PlanterTomato Vegetable Gardening

Seeds From A Candy Machine: Making Urban Environments More Green

Every now and then you see a gardening idea that makes you smile.  Here's one that caught my attention.

It's an effort to make our urban environments a little more green. 

The basic idea is to sell seeds to urban dwellers so that they can easily grow flowers and grasses in open city lots, or even in cracks in the sidewalk.  The novelty of the idea is to use old candy machines to distribute the seeds which cost just $.25. 

You put a quarter into the candy machine and turn the crank.  However, instead of getting a gumball, you get a  "seed bomb."  This is a mixture of clay, compost and seeds.  The purchaser then tosses the seed bomb into any open lot.  When it rains, the ball disintegrates and creates a mini environment in which the seeds can sprout.

I'm not sure how practical or successful this will be, but it is novel and kind of clever.  Good luck to GreenAid, the company creating the machines and seed bombs.

Nominate Planter Tomato For A Garden Blog Award

One more thing.... If you like the PlanterTomato Blog posts you've been reading, please consider nominating me for a Mouse & Trowel Award in one or several categories like Best New Blog, or Best Written, etc.  The only thing is you must do this today as the entry must be made by 4/30/2010.  Click here to nominate me.

Growing Tomatoes In Containers: Four Systems Compared (Part 1)

If you grow vegetables in containers, here's a description of four very different systems you may want to consider.  This season, I'll track the effectiveness and report back periodically on how each is producing tomatoes. 

This year, I'm testing the performance of four container systems;  specifically, their effectiveness in  growing tomatoes, the most popular garden vegetable.  In this first posting, I'll describe each of the four systems in the test, the methodology used to conduct the test, and the preparation required to plant a tomato seedling using each of the systems.

Later in the season, I will assess the performance of each system, identify the pros and the cons, and provide ratings and recommendations.

Methodology

Test Plants: To make comparison between the systems as fair as possible, I used the same variety of tomato in each of the four systems, an early bearing determinate variety called Oregon Spring. 

The seedlings were all planted in trays on the same day and then transplanted to their respective containers on the same day. 

Location: All plants are being grown outside, with the exception of the AutoPot hydroponic system which is placed inside my greenhouse, as is normal with a hydroponic system.  All the containers in the test are placed within a few feet of each other (including the AutoPot hydroponic system)  to ensure that each plant gets a similar amount of sunshine.

Fertilizer Schedule: Each system is designed to deliver fertilizer or nutrient solution in a different manner.  For this test, fertilizer is going to be applied based on the manufacturers instructions.  In the case of the SmartPot, the manufacturer does not make a recommendation, so the tomatoes planted in the SmartPot got the same fertilizer schedule as the TopsyTurvy.  

Watering Schedule:  The AutoPot and EarthBox use a reservoir to supply water to plants.  These reservoirs will be filled up periodically as needed to keep water in the system.  That probably means once a week or less.  Neither the SmartPot nor the TopsyTurvy use a reservoir.  Plants in these containers will be watered in the morning and evening if required to keep the soil moist.

The Four Systems

EarthBox -- This is a self watering container box.  It is designed to minimize effort on the part of the gardener.  The EarthBox works by wicking moisture out of a reservoir in the bottom of the planter.

With the EarthBox, you add fertilizer to the soil just once at the beginning of the growing season.  The fertilizer, which is supplied with the EarthBox, is placed into a trench you dig in the center of the planter when you set up the Earthbox.  You then cover the soil with a black cloth which is supplied with the kit and cut slits into the cloth to plant your seedlings.  The black cloth minimizes evaporation and prevents weeds from growing around your plants.

You water your planter with a garden hose by filling the reservoir through a black tube that sticks up through the top of the planter.  You can't over water with an EarthBox; once the reservoir is filled, any additional water spills out through and overflow hole in the planter. 

The Earthbox will support a variety of vegetables in quantities based on the size of the plants: two artichokes, or 16 beans, or 16 corn plants, or in my case, 2 tomato plants. 

Cost: about $45 with all the fertilizer you need for one season.  Can accommodate two tomato plants.  I also purchased a tomato cage which is sold as an accessory. 

TopsyTurvy -- We've all seen this on TV and I couldn't resist trying it out.  Like the EarthBox, the TopsyTurvy is supposed to make gardening easier.  It does this by eliminating the need to weed, and making it easier to prune and collect tomatoes.  This is accomplished by growing the tomato upside down -- roots to the sky and plant facing towards the earth. 

At its core, the TopsyTurvy is a plastic bag hung from three wires.  Perhaps the most interesting technical feature of this planter is that the tomato plant is held in place by a foam disk.  You slide the plant to the center of the disk through a pre-cut slit and place the disk into the center of the planter.  You then fill the rest of the container with garden soil.  The growing instructions tell you to add fertilizer when first planting the TopsyTurvy and to fertilize on a periodic basis.  You add water and water soluble fertilizer through the top of the planter. 

The company supplies a strong eye hook that you can use to anchor your planter into a beam or other structure.  In my case, I used a hanging planter crane.  However, the TopsyTurvy is so heavy when soil and water are added, that I needed to reinforce the planter crane with metal garden stakes and also a rope tied from the top of the fence to an adjacent fence. 

