2013 Update

Sorry for extended silence.  In the past 6 or so months, I have moved to California.  I have new jobs and have been pretty busy.  I also only have a patio and no money to spend on pots and plants right now.  It's a big bummer....

So far this year I tried to get roots growing for 2 avocado pits, with little luck.  I also put green onions in water and they did well for a week, then they got slimy in the water.  Guess the water needs to be changed frequently.  I left all my bulbs and other plants in TN with my step-dad.  Hope everything does well until I can transport some of it.

Save Those Scraps: Foods That Be Grown From "Trash"

Green Onions:

Green onions grow fast, and all they need is a little water and a lot of light. With very little effort, you can have a steady supply of green onions, grown right in your kitchen!  The next time you pick up a bunch or two of green onions at the grocery store, don’t discard the white ends after you’ve used up all the greens. Instead, stick the white root end into a glass with an inch or two of water then place it in a sunny window. Make sure to trim most of the green end off before you place it in the water, or they’ll just get droopy!

Within a day or two, you’ll notice the green shoots starting to regrow, and the roots in the water getting longer. In less than a week, they’ll be back to their original size, and you can just trim off as much as you need, whenever you need it. 

Avocado Tree

(I personally have had no luck with avocados. I've read multiple ways to do it.  Some say the need light some say dark warm place to sprout.  And the fact of if they would produce fruit and after how long is also unknown to me).

When grown indoors, avocado trees won’t fruit, but they will become large, tropical floor plants.  First, wash the seed and let it dry overnight.  To plant, peel off the brown outer skin.  Stick four toothpicks in the center of the seed at equal intervals.  Place in a jar of water with the flat side of the seed down and the pointed side up, leaving one-third of the seed in water.  Store in a dark place such as a kitchen cabinet.

Roots will grow in the water and a stem will rise from the top of the avocado seed.   When the stem is about 6 inches high, cut it off to half its size.  Put plant back in the dark and wait another few weeks until the roots have thickened and a new stem has grown and reached about 6 inches.  Bring the plant out into the light and wait for the leaves to green up.

Next, plant the avocado in soil.  Be careful not to damage the roots by making a hole in the soil before sliding the plant in.  Gently fill the hole with soil and tamp lightly.  To encourage the avocado tree to grow full and bushy, pinch off new leaves. For every two new leaves pinched, four should grow in their place.

Romaine Lettuce:

(I haven't tried this yet either).

The best and most amazing thing about lettuce, besides eating it, is that if the stump is intact it will regenerate and regrow new shoots for a second harvest. Above is a photograph of three romaine “stumps” in various levels of regrowth. All I did was put each stump in a half inch of water, check the level daily, and wait for tender new growth.

I am growing the romaine in a basement window well, and that explains the VERY dirty window in the photo as it is below ground level and gets a lot of run-off from the sides of the house and mud spatters from ground. The setting for the lettuce doesn’t look very nice, but it is the perfect environment for regrowing leafy greens…cool and bright all day. Give it a try the next time you have a head of lettuce with the stem still intact. You have nothing to lose and a free harvest of lettuce to gain.

Important Tip: Romaine Lettuce is one type of produce that is easy to find in the organic form. It is often packaged as three heart of romaine and it pays to spend just a dollar or two more and have your salad free from any unnecessary pesticides.

Garlic:

(Also need to try this).
Simply plant garlic cloves individually. If they've started to sprout, even better! Otherwise plant them with the pointy end up. Make sure they are in a sunny location and soil isn't too damp. You can plant multiple cloves four inches apart either in your yard or in a pot. It will fair well even if planted among other flowers or vegetables.

Then just sit back and wait for your garlic to grow. If it's potted, water it occasionally but don't drown it. As your garlic grows, it will sprout leaves. Once the leaves turn brown and die, it's time to harvest your garlic. (Don't harvest any earlier or your cloves will be too small!)
Once you harvest your garlic, hang the bulbs in a cool, dry location to dry them and prevent rot. Your garlic should dry in about a week, at which time you can simply brush off the dirt and start cooking with the cloves or plant some more!

Strawberries finally came!

 

My first strawberries came August 12, 2012.  Overall, they are quite small.  They do taste like strawberries. I shouldn't have let my plants fruit this year, but since I'm moving to California and may not see how this plant does in the future I let it go into fruit production.  It's still producing fruit!!

More Cool Ideas

DIY Heat Mat
The link below shows you how to make this inexpensive heat mat for starting seeds.
http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/11658/diy-heat-mat-speeds-seed-starting


Limited on Space?


Portable Greenhouses


Seed Storage


Quick and easy way to replace seasonal plants


Tulips Indoors - Step 1 - Fill a glass container about 1/3 of the way with glass marbles or decorative rocks. Clear glass will enable you to watch the roots develop . . . Step 2 - Set the tulip bulb on top of the marbles or stones; pointed end UP. Add a few more marbles or rocks so that the tulip bulb is surrounded but not covered (think support). . .Step 3 - Pour fresh water into the container. The water shouldn't touch the bulb, but it should be very close, so that the roots will grow in...


Corner Trellis Planter


Coffee filters to keep dirt in pot


Another Vertical Garden Idea


Great Site for Garden Planning
http://www.smartgardener.com/


How to: Veggie Garden to feed 4 people.
This 576-square-foot plot produces veggies all summer for a family of four, with plenty left over to share. Tidy raised beds and gravel paths make it easy to care for, and evoke an English country garden.
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20364156,00.html

25 No-Cost (or Low-Cost) Garden Tools
http://www.bhg.com/gardening/yard/tools/no-cost-or-low-cost-garden-tools/

Great site that tells you when to start your plants indoors based on your zip code

http://sproutrobot.com/

First Strawberry Flower

Here it is, the long awaited flower.  Looks like the one beside it may already be wilting, which would be a sign of pollination.  I attempted to pollinate the one flower tonight.  If it wilts in 48 hours then it should be pollinated.  Fruit isn't too far behind, though I shouldn't let it grow any, since it is only in its first year of growth.  I am anxious though and will be moving away and unable to garden like this for awhile so I think I'm going to see what I can get this year anyways.  My other two surviving plants haven't produced any flowers yet...  The middle one isn't looking too hot.

In recap, I planted the seeds from fresh fruit from the store in November 2011 after freezing them for some time.  And now, a little after 8 months later, I have a flower.

Cali Bound

Looks like I will for sure be Cali bound this fall.  :)