Grow Your Own Ginger and Turmeric

I bought some freshly harvested ginger and turmeric at the Farmers Market today. It has been delicious in the past and I am looking forward to eating and drinking it.   

I had a discussion about growing it with a gardening  friend and the vendor at th market. I have grown garlic before and have propagated an avocado plant from a seed but am curious about growing these 2 rhizomes.

I have done a little research { played with th  google machine} and found that there are a few simple steps to take.   Now this doesn’t make it easy nor fast but it seems quite simple.

A. Find some seed stock [rhizome with eyes] 

B. Prepare soil in a 12″ or bigger pot, and make sure the soil is rich and alkaline and drains well

C. Place in warm area , with adequate sun

D. Water as needed and be patient

I found a few useful links:

Some easy basics. –     http://m.wikihow.com/Grow-a-Ginger-Plant 

Some more info for garden planting  – http://www.tropicalpermaculture.com/growing-ginger.html

And another for growing in a pot or pots…- http://balconygardenweb.com/how-to-grow-ginger-in-pot-growing-ginger-indoors/

     TURMERIC

Growing Turmeric is very similar as noted in the link here-

http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/garden/how-to-grow-your-own-turmeric-indoors-its-easier-than-you-think/slide/3

Enjoy the journey and the food.

Great food and great medicine……
@martyroddy

“Hiring” Some Employees for your Garden

Now this is a tongue in cheek reference making sure you have enough worms and other useful   partners in your garden.
Good soil with plenty of organic material added to build it up and fortify it for current and long term production. Having a compost pile and adding the properly aged compost to the garden builds the  soil and aids in growth and production. BUT WORMS …..

Worms that move into your garden perform 3 basic tasks :

1. Worm “tunnels” allow for beneficial wate and air to get into the soil

2. Worm ‘castings’ ( manure) enrich the soil

3. Worms participate in breaking down organic materials addd to the garden

A gardener can purchase worms but in many cases these will no survive the relocation . Worms can be purchased and used in a vermicomposting system. The best plans for filling a garden with helpful “employees” is to invite them in year round. One trick to invite worms during the growing season is to use worm tubes and veggie kitchen scraps .

Another method is to build up soil in the off season by adding leaves, leaf mold, coffee grounds, compost, kitchen scraps to the garden beds. If the general area soil is healthy Worms will come to materials to be broken down. The worms will stay in The area to aerate th soil and fertilize with castings.

With enough worms, ongoing composting and well planned gardens the soil will become and remain a powerhouse for years to come.
@martyroddy

Plant Based Complete Protein Sources

An item or ingredient is a complete protein when it has all of the essential amino acids (those needed by humans from our diet).

Many other plants have several amino acids but need to be combined with another item to complete the mix for use in the human body.

This is a very simple list: ( and soy is avoided for allergy and other concerns)

1. Seitan – 21 grams per 1/3 cup. Of course I left out soy due to allergen concern and since seitan is ALL GLUTEN there are some allergy concerns.

2. Hummus with Whole whole grain pita 7 g with 2 tbs hummus

3. Peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread 15 g for 2 tbs PB .

4. Rice and beans 7g/ cup  (brown rice)

5.  Quinoa 8g /cup cooked

6. Buckwheat 6g/cup cooked ( no gluten not related to wheat)

CLOSE TO COMPLETE PROTEIN , but great for combining:

Chia seed and Hemp seed. 9-10 g/ serving

Nutritional yeast – 12g/ 3 tbs

Other seeds  7-9 g/ 1/4 cup
This is just a quick list but many of these can easily be included in 3 daily meals for an intake of 20-30 grams of protein per day.

Plus  a few charts from the web world-

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.php

How do you get enough protein on a plant-based diet?

@martyroddy

Vegan cookbooks and Websites

i recently had a conversation with a friend about about easy Vegan eating.

I was inspired to look,at my cookbook shelves and memory. What books did I like and recommend and any other info( websites).

Long before I went vegan I read Dr Dean Ornish’s books and started experimenting with his heart healthy plant based recipes.

Later when I wa struggling with some pain and inflammation issues I learned of the evil of dairy as a food source and a few books helped with that 1st step to vegetarian diet.

Books I have and like:

Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook Hardcover – 2007

by Isa Chandra Moskowitz , Terry Hope Romero
Love this one. Lots of great recipes and tons of ideas to get creative with. Plus Isa Chandra Moskowitz has other great books and lots of web presence.
1,000 Vegan Recipes (1,000 Recipes 2009

by Robin Robertson

Another great one. Can get OCD ( I did) and start working through the book…. Also has. A newer book…100 BEST VEGAN RECIPES
Forks Over Knives – The Cookbook: Over 300 Recipes for Plant-Based Eating All Through the Year 2012

by Del Sroufe

The first book, FORKS OVER KNIVES has great info but this is all food. There is a great video/ documentary available,online.
Becoming Vegetarian: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Vegetarian Diet 2003. by Vesanto Melina , Brenda Davis 
Great getting started book, my first in this current situation. Was what I used to learn to be dairy free, and later carried it to the next step.

