Grocerie Gardens

koiguy1969

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tips and tricks for growing produce...

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This worked well for me for many years - it's a simple, weed-free way to grow lettuce, spinach and even radishes. Take a 2 cubic feet bag of potting soil (I us...ed Miracle Grow), rumple it around quite a bit to loose the soil, poke quite a few holes in the back side for drainage, then lay the bag on a smooth surface that will allow drainage and not get too hot, and cut out the top, leaving about a 4 or 5 inch border all around. Lightly rake through the soil to even it out and loosen it even more, then carefully, and evenly sprinkle the seeds around. I put my salad green seeds in an old spice bottle with large shaker holes, added some cornmeal, shook it all up to mix well and sprinkled them out of it. I put the cornmeal in there to allow me to see that I had covered the soil evenly. If doing radish seeds or spinach, just make lines the depth mentioned on the seed pack, plant the seeds and cover appropriately. For salad greens I sprinkled a lite covering of soil over the cornmeal and seeds and then spray-misted to water them in. I put my bags on metal sawhorses and grates to make them waist level. This kept the bags off the hot concrete and I didn't have to bend over when cutting my salad. When harvesting, just use a pair of scissors and cut what you need - don't pull the plants out. Same goes for spinach - they will grow back almost magically overnight, and you can't tell where you cut. Spray mist the seeds and plantlings at first when watering, until they are established, then you can water more vigorously as the plants mature. You will probably need to water more often, since the depth of the bags are not as deep as a regular in-ground garden. I just kept mine moist, but not sopping wet."
 

koiguy1969

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Here is a good idea!
Use a collapsible laundry hamper flipped over as protection from pests!
Very inexpensive, often found at Dollar stores. You could even cove...r with plastic for a mini green house.You would have to make some kind of door if you covered in plastic for ventilation.Some way to attach it to the grown so it wouldn't blow away.
https://www.facebook.com/BackyardDiva"}
 

j.w

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Neat idea's koiguy and reminds me that I need to get started planting some seeds soon :)
 
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Whoa! That planting in the soil bag is completely genus!!!! Love it! Not sure if you are on Pinterest - but this Pinterest worthy! You should pin it.
 
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Great idea! They might dry out quickly for me as we have a lot of wind here. But love the idea of waist high, cut as you want salad!
Love the cover idea too. Could make stakes with 9 wire and poke down into the ground to hold them down.
 

addy1

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Glad you posted! I am going to try that this summer.
 
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What a great idea on the laundry hamper. I have been trying to think of a way to keep some little pot seedlings away from my chickens until I can get something else built for them. I did have seedlings in our screened porch but this time of year, they hardly get any sun. I think the hamper would work perfect. I would just have to fasten it to the ground with some tent stakes or something.
 

addy1

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What a great idea on the laundry hamper. I have been trying to think of a way to keep some little pot seedlings away from my chickens .

pot seedlings?????????????????? utoh another grower of the happy weed! Maybe the chickens like to get high!
 
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Haha I guess I should have wrote potted seedlings. I just realized that looks sooo wrong! No they are not pot just little ornamental plant seedlings in pots.
Just what the chickens need to get high, they are enough trouble as they are lol. Today they were carrying on -just having a fit and making all kinds of ruckus. I thought something really bad like an eagle was trying to get them. I go out there and they are all having a fit just because there were some crows in the tree cawing!!
 

koiguy1969

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koiguy1969

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1 tsp epsom salt in 4 c warm water….spray on plant and then again 10 days later. Produces more fruit due to boost of magnesium… especially for tomatoes, peppers and roses.
 

j.w

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That is very true koiguy on the epsom salt. I use it whenever I grow my toms and peppers. Never tried it on roses tho and good to know.
 

morewater

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There used to be a greenhouse on a rural road around my area, it was owned by an old Italian guy who was always selling big, pre-planted containers.

Last year he put out a big hand-painted sign that said "POT PLANTS FOR SALE". Man, there's humor everywhere if you just look for it......
 

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