This homeowner observed his boring green lawn, and he started to ask himself, “so what’s the point?” Although it looked nice, it gave him no satisfaction. It was a lot of work to keep too. So he decided to try something else. Check out what he did next. Since the city was giving away compost for free, he got some and that’s what you see in the boxes. Support systems started coming up as...
Source: The More One Sows; The Greater The HarvestThis is the story of how and WHY I quit my full-time job, away from my home, to become a full-time homesteader. Can it be done? Of course it can. And although I’m not advocating rushing off to put in your “two weeks notice” after reading this article, maybe it will give you something to think about for your future, where you want...
Not all light is the same by Michelle Moore Plants respond differently to different colors of light. Light on either end of the spectrum, blue light or red light, have the greatest impact on photosynthesis. Kind of Lights Blue light, referred to as cool light, encourages compact bushy growth. Red light, on the opposite end of the spectrum, triggers a hormone response which creates blooms. Orange and...
“Grow 40 plants in 4 Sq. Ft. Find out how to make an organic, sustainable, cheap, easy, and efficient grow tower. I built this for $6 and will grow 40 plants in 4 square feet. With the power of vermicomposting, this is a self fertilizing, and semi-self watering system. Great for patio gardeners or People tight on space.” MIgardener ...
Just came across this post over at jbbardot.com I think everyone should read. You can read the full article here. With the constant onslaught of GMOs, pesticides, and chemicals making their way into the food supply, growing food in your home garden has become less of a hobby and more of a necessity. Many people have now begun to grow a large portion of the fruits and vegetables they consume at...
Mint is a weed… …that means it grows like crazy and should be kept in a container. If you are growing mint, you likely have more that you know what to do with. You can easily harvest it to encourage more growth too. There are lots of posts out there that give you dozens of ways that you can use mint. How many of them can you actually use everyday though? How to use mint from your garden…everyday That’s...
Summer is gone and September is upon us. You think you missed your chance to start your garden and will start it next year… …That’s just a lame excuse though. You’ve made dozens of excuses why you can’t start. I’m sick of them and you should be too. It’s not too late to start your garden! That’s true for most of you in the United States. Yes, your options...
What is the simplest thing you can grow? Which vegetable is pretty much failproof? What is the one vegetable that is recommended for beginner’s to start with? These are questions that I often get and the answer is pretty simple. It’s not tomatoes I’ve been very vocal and shared why most of your garden’s will fail before. One of those reasons is that when you are first starting out, you want to grow tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and eggplant. These are all possible to grow, but they are more difficult when you are...
Seed starting. Who thought that it could be so intimidating… ..but there are lots of questions and things to take into consideration when starting your seeds. We’ve already covered some basic seed starting tips and tips for those of you starting indoors, but I want to make it even more simple and basic. Because that’s how I do. One-liners to help you start your seeds On the Urban Organic Gardener Facebook page, I’ve been sharing gardening tips. They’ve been pretty popular, mostly because I think they are...
Does it seem like squirrels are eating more from your garden than you are? Those long tailed furry rodents can be a huge pain in the…garden. Squirrels are smart and persistent creatures. If they want something, they will do what they can to get it. Squirrels on rooftop garden In this Q&A segment, Kevin from Philly is having squirrel problems and wants to know what he can do. He says, “I live in Philadelphia and have no green space…but I do have a roof deck and have spent the last few months getting it set up as...
She called her thumbs black. She said that the gardening gene skipped her generation. That’s what Megan Blevins was telling me on Twitter during the winter. We Tweeted back and forth about it and I assured her that her thumbs need not be green, but they just needed to be opposable. (Two things about that sentence. 1) I can’t believe that I wrote “We...
Did you not get around to planting your garden this summer? Or did everything you plant die and you feel like a failure? Don’t worry. The beauty of gardening is that there is always a next season. Despite summer just beginning, the time to start preparing for the next season, fall, is right now. Preparing now for a successful future When you plant seeds, you do so with the hopes of them sprouting and turning into a meal of yours. You are taking action now believing what the future results will be. That’s why it’s so...
You want to start your garden and feel overwhelmed, not knowing what you can grow. Finding that information in an easy to follow format is damned near impossible. You need a degree to read the charts, maps and graphs that are out there. How would you like to know what you can grow in your garden today without the confusion? The Veggie Virgin Formula Luckily for you,...
Spring is here… getting lots of messages about starting your first container garden. You are excited and nervous. And for good reason. You’ve lots to do in the next couple months! Why your garden will fail The 3 reasons your garden will fail this year. 1. You want to grow a farmers market in your small space. You want to grow tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers,...
You’ve scoped out your garden space… …and determined how much direct sunlight it gets. Your garden gets less than 6 hours and you feel hopeless. Sorry to break it to you, but that means you can’t grow tomatoes. Don’t worry there are other vegetables you can successfully grow in that space. Shade loving vegetables The following vegetables will do just well in containers and the shade: The following vegetables will grow in small/medium sized containers — and — they like being in the shade. –...
You are getting ready to start your seeds. Or you might be making your wish list of seeds to buy… 3 sources to buy your vegetable seeds. …but you’re not sure how many can fit into a container. That’s exactly what some of you told me that you were going through. You don’t want to have a tray filled with 30 nicely labeled kale seedlings and only three containers to put them in. That would be a waste of your time and money. To help you out, I created a simple to follow chart. Know how many plants per container From...
By Michelle Moore Owner of The Greenhouse Catalog There is nothing like new life in spring… …and starting seeds is one of the best ways to enjoy the start of the season. Unlike transplants, seedlings are fragile and require newborn-like attention: The right media, temperature, light, water and food. To a new gardener, meeting these needs may seem like a challenge. But with a little knowledge and the right equipment, success is easy and just a few short days or weeks away. With a little knowledge and the right equipment,...
Michelle Moore Not all light is the same. Plants respond differently to different colors of light. Light on either end of the spectrum, blue light or red light, have the greatest impact on photosynthesis. Kinds of Light Blue light, referred to as cool light, encourages compact bushy growth. Red light, on the opposite end of the spectrum, triggers a hormone response...
Today I am going to show you the easiest way that you can start to grow your own food. And you won’t need any outdoor space… You just need a spot on your kitchen counter. I am going to share with you how to grow your own sprouts indoors. No need to buy fancy gadgets or machines. You can do this on the cheap. You ready? Let’s do it! What you’ll...
Do you have problems watering your seeds? Not sure the best way to water them? I’ve had this problem too. That’s why I am happy that I came across this DIY project on FunInTheMaking.net that I can share with you. It’s DIY seed watering pot and it will help you to easily water your seeds without having the impact of the water harming them. What you’ll need Plastic jug of some kind – I used a milk container, but you can use a maple syrup container or something similar. Drill and a 1/16″ drill bit or...
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