Becoming Vegan, Express Edition: The Everyday Guide to Plant-based Nutrition Paperback –2013

by Vesanto Melina , Brenda Davis

My (obvious ) 2nd book after the previous. Read and studied before I switched.

Have not read but seems interesting with good reviews.
PETA’S Vegan College Cookbook: 275 Easy, Cheap, and Delicious Recipes to Keep You Vegan at School 2016.     

By PETA
But I Could Never Go Vegan!: 125 Recipes That Prove You Can Live Without Cheese, It’s Not All Rabbit Food, and Your Friends Will Still Come Over for Dinner 2014

By Kristy Turner

Very interesting topic and also,comes with good reviews.
The Oh She Glows Cookbook: Over 100 Vegan Recipes to Glow from the Inside Out 2014

by Angela Liddon

Another interesting book with lots of great reviews.
INTERESTING WEBSITES:
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/.   Lots of great fun, info and recipes.
http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/     Happy Healthy Life is a lot of fun and full of info.
http://www.vegkitchen.com/.     Lots of basic cooking info as well as recipes and Nava Atlas has some good,books as well.
@martyroddy

Hiding the Garden from the Deer

I have  loved gardening for many years. This year had the “opportunity” to try to outsmart the deer and grow some herbs on the patio. May create beds outside but need to investigate fencing / barrier options.

We had several 10″-12″ and bigger pots and put a good soil mix and planted seedlings (from Farmers Market, https://www.facebook.com/CharlottesvilleCityMarket/ )

I bought the herbs over a 3-4 week period and they were planted in pots to accommodate their rots and growth needs. Mint all by itself, basil with oregano and another pot of basil with chives. Marjoram is growing nicely in another pot and parsley is in several as well,is in th front yard , sharing space with roses. The roses smell great as a result of their new neighbors.

I knew what we wanted to grow but I did a little research for best herbs for container growing and this was the first .

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/aug/15/ten-best-herbs-grow-containers.

It has an interesting list and some fun suggestions. The patio is growing green and seems to be doing well. Of course the pics I took are crappy so,I will try again and attach them later.

If all goes well we should have enough basil for some pesto and and for some pesto to freeze. The parsley has already been used and will be harvested all through the season. The others are getting close to usable size.

I have done some container gardening in the past, next I will try with some fruiting vegetables like cucumbers, squash, tomatoes and peppers.

Here are a few things I am reading about veggies in containers:

http://www.gardeners.com/how-to/urban-gardening-with-vegetables/5491.html?SC=XNET9454

http://www.container-gardening-for-food.com/Growing-vegetables-in-containers.html

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1741

This is a lot of fun and delicious as well.

Next experiment will be with sprouting indoors…start and eat in 5-14 days in many cases.

@martyroddy

CHEAPSKATE Hints-Cheap nd Free Supplies And Skills for Garden

The original inspiration for this blog was the garden I was building in a $-rented-$ space in a city garden. I was building my soil, creating beds and starting some compost for future use. All of these items were done for free, but some work was needed to be successful. [and of course I was using tools purchased at retail price- but some of them could have been acquired at thrift stores/ yard sales.]

This post will put forth a list of free items for use in the garden.   Your garden  and my garden are places for peace ,fun, sweat and food. All of that can be attained with a big checkbook but there is something rewarding about reusing, and repurposing items for beneficial use in the garden .

The first is a free ( inexpensive) technique not an item but it still keeps things cheap. It is called lasagna or sheet gardening. Lasagna gardening starts your garden with NEW SOIL MADE BY layering yard and food waste. No need to break nor till the soil(buy/rent root tiller???)  just take a little time ,plan ahead and build new soft soil.  Make your new soil where you want your garden to be.  This is free if all of the material built into the layers is also free(see below). If this is done in the fall the soil will be ready to,plant in the spring and if started in spring some good topsoil or compost can be added to the lop layer as seeds or seedlings are planted.  Lasagna Garden HOW TO:  latest of cardboard or newsprint(15-20 sheets) on the bottom ,on top of the old grass.  The alternate layers of grass clippings, leaves, compost, manure. Shredded wood chips can also be built into the layers.