Cost: about $12 (without fertilizer, planter crane or stakes).  Can accommodate one tomato plants.

SmartPot -- This is closest of the systems to a traditional clay pot, but the SmartPot is made out of fabric.  The main advantages to the system are that they are lighter, will not crack like ceramic pots, and the company claims that a fabric pot offers the advantages of being cooler and providing more air to your plants roots than traditional pots. Ostensibly, this results in healthier plants.

Smart pots come in a variety of sizes from 1 to 400 gallons.  I'm using a 5 gallon size for one tomato plant.  Planting is the same as with traditional clay or plastic pots; you add garden soil and then plant your tomato in the center of the container.

To compare as accurately as possible to the other container systems, I'm going to fertilize the the plant in the SmartPot on the same schedule as the TopsyTurvy. 

Cost: about $6 (without fertilizer).  Can accommodate one tomato plant.

Autopot -- The AutoPot is a hydroponic system that requires no pumps or electricity to function.  The heart of the system is the  3" x 4" plastic valve that regulates the amount of water and nutrients supplied to your plants.  The valve sits in a saucer and the pot containing the plant is placed in the same saucer.  Water and nutrients stored in an external tank flow to the valve via plastic tubing and the valve feeds water into the saucer as needed.  Water and nutrients are then pulled into the pots via capillary action where the roots of your plants can absorb them. 

Hydroponic systems don't require soil, but they do require some type of media in which the plants will grow their roots.  In my case, I'm using a mixture of 90% pearlite and 10% vermiculite.  The plants will be fed Cutting Edge Solutions brand nutrient according to manufacturers instructions. 

I did a complete review of the AutoPot system in a prior blog posting if you are interested in learning more about AutoPots. 

Cost: about $65 without nutrient solution or external nutrient reservoir.  Can accommodate two tomato plants.

First Impressions & Next Steps

• The easiest and least complicated system to set up was the SmartPot; just add soil to the pot and you're done.  That said, none of the container systems in this evaluation were particularly difficult or time consuming to assemble and plant.
• I would caution anyone using the TopsyTurvy to make sure that whatever you use to hang your plant is secured well.  I didn't take an actual measurement, but I wouldn't be surprised if it weighed 50 pounds when loaded with wet garden soil.  You don't want this to fall on your head.
• Over the course of the growing season, I'll provide updates on how well the tomatoes are doing in their respective pots.  I'll be commenting on the advantages and disadvantages of each system.  And of course, where the rubber meets the road, is how well they produce tomatoes - quantity and quality. Stay tuned for more details on this as we get deeper into tomato season.
  

Which are Better Pets? Dogs vs. Chickens

Find out which make better pets in this posting that compares chickens and dogs.

Dogs are the most popular pet in America and Europe.  But do they deserve that status?  Let's do a side-by-side comparison of dogs and chickens to find out which make better pets:

Daily Feeding

• Chickens:  Fill the feeder as needed; generally, just a few times per week.
• Dogs: Feed every day, two times each day.  Supplement with table scraps when begging occurs.
  
• Winner -- Chickens.
  

Daily Upkeep

• Chickens:  Let them out of the coop in the morning.  Close the coop at night.
• Dogs:  Put on your coat and go out in the pouring rain or snow to walk your dog.  Do this two or three times each day for a minimum of 20 minutes each time.  When you get home, use a towel to wipe off your dogs feet or suffer with muddy paw prints on your floors.  In urban and suburban locations, you need to clean up after your pooch, so talk along your pooper scooper and dog bags.  Having fun yet?
• Winner -- Chickens

Household Inconveniences

• Chickens: None.  They live in a coop outside, so you have your home to yourself.  Clean the coop once per week -- takes about 20 minutes.
• Dogs:  Dogs generally live with you, so dog hair gathers on your floors and your furniture as well, because dogs sleep on the couch whenever they can get away with it.  And of course, there are those little accidents on the floor now and again which you'll need to clean up.  Get out those paper towels.
• Winner -- Chickens
  

Cute & Cuddly

• Chickens:  Tame enough to hold, but not exactly what I'd call cuddly.
• Dogs:  Definitely cute and cuddly.  And then there are those sad brown eyes looking at you.
• Winner -- Dogs

Eggs

• Chickens:  Each girl gives you a wonderfully fresh egg that you couldn't buy at the grocery store for love or money.  You get one egg per day from each bird.
• Dogs:  If you've collected any eggs from your dog, post a comment because we'd all like to know about it.
• Winner -- Chickens

Play Fetch

• Chickens:  Generally, not very capable retrievers.  Practice not likely to improve performance.
• Dogs:  Dogs love to fetch sticks, balls, Frisbees, you name it, a dog will retrieve it.
  
• Winner -- Dogs

Eat Backyard Pests

• Chickens:  Love to eat slugs, bugs, and other creepy crawley critters.
• Dogs:  Don't kid yourself, dogs eat anything.  I once saw my dog eat a spider.
• Winner -- Tie between Dogs and Chickens
  

Provide A Source of Meat

• Chickens:  You can eat 'em if you want to.
• Dogs:  Not unless you live in a very poor country or you have a sick mind.
• Winner -- Chickens

Welcome You

• Chickens:  Come running to the door of the pen when they see you because they are hoping for treats (chicken scratch)
• Dogs:  Come running to the door of the house when they see you because they are hoping for treats (Milk Bones, Liva Snaps etc.)
• Winner -- Tie between Dogs and Chickens
  

And the Winner Is....

