The Benefits of Moon Gardening - I’d like to share a secret I use in my garden to get great results … strong, healthy happy plants … and something that saves me time and money. It’s gardening by the moon! OK, that may sound a little strange if you’ve never heard of it before, but if you are already familiar with your climate zone and are planting in the right season, then you may want to maximise your gardening success by working with nature’s lunar cycles … and by that, I don’t mean getting outdoors with a shovel in the middle of the night! “Gardening by the moon has been practiced for many thousands of years and is not about planting at night but about being in harmony with natural growth patterns.” – Sheree Scott How Does Moon Gardening Work? The moon has four ‘phases’ or ‘quarters’ – each last about 7 days. You can see the current moon phase (set for the southern hemisphere) on the left hand side of this website. So why am I sharing this with you? What’s the significance of this for you? My Experiences A few last tips …
Smart Gardener - simply grow great food Australia » Wicking Beds Also Known as Sub-irrigated Raised Beds These planters in Australia not only look good they are highly productive and most importantly they conserve precious water. In cities, they provide vital protection against toxic metal soil contamination. We call them sub-irrigated planters (SIPs). The Aussies call them wicking beds. Following is an instructable that shows you how to make these beds as sub-irrigated planters (read the comments too). Why are there not wicking beds/sub-irrigated raised beds all over New York City, all over America? via www.instructables.com "The wicking worm bed is a highly productive growing system which not only produces more food from limited water, but also recycles waste organic material to provide plant nutrient and capture carbon. We have extreme water restrictions here in Melbourne.
How to Grow Fig Trees In Containers - Growing with Stark Bro's by Stark Bro's on 11/08/2010 Growing fig trees can be a daunting task for many gardeners, especially those gardening in Zone 6 and colder. Some very determined growers have developed a number of varied ways to protect their fig trees from the harsh winter weather, all with differing degrees of success. Some wrap fig trees with a heavy layer of straw-filled burlap. We carry the Brown Turkey Fig and Chicago Hardy Fig here at Stark Bro’s — fig trees perfectly suitable for container growing. How-To: Obtain a large pot — starting, for example, with a 7-gallon container and moving up to a 10-gallon container when the tree’s roots become root bound to the pot. For a unique growing experience: before putting the tree into the container, place the container on a wheeled plant stand, which can be purchased at almost any garden center, hardware store, or nursery. After planting your fig tree in its container, water it well, then add a layer of mulch. Pruning your fig tree.
Growing Garlic I haven't purchased garlic since 1996. That's because I grow enough to eat a bulb of garlic every day, year-round. While most of my garden adventures are hobby-level attempts at self-sufficiency, my garlic crop is for real. Garlic is an overwintering crop, planted in fall and harvested mid-summer. A year's supply of garlic hanging in your garage hints at many great meals to come, but by the time you reach that milestone the rewards have already been flowing for months. As spring continues, your plants will continue to skyrocket, and in late May—assuming you planted a flowering variety—you'll be treated to a funky display of garlic blossoms curling from the plant tops. The flowering varieties of garlic are collectively called hardnecks, so named because of their woody flowering stalks. The first step in growing your own garlic stash is getting your paws on some good garlic for planting. In my case, x = 365/(5-1), or 91.25, which I round up to 92. Ask Ari: Got milk options? Q: Dear Ari,
INTRODUCTION TO FIGS A FEW THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT FIGS California Rare Fruit Growers Fruit Gardener November-December 2007 1 Introduction I guess the 2007 Festival of Fruit planning committee decided to book me as an expert presenter for two reasons: I have more fig trees than most people, plus I was willing to talk very cheap. Briefly, I have been gardening since I was in diapers. I joined CRFG nearly 20 years ago, and have been growing figs for more than 20 years. Because I operate an online nursery, Encanto Farms Nursery, I was able to make many fig varieties available at the Festival plant sale, along with a number of the 100 banana varieties that I grow. Understand, however, that I am a hobbyist like you. I grow about 300 varieties of figs and, although each has its own set of characteristics, the similarities far outweigh the differences. My goal here, as it has been classically expressed, is not to give you a fish... ...but to teach you to power fish. I am biased. 2 Lets begin with taste
Planting A Pineapple Did y’all know that you can take this and turn it into… This? And that this will eventually produce… This? Yes, I’m talking about turning your average, ordinary grocery store pineapple into a tropical showpiece within your home. A plant that is not only impressive but will WOW! Planting a Pineapple 1. 2. 3. In 24 months (sounds better than two years) it will look like this. You will have an actual, large, utterly delicious pineapple in 24-36 months. The thought of growing my own pineapple always makes me smile and giggle just a little bit. Now what am I supposed to do with all of this leftover pineapple? I see something sweet coming soon. While you’re waiting for me to make something yummy with the leftovers, go ahead and plant a pineapple. Be adventurous plant a pineapple. Hugs, Tickled Red *Please bear in mind that I am not a hortoculturist. Tagged as: Gardening, Pineapple, Tropical Fruit
Elder Tree | All About Elder Trees Known for its highly versatile berries, the Elder tree has legions of fans the world over. In addition to being prized among herbalists and chefs, who are endeared to the tree's fruit, the Elder is also popular among landscapers. The tree's shrub-like shape makes it easy to prune and cultivate. What's more, its pretty blossoms and gorgeous green leaves bring beauty and elegance to yards and parks. Appearance of the Tree The Elder tree can grow up to 30 feet tall, though most types average a manageable height of 15 feet. While the tree is by no means gigantic, it does possess a number of unique characteristics, including: Leaves: The Elder leaf is compound with five to seven leaflets attached to each twig. Elder trees also have distinctive looking bark. Elder Tree Types There are several dozen species of Elder trees, which grow around the world; however, some are better received than others. The Many Looks of the Elder Tree Where the Elder Grows Popular Uses Interesting Facts Elder Diseases
.09 Acres I love radishes. Not the tough, woody, and "hot" store-bought varieties. I'm talking sweet, crisp, and "sharp" home-grown radishes. When I first started gardening 8 years ago, I heard and read that radishes were one of the easiest vegetables to grow. A real no-brainer. Not one to be easily deterred in the garden, I planted a second packet of radishes and hoped for better results. After doing some reading, thinking, and head scratching, I eventually identified my previous mistakes. In recent years and particularly this spring, I think I finally figured out how to grow great radishes. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. These are just my personal observations about growing radishes. Bon Appétit!
Seed Swap Succulent Plants How to get a fig tree, not a fig bush? Suzi... All my trees are trained as single-stem, standard, trees. To turn a multi-stem bush into a single-stem tree will be a work-in-progress that will take place over the next few years. Select the stem that seems to be the most vigorous, and train that as your main trunk. If it leaves the soil line or is growing on too much of an angle, replant the tree until the main-stem/trunk points straight up. This process will take a few years, and training becomes easier as time goes on. You will get a thicker trunk in a shorter amount of time if you tightly pleach/plait/braid a few stems together and let them fuse, and self-graft. If you want a very large tree, I'd start training a good "Black Mission" strain. Have fun, and good growing. Frank
Encanto Farms Nursery