tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6233578498576057382024-03-19T11:18:29.521-07:00grow.build.transformrosa gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13499742624920267086noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-623357849857605738.post-31773476917180617232012-04-26T18:49:00.000-07:002012-04-27T06:29:58.734-07:00Starting seeds indoors.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWszos-hTyBTjUOwsa6fXf-vXLGLwzM79yzJkdGuM8dEqFF2jFtFveZFA4RptmgasPb9IKKUB_1Ox36MKfVa6gjl5FWYwYfHFCFoFlUuSU3Way0BJ0PiKeNC6PWJVSGEfEBvUz2ci0A2I/s1600/blog_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWszos-hTyBTjUOwsa6fXf-vXLGLwzM79yzJkdGuM8dEqFF2jFtFveZFA4RptmgasPb9IKKUB_1Ox36MKfVa6gjl5FWYwYfHFCFoFlUuSU3Way0BJ0PiKeNC6PWJVSGEfEBvUz2ci0A2I/s400/blog_02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Between
February and April it might still be cold outside for baby plants, so
we'll start them indoors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">You
will need:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">a)
A small container,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">b)
small rocks or gravel,</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">c) Some
good soil or compost,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">d) </span><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">seeds
of your chosen vegetable!</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">So,
</span>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Answering
the most common questions:</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Q:
DO I NEED TO BUY POTS?? WHERE?! I DON'T HAVE MONEY FOR THIS! </span></b>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">A:
You don't have to buy pots, you can also use small plastic cups or
<b>empty cans</b>. </span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">if
you really want pots, get them from a garden centre, ask if they have spare
ones to give away for free. </span>
</div>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="color: #990000; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Q:
WHERE DO I GET GRAVEL FROM??</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">A:
From garden centres or pet shops, you can also just pick some small
rocks in the street/parks/around or use <b>egg shells</b>, this are an
excellent alternative as they also add calcium to the soil.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="color: #990000; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Q:
COOL, HOW DO I START?</span></b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>1.</b>
First make sure your pot (or can) has holes at the bottom for
drainage, if it doesn't poke a few. Put some gravel or egg shells in
the bottom of your pot and fill it with soil, see figure1</span></div>
<div class="western" style="color: #990000; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Q:
HOW DEEP SHOULD I PLACE THE SEEDS??</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>2. </b>Some
say that seeds should be planted at a depth of three times the
thickness of the seed. What I do is gently poke a hole in the ground
up to my nail, so far it has worked. </span>
</div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Q:
HOW MANY SEEDS DO I PUT!? </span></b>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>3.</b> For
chillies, tomato and lettuce, between 3 and 5 as not all will make
it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">For
sunflowers, just one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Cover
the seeds with soil.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Q:
AND THEN?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>4. </b>Put
them in a sunny window, water every two or three days, and watch it grow. When
it's to big for the pot, transplant to a bigger pot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="color: #990000; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Q:
WHAT'S EASY TO GROW?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">A:
Particularly easy: chillies, lettuce, tomato. Lettuce being the
quickest to grow, you get the sprouts just a few days after seeding
which is quite exciting!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Off
you go! now go and start a garden. </span>
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</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>rosa gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13499742624920267086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-623357849857605738.post-64067592445926735602012-04-13T08:19:00.007-07:002012-04-19T16:52:42.751-07:00Transforming any container into a plant pot.<span style="font-family: arial;">If you want to grow plants and have limited outdoor space, all you have to do is transform anything around you into a plant pot, the possibilities are endless: from indoor gardening, to window boxes, hanging baskets, balconies, front doors, roof gardens and beyond. </span><br />
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All you need to do is:</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-family: arial;"><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Find anything that can hold soil,</div>
</li>