Well with all the categories tallied chickens prove to be far superior pets. 

Ok, it's a tongue in cheek comparison, but here's the real point.... Chickens are actually much easier to take care of than you might think.

The hardest thing you need to do is to build a coop and you really don't even need to do that.  You can buy a coop locally or through the internet.  There are even manufacturers making coops with high style modern designs to fit into urban environments. Check out the Eglu Cube and other coop models from this manufacturer in the UK.

If you currently own chickens, post a comment and let me know if you agree with me about how easy it is to keep chickens. 

If you are considering raising chickens, but have not taken the plunge, let me know if you have any questions I can help you with.

Great Mother's Day Gifts for under $30

If you are looking for some to buy your favorite gardener a gift for Mother's Day, here's a selection of great gifts to consider.  Most are under $30 but are luxurious enough to be classified as affordable indulgences.

• Floral Fragrances From Caswell-Massey - One of the oldest apothecary shops in the US, Caswell-Masey has been selling fine personal care items since the 1750's. The company's scents tend to have a very old fashioned character.  Their simplicity is rather refreshing.  You can find rose, lily of the valley, gardenia and other floral scents for $30.  Alternatively, you might consider giving your favorite gardener a set of 3 bars of Almond Cold Cream Hand Soaps for $18.

• A Gardening Class - A wide spectrum of organizations offer local gardening classes on topics such as: how to start a vegetable garden, edible landscape gardening, growing roses, container gardening, etc. I like the idea of giving a class as a gift because your giving mom time alone to enjoy an experience.  In the San Francisco Bay Area, most of the courses I found were $15-$30 range.  For example, Common Ground in Palo Alto and Garden For the Environment in San Francisco, both offer a full range of very affordable classes. To find gardening classes in your area, just do an internet search for "Gardening Class" plus the name of your location.  You should turn up a variety of options.

• Felco Pruning Shears -a precision made pruner from Switzerland.  The blade is as sharp as a scalpel and the handles are very comfortable.  If you should wear through the blades, they are replaceable.  About $40 at Amazon.com.

• English Gardening Tools - Burgon & Ball has been manufacturing high quality tools in Sheffield, England since 1730.  They manufacture a full line of gardening tools including many hand tools such as trowels, scoops, hand forks and widgers.  Most of the small hand tools can be purchased for about $15.  If you are in Palo Alto, California, Common Ground (559 College Ave) sells them at their retail store.  If you are outside the area, you can purchase tools via Arbor and Vine's online site.

• French Herb Window Garden - A gift set that contains 3 attractive blue glazed ceramic planters and seeds for three classic French cooking herbs: Marjoram, Lemon Basil and Parsley for the gardening cook.  $25 from Windowbox.com.

• Gardening Books - There are so many wonderful books out there, but I'll just suggest two.  Smith & Hawkens 100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden is pure eye candy for veggie gardeners.  Each of the 100 tomatoes is described in detail (taste, yield, shape, etc.) and accompanied by a beautiful 1 page photo.  I really like the photos in this because they show tomatoes as they appear in nature with blemishes and all, so you know what your harvest will really look like.  The book is available from Amazon for $13.  You might also want to look at Grocery Gardening: Planting, Preparing and Preserving Fresh Food, a book that provides advice and information that covers a wide variety of topics and takes your from garden to table, including growing information and recipes.  It also provides advice on how to choose the freshest vegetables if you are buying them at a store or farmers market.  Available at Amazon for about $13.

• An Elegant Floral Tea Cup - This is a something to make mom's daily cup of tea something to really savor.  A beautiful bone china tea cup with a pattern showing old country roses or other floral patterns from Royal Doulton. The "Royal" in the name comes from the fact that the company holds what's known as a "Royal Warrant," meaning that they are preferred suppliers to members of the English royal family.  The warrant is a mark of quality and distinction.  Available for $29 from Royal Doulton.
  

• Tilley Hat - The only hat with a cult following, the original Tilley was designed for adventure travelers who needed a hat that was durable, comfortable, and, if needed, could be washed and dried quickly.  I've had a Tilley hat for years and love it.  The company now offers a much wider line of hats and also clothes for travelers.  If you buy a Tilley hat for gardening, get one with a wide brim to provide sun protection.  You buy Tilley hats directly from the company at Tilley.com.  A hat will set you back $60-$70.

Celebrating Earth Day With Kids

Learn about a great way to use music to teach children about the environment and conservation.

This is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, a holiday meant to inspire awareness of our natural environment.

As a special treat, I was one of the parents that accompanied my daughter and her 1st grade class to a concert given by the Banana Slug String Band.

The Band isn't just a group of musicians, they are environmental educators who teach using music to engage their young audience. 

In concert, the Band gets the kids up and moving, dancing the crab dance, or explaining the water cycle using hand gestures to depict various phases of the water cycle.  Banana Slug String Band really puts on a great show and the kids loved it.  Here's a short clip to give you a sample of their music: 

BananaSlugStringBandClip

The band has been doing their brand of environmental education for over 20 years. 

