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

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

 

Be a Real Cheapskate – Grow Your own Fertilizer Part 2

In an earlier post Comfrey was the garden partner for grown fertilizer. In this post, Stinging Nettles ( Urtica dioica ) will be discussed. Stinging nettles are also a valuable food source as a dark leafy green it is a nutritional powerhouse in the kitchen as well as the garden.

     How to Use as Fertilizer:
1. Carefully harvest the leaves and stems (avoid roots and seeds)with snippers and gloves or in large patches use a scythe( pick up with fork or gloves. They are called STINGING Nettles for a good reason.
2. Fill a bucket or barrel with the harvested leaves and greenery, top completely with water and COVER for 2 weeks
3. After 2 weeks you will have a potent mixture loaded with – iron, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, copper and chlorophyll.
4. Removed most of the remaining solids and add to compost pile or spread around plants as a potent mulch.

Nettles are often considered a weed and may grow with abundance , over-reaching your need as fertilizer and food. they my be harvested and placed in compost piles and bins. They add a potent energizer to the compost
                                 Using the new PLANT FOOD ***
This mix will be highly concentrated and should be used in a 1/8 -1/10 mixture. In a gallon of water add approximately 2 cups of nettle tea.
Spread on the garden every every 2 weeks during or before a planned watering or rainfall

NETTLES ARE A VALUABLE FOOD SOURCE.

They are loaded with vitamins and minerals and rival the ever popular kale, spinach and collards in nutritional content. Nettles must be cooked or steamed before eating to eliminate the needles. They can be used in smoothies and there are many popular Green Smoothie recipes.
Nettles also make a delicious and potent Tea. Dry the leaves in a warm dry room or spread on cookie sheets in oven at lowest setting for several hours. Chop/grind the dried leaves and store until brewed.

Tweets by martyroddy

Be a Real Cheapskate- GROW your Fertilizer Part 1

Russian Comfrey ( Symphytum uplandicum) and wild comfrey ( symphtum officinale) are partners to consider adding to your garden because when established ,after  year 1 , it provides plenty of “free” fertilizer for your plants and an energizer for your growing compost piles(bins).

Wild comfrey tends to spread so plan ahead and put it in a spot that allows for  that or control the expansion by planting in buried pots, buckets or old storage bins (make sure they have drainage) control / limit  the spread.
Comfrey has the added benefit of being a useful medicinal herb (See link below).

It is  a relatively tall plant that  likes to reach out and spread its “wings”, so set it in places where it can do so and not cast too much shade or crowd out neighbors, especially permanent plantings like trees, berries and bushes.

The average home garden will benefit from 4-6 plants . It is be propagated from cutting or established plants can be divided .  It is an attractive plant with attractive blue-purple flowers and a fuzzy green leaf.

            How to Use Comfrey in your garden:
A. Liquid Fertilizer: 1] fill bucket with leaves(not necessary to pack tight) and top completely with water and cover the bucket with lid or board and set in sun for 2 weeks. After 2 weeks the liquid should be dark brown-black. IT WILL STINK, BUT THT IS OK!!
2] Combine dark liquid with clear water and ratio of 1-2 cup liquid/1 gallon water
3] add spread around plants every other week during regular watering or before a rain.
B. Transplant Kickstart: Put 3-6 leaves in bottom of pot or garden hole when transplanting fruiting plants.
C. Power Mulch : Place a layer of leaves around plants, can be covered with cut grass or leaf mold
D. Compost Activator: add and mix into compost heap/bins. include flowers and stalks
MEDICINAL USES-
http://www.motherearthnews.com/natural-health/comfrey-medicinal-uses-zmaz92jjzshe.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comfrey

Tweets by martyroddy

Be Cheap – Feeding, Weeding and Wrangling Insect Visitors

Now this blog is about gardening  without a crazy amount of investment in supplies, tools and equipment. This post and a few that follow will focus on inexpensive fertilizers, insect controls and weed preventers.

Many of the mixes and suggestions use inexpensive household items and provide help in the garden for 50% -20% of the standard store bought mixes and products.

The homemade mixes will include[but not be limited to] :

Other plants, vinegar, ammonia, epsom salts, insects, birds, bats, other plants,  cut grass , fallen leaves, beer, pantyhose , newspaper, grits, mouthwash, kitchen soap   and some others.

