was going to water my plants anyway, but I was getting some 'shrooms growing in my containers. So, fearful of rootrot, I backed off the watering a bit.

Apparently I backed off a wee bit too far.

I just gave the plant a generous dousing of water. I'm hoping it will properly revive. I'd hate to damage the peppers currently growing. Even the mutant-looking one. He's a bit of a Quasimoto.

How to not grow basil

2008-06-19T18:00:00.009-05:00

I have a few fresh herbs growing in the garden, one of which is basil. I had some last year as well, and I knew I was doing something wrong. I would pick off leaves to use in cooking and new leaves wouldn't grow back. Instead...it only grew upwards. It got tall and woody with very few leaves. Eventually I...um...stopped watering it.

New year. New basil plant. Same problem. This is what it looked like just a few minutes ago.

So...I did a little research today. This is what I learned.

When pruning basil, never just pull off a leaf. Always remove leaves from the top and cut at the intersection of the next set of leaves.
Pruning from the top encourages new leafy growth and discourages flowering (see above!) which can change the taste of the basil.
If you've let it go wild, like I have, you can cut the top 1/3 - 1/2 off the top (again, cutting at the top of an intersection of leaves). Put the trimmings in water and those trimming SHOULD root.

Here's my basil plant now after a little haircut. If I try to root the trimmings, I'll let you know how it works out.

Musings

2008-06-18T12:10:00.006-05:00

My interest in starting a garden wasn't born out of any desires to save money at the grocery store or eat more organically (although perhaps these SHOULD have been my reasons). I was simply looking for a hobby that would challenge me to learn new things and, eventually, lead me to be more involved in my community.

However, it is surprising to me the buzz that seems to have grown around gardening in the last few months as are our economy declines (or should I say, as gas prices climb). And again, I was surprised when I first distributed this blog to friends and several replied about their own fledgling gardens. It seems as if gardening has become an "in" thing to do.

If you garden successfully, the amount you can save on produce can be significant. And you can't beat the quality of produce that goes straight from the garden to your plate. No grocery store can beat that. Then there's the sense of accomplishment achieved, which to me is the most unexpected and gratifying of all. Who knew two little jalapenos could make me so happy?

Anyway, these thoughts came to mind because of an article I just read. Here it is if you're interested: http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/06/17/9693/.

Pleased

2008-06-16T19:57:00.002-05:00

I'm very pleased with the progress of my red pepper plant. It has grown quite enormous, approximately up to my waist with long broad leaves. (This variety of bell pepper plant is called "fat and sassy" and it is well living up to its name.) I bought it initially because it was the only red pepper plant available at the nursery I bought it from. However, I have since read that all bell peppers can be any color; it all depends on the length of time you allow it to ripen on the plant. Given that my peppers are currently green, I'm starting to think that is true. Again, I realize that this likely elementary knowledge for most...but for me, groundbreaking. And it makes me wonder why I pay double, if not more, for the red and orange peppers in the store if they REALLY are the same damn thing.

That aside, I have two peppers currently growing. The info tag (there's gotta be a real name for these things) says that the peppers should grow to be about 41/2 to 5 inches. Quite big. Mine are not close to that yet, so I've got a ways to go. And I am hoping that the extreme heat we seem to be having in Texas does not stunt their growth. Must read up on this.

In case you needed a visual

2008-06-15T22:26:00.003-05:00

Image from Terracycle.com

Made by Worms

2008-06-15T17:13:00.003-05:00

I know that with a potted garden, it's important to regularly fertilize the plants regularly since the plants will quickly use all the nutrients in the soil. I've been giving my plants some plant food with their daily watering, but I was told by the nursery that I bought it from that it is not a replacement for fertilizer.

So, today I went searching for the right kind of fertilizer for my garden. I wanted something that would be just as good for flower pots as for veggie plants. Most options I saw were either loaded with chemicals (to the point where I think I'd want to wear gloves to distribute) or were of the type where you attach a container with the fertilizer to your hose and spray spray spray. I don't have a hose, so that option is way out.

I ended up buying a very interesting product. It's a fertilizer, from a company called Terracycle, made with worm poop...you don't get much more organic than that. It comes in a handheld bottle with a spray nozzle. Spray on the plants and the soil once a week. That's it.

Now, here's another interesting tid-bit. The company, Terracycle, very much promotes recycling. In fact, the bottle that the product is sold in is simply a used soda bottle. The company creates products from waste. That's all they do. Pretty clever.

Death of a cactus

2008-06-09T13:43:00.003-05:00

For those of you who think I have a green thumb, here is evidence that I do not. This is what my sad cactus looked like when I got to my office this morning. On Friday it was standing up tall. Today...um, not so much.

It was so depressing that I had to put my hello kitty vacuum cleaner next to it to make it a cheerier photo.

Time for salsa

2008-06-09T07:01:00.006-05:00

I'm really wondering why I didn't plant tomatoes. My first jalapeno has been plucked and I'm in the mood for a good homemade salsa. I wasn't sure how to tell when the jalapeno was ready to be picked. I basically waited until it appeared to slow down in growth. I also don't know about the growing cycle of jalapenos....does the hotness of the pepper depend on how long it ripens?

After picking the first jalapeno, I noticed his cute little cousin hanging on the opposite side of the bush. It was so cute that I had to take a closer look. I put my finger under it and lightly lifted it up. And snap! It fell right off. Oops. Guilt.

Now I've got to find the perfect salsa recipe.

Stick your nose in THIS

2008-06-06T17:55:00.004-05:00

See this orange blossom? It smells FABulous. I put my nose right up in it and took a giant whiff. I only learned recently that orange trees would even have blossoms. Thankfully, the folks at one of my favorite local plant stores, Sunshine Miniature Trees, where I picked up my dwarf orange tree gave me the inside scoop.

The embarrassing fact is that apparently all trees, bushes, shrubs and the like that produce fruit all flower before the fruit comes...and I had NO clue. In fact, the first time I saw a bud, I thought it was a fruit starting, but alas, I was wrong. Just a bloom. The more people I ask, the more I realize that this is some common knowledge I missed out on in childhood. They should have included this information on Sesame Street.

First harvest

2008-06-04T19:17:00.004-05:00

I have been watching my strawberries grow, expectantly waiting for them to look like something I've seen in the grocery store. Alas, my berries (all three of them!) are tiny in comparison to the giant berries I usually buy, and much smaller than the berries I used to pick straight from the fields in Maine.

What's wrong with my berries?? Is it the Texas heat? Did I pick them too early? (I think the two lighter-colored ones could have used a little more time.) And now that I've picked them, will my plant produce any more? Or is this the end of the line. I will wait and see.

Breakfast tomorrow: yogurt & mini-strawberries.

The Texas Heat

2008-06-03T19:15:00.002-05:00

It's only June 3, and we've had nearly 100 degree heat for almost a week. I generously water my plants every morning, and by the time I get home from work, I have to water some again. I'm wondering if my plants can withstand this much heat. I've moved my basil and red pepper plant to an area that gets more shade...but even "more shade" may not be enough.