Virgin Gardener

[prepper7]

That's awesome news, Z-prep; congrats!

I LOLd when you wrote "It's Alive", as I've become hooked on the zombie audio drama podcast, We're Alive (it's helping me with MJOTZY withdrawal ) You could do your own version... "In this episode, the part of the zombie will be played by the actor Mould"

[prepper7]

I contacted Alpha BioSystems, the makers of Thrive, a liquid mycorrhizal fungi, with some questions. In addition to a very friendly and helpful reply, the customer service lady gave me a promo code (“freeshipping”) to obtain free shipping on my order!

I placed an order and am excited. I had purchased a rather expensive brand of potting soil, in part, because it contained this fungi. The problem is that I wanted to provide the fungal benefit to plants that were already potted. I also wanted to be able to "refresh" the colonies over time (my crops are all "cut and come again").

I wrote her and asked if I could share the code with my virtual gardening group and she not only said, "yes", but said to let you know that you can also order free samples (limited to 25 people per day) at their promotions page. There is also a give-a-way for heirloom seeds and THRIVE on this page as well. Next week (late Mon or early Tues) their Spring Promos will also go live on their site, usethrive.com.

[Polie]

anyone have ideas on gardening in a small apt with zero direct sun light? There is a hydroponics store just down the road and I was thinking of trying to find some grow lights. I would like to grow some herbs, tomatoes, and edible flowers.

[prepper7]

Welcome, Polie.

In my (limited) experience hydro shops can be helpful if one knows what one wants--or if one is growing marijuana (I live in the weed capital of the US, there are those "green cross" shops every few blocks in some areas ).

I'd start with a few shade-tolerant plants (that totally excludes tomatoes, btw ) to get your feet wet without overwhelming yourself.

The Urban Organic Gardener just made a post about shady vegetable and herb selection. Here's a post about plants for indoor gardens

I think you may want to visit some of the many gardening sites on the web to get ideas about an appropriate hydro setup for yourself. You can talk to others (not reinvent the wheel and avoid the mistakes others have made) and have more of an idea what works and what doesn't. Some times you can get ideas from suppliers, too. Try urbangardensolutions.com.

So, Google and network and let us know how you're doing!

[zombiepreparation]

I thought I had already posted this but I must have done something wrong. This is a re-post and if the first one shows up I'll fix it.

(I went to the link for "We're Alive". This is a brilliantly done audio podcast! I had no idea these kinds of things were out there. I will be sending you a PM. I have lots of questions. I am also missing "Mom's Journal of the Zombie Years". I've read what has been written twice and copied it to Word on my computer to read casually. You should see all the personal notes I've made in it about personal ideas for prepping. Sissy's dialogue about storing, 'need' gardening, the need for keeping your preps on the down low, what & how to prep, medical needs, emotional needs, laundering, water collection, adaptations, etc etc etc is actually THE one thing that made me start understanding disaster preparations and what an actual disaster survival can look like, what I seriously could face, and some examples of how to face them. It is a very important bit of education for me and I recommend reading it to anyone who is new to disaster preparation because although it uses zombies as the disaster, everything else is a fully defined course on the need for prepping, what a disaster can look like, and examples of how to get through them. It is also a Really Good Story. I got lost in it for days and know that it had the same effect on lots of others too.)

Prepper7:

#1... You and your talent & interest in research are a veritable find for us here in Virgin Gardner Land!

#2... You asked the service lady abt sharing the promo code with us??? And there are free samples??? And will be free seeds??? The words 'Thank you' hardly seem to cover these things you are sharing with us here.

I contacted Alpha BioSystems, the makers of Thrive, a liquid mycorrhizal fungi, with some questions. In addition to a very friendly and helpful reply, the customer service lady gave me a promo code (“freeshipping”) to obtain free shipping on my order!

I placed an order and am excited. I had purchased a rather expensive brand of potting soil, in part, because it contained this fungi. The problem is that I wanted to provide the fungal benefit to plants that were already potted. I also wanted to be able to "refresh" the colonies over time (my crops are all "cut and come again").

I wrote her and asked if I could share the code with my virtual gardening group and she not only said, "yes", but said to let you know that you can also order free samples (limited to 25 people per day) at their promotions page. There is also a give-a-way for heirloom seeds and THRIVE on this page as well. Next week (late Mon or early Tues) their Spring Promos will also go live on their site, usethrive.com.