Tweets by martyroddy

“Hiring” Helpers for the Garden..Less than $100 a year

I have been a fan of worms in the garden and  as part of my gardening team.

Worms ( red wigglers -Eisenia foetida ) are a great resource for Vermicompopsting or Worm Composting. The worms compost the food scraps , leaves, grass and orther compostables and create a “delicious” and powerful garden fuel. The castings are essentially worm manure and this manure is great with seeds or plants, brwed into a compost tea or use to top dress potted plants.

A pound of red wiggler works can be ordered for an estimated $22-40 depending on the source and location. A bin to keep the worms and their castings can be purchased or made-the investment here can be $5-100.

If you choose not to hire the worms you can buy the worm castings from several sources.

http://www.planetnatural.com/composting-101/vermicomposting/

Buy Red Wiggler Worms (Perfect for Worm Composting)

The other employees to “hire” are known as beneficial insects- These are “bugs” that will prey upon the pests in your garden. And can be purchased , or caught and relocated in your garden or lured into the neighborhood. I will focus ona few favorites and buying them.

Some Helper Insect information:    http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/top-10-beneficial-bugs-garden

http://www.arbico-organics.com/category/beneficial-insects-predators-parasites

In addition to worms the insects I have worked with are ladybugs ( ladybeetles) , praying mantis and green lacewings.  They are helpful in the garden and they are attractive. Since I continually encounter them as I plant , weed and harvest – it is fun to know they are there-helpimng- and they are nice to look at.

http://www.arbico-organics.com/product/ladybird-beetle-ladybugs-hippodamia-convergens

http://www.arbico-organics.com/category/Green-Lacewings-chrysoperla-beneficial-insects

http://www.groworganic.com/praying-mantids-case-of-approx-200-eggs.html

Tweets by martyroddy

spring ahead, FALL BACK- the garden in Fall and Winter

The end of summer usually means an end of the garden but does that mean the work is over?

This post is just a free-for-all collection of semi-random fall gardening articles I found and enjoyed this week

what to grow when the sun goes away?

A.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LvaHzdb7CLE

B. http://gardeningjones.com/blog/2014/07/19/how-to-plan-a-fall-garden/

some more thoughts….

What to do in the garden?  or not…

1. http://thedailysouth.southernliving.com/2013/10/13/5-gardening-mistakes-to-avoid-this-fall/

2. http://www.finegardening.com/getting-your-roses-ready-winter

3.  http://sustainablog.org/2013/01/protecting-garden-space-winter/

4. http://homereadyhome.com/cold-frame-in-fall-garden/

Late Start in a New Garden – Late Spring Early Summer

This post is for gardening fans that move to new quarters in late spring or early summer but want to have some GARDEN FUN this year. If you move into a place where the previous tenant had a garden then…..  BUT if you move to a place with a virgin lawn what are your options?

  You are in luck if you live in a region with a nearby farmers market and/or a number of local CSA’s ( Community Supported Agriculture) to purchase a supply of seedlings for the garden late in the season. And have access to some expertise to ask a few questions as the season goes on.

If you do get a late start what ar your food options? The most popular summer plants are: tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons and eggplants. These are all great options for a new soil planting or straw bale gardens that are started in May or June.

What are these options:

NEW SOIL PLANTING-       

1. Purchase Top Soil/Garden Soil- 40# bags at garden center
2. Place several sheets of newspaper/or a sheet of cardboard on grass and wet thoroughly
3. Cut an x in back of bag place on paper/board
4. Cut large hole or several smaller hole on the top side of soil bag and plant 
   

   Veggies planted directly in Soil bag

5. END OF SEASON- Prep for next year
6. Lift bag and leave soil in place and add compost, manure, leaves cut grass to season in the winter for use next spring

HINTS/TIPS-        Some plants may need deeper roots – so using a box cutter or spade to puncture the paper or cardboard may be necessary.

STRAW BALE GARDEN –

1. Purchase several bales of straw and a few bags of garden soil or composted manure.
2. Place in garden area on side(with open straw-string is usually along the other edges)
3.  For 3 days wet the bales thoroughly
4. Days 4-10 add a mixture of water/liquid organic fertilizer(High Nitrogen)
5. Days 11-14 add water and finally soil/manure     
   

   Straw bales seasoned with water/fert- and soil READY to PLANT

6. Make holes and plant seedlings with appropriate spacing [i.e. a standard bale  could support 4- 6 tomatoes/peppers….etc..  
   