<li style="font-family: arial;"><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Poke or drill holes at the bottom for drainage,</div>
</li>
<li style="font-family: arial;"><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Add in the following order 1) gravel or crockery at the bottom, 2) compost, 3) A plant.</div>
</li>
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<span style="font-family: arial;">Water well and watch it grow . </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWhOcSH89Wqy8I5XSGw3dja8abY_L5iOkBiowW9bk3EonhEJ_xqH8r4koI-0z3cLrFkKTy9DJPfQM7w7F30nPhu1gz0muSZ2p_uYVXY4ZE3u9faeo_K2U86JZ8pFyIYeWXXAYhJBTFs4/s1600/Blog_02_03.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730906763656371938" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWhOcSH89Wqy8I5XSGw3dja8abY_L5iOkBiowW9bk3EonhEJ_xqH8r4koI-0z3cLrFkKTy9DJPfQM7w7F30nPhu1gz0muSZ2p_uYVXY4ZE3u9faeo_K2U86JZ8pFyIYeWXXAYhJBTFs4/s400/Blog_02_03.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 344px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a></div>
</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWhOcSH89Wqy8I5XSGw3dja8abY_L5iOkBiowW9bk3EonhEJ_xqH8r4koI-0z3cLrFkKTy9DJPfQM7w7F30nPhu1gz0muSZ2p_uYVXY4ZE3u9faeo_K2U86JZ8pFyIYeWXXAYhJBTFs4/s1600/Blog_02_03.jpg"> </a><br />
<div class="western" style="font-family: arial; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">1. From February to April</span>, start your plants indoors and place them in a sunny window.</div>
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Picture No 1: recycled cans of beans, hand painted in white, featuring young chilli plants.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-family: arial; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">2. By March-April</span>, the plants can go outside. </div>
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This are lettuces in a hand made wooden box outside my front door. </div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">3. </span>Old shoes make excellent flower pots.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakhknvNIkVphWmdreJEKqK8fgsS9JuShT265LTi2JsohxLcTBp-L1if05rXbKBgl-Xu_vKj3cZ_IgFWUVuNyF8seZZGLj5vd6_kfelp5CTNo9-sLK3Q_wcAXDi0L5Vd4CNy-2-3Rbwzg/s1600/21072010272.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730909076726620514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakhknvNIkVphWmdreJEKqK8fgsS9JuShT265LTi2JsohxLcTBp-L1if05rXbKBgl-Xu_vKj3cZ_IgFWUVuNyF8seZZGLj5vd6_kfelp5CTNo9-sLK3Q_wcAXDi0L5Vd4CNy-2-3Rbwzg/s400/21072010272.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWhOcSH89Wqy8I5XSGw3dja8abY_L5iOkBiowW9bk3EonhEJ_xqH8r4koI-0z3cLrFkKTy9DJPfQM7w7F30nPhu1gz0muSZ2p_uYVXY4ZE3u9faeo_K2U86JZ8pFyIYeWXXAYhJBTFs4/s1600/Blog_02_03.jpg"> </a></div>
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By summer you'll have a busting garden, this is how our front-door looks like in summer.</div>
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Old construction pallets were transformed into planting boxes, we put them outside our front door together with all sorts of containers, and in 5X1mts space, we've been happily growing potatoes, lettuce, radish, carrots, pumpkins, chillies, herbs and lots of flowers.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYfDJMhkgZjY9N4dJdBsiK3nLl8HiRmGUysN4sSwL5RKtlXNtYCXBGu9jXjJRYnic7JwhGAYUBGag6lPwQ86EbM-hv31dljvToILY_ibawJEOKTYHDMF4_tuYDqbd6wdKLs4oVG6fAMIk/s1600/containers2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730911924891989698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYfDJMhkgZjY9N4dJdBsiK3nLl8HiRmGUysN4sSwL5RKtlXNtYCXBGu9jXjJRYnic7JwhGAYUBGag6lPwQ86EbM-hv31dljvToILY_ibawJEOKTYHDMF4_tuYDqbd6wdKLs4oVG6fAMIk/s400/containers2.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 309px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="font-family: arial; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
Is not rubbish, is a plant pot!</div>
<div class="western" style="font-family: arial; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Old computers (right) make excellent planting pots, they come with depth, drainage and cool designs.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-family: arial; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
1<sup>st</sup> you need to take all the guts out, you'll be surprised at how many interesting things are in there.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-family: arial; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Turn the empty box with the screen facing upwards, bingo! you have an 80's neo-vintage pot, cool isn't? Too much drainage on the sides can be a problem if indoors: add some lining on the sides, I used recycled compost bags on this one, just leaving drainage at the <span style="font-size: 100%;">bottom. </span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-family: arial; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 78%;">Credits: The plastic bottle and helmet pictures were taken in Luang Prabang Laos, and the TV was my boyfriend's job.Many thanks to Geraldine Holland for first bringing and planting chilli seed into our home, and to my boyfriend Chui for his love, carpentry abilities, creativity, support, and smiles. </span></div>