[prepper7]

Welcome back, Z-prep. I've enjoyed your laundry posts over in Poor Man's Prepping.

<snip> (I went to the link for "We're Alive". This is a brilliantly done audio podcast!

I know, right?! Talk about high production values. I've downloaded all the mp3s and added them to my audiobook library. After first finding it, I was able to listen to the first 28 episodes over a few days. Now I have to get my 20-minute fix every two weeks like everyone else

I am also missing "Mom's Journal of the Zombie Years". I've read what has been written twice and copied it to Word on my computer to read casually. <snip> Sissy's dialogue about storing, 'need' gardening, the need for keeping your preps on the down low, what & how to prep, medical needs, emotional needs, laundering, water collection, adaptations, etc etc etc is actually THE one thing that made me start understanding disaster preparations and what an actual disaster survival can look like, what I seriously could face, and some examples of how to face them. It is a very important bit of education for me and I recommend reading it to anyone who is new to disaster preparation

GMTA.

In addition to Sissy's story being great entertainment, I found the practical information therein to be one of the most important prep wake up calls I've ever had. Her stories are so full of the real challenges that would be faced (as opposed to the "take over a mall..." stories) and how one can address those challenges. Much of my terror during the reading of her story was at my own catastrophically under prepared state and the realization that I lack even the basic skills (cooking & baking from scratch, primitive laundry, medicinal plant identification and use, etc.) necessary to survive if the mod cons went away for any length of time.

#1... You and your research are a veritable find for us here in Virgin Gardner Land!

#2... You asked the service lady abt sharing the promo code with us??? And there are free samples??? And will be free seeds??? The words 'Thank you' hardly seem to cover these things you are sharing with us here.

Thx for the kind words, Z-prep! But I'm not doing anything more than many other forum members are doing. We are all finding useful things in our own AOs and bringing them back to the (global) trading post so that they can be shared for the benefit of all.

We talk about the importance of community, post-disaster, but the community we have now, pre-disaster, is just as important--perhaps more --as we have the time to identify and shore-up our weaknesses before they would be the cause of deprivation or worse.

I can't possibly hope to repay all the members on all the forums who have shared information that has helped me (I'm looking at you, Mother Hen ). All I can do is contribute my little rabbit to the stew pot. And it is an honour for me to be able to do so.


eta: better punctuation

[prepper7]

Not wanting to end up like that woman in Switzerland who didn't know what many of her plants were, I've been really good about using plant markers. As I add more plants, it has become a bit of a chore (yeah, in the scheme of things, a small one ), so when I saw the Urban Organic Gardener's post on creating chalkboard planters, I thought it was a super idea.

it would make a nice craft project for one's own garden or to make pots as gifts. There is even self-adhesive chalkboard paper available.

[zombiepreparation]

What a brilliant idea.

[prepper7]

A fun, space- and water-saving planter: Tipsy Pot Plant Tower.

[prepper7]

This TSP podcast, Seed Starting Primer for 2012, may be helpful to someone just getting their garden off the ground (or someone who wants to know more about the process and pitfalls ).

During the introduction, he mentions chef Keith Snow's site, Harvest Eating, where one can learn about "seasonal cooking". I think that being able to effectively use the bounty of our gardens is an essential skill and I'm looking forward to listening/reading what he has to say and connecting with people on his forum.

[Red_Snow]

I contacted Alpha BioSystems, the makers of Thrive, a liquid mycorrhizal fungi, with some questions. In addition to a very friendly and helpful reply, the customer service lady gave me a promo code (“freeshipping”) to obtain free shipping on my order!

I placed an order and am excited. I had purchased a rather expensive brand of potting soil, in part, because it contained this fungi. The problem is that I wanted to provide the fungal benefit to plants that were already potted. I also wanted to be able to "refresh" the colonies over time (my crops are all "cut and come again").

I wrote her and asked if I could share the code with my virtual gardening group and she not only said, "yes", but said to let you know that you can also order free samples (limited to 25 people per day) at their promotions page. There is also a give-a-way for heirloom seeds and THRIVE on this page as well. Next week (late Mon or early Tues) their Spring Promos will also go live on their site, usethrive.com.

