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Sunday, March 29, 2015
What you can grow in shady spaces or a Hole In The Ground
Light is everything when you are trying to grow plants. A minimum of four hours of sun light is required to grow most anything. There are some new seeds being developed for three hours of sunlight. This is very challenging when you live in apartments with other tall buildings around, trees, and are trying to grow in small spaces. I have overcome this problem by installing shop lights with grow light bulbs, in my hole in the ground as I call my patio. I had two installed. As my patio is covered I hung two inexpensive shop lights which I bought at K-mart for around $20. a piece. Then had to pay my maintenance man another $20. to hang them. I have already planted several kinds of plants. Last year I did lobellia,
This year I am going to try more leafy stuff like:
Leafy crops
Most leafy crops (and there is a huge choice now in many seed catalogues) grow well in less sun including
- chard
- kale
- spinach
- sorrel
- most Asian leaves, including Chinese cabbage, the mustards, pak choi and mizuna.
- most salad leaves including lettuce, rocket, winter purslane, land cress, and lambs lettuce.
I have not given up on heirloom tomatoes but I started them in January and they are still not very big. I am willing to run the grow lights up to 8 hours a day.
3 – 4 hours sun
If your space gets 3 – 4 hours sun, your choice is restricted but there is still a lot you can grow. Good choices include:
Leafy crops
Most leafy crops (and there is a huge choice now in many seed catalogues) grow well in less sun including
- chard
- kale
- spinach
- sorrel
- most Asian leaves, including Chinese cabbage, the mustards, pak choi and mizuna.
- most salad leaves including lettuce, rocket, winter purslane, land cress, and lambs lettuce.
Herbs
These herbs are all well suited to less sun:
- parsley
- mint
- chives and garlic chives
- lovage
- coriander
- chervil
- wild garlic
- rosemary
- dill
- basil
- sage
- thyme
- bay
- oregano
Shoots
- pea
- broad bean
- sunflowers
- chickpea
- sweetcorn
- wheat
- buckwheat
- radish
- rhubarb (in a big pot)
. Mint and Basil
Judi Singleton is the owner operator of bejewelu.com where you can dress the whole family for less
Friday, March 20, 2015
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Monday, March 16, 2015
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Do You Want to Eat the Cock of the Walk and His Hens or The Caged Variety
The 1st archaeological research thus far is via Tiongkok about 5400 B . C ., within geographically wide-spread sites like Cishan (Heibei domain, ca 5300 BC), Beixin (Shandong domain, ca 5000 BC), in addition to Xian (Shaanxi domain, ca 4300 BC).
Domesticated flock seem at Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus Valley by means of about 2000 B . C . in addition to, via right now there this fowl distributed straight into The european countries in addition to The african continent. The primary firm research intended for flock within eastern side The african continent are usually drawings via many sites within Brand-new Empire Egypt. Hens found its way to traditional western Cameras at Flat iron Age group sites like Jenne-Jeno within Mali, Kirikongo within Burkina Faso in addition to Daboya within Ghana through the mid-first centuries OFFER.
They like the dog have adapted to many of man's ways of eating. They can survive on many of the same foods man can but that does not necessarily make them healthy and strong birds. They probably could survive on pure junk food but that is just survive.
Any behavioral definition regarding free range is the the most beneficial: "chickens stored that has a fence in which limits their actions almost not at all. " It's useful implications. For instance, in line with Jull, "The more effective way of measuring blocking cannibalism seems to be to present this birds very good grass array. "[5] De-beaking ended up being invented to prevent cannibalism intended for birds not really about free range , plus the desire for de-beaking is seen as being a litmus test intended for if these chickens'are given enough "free-range. Anoter factor would be that the chickens are given enough protein as it takes a lot to produce a pure protien egg each day. So one might look at things like worm farming to accomplish more protien in the diet, feeding left overs from fish canneries, feeding road kill, catching yellow jackets in traps like many restrauant do and or collecting these yellow jackets from these restruants, partering with restraunts to save out cooked meats from the garbage but the problem lies there that too much salt will quickly kill a chicken. Space also seems to be a factor in whether chickens are cannobolistic or not. EXACTLY WHAT FLOCK REQUIRE (It's basic! )
1. Grains (whole, dwelling grains are usually means much better than broke, plus a mixture is means much better than natural corn)
two. Greens (grass! weeds! clean veggie parings via kitchen area! )
3. Proteins (in summer time, many people obtain adequate parasites -- but in cooler weather they want necessary protein using supplements, as well as perhaps the subsequent: yellow-jackets via eating place draws in, soybeans -- view beneath, red worms, use, beef --- however seashore sea food may be the incredibly best)"Free-Range" Label
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service issues "free-range" certification to poultry operations that allow birds access to the outdoors. It does not mean that the poultry must be allowed access to pastures or grassy yards, nor does it ensure a certain amount of time outdoors or the size of the area for a given number of birds.