If you have a child or grandchild within whom you would like to foster an appreciation for our wonderful planet, have a look at the Band's web site.  You'll learn more about them and their concert tours.  You can also purchase CD's of their music, T-Shirts and other merchandise to help support the group and their efforts. 

Learning about the environment with my daughter on Earth Day.  The best Earth Day ever.

French Breakfast Radishes -- Mais Oui!

How To Growing and Serve This Quick Maturing Spring Vegetable.

Radishes are some of the first things you can harvest from your garden because they can be planted early in the season and because they mature very quickly -- generally in under 30 days.

This year, we are growing several varieties, including a long-time favorite, the French Breakfast radish.  This variety of radish is oblong shaped with a scarlet red top and a creamy white bottom.   They are mild to sweet tasting when young and become increasingly hot tasting as they mature.

Growing Information

You plant French Breakfast radishes in the springtime, in a sunny area, in rows 6" apart.  Cover them with 1/2" of fine soil.   The seeds germinate in 7-10 days and should be thinned so that mature plants are spaced 2-3" apart. 

They are generally ready for harvest in 25-30 days.  You'll know it's harvest time because the tops of the radishes will begin to poke out of the ground. (see attached photo) 

In my opinion, time is not kind to French Breakfast radishes;  if left in the ground too long, they become very hot tasting and pithy, so it's best to harvest them relatively young.  I like to pull them when they are about an inch long.  At this size, they are crisp and mild with only a slightly hot finish. 

To extend your harvest of young radishes, consider planting smaller batches every 2 weeks.

Eating Them

Despite the name "French Breakfast,"  I don't think anyone in France, or elsewhere, eats this variety for breakfast.  I suspect they are really more of a snack. 

I eat them with just a little salt, but it is very common for people to dip them in soft, salted butter.  (If you are eating larger and older radishes, the butter is probably more essential, since it tends to the cut the heat.)

Another nice simple way to enjoy them is as a radish sandwich.  Just place thin radish slices between two pieces of buttered pumpernickel bread.  

Technically, you can also eat the radish tops in a salad, but I don't recommend this.  The leaves are too prickly in my opinion.  I either compost them or give them to our chickens who are less discriminating eaters than us people.

Since I've been experimenting with food preservation techniques this year, I'm going to try brining radishes to see how this impact their flavor and whether it suggests new culinary uses for them.  Who knows, maybe they really will make it to breakfast after all.

Watering Wand: A Cool Tool For Your Vegetable & Fruit Garden

A cool watering tool that will save your back and some water.

Let's face it, watering can be a bit of chore.  If you haven't tried a watering wand yet, I want to encourage you to think about getting one.  My watering wand  cost about $30 and has some really nice features.

Benefits of the Watering Wand

A watering wand is like a traditional hose nozzle but mounted on an long arm so you have greater reach.  Gardeners with hanging baskets usually have one because it allows them to water plants above their heads.  However, a watering wand is equally valuable to traditional vegetable gardeners because the wand lets you place water directly at the base of your plants with the following benefits:

• More Efficient Water Use -- You use less water because you are not watering the entire garden bed.  Just the area around  your vegetables.
• Fewer Weeds -- Weeds will grow between your plants if given the opportunity.  If you are directing water to your plant roots, and minimizing water going into open areas in your garden bed, you starve weeds for the moisture they need to grow in these open areas.  That means fewer weeds competing with your plants for nutrients, and less back-breaking weeding for you.

Nice Design Features

The watering wand I purchased has a couple of nice features that are worth mentioning:

• Choice Watering Settings-  By rotating the head of the wand you can choose from a variety of watering settings including, shower, mist, jet, fan etc.  Normally, I use "Shower" for watering, but I do find it useful to have other settings for watering seedlings, or cleaning off pots.
• Pivoting Watering Head - the head pivots so you can more precisely control the flow of water. 
• On/Off Trigger - The trigger allows you to turn the water on and off at will without having to go to the main water valve for this.
• Flow Control Adjustment - In addition to the on/off feature, my watering wand has a valve located on the handle that allows you to adjust the overall flow of water through the wand.  This is really nice because it allows you to dial the water flow up and down depending on the type of plant you are watering.  For example, you would want to lower the flow for more delicate lettuces but increase the flow when you move to a fruit tree or other large plant.

With Mother's Day and Father's Day Upon us, a watering wand would make a nice gift for your favorite gardener.

To Bee or Not To Bee: What Equipment You Need To Keep Bees

A checklist of what you'll need to buy if you want to keep bees.

In my post "It was meant to Bee" I described why I decided to take the plunge and become a bee keeper.  In this post, I will describe the equipment you need to buy if you are considering doing the same. 

Caveat Emptor

Some beekeeping catalogs and online retailers offer "beginner kits" to get you started.  When I shopped around, I found that to keep costs low, they sometimes left items out that you technically don't need to begin beekeeping, but are so fundamental that you really have to buy them in addition to the kit. 

For example, you don't need a second deep hive box or a medium honey super to get started, but if you want you're bees to live more than a few months, and you want to collect honey for yourself, you are going to need to buy these and other items.  For that reason, I think they should be included in any "beginner kit" and I've listed them as essential items.