GRASS CLIPPINGS-

If you have a yard , you have a gardeners gold mine with all of the grass clippings you will generate spring to fall. These can be used in the lasagna garden, added to compost pile/container and used in the growing garden as a weed barrier that eventually breaks down and keeps the soil developing. If you don’t have a yard of green you can collect bags of cut grass around the community . Do this by driving around or do a search online for bagged grass ( see FREECYCLE for,your community).

LEAVES –

These can also added directly to the  garden as weed barrier but in many areas th leaves fall as the garden is finishing for the season. They can be added as fall-winter cover , shredded and added to compost pile or bagged and set aside to,creat leaf mold for next springs garden.

If you do not have trees and leaves you may be able to find them from friends, or others in the community and in many communities leaves are collected and piled in a central location for local citizens to use.

WOOD CHIPS/shredded wood mulch-

The wood can be used as weed barrier or as layers in the lasagna garden. they can also be added to the compost pile sparingly. Much like leaves and grass clippings when added to garden as weed barrier they will eventually break down in to the soil.

Most folks will need to get wood chips and shredded wood mulch as few have the wood/trees AND equipment to chop them. Many communities that collect leaves and make them available also collect downed trees and branches AND  Christmas trees and shred in a central location available to the community.

COFFEE GROUNDS-

Coffee grounds make a great addition to the compost pile, garden soil and directly for acid loving plants in the garden and yard. When building a lasagna/sheet garden-coffee grounds area a addition . Worked into the soil grounds loosen the soil and break down leaving it nourished.

They may also be spread under acid loving plants like azaleas and even broadcast out on the lawn.

If you drink coffee you will generate some supply but real volume can be found at most local coffee shops and many locations of large chain coffee shops. Some places bag them for you and others ask you to bring buckets.

COMPOSTED KITCHEN SCRAPS-

If we eat any fruit or vegetables we will generate peels and scraps that can be composted for use in the garden. The scraps eggshells plus fruit and veggie only, no other animal based scraps ( meat , fat or bones).

They can be collected in an airtight table top container or the freezer until taken outside to the composting area or tool. The compost is usable after 3-9 months , depending on the method used.

 

Summary list of Cheapskate supplies:

1.Lasagna gardening

2. Grass clippings

3. Leaves

4. Shredded wood/chips

5. Coffee grounds

6. Composted kitchen scraps

 

 

@martyroddy

 

Springtime Planting and Planning: Never too Late to Improve the Soil

I live in Virginia and we have a nice heavy clay soil. In many locations it is very fertile and provides a good base for garden plants BUT it has many challenges that limit the productive capacity of the new garden(or old gardens still rooted in clay).

When I play ( and it is fun) in the garden and plan my future fun I do soil prep and soil improvement in the fall and during the season as crops are harvested and even as they grow.

Now first thing to address- I am a fan of building the soil WITHOUT tilling or turning the soil.  There is plenty of debate on this. If you choose the till and add to the soil that way it will work as well. 

I add the improvements to the soil and they get worked in by weather and worms or by me as crops are planted. I also like to use grass clippings and leaves as weed barriers around the plants in the garden. These break down and add organic material to the soil. Leaves add carbon and grass adds nitrogen ( much simplified) . These items can also be composted and when aged properly can be worked into the top layers and added to plants during planting or after the fact.

One of the great side effects of added organic material is the enticement of worms and microorganism  to join us in the garden. As they enjoy the grass and leaves and compost and manure they enrich the soil, add channels for water and air to flow to the roots. More on Worms and composting with worms later( vermicomposting) .

Some video information:

This video has a discussion of browns vs. Greens. Simply put browns are compostables  loaded with carbon (leaves, wood chips, mulch, paper, cardboard) Greens are loaded with nitrogen( grass, kitchen scraps even manure). When they both breakdown the compost and the soil is balanced nutritionally for plant use. He is layering to build a new garden bed but the same idea works when building a compost pile .

A few videos on composting.

A quick HOW TO:

New garden plot  make a “lasagna” of cardboard or newspaper,grass, leaves, manure, compost , wood chips and repeat. If you want to use this new plot/ bed right away you can add some bagged topsoil to plant the seeds or seedlings. If this bed is for,next season/spring you can build it up with layers and let the winter work it down and plant in it next spring.

Exiting garden bed/plot Add your amendments to the soil as you harvest in the fall or as you plant in the spring. Many can be added during the season. See the reference to leaves and grass as weed barriers.
@martyroddy  

 

65 Degrees at Christmas- My Bulbs are Sprouting

Welcome to Christmas season 2015 and in Central Virginia a time of spring-like temperatures have delivered a very warm and unseasonable Christmas holiday.