"Organic" Label
To sell chicken labeled "organic," growers must comply with the USDA National Organic Program (NOP). Standards for this certification require attention to renewable resources and conservation, biodiversity and management practices that promote ecological harmony. Certified organic poultry are not fed antibiotics or growth hormones. Look for the brown and green "USDA Organic" seal, which ensures that the product is made with at least 95 percent organic ingredients.
Other Common Labels
Other common labels found on poultry to imply it is healthy include "natural" and "antibiotic-free." These terms are not regulated by a set of standards, nor do they require third-party inspection. Farms that raise these birds may or may not prioritize such things as organic feed or animal welfare, necessitating further inspection.
The small farm is disappearing to raise with all these labels costs money. So many farms cannot afford this licensing. However, they don't confine their chickens to cages. They have access to large fields or large areas of grass land and insects. They are not given antibotics so this has to be better than the fility condition that argriculutal farms are raising them in.
So what I am purposing here is to partner with a local small farmer adopt a flock of chickens to eat and adopt a flock for layers for eggs. This is one way your buy the chickens and feed them and you share the chickens and eggs with the farmer that supplies the work to feed them daily. This is adopting a a flock of chickens. You go weekly and pick up your eggs. Maybe you go once every six months to pickup your chickens which the farmer butchers and packages for the freezer.
Then there is another service in some areas where a middle man contracts with local farms to deliver
weekly deliveries 12 months a year from partner farms in to families in the city.The middle man may have 12 to 14 pickup points for you to choose from to pickup your eggs and chickens.
Hours after orders are placed the middle man goes out to farms and producers to gather food that is brought back to their food hub where it is packed into individual family’s purchases and put on trucks for the trip to the nearby city. . Food is handled with the utmost care, and freshness is preserved at every opportunity.
The family commits to buying say $40 worth of food monthly from the farmer. They are not charged an intitial down payment but they sign an agreement that they will pay the $40. a month allowing the farmer to plan in advance in supplying the food this family wants.
You can decide then whether you want organic, free range, or any of the other licensing that are required of buying at the store. You can also visit the farms and see what conditions your chickens are kept and that they really are free range. You can check the food being given to the hens for production of eggs.
1."Dictionary definition". Retrieved 3 October 2012.
Heuser, G. F: "Feeding Poultry", page 11. Norton Creek Press, 2003.
USDA Fact Sheet: Meat and Poultry Labeling Terms
Egg Carton Labels: A brief guide to labels and animal welfare The Humane Society of the United States. Updated March 2009.
2.
Jull, Morley A. (1938). Poultry Husbandry. McGraw Hill. pp. 346–347.
"Meat and Poultry Labeling Terms". Fact Sheets. USDA. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
"Getting Started". American Pastured Poultry Producers' Association. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
Livestock Laws page at the University of Vermont
"Meat and Poultry Labeling Terms". Fact Sheets. USDA. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
3.
"United States Standards for Livestock and Meat Marketing Claims". Federal Register. USDA. 30 December 2002. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/stand/ls0509.txt
Commission Regulation for marketing standards for eggs - page 25
Research summary
4. Regulations and lasws governing poultry raising by the US Agricultrual Dept
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=LAWS_REGS&navtype=SU
5. When chickens were domesticated
http://archaeology.about.com/od/domestications/qt/chicken.htm
Friday, March 13, 2015
Thursday, March 12, 2015
How to Grow Your Own Food in Small Space
Everyone knows by now that eating fresh organic food is what is good for you. However, the draw back is that organic foods are expensive. But there are ways for all of us no matter what circumstance we find ourselves living in to reduce the cost of our food.
Growing your own food is probably the most inexpensive way to reduce food costs. The biggest plus is that your have control of what goes into the soil, what you control insects with and all the other things that make our food healthy
I have started some heir loom plants indoors. Some of the tomatoes I grow take a long time to mature so I start them under my grow lights in January and by the time it is time to set them out in about May or the 1st of June they are pretty good size. I use a glass bookcase and hang a six foot shop light above it to grow the seedlings. The light filters through and it makes a really good green house. I move this outside when the plants start to mature and as I transplant into larger pots. I use it for smaller containers like herbs.