To make things easy for anyone considering bee keeping, I'm going to list individual components so that you have a checklist to compare against when you look at these beginner kits, or if you want to just buy the components separately.

The punchline is that the costs will come in around $400-$500.  This does not include any of the items you will  need to harvest the honey at the end of the season (honey comb knife, extraction pans, etc).  I'll cover that in a future post.

Here's your checklist:

• One Hive Stand - your hive will sits on top of this.
• One Bottom Board - This forms the floor of your hive.  In my case, I purchased a screened bottom board.  The screening allows for additional air circulation and plays an important part in ridding the hive of varroa mites should they infect your hive.  I recommend getting the screened board.
• One entrance reducer (Not shown) - this is a small piece of wood that reduces the hive opening to allow just one or two bees to enter or leave at a time.  You need one of these when the hive population is low (when your first starting our and also in the winter) It helps reduce the likelihood that yellow jackets or wild bees can enter your hive.
• 2 Deep Hive Bodies (1 Shown) - The deep hive bodies are where the queen rears her brood and where your bees store the honey they need to survive.  When you first start your hive, you use one deep hive body.  This is adequate for the 3,000 bees that you get when you place your bee package order.  But the hive will eventually grow to 40,000 bees or more.  You'll need a second deep hive body which you'll stack on top of the first later in the season as the hive population increases.
• 20 Deep Hive Frames - these are wooden frames that can be inserted into the hive body.  It's where the bees will build comb for rearing new bees, storing honey etc.
• 20 Deep Hive Foundations - The bees will need a starting point to build the comb. The foundation is made of either real bee's wax or plastic.  The foundation acts like a template for the bees who build up wax on the foundation to make the honey comb.  I choose wax foundation because I read that the bees take to this more readily than plastic.  However, you'll find plenty of folks who swear by plastic.  The choice is yours.
  
• 1 Medium Hive Body/Honey Super (not shown) - This looks like the deep hive body but it is not as tall.  You stack this on top of the second hive body.  This is like the attic for the hive.  When the bees have filled the bottom two hive bodies with brood and honey, they move to the medium hive body to store excess honey.  This is the honey that you will harvest for yourself.  A medium honey super will hold about 25 pounds of honey. In moderate climates, beekeeper can use two medium hive bodies on their hives and harvest 40-50 pounds of honey.
• 9 Medium Hive Body Frames - looks just like the deep hive frame but is shorter to fit into the medium hive body.  Medium hive bodies take 9 frames, not 10. 
• 9 medium hive foundations.
• 116 foundation pins - used to pin the foundation into the frames.  You need 4 pins for each frame.
• 1 Inner Cover - Under normal conditions, this gets placed on top of the highest hive body in the stack to cover the bees.
• 1 Metal Covered Outer Cover (not shown) - this fits over the inner cover and shields the hive from rain.
• 1 Queen Excluder - This looks like the wire frame that sit on your barbecue grill.  You place this in between the second deep hive body and the medium hive body/honey super.  The metal bars are spaced so that worker bees can get through them, but the queen, which is thicker than a worker bee, can not.  By placing the excluder between the deep hive and the honey super, you prevent the queen from entering the honey super and laying eggs there. You want to exclude the queen from the honey super because you don't want brood in the comb from which you intend to harvest your share of the honey.
  
• 1 Hive Tool (not shown) - an all purpose tool that is like a crowbar.  You'll need this to open the top of the hive and pry out the frames (Bees fill small gaps in the hive with propolis, a substance made from resinous trees like pine trees.  Propolis is very stick and tends to glue hive covers and frames together.  You'll need a tool to open them up when you inspect your hive, collect honey etc.)
• 1 Feeder - When you first get your bees, they will immediately begin to build comb and to seek out nectar.  However, there will not be sufficient food for them in the beginning, so you need to help tide them over until the hive is more established.  You do this by feeding them sugar water which is stored in a feeder unit.  There are a number of feeder options to choose from.  I choose a hive top feeder because it holds 3 gallons of sugar water -- alot so I don't have to re-fill the feeder very often.
  
• 1 Smoker (not shown)- This looks like a bellows unit attached to a can.  You put wood, twine or other substances in the container, light with a hand torch and use the bellows unit to create smoke.  You use the smoke to calm the bees prior to opening up the hive.  Actually, calm is not really what they feel.  The bees smell the smoke and think a forest fire is occurring. They respond to this by drinking up honey in case they need to flee the hive.  Stuffed with honey, they are less likely to sting the beekeeper.
• Bee Hat & Veil (not shown) -  I bought this along with a jacket.  This is a white outfit that makes you look like the Good Humor Man but protects your face and body from any angry bees.  It lowers the possibility that you will be stung.  
• Gloves (not shown) - white leather gloves that protect your hands.
• Bee Brush (not shown) - a brush that helps shoo bees from comb, yourself, frames etc.
• One Frame Grip - like a set of pliers that helps you lift the frames out of the hive box.
• One Frame Rest - This is a metal device that hangs on the edge of the hive box with two metal arms that protrude outward.  When you remove frames for inspection, you can conveniently place them on this hanger, versus putting them on the ground.  Technically, you don't "need" one of these, but they are so convenient I think they are worth putting on your list.

