Garden Update – March 14, 2011

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Brian Gallimore

Lettuce and Spinach sprouts are coming up from seed that I just scattered on the gravel growbed.  I figure about half of the seed turned into seedlings.  This is the easiest planting I’ve ever done!  Zero digging, zero watering, just scatter seed and walk away.

The tomato seedlings are growing strong since I re-potted them into new, larger newspaper pots.  They are getting so big I’m going to have to do something with them soon, because I’m out of room under my grow lights, and they are really sucking up some water now.

This evening, I planted a few green beans, cilantro, basil, marigold, cosmos flower in the asparagus bed, then I mixed up some homemade fertilizer and applied it on all the raised beds.

Lettuce and Spinach sprouted from seed in gravel

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Posted on March 12, 2011 by Brian Gallimore

Dan Carlin’s latest podcast discussed a concept that has interested me for a very long time:  How to use Internet technology to replace our corrupt elected officials with the actual will of the public.  I thought it would require some sort of replacement of the Constitution, but his idea is simple.  If a candidate ran on the promise he would use a sophisticated computer system (that was driven by individuals) to direct his actions, then got elected, we would effectively have my dream come true without having to change out constitution.  

Issues like budget (and threats of shutting down the government) could not be used as leverage to pass pet projects (special interest money).  Dan makes the point that we’ve reached a point now that our Republic-style system is failing because the representatives are no longer making decisions based on what is best for everyone; it is more about what is best for the people who they are beholden to.

I continue to be impressed with Dan’s philosophy and pragmatic solutions he communicates through his podcast, and recommend you take a listen to see if you agree. 

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Video of Bryson Reading

Posted on March 9, 2011 by Brian Gallimore

A video of Bryson for the grandparents:

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Garden Update – March 8, 2011

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Brian Gallimore

I went to North Haven Gardens today to use my $15 gift certificate, and couldn’t pass up some of the things they had.  One of the ladies there encouraged me to put tomato plants out in the soil already!  I think we will still get another freeze, so I’m holding off, except for this one huge seedling I bought that I just don’t have room for.  I planted it in the aquaponics bed.  If it gets cold, I’ll try to keep it alive.  I planted a few other cool-weather plants in the gravel too…. it is filling up fast.  I’m on my third batch of ‘worm wine’, and using that to water around all the trees.  It is cheap and easy to make, I hope it works miracles.  The asparagus is coming up.  It’s what’s for dinner tomorrow night, unless my neighbor takes it all like he threatened to do.

Worm Wine (Worm Compost Tea)

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North Haven Gardens Winner

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Brian Gallimore

I don’t exactly know how this happened, but I recently found the NHG facebook page, and saw other people posting pictures of their gardens on there, so I did the same thing.  Evidently, doing so entered me in to some kind of contest and I won a $15 gift certificate!  Perfect timing, I need some horticultural molasses (for brewing worm wine) and who knows what plants I’ll find that I ‘need’.  It is hard to make it out of their store empty handed.  If you live in Dallas and have never been, I recommend paying them a visit, and you might want to post on their facebook page too.

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Soil Cube Winner

Posted on March 6, 2011 by Brian Gallimore

I just received word that I am the winner of a free soil cube tool.  I’ve been hearing about this tool from multiple sources, and of course I’ve wanted to try it out to see how it works.  The contest was on the Self Sufficient Gardener’s facebook page.  I just started listening to Jason’s podcast a short while ago.  He puts out a show every week, and the ones I’ve listened to are very informative.  I’m just getting started in looking through all the information on his website and the forum, and I think I’ll purchase his e-book because he says there is a ton of information in there too.

Of course I’m happy to win a cool tool that I’ll use, but there is something else about this situation that is exciting.  This guy is doing all kinds of things (website, blog, podcast, forum) that centers around something he is passionate about.  He is able to help people, create community around a common interest, AND he is able to (at least on some level) make some money on the effort.  (probably not much yet)  He is building his reputation and his resume.  He is building a future, and creating wealth.  He is a perfect example of how we are changing as a result of social media.  He is ahead of the curve.  And for the people who think this whole ‘virtual’ thing is superficial, I’ll challenge you:  If Jason and I sat down in person to talk, I’ll bet you $100 that we could have an interesting and engaging conversation for 2 hours without even trying.  I feel very lucky to be alive at a time when so much is changing!