Hanging baskets are ideal for a wide variety of foods, such as strawberries, leafy greens, runner beans, pea shoots, tomatoes, and a variety of herbs. And instead of flowers, window boxes can hold herbs, greens, radishes, scallions, bush beans, strawberries, chard, and chiles, for example.
1. I cut the bottom out of wine bottles and then planted a herb garden in them. I hung them like hanging baskets.
2. I stacked two tires and lined them with a plastic bag for the soil and planted potatoes, sweet potatoes, and some other root veggies.
3. Tomatoes grow really well in hanging baskets.
Use every square inch of your patio to grow. Use the shortest growing season your can. Research seeds that have a short growing period or start them insides really early. Rotate crops so that as soon as one is fully fruited that the next one is planted. Consider things like sprouting this nutrient strong food and does not take as long to grow.
Judi Singleton is the owner operator of Bejewelu.com where you can dress the whole family for less
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Container Gardening
I only have a very small area to plant in and it does not get much sun. I live on the ground floor of my apartment building and so I call this space that the landlord calls a patio my hole in the ground. Now it is covered, has a porch light and a place to get outside in the summer. All blessings, challenges and opportunities I know. I really enjoy planting a cheerful profusion of flowers and savory herbs in containers of all sizes and shapes on the patio outside my living room door. I had the maintenance man install two six foot shop lights with grow bulbs from the ceiling of my hole in the ground. This makes up for all the sun I just do not get enough of to grow anything. I have an array of pots in different sizes and shapes. I also have a worm farm in a garbage can.
For many of us that live in an urban setting, container gardening can be the only way to grow things that is available to us. For me my hole in the ground is it. Waiting lists for community gardens are long I have been on one for three years without any hope of getting one. I ran an ad on Craig list and got only expensive responses so expensive it just did not pay. I do have a partnership with a farm where I adopted a goat, a pig and receive so many fresh veggie a month year round. However, that does not satisfy my need to put my hands in the earth or get down on my knees and pray outdoors. It also does not bring the butterflies or bees. I love these little creatures as well as the birds that the flowers and herbs bring.
For me the fact I always have fresh herbs is an amazing truth. I love how fresh herbs brighten my taste buds and all the minerals I get from them.
Now container plants need more attention than those that grow in the ground and they are completely dependent on the gardener for their needs. What they need is:
1. Properly drained soil mix (Since all my soil is manufactured by my worm farm I am alright there.)
2. Adequate and regular supplemental fertilizer. (Again since I compost I do not need as much fertilizers.)
3. Enough but not too much water. (The soil I use drains well. I put rock on the bottom of the pots for drainage, I use a water meter.)
4. The right amount of light. (I achieve this by putting my plants on a plant holder with rollers so I can move them around, by using the grow lights.)
5. Some protection from temperature extremes. (Since one wall is connected to my home and the patio is covered this is taken care of in my gardening environment.)
Easy to Grow Container Kitchen Garden Collection
for beginner gardeners
Since I have a good supply of soil from my worm farm I replace all the soil each season with new to give the new plants a good start.
The main thing to remember when gardening in containers be sure that your plants are going to have enough room to grow through the summer and have plenty of room for their roots. Then you can get creative. Now my landlord will not let me get too creative like I did when I lived in my home I still can use unusual pots, from old wash tubs to gardening tiles.
Water and Fertilize
Watering not too much and not too little is so important that I invested in a cheap water meter. It did not cost much and it tells me exactly when I need to water. I am not guessing.
Container Herbs
I always grow a few pots of pot herbs my favorite ones to insure I can just grab a handful for a recipe I am creating. My niece has greenhouses and I buy lots of my vegetables and herbs from her and freeze them in the Fall. But I love the little pots of herbs on my patio.
Free-flowering annuals are perfect choices to bring out the artist in every gardener. Choose varieties not only for their individual beauty but for the way they'll look in combination. Look for flowers that spread and mound in habit like cascading nasturtiums, soft Alyssa, perky pansies or old fashioned varieties that have a wonderful perfume, such as heliotrope or dwarf Cupid or Color Palette Sweet Peas. Don't miss low growing varieties of zinnias such as Pixie Sunshine, marigolds, phlox, dwarf cosmos and dwarf bedding sunflowers. Little Angel Wings roses or delicious Alpine strawberries are wonderful in containers.
Container Vegetables
I have a wine barrel I plant in edible vegetables. I grow things like tomatoes, egg plant, kale, lettuce, they are pretty and they are really really good in the summer months. I can't feed myself with the small space I have but it does bring fresh stuff into my diet on a regular basis. Couple that with my adopt a farm animal and getting veggie, fresh eggs, and fresh goats milk from my farmer partner. Then of course their is always Farmers market and my niece. 
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