In the future if you are looking for different mycorrhizal blends, this is my supplier of choice when it comes to inoculated plants/bushes with mycorrhizal fungus: http://fungiperfecti.com/mycogrow/index.html

[prepper7]

In the future if you are looking for different mycorrhizal blends, this is my supplier of choice when it comes to inoculated plants/bushes with mycorrhizal fungus: http://fungiperfecti.com/mycogrow/index.html

Always interested in learning about new products, Red Snow; do tell! How long have you used the products? Any juicy deals?

I received my order of Thrive today and the timing was perfect as I had a pack of lettuce from the garden centre that needed to be planted. Perfect time for a gardening clinical trial! _One group was planted w/ Thrive, and will be treated, per manufacturer's directions, through the growing season. The other group... placebo

I ordered a sample of Flower Thrive, and I'll be using that on a side-by-side trial on some nasturtiums (food & decoration ) I'll start next week.

[zombiepreparation]

As I have mentioned my new version of my (this year) balcony garden after the mold and I killed all my plants in my first garden this year is my asparagus and bunch onions in one giant pot but I have now acquired (for next year's garden) another small table for plants and will hopefully begin making self watering containers for next year. I keep toying with the idea of a Bush Baby tomato plant because I find that one corner of the balcony is getting a full 5 1/2 hours of direct sunlight and I read this variety does well with that amount of light. I'm being slow to decide because I am currently involved with the refining of my method of clothes drying out there which is taking up a lot of space itself and if I'm going to be gardening AND near daily drying of small hand washing loads going on in the same small space I've got to get a 'method' worked out to be able to even get to everything. I was thinking that the near daily drying of laundry 'could' possibly create a humidity the container plants might actually like. Well I can hope. I have acquired a couple of white reflector board like things I will add to next year's garden to help increase the overall sunlight.

[prepper7]

Found a way to propagate tiny cutting without having them sink past the neck of the container or having the leaves dragging in the water.

The first part of of this video (0:19 - 1:52) shows him using foam to float his cuttings in water. So simple, so perfect! I now have four perennial basil cuttings floating in a container.

[prepper7]

Creative ideas for urban gardening: Inside Urban Green

New style of SIP; faster, easier. less expensive. Here

[prepper7]

Another site for the container gardener: Container Gardening For Food. There is even a "Survival Gardening" page.

[Emit70517]

I have been viewing this form for a couple of months now and have not posted but here in the gardening section I fell like my experince can contribute to a frustrated person. I have been gardening for the past 17 years since i was about nine, living on a sugarcane farm and always being around vegetable gardens. I mainly grow outdoors with large beds and also grew indoors hydroponicly for about 8 years. My current garden consist of 26 tomatoes,(Better boys and big boys, because they do very well in the hot climate in central Lousisana) 10 bellpeppers, 6 Jalos, 3 Habaneros, 10 cucumbers, 5 cantalopes, watermelon, about 15 eggplants (3 different types), lima beans, greenbeans, okra, carrots are currently left over form the winter crop, as well as some aspargus that is in its vegatative growth, green oninons, potatoes. Whenever I get home from offshore and have some time to start a new area im going to begin a herb garden with basil, oragano, and rosemary. My experince is solely based in Lousisana but can still help with problems that others are facing. Next time I'm in I may take some pics for ya'll to see what I'm working with.

by zombiepreparation » Sat Apr 28, 2012 2:08 am

As I have mentioned my new version of my (this year) balcony garden after the mold and I killed all my plants

The mold problem can be caused by the lack of light that you face. A way that I have dealt with it was watering less and changing my medium to something that can allow the water pass through and not sit in the pot/bucket.

[/s]

Re: Virgin Gardener
by Polie » Tue Apr 17, 2012 4:00 am

anyone have ideas on gardening in a small apt with zero direct sun light? There is a hydroponics store just down the road and I was thinking of trying to find some grow lights. I would like to grow some herbs, tomatoes, and edible flowers.

As I have said I have grown hydronicly and when I started I did the worst thing, I jumped right into it and was in over my head. You can burn through crops and money very quickly. My advice to you would be to plan and figure out exactly what you want to grow.(how many of what plant) Because you will be using a light system, knowing how many plants that you are growing and of what type, are crucail. Because defferent wattage and type (MH/HPS) are effective at certain square footage. I would strat out growing with soil as your medium and then graduate to a hydroponic system. Ofcourse if you want to spend the money on a system go for it. I built my own using 1/2 PVC as a frame and used PVC fence post for the platform that the plants sit inside. If you want to go this route let me know and I will help you out with a list of everything that you will need to go hydroponicly.