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<br />rosa gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13499742624920267086noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-623357849857605738.post-59078315101417883742012-04-06T05:02:00.004-07:002012-04-06T08:55:29.522-07:00No plans for good friday? Lets plant potatoes.<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMKvz6Yeo2CRQiOZGYA_AyjyOrmXKxWCYflvrn8QZ4x0ZEgfAbn3xOnS3la-R4gtfxRlcR7Q-cfFHdDhzOGOooOEf-cJFTHLNemGhsn4t1UEV7OdfGEdc4V0ZL6BQH2cNZrrVeVIOFro/s1600/blog_01_potatoes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMKvz6Yeo2CRQiOZGYA_AyjyOrmXKxWCYflvrn8QZ4x0ZEgfAbn3xOnS3la-R4gtfxRlcR7Q-cfFHdDhzOGOooOEf-cJFTHLNemGhsn4t1UEV7OdfGEdc4V0ZL6BQH2cNZrrVeVIOFro/s400/blog_01_potatoes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728257382554718914" border="0" /> </a><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">How to GROW potatoes, when and why.</span></p> <p class="western" face="arial" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; ">Potatoes is one of the easiest vegetables to grow.</p><p class="western" face="arial" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; ">You need: </p> <p class="western" face="arial" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; ">a) A vertical container: that's a large pot, dust bin or bucket with a few drainage holes, if outside you can also use stacked car tires.</p> <p class="western" face="arial" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; ">b) Potato tubers: you can get these at garden centres and pet shops. </p> <p class="western" face="arial" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; ">c) Good compost: In London some city farms give away compost for free, we got ours from Hackney City farm.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">1.</span> Add 10-15cm of gravel or crocks (old broken pots etc) at the bottom of the container, it helps with drainage when watering,</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: arial;">- Add another 10cm of good compost and place your potatoes 15-30cm apart with the sprouts pointing upwards and cover them with soil.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: arial;">- Water well, and wait.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2</span>. When shoots and leaves appear above the soil, cover the plant with more compost just leaving a tip of the plant above the soil. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">3.</span> Keep watering well, and as the plant grows keep covering it with soil, each layer of soil will grow a layer of potatoes.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. </span>When you reach the top leave the plant to grow and harvest after flowering.</p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: arial;"><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: arial;">If you plant 'earliers' or salad potatoes you are ready to harvest 10-13 weeks after planting.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: arial;">For Maincrop potatoes, harvest 15-20 weeks after planting.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">How to harvest?</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: arial;">Easy, get you hand into the soil and test how big the potatoes are, looking good? then just turn the pot inside out and get ready for potato salad! </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">WHEN:</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: arial;">Plant your potatoes after frost, in the North hemisphere that's in Mid-March or early April, in subtropical zones plant any time of the year.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">The Magic:</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;">FULL MOON</span> is the best time to sow root vegetables, like potatoes.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: arial;">For our ancestors, the moon, the stars and the sun was the most reliable method for measuring time, it was also noticed that different plants grow better when they are planted during different phases of the moon, it's related to the the rising and falling of the moisture in the ground and in the plants, fascinating. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: arial; font-style: italic;">'Plant potatoes on 'GOOD FRIDAY'.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: arial;">But then came Christians re-inventing history, and it's an old saying that you plant potatoes on good Friday , why? well...</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: arial;">Potatoes come from Peru (yes, the Inca empire, great masters of Astrology, the same guys who built Machu Pichu) and have been harvested in South America for more than 6,000 years, in the 16th century the Spanish conquistadores introduce them to Europe, but potatoes were not mentioned in the bible so many people thought they were the devil's food. In Ireland (where potatoes were the staple food crop) they were planted on Good Friday on land blessed with Holy Water. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: arial;"><br /></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: arial;">Another simpler way of looking at it is: plant on bank holiday April, harvest on bank holiday August, bingo!</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm"><br /></p> </div>rosa gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13499742624920267086noreply@blogger.com0