Now the lack of fireplace use and chestnut is not the only concern with this weather,especially if you are a gardener.

This warm weather has caused many trees to begin budding early and many flowering bulbs have sprouted after the short cold period early in the fall.

Will the flowers be ruined for spring time color? Will they be damaged?

What about the trees? AND

Is there anyting we can do to counter the problem?

*****************************

There is not much threat of damage if the bulbs do not flower and only the green leaves sprout. There is a good chance that the flower will arrive in spring , though it may be ealier than is the norm. Do not to do anything to try and help the bulbs. The flowers are still inside the bulbs.

Mulching is not recommended as this may kill the plant and bulb and prevent future growth. A heavy spread of frozen mulch can do more damage than strange weather. Now a light spread of compost or composted mulch around and on the leaves might be helpful – I would suggest that the leaves still be visible and open to the sun. Photosynthesis cn still occur and the bulbs will remain viable. You may still lose the bloom this year but the bulb will survive to produce another season.

There is even less that can be done for trees that have begin to Bud Out.

Be patient, enjoy the weather since snow shovels may be needed soon enough and this warmth will be gone.

Tweets by martyroddy

Tis the season for Compost (prep for Spring Now )

Summer is over and a few crops remain…What is the most important thing to do after you have cleaned up the garden?

You now have plants and leaves and roots that were removed when finished and these can be the basis of new soil next season if handled properly, and composted. To compost these remainders you can:

• chop them and work into the soil
• burn them and put the ash in the soil OR
• add to compost bin or pile

Now the naked garden can be left alone until planting but a better option is to add cut grass, chopped leaves, coffee grounds and food scraps – NOW and let them  work into the soil over the next 3-5 months.

Green manure crops may be planted to feed and improve and protect the soil. Many of the popular “manures” are legumes that capture nitrogen and fix it into the soil and the greenery that does grow breaks down quickly next season when chopped into the soil .

BUT THE BEST ACTIVITY NOW FOR FUTURE GARDEN SUCCESS- is composting in bins or piles.

1. It is “free” since you have plenty of material in the Fall- fallen leaves, cut grass, kitchen waste as well as newspapers and cardboard from Christmas gift packages
2. it is simple, collect and pile ( you can get fancy and work the pile- it is recommended  for speed
3. fill the pile and let it age and create new Young piles/bins

Tools or Supplies needed or suggested:

A) spot for the pile or bin

B) Material or barrel for bin, pile ( not required but helps a lot)

C) lawnmower to chop leaves and larger scraps (smaller pieces ,speed the process)

D) shovel or fork to turn the scraps and speed the process

More info  below.

Compost pile:

How to Start a Compost Pile in 4 Easy Steps

http://www.sodgod.com/composting/

Hot Compost ( for winter and speed ):

http://visual.ly/hot-composting-temperature

http://www.urbanfarmonline.com/sustainable-living/green-living/what-to-do-with-your-compost-in-winter.aspx

Composters to buy:

How to Use a Garden Composter

Tweets by martyroddy

Coffee to Wake Up …The Garden

Coffee grounds are a great addition to the home garden and the growing plans around the entire yard. If you have discovered a local coffee shop with a supply of grounds ( larger than average family making 1 or 2 pots of coffee a day) and can bring them to your house and garden you now need to know how to use them.

The most obvious is COMPOST. Add the grounds to the pile(they tend to be 2% nitrogen and <1% phosphorous and potassium) and thoroughly mix with leaves, grass, paper, kitchen scraps and seedless weeds from the garden.

This post will be a list and attached articles will fill in some information.

COFFEE GROUNDS from a shop:

1. Add grounds to the compost pile, bin or container. {different blend percentages are suggested- look some up}

2. Raise your own worms for casings, and the grounds mix well with other food scraps s food for the worms= they love them.
3. Spread on the lawn, under trees and bushes(heavier for acid loving plants)
4. Top dress the garden , especially in the offseason, with the grounds. They will break down and add nutrients to the soil
5. Slugs and snails hate coffee grounds – protect susceptible plants with the grounds
6. squirrels and rabbits can also be deterred by the grounds underfoot
7. Acid loving plants will love a ring of grounds that are worked into the ground/soil around the base of the plant .

The following articles address some of these ideas.

The most obvious and simple use is as compost, but The amounts can be important:  

Coffee Grounds and Compost

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/ingredients/coffee-grounds-gardening.htm

More than compost- other uses for the grounds: 

http://www.ehow.com/how_8038252_use-coffee-grinds-vegetable-gardens.html

Some plants love the grounds directly on them:

Coffee Grounds for Hydrangeas, Roses and Camellias – A Natural Fertilizer

Tweets by martyroddy