[prepper7]

Welcome, Emit70517. So glad you dropped in and decided to share your experience with us. I envy your tomato-friendly environment. Your garden sounds bountiful; I hope you do get round to posting pix.

[zombiepreparation]

My current garden consist of 26 tomatoes,(Better boys and big boys, because they do very well in the hot climate in central Lousisana) 10 bellpeppers, 6 Jalos, 3 Habaneros, 10 cucumbers, 5 cantalopes, watermelon, about 15 eggplants (3 different types), lima beans, greenbeans, okra, carrots are currently left over form the winter crop, as well as some aspargus that is in its vegatative growth, green oninons, potatoes.

Oh yummmm.

Next time I'm in I may take some pics for ya'll to see what I'm working with.

by zombiepreparation » Sat Apr 28, 2012 2:08 am

As I have mentioned my new version of my (this year) balcony garden after the mold and I killed all my plants

The mold problem can be caused by the lack of light that you face. A way that I have dealt with it was watering less and changing my medium to something that can allow the water pass through and not sit in the pot/bucket.

Thanks. And hey, welcome!

So since I have little light, and have already had one garden go belly-up, and as Emit mentioned possibly because of no light, today I planted ..........tomatoes.

I now revise my estimated number of sun hours from 3 1/2 to five. The two plants were given to me with no expectations unless I get tomatoes, then I share. They are container bush tomatoes. The soil is hand-me-down. I have obtained cardboard and purchased aluminum foil for sunlight reflecting. I tied a ribbon with a bow around both containers. Oh, and I found a lucky penny today. What can go wrong? And my own expectations are low. I will consider 'this' time a success if I get lots of green leaves and no mold anywhere.

Please, everybody, pictures! Give me inspiration, give me hope!

[zombiepreparation]

My first three sun reflectors are in place waiting for the sunrise.

[prepper7]

Best of luck to you.

[Emit70517]

I have obtained cardboard and purchased aluminum foil for sunlight reflecting

Aluminum foil is a good cheap reflector, but it only reflects a maxiumum of about 30% the light. The best and one of the cheapest things I have found were Mylar fire blankets. They can reflect up to about 70% of the lumens and only cost about 3 dollars a pack.

[zombiepreparation]

I have obtained cardboard and purchased aluminum foil for sunlight reflecting

Aluminum foil is a good cheap reflector, but it only reflects a maxiumum of about 30% the light. The best and one of the cheapest things I have found were Mylar fire blankets. They can reflect up to about 70% of the lumens and only cost about 3 dollars a pack.

Okay. I will decide to afford this, but where are they? At Wal-Mart I would only get one for that price. Online I can get 10 for an extra dollar but then there is shipping so it again becomes something I don't afford. Ideas?

My second thought is how do I attach the Mylar to whatever? My experience is when I tape it, even tightly, the wind here whips it making it have a steady crinkling sound. Can I improve on this? A YouTube guy said his get ripped from the wind.

Prepper7 gave us a link to buy sheets (I think it was) of Mylar but the cost is prohibitive for me. (tiny tiny budget) (tiny) Now if I could find a 'pack' of fire blankets for $3, $4, I would afford it. I would also need to know how to go from there. It must be quiet, complaining neighbors & apartment rules, and it must be secure... at least for the full season. Ideas?

[zombiepreparation]

Best of luck to you.

Oh. I missed this post. Thanks! I spent (off & on) hours today trying to arrange the reflectors. It is an engineering challenge for me; anchoring them in the wind, aiming them to catch the light, trying to keep them subtle so as not to be annoying to the other apartment balconies because they will complain big time and it could become a big deal around here. We are grouped close here. I don't feel I was successful in any of this today, and like Kermit mentioned I did not notice much to any reflecting going on either. I did have 5 1/2 hours of sun on them today but once the summer solstice comes the days will begin to shorten again.

Mylar. How to get this Mylar thing done with the $$ affordable to me plus my lack of engineering aptitude. I need to stop thinking about this for this afternoon. I'll go do some laundry (with my new laundry plunger!) to make my mind rest from the problem for a little while. Not much laundry though because the humidity is HIGH which makes drying time turn into hours and hours and hours.

Geeze, this Event practice is lots of work isn't it. Hand washing, air drying, water filtering, keeping a working garden for sustenance, hauling water to water garden. Work work work.