I purchased all my bee keeping supplies from Bee Commerce.  However, other suppliers I know of include: GloryBee, Dadant, Brushy Mountain Bee Farm, Mann Lake, and Walter Kelley.

If you are an experienced bee keeper, please feel free to post a comment with any advice you have for those purchasing for the first time.

If you decide to take the plunge and become a bee keeper, also let me know by posting a comment.

 
 

Free Garden Planning Software

Free Vegetable Garden Planning Software - Easy and You Can't Beat the Price!

If you want to plan your garden more easily, there are a number of software applications on the market to help you create your design.  Several are traditional programs that you buy and load onto your computer and there are even a few where you pay a annual subscription fee ($20/year) and use online design tools to create your garden plan.

How Garden Planning Software Works

All of these programs follow the same basic procedure -- you create the layout of your garden by entering in it's dimensions, and then choose from a menu of vegetables which you drag and drop onto the layout.  The program automatically calculates the area needed for the vegetable you've selected.

Some of the more sophisticated features within theses programs include:

• Ability to create irregularly sized garden plots.
• Capability to add garden features such as a pond, bench, wall or trellis.
  
• Provision of log books which allows you to record the quantity of each veggie that you've harvested
• Automatic alerts to let you know when it's time to weed etc. 
  
• Detailed planting and care information on the veggies you've put into your garden design.

While I appreciate these extra features, they are more than many of us really need.  I personally believe that most of the value in these programs is derived from the drag and drop layout and the ease at which you can make changes to your garden design.

A Simple & Free Program

If all you want is the basic layout feature, there's some good news. 

Gardener's Supply, a gardening retailer with an online web site, let's gardeners use a program called "Kitchen Garden Planner" for free.  The program is very easy to use and when your done, you can print out your design out or e-mail it to yourself.  The software places your garden design on a 1 foot x 1 foot grid and notes how many of each vegetable can be planted in each square.

In addition to the garden plan, you will automatically be given planting instructions for any veggie you add to your plan. (see below photos which show a 4 foot by 12 foot garden plan and planting information for two of the veggies selected in the plan)

Kitchen Garden Planner Limitations

However, there are a few limitations to using Kitchen Garden Planner that you should be aware of:

• No irregularly shaped garden designs - squares and rectangles only.
• The maximum dimensions you can set for your plan are 4 feet x 12 feet.  If your garden is bigger than that, the work-around is to plan several smaller gardens using the online tool.
• The program saves your last garden design, but if you need to do several designs as mentioned above, you can only keep the last one.  If you need to cobble together several smaller plans, your should e-mail each plan to yourself so you have a record of it.
• The list of veggies you can choose from is also pretty basic.  You'll find tomatoes, carrots, beets, corn, cabbage etc. but not more exotic veggies like chard, artichokes, asparagus, or salsify.
  
• There's no provision for companion planting.
  

The Gardener's Supply online tool is very basic but it's easy to use and the price is right.  In my book, it's a winner.  Have a look and see if it works for you.  The website address is www.Gardeners.com.

If you decide to give it a try, post a comment and let me know if you like the software.

The Dirt on Dirt: What You Get with Professional Soil Testing

The posting describes the information and the value you get from having your garden soil professionally tested.

Here's a sad truth.  The sunniest area in my garden is not a place where I've been growing vegetables. It's not that I haven't noticed that this area might make for a good place to plant, it's just that it was not clear for planting, being covered in a heavy thicket of ivy, bushes, and weeds.

This year, I decided clear out this area and open up an additional 200 square feet of garden space.  The area is adjacent to where a pool once stood on the property and I was not sure if the soil had ever been improved in any way or, for that matter, if it might harbor lead or some other nasty like lead. 

I didn't really expect that the test would reveal that my home qualified as a Superfund site, but we live in an old house which was once painted with lead-based paint and I had no idea what type of pool chemicals, insecticides, or treated wood products might have been used in the area over the years.  I figured that if I was going to have the soil tested, I might as well test for lead and arsenic at the same time.

To better understand the quality of the soil and what I need to do to improve it's fertility, I decided to have it evaluated by a professional soil testing service.  These services can determine the soil pH, trace mineral content, percentage composition of organic material and can even test for the presence of heavy metals like lead, chromium, nickel and arsenic.  

I used a service called Timberleaf Soil Testing which is headquartered in Murrieta, California.  To have my soil tested, I sent them a bag of soil taken from 10 sampled areas within your garden, along with a diagram of my backyard and some information about my climate and location.  They analyzed the soil and sent me back a detailed report in just a few weeks.

What I like about the report was that it didn't just tell me what was wrong;  It told me precisely what I needed to do to improve the soil in this particular area of my garden.  For example, to lower the pH I need to add 2.5 lbs of 90% Sulfur for every 100 square feet of garden area.  I also need to add compost at a rate of 10 cubic feet for every 100 square feet of garden area.  Finally, Timberleaf identified which trace minerals were lacking and provided recommendations on what I need to do here as well.

And some really good news....Although my soil has higher levels of lead than the average U.S. plot of agricultural land, the level was well below the 300 parts per million that it generally recognized to dangerous.

