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Curbing My Enthusiasm

Category: Hydroculture | Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 12:31 am

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I had originally intended on doing a full unboxing video once I got the Aerogarden Ultra LED. Ah, the best laid plans of mice...


I tore through that wrapping and cardboard like a maniac before assembling the machine at breakneck speed. It's my weakness. I just can't resist a good puzzle. Oh well. I'll probably make that unboxing video once I get a second one.


The Aerogarden was an easy project to assemble. The instructions were clear and setup was a breeze. I highly recommend this model for anyone interested in the technology.


As an aside, it also puts out enough light to grow other plants around the Aerogarden. I'm not going to do it with this one as I'd like for it to be a completely sterile environment with not even the remotest chance for contamination from my soil plant babies. Yet, the option is there.



My First Aerogarden - Just Assembled 7 May 2015 ( photo / image / picture from xantedeschia's Garden )



This is my new toy with my little potentials currently swimming around in 1.2 Gallons of water. Well, suspended above the water to be precise. Hopefully, knock on wood, there will be no infestations of bugs or anything.



Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an Aerogarden to stare at. :D




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Aha! Eureka! Got Ya!

Category: Container Gardening | Posted: Tue May 05, 2015 2:19 pm

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As far as fertilizing goes, if geraniums, like most annuals, get too much, you will get large, lush green plants and not as many blooms because the plant will be in more of a vegetative mode. In containers, if you feed your geraniums, every 3 to 5 weeks, you will be just fine. Use any of the water soluble fertilizers available, and just get a balanced solution (10-10-10 or 20-20-20). In the ground, your geraniums will need to be fed even less frequently; every 4 to 6 weeks should be sufficient. If you are going to make a mistake fertilizing, you are much better off to under feed than over feed. See more here


I now know what I've been doing wrong with my pelargoniums! Eureka!!!!!!


My silly behind has been giving them fertilizer every two weeks along with the rest of my plants. Well, that stops today. Hopefully, enough time will elapse between now and the expected blooming season for flowers to finally appear on my babies.


On top of this, I'm going to look around to see how many other plants I can get to bloom if I take a break from fertilizing for the Summer and Winter.


Incidentally, I've finally planted the Pineapple babies in pots around six this morning. They're relaxing on my sewing table, soaking up the carefully applied water I gave them.


According to this page, I must lay off all my regular activities. They're the ultimate low maintenance plant. Hopefully, I don't kill any of them. I'm not hopeful of growing an actual pineapple but you never know. I just appreciate the beauty of the plant itself.


So, for the pineapples, I have my spray bottle at the ready. There should be enough fertilizer in the soil for root feedings which I will supplement occasionally with foliar feedings.


For the Pelargoniums, NO FERTILIZER except ONCE A MONTH. Poor things need to go on a serious diet.


For everything else, research research research.

Last edited: Tue May 05, 2015 2:20 pm

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Updated Pictures of My Container Garden and My Shawl

Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 9:19 pm

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View My Plants: Container Garden and View My Shawl: Random Stuff

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Horticultural Hope and Glory

Category: Container Gardening | Posted: Sun May 03, 2015 9:30 pm

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Here goes nothing but my hopes and dreams.


I've re-potted my withering African Violet to give it another chance at growing. I think the soil became too compacted and mineral rich for its root structure. For the most part, it hasn't grown much but it is holding on to life, poor thing.


In addition to this, I've also planted the African Violet leaf cuttings I've had sitting in water for a little under three week's time. Here's hoping that they'll grow this time. None of the leaves are anything like what the suggestions said they should be. They're scarred and brown in some places and from parts of the plant not recommended to propagate from. Yet, when I did follow the directions, my cuttings all died on me. So, I figured I'd break the rules.


I've also planted nine Nasturtium seeds in various pots around my room. They're old seeds from my last big seed purchase, so I'm not expecting much even if I am hoping. If they do grow with the new watering schedule and lighting I have in my room, I'll be very happy indeed.


The Tangelo looks like poop. I had it under a clear cup for humidity and now it's getting used to the dry air of my room. Well, we've all got to grow up sometime.