 

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Gary ‘Gets’ Social

Posted on March 4, 2011 by Brian Gallimore

I listened to a great interview of Gary Vaynerchuk today.  He has some excellent insight about the direction business will take as a result of social media.  If he is right, we might get to see the end of the no-talent big-business monopolies in our lifetime.  He predicts businesses will be forced to REALLY focus on giving customers what they want, and will go out of business if they do not get on-board with the communities that social media creates.

I’m a big supporter of ‘social’ applications on the interwebs.  Although I’ve known that ‘this is big’ and will change our world a great deal, I’ve never really understood how it would happen.  Gary clearly describes the how.  It is about relationships, it is about being a useful contributer, it is about real actions, reputation, and human networks.  I recommend you listen, and I’d love to hear what you think about it.

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Travel Safety

Posted on March 3, 2011 by Brian Gallimore

When you are away from home, staying in a hotel: remember, everyone walking by your room during the day while you are gone might just come in and take anything they want because the door was left ajar, unlatched, and unlocked.  At least this is what happens to me when I’m staying at the Holiday Inn Express in San Angelo Texas!   A cursorily walk thru revealed that no one stole my dirty clothes.  The bed is made up all nice and neat though!

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Composting Worms

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Brian Gallimore

Heather Rinaldi, owner of the Texas Worm Ranch (www.txwormranch.com), taught a great interactive vermicomposting class this past weekend.  The event was hosted by the Dallas Backyard Vegetable Gardeners, which I’ve already learned a lot from.  Heather has been an organic gardener for many years, and uses worm castings and aerated worm compost tea to produce organic, affordable and successful vegetables and to maintain her chemical-free yard and landscaping.

Heather was a big fan of worm compost tea.  She said if you buy this product (or even bagged worm castings) in a store, you are losing much of the benefits of what the worm poop has to offer.  (the microbes die off pretty quickly when starved of oxygen)  This is her worm compost tea (worm wine) recipe:

  • 1 gallon of water (rain water, or dechlorinated tap water)
  • 3 oz of worm castings (use tea bag if you desire to spray through fine nozzle)
  • 1 tablespoon of horticulture molasses
  • brew in bucket w/ aquarium air pump/stone for 24 hours
  • apply before nightfall, avoid UV light
  • use within a day

Some other notes from her class:

  • Worm bed should be layered:  bottom 2″ to 5″ should be finished compost, with bedding (shredded, wet, newspaper, or cardboard) on top of that.
  • Placing a rabbit hutch above worm bin is excellent way to feed worms
  • apply worm wine every 10 days to plants
  • try to avoid placing worm compost out in direct sunlight, better to cover to protect from microbe-killing UV
  • use no more than 10% worm compost in with potting soil
  • feed worms every 3 days
  • avoid pineapple and papaya always
  • little bit of citrus is tolerable, but avoid in general
  • small amounts of bread, rice, oatmeal are ok
  • fruits are best – coffee/tea grounds, vegetables are good
  • add eggshells, offsets acid
  • feed one handful of food for each pound of worms
  • if ants are in worm bin, add moisture

Previous posts on my worm farm: 1 2 3 4

 

 

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Garden Update – March 1, 2011

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Brian Gallimore

I transplanted my 16 tomato seedlings into bigger pots (free pots made from newspaper)  They are all doing very well, some of them are a little bigger than others.  It looked like some of them were being shaded by nearby plants, so the bigger pots will be good for that.  I have some peas, carrots, garlic, lettuce, and spinach coming up in the dirt outdoors.  I also noticed some lettuce sprouts coming up out of my aquaponics growbed this evening.  (from the ones I just sprinkled in the gravel)  I also have one or two shoots of asparagus coming out to the ground already.

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