If you want to have your soil tested, you can search for services in your area or you can mail your soil to Timberleaf Soil Testing.  If you visit their site, you'll get information on how to properly take soil samples and you can download the forms you need to submit your soil for testing. 

A basic soil test costs $45.  A more comprehensive set of tests is $85 and tests for specific heavy metals likes arsenic, lead, etc. are priced a la carte. 

I purchased the comprehensive package and added tests for arsenic and lead because of my specific concerns about the property.  I'm attaching a that Timberleaf sent me for those interested in seeing a full report.

Download PlanterTomato.com_Soil_Sample_Test

This was my first time using a professional testing service.  I think it was money well spent.

Recipe: Preserved Lemon Roasted Chicken.

A simple and delicious roasted chicken recipe using preserved lemons from your garden.

I love roasted chicken.  It's one of the few dishes that scores rave reviews from both parents and kids.  So variations on the basic recipe are always welcome in our house.

We normally roast a chicken and season it with nothing more than olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder.   We then use the rotisserie in our oven to cook the chicken.  The rotisserie makes a world of difference in the cooking process; it keeps the chicken juicy while creating a very crispy skin.  (Regardless of the seasoning, use the rotisserie feature of your oven if you have one.)

Readers of this blog will recall that in a prior posting, I explained how to make preserved lemons using fruit grown in your garden or purchased from your local store.  I also mentioned that preserved lemons were a natural compliment to chicken.  So here's a simple recipe for Preserved Lemon Roasted Chicken that I know you will love.

Ingredients:

• 1 roasting chicken (generally about 4 pounds) Get the best organic chicken you can find.
• Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
• Pepper
• Hot paprika
• 1 preserved lemon
• Olive oil

Recipe:

1. Wash and dry the chicken.
2. Remove the peel from the preserved lemon and place the fruit portion of the lemon in a bowl.
3. Slice the peel into about long thin strips.
4. Place the lemon peel strips under the skin of the chicken by lifting up the skin and pushing the lemon peel under the skin covering the chicken breast.  You will also be able to place lemon peel under the skin of the drum stick and thighs by lifting up the skin at the back of the chicken.
5. Then coat the skin of the chicken with olive oil
6. Season the skin with salt, pepper and paprika to taste
7. Stuff the fruit of the lemon into the cavity of the chicken (It is just a flavoring agent.  You will discard this after cooking)
8. Put the chicken onto the rotisserie spit and place into your oven.
9. Roast at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Cook for 15 minutes for every pound of chicken.
10. After the chicken has roasted, increase the oven temperature to 500 degrees and cook for an additional 10 minutes to crisp the skin.  Watch the oven to make sure the chicken does not burn.
11. Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes.  This prevents the juices from escaping when you carve the bird.
12. Carve and serve.  If you want you chicken hot, microwave briefly to bring up the temperature.  You'll find that the chicken has a wonderful lemon flavor imparted by the preserved lemons.  (By the way, I recommend that you eat the lemon peel.  It's really delicious.)
    
13. We like to serve the chicken with potatoes as our starch and either peas or carrots as a vegetable, but serve whatever your family likes as side dishes. 
    
14. Finally, reward yourself with a nice glass of white wine.

Bon Appetit.

If you want the recipe for preserved lemons, check out the original posting which describes how to preserve lemons

First Harvest of 2010: Sugar Snap Peas

Consider Adding Sugar Snap Peas to Your List For Early Season Harvests.

Normally, you plant Sugar Snap peas in early spring.  But we live in a very temperate climate (zone 9) and also have a small greenhouse, so we planted Sugar Snap peas the day after the New Year. 

Yesterday, we got our first harvest of these delicious veggies.  We were going to eat them with dinner, but the kids ran off with the bowl and ate them before the rest of the meal was on the table.  No matter; any vegetable in high demand with our kids, is a welcome veggie in our house.

And there's nothing like sugar snap peas.  The are so crunchy and sweet.  And the yields are higher on Sugar Snaps because you eat the pods as well as the peas.  This higher yield is particularly nice when growing vegetables in the limited space within a greenhouse.

The variety I planted this year is called Super Sugar Snap from Burpee.  This variety grows about six feet tall, but you can find bush varieties that are more compact if you prefer not to trellis them. 

Generally, you harvest Sugar Snaps in about 70 days.  Ours took a little over 90 days due to our super early planting.

If you decide to grow snap peas, remember that they fix nitrogen using special bacteria.  If you are growing peas in an area for the first time, I'd advice you to add the bacteria to the soil to ensure healthy plants.  Burpee and other companies sell the bacterial inoculant under a variety of names, but they generally include the words "pea and bean booster" in the product description.

Spring is here.  If you have space in your garden, you may want to give Sugar Snaps a try.

Making Sauerkraut At Home: You May Want To Hire A Professional Taster

Learn the results of my recent attempt to make sauerkraut at home and get the recipe to make your own.

In two prior posts, I discussed how I learned about lacto-fermentation and provided the recipe and tools I used to make my first batch of sauerkraut.

Well it's four weeks since I started the first batch, so I wanted to let you know the results.

The Eagerly Awaited Day

This was the first batch of sauerkraut I've ever made.  In fact, it's the first time I've ever tried lacto-fermenting.  So my wife and I were both eager and, a little anxious about the results.