   Just Planted Straw Bales

BAG OR SACK GARDENING –

This can be with commercially available planting sacks or “socks” or burlap bags commonly available from coffee roasters and other food processors.   

Burlap bags filled with growing medium and providing a bountiful harvest

Natural material bags are filed with planting medium – soil/compost/manure and are placed in garden area- wet thoroughly and plant. The prevent weeds and are easy to water and maintain.  

####                        LONG TERM CONCERNS and PLANS  ( next year and after)

*** Testing the soil, Drainage, Tilth, Smell, Soil Life

1. Soil Test- Can buy a kit or submit to local extension agent
2. Drainage- dig a 1’ x1’ hole- Fill with water and time the drainage time  .4-6 hours is too slow and needs organic matter to speed  up and make it softer and ,2 hours it is too thin and needs more organic matter.
3. Tilth – how firm is the soil- will it hold in a ball when wet, but break apart easily, or crumble with no resistance?
4. Smell- Is your soil fresh, earthy or rotten and putrid?  ( may need to learn THIS ONE)
5. Soil Life- Shovel full of soil-  How many worms and other visible organisms?

https://twitter/martyroddy

Compost bin Construction- Pig Pen gone and Compost on the Way

New compost bin- 1st section ready, loading up

I recently helped friends start a new multi-bin composting system. The above is the way it looks now as 1 bin is ready and getting loaded. Eventually It will have 3 bins for Compost in 3 stages. (green- starting, half way and ready for the garden).

 

The footprint for the bin started the day as an old pig pen, all of the pieces have been reclaimed and many will be used in other projects around the house and yard. The old nails were too rusted and damaged to reclaim but will be sent to recycling.    

Pieces and debris removed from the Pig Pen for Compost bin location.

The reclaimed HT (heat treated) wooden pallets will make a solid frame for the collection and creation of the black “gold” that will feed the garden and plants for years to come. The mountain soil in this are is very fertile but also heavy with clay. Additions of alluvial/sandy soil from the stream, leaf mold and compost will keep it strong for years to come and fertile as the garden of Eden.

There are plans to complete the full 3 bin system as well as a Hot compost drum- to speed up the process for the garden as to “spike” the other open compost bins . It will look something like this:    

 

Ultimately the bins will look like this. 3 bins with a pallet base- covered by burlap coffee bean bags.

More plans and more work for the 2014 garden..

 

Compost- Beautiful Black garden GOLD

Is that a silly title….Black Gold….Much like the Clampetts at their black Liquid Gold.

I love making compost but with a large garden you need a lot of compost. To generate enough compost I decided to create traditional compost bins with recycled (HT) shipping pallets.

barrel Composter In plastic- could be Stee

3 bin Open Composter

The traditional 3 bin system will generate plenty of compost by next spring (for new system0 but I need compost this fall at the end of the growing season to prep the beds for next year- and of course fresh compost next spring for planting. That is why I like to have both an open system that will process the yard and kitchen waste ( plus some added manure) and and an eclosed system that will “cook” hotter and Create compost faster. The proper working of the fast and slow systems will generate the great garden food all plants need.

Access Panel in Compost Tumbler

Recycling a barrel with an axle on a stand, a bunch or hole drilled into the container and an access panel created- will start turning leaves and weeds and grass and kitchen waste into dark useful food for the plants in your garden
It will also be useful to add to the open bin composter to give the material in there a KICK. The microorganisms pushing the process along will be transferred to the new material and get in cooking.

Structural Reinforcement for barrel

The barrel can be plastic or steel (even wood) but it need to be closed and able to spin to move the rotting material around without using a fork or other tools. Keep a good blend of carbon filled AND Nitrogen loaded materials in the bin and keep in damp but not WET. The movement allows the workhorses of compost- microorganisms and worms – to have access to much more of the material and break it down even faster.

The holes in the barrel allow for the process to continue aerobically and limits the “fun” smells that often accompany rotting of vegetation. The rotting is a part of the process but movement and air and “bugs” turn it into garden food with less stink.

A fun way to recycle tires and a barrel. Put tires arond barrel and roll in the garden to turn the material.

Barrel with Tires

Can also set the tumbler on a vertical axis to do the work of Composting.

Vertical barrel