The recipe I used says that the cabbage needs to ferment in a crock for four to six weeks.  We decided to open it at the earliest opportunity.  If a disaster occurred, we wanted to know about it as soon as possible.

I removed the heavy Harsh crock from the garage and set it down on the kitchen counter.  I then opened the lid and the unmistakable smell of sauerkraut floated into the air.  I then peered inside.

The sauerkraut had indeed become compacted under the weighting stones and the brine used to preserve the cabbage formed a 3 inch lake above it.  But.....

Gasp!  White colonies of mold had formed within the crock and were floating like little islands on the sea of sauerkraut brine (see below photo)

Let's Get Mikey To Try It

We had read in books that it was common for some mold to grow on the surface when lacto-fermenting.  The recommendation from these books is to just skim the mold off the surface, the sauerkraut would be fine.

Well, It's one thing to read advice like this in a book.  It's another thing to look down into a crock and contemplate whether eating what lies beneath is going to give you botulism. 

I should probably mention that I'm a bit of a germaphobe to begin with.  Add to that the fact that in our family, I'm the one that has to "go first." 

This is no exaggeration.  When we made preserved lemons and they needed to sit on the counter, unrefrigerated for several days, I was the first to try them.  Likewise, when my wife made gavlocks, a Swedish recipe that is made by curing raw salmon in a mixture of salt, sugar and dill (no cooking), I was the one who had to try it first.  Yes, on countless other potentially stomach-mangling eating experiences, I've been the one to go first.

As I contemplated the mold floating on the surface of the brine, I heard the words I most dreaded, "You go first"

What's the Worst Thing That Can Happen

So I skimmed off the mold floating on the surface, and reached into the crock with a set of kitchen tongs.   I removed the weighting stones and some of the sauerkraut floated to the top.

Removing this first sample, I placed it into a bowl and steeled myself for the first taste.

It looked like sauerkraut and it smelled like sauerkraut.  But would it taste like sauerkraut?  Would it send me to the hospital?

The first taste was like very mild sauerkraut.  Good, but a little less "sauerkrauty" then I would have expected. 

I took a second sample from lower in the crock; Darn if it wasn't the real thing!  Absolutely delicious fresh sauerkraut. 

I suspect that the lacto-fermentation process acts a little unevenly, with cabbage at the bottom fermenting faster than that above it. 

No matter, I filled six 16 ounce Ball jars with sauerkraut and topped them off using sauerkraut juice ladelled from the crock.  My strong suspicion is that the flavor will both intensify and even out over time.  Once filled this way, jars of sauerkraut will keep in the refrigerator for many weeks.

Oh, I'm happy to report that neither I nor my wife became ill as a result of this experience.  Quite to the contrary, it's inspired us to try our hand at lacto-fermenting other veggies like carrots, onions, cucumbers and squash.

I think you'll be surprised how easy it is to make sauerkraut and other pickled vegetables and you'll be impressed by the results.

Give It A Try

For more information about lacto-fermentation and the recipe and tools needed to make sauerkraut, check out my previous two posts on this subject:

Wagner Never Ate Sauerkraut from A Can

How to Make Sauerkraut & Other Pickled Vegetables

 

An Interesting Aquaponic Garden

Want to grow vegetables and raise fish at the same time?  Inka Biospheric Systems thinks they have the answer.

Last week, I attended the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show.  One of the most interesting exhibits I saw, was an self-contained aquaponic system from Inka Biosperic Systems.  For those of you who have not heard of this, aquaponics is the cultivation of plants and aquatic animals in a recirculating system.  For example, keeping bass, talapia or crayfish using the same water used for lettuces, or other veggies.

The interesting thing about Inka's solution is that it is completely self contained.  Solar panels and wind turbines supply the energy needed to drive the water pumps which keep the vegetables hydrated. So no external power is required. 

The veggies are grown on a vertical surface and water is supplied to them from the fish tank.  No nutrients are added to the system to feed these plants; the fish supply the nutrients, if you know what I mean. 

I wasn't able to get pricing information at the show, but I remain very intrigued by aquaponics and will continue to watch as the industry evolves.  

Newly Developed Tomato Reverses Hair Loss in Men

Scientists at the University of Manila report that they've successfully genetically engineered a tomato plant to produce fruits that contain Follicid™, a popular prescription drug used to treat hair loss.

The new tomato is hailed as a breakthrough in genetically modified foods and opens the way for other pharmaceutical manufacturers to use common fruits and vegetables as a delivery mechanism for drugs.

According to Dr. Hector Q. Abaya, who led the research team that developed the tomato, "People who consume 3 tomatoes a week, show a 20% increase in follicle growth and a commensurate increase in hair."

Clinical trial were conducted earlier this year and Dr. Abaya expects the FDA to clear the tomato for sale in the United States by the end of 2010.

Dr. Abaya also released photos showing the amazing results that are possible using the new tomato.  The men shown in the photo below ate the new tomato for 6 months grew thick heads of hair and impressive beards.

Note: If you hadn't guessed by now, the above research report is totally fake.  Happy April Fools Day from PlanterTomato.  The gardening web site where, occasionally, boys will be boys.