The pineapples look fantastic...and fantastically small. I have them growing in an inch and a half of soil along with the newly planted nasturtiums. All of this is covered by a top to prevent moisture escaping. Once the nasturtiums start growing, I'm taking the cover off, come what may. It's time for the pineapple babies to be weaned as well.



The Pelargoniums look excellent. I really hope they flower this year. I have both cuttings and seed grown plants from last year that didn't bloom. I'm going to experiment with the watering schedule to see if I can get them to do something other than grow the gorgeous scented leaves they've been growing up to this point.


My Orange trees have been growing in an interesting manner. I've begun the process of turning them into Bonsai trees. I snipped a few suckers off and waited for the new ones to come in where I like. So far, they're both doing well considering I hacked off sizable branches from both. I still have a ways to go before I'm completed but I figured I'd give them a chance to force out new branches before I get cut happy again.



The Aloe Vera, both my cousin's held plants and my own are doing well. My cousin's plants I rooted for her are doing so well, I don't know what to do with them. They're getting so big now that I'm running out of room for them in their present locations. I'm going to get a nice big pot for them and sink them into some fresh soil. I have confidence that they'll take.



The coleus, due to lack of space, is still sitting in water but even those are shooting up like crazy. I'm going to clip them a bit tomorrow to encourage their branching out.



The Lemongrass...wow! I had no idea it would get so out of control when I grew those seeds. Initially, it only grew a small amount before dying back. I never thought it would get much bigger than that inital growth. I'm glad to have been wrong though. While it's not growing straight up, it's almost as long as I am tall. It's presently draping itself over other plants and trying to grow through the shades on my windows again this year. I think I need a bigger pot for it all.



The Snake plant is growing well, as are the satellite Snake plants downstairs. I still have those water rooted cuttings in the medicine bottle and they all still seem to be alive.



Last but not least, coming full circle, the other African Violet plant. It's thriving despite the loss of several of its leaves in growth experiments. I'm hoping it will bloom again this year and put on an even heavier amount of growth than it already has.



That's all. I'll try to take pictures tomorrow of everything I've mentioned. :)

Last edited: Sun May 03, 2015 10:24 pm

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Aerogarden Enthusiasm

Category: Hydroculture | Posted: Sun May 03, 2015 12:32 am

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I'm getting an Aerogarden! I'm getting an Aerogarden!


I am unbelievably excited about finally getting an Aerogarden Ultra LED. I've been fascinated with the technology for months now but haven't had the resources available to get it before yesterday.


Well, it's in the process of being shipped by Amazon now. I'm eagerly anticipating getting it and will be doing a series of YouTube videos on my experiences with it via my YouTube channel.


My short term goal is to grow the seed kit that comes with the machine. In this case, it's the Gourmet Herbs kit. Eventually, I'd like to get a few more and have full scale production going in my home for Tomatoes, Peppers, Strawberries, Chard and, of course, Herbs.


My reasons for this are two-fold. One, I'd like to satiate my curiosity about the technology and become more proficient in it than I currently am. Two, I'd like to grow some food for the house. While I no longer live in a food desert, fresh produce is very hard to come by given my income level. I am hoping that, with this purchase, I can be on my way to reliably providing a source of fruits and vegetables for the household.


That's the hope anyway. Now, to put it into practical application.

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Mesclun Mania

Category: Container Gardening | Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2015 2:44 pm

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Having nothing else better to do aside from knitting and crocheting, I decided to plant some Mesclun greens seeds I had left over from Spring 2010 in a 4 inch container. Yes, I'm a rebel.


In the mixture of seeds are Lettuces Black Seeded Simpson, Red Salad Bowl, Lollo Rossa and Royal Oak Leaf. Along with these are Arugula Rocket and Radicchio Red Verona.


Shocking! Something is growing from the soil already and I just planted it on the 20th.


Spring has sprung!

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First Fertilization and Sundry Saintpaulia

Category: Container Gardening | Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 5:33 pm

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Yesterday was unusual in that I fertilized my plants. It's the first feeding of the year. I figured, the Sun is shining on them for longer periods of time, they're going to need something to draw on if they're going to grow to their full potentials. I fertilized everything except for the plants downstairs, the plants in the bathroom and the pineapple/Minneola tangelo seed potential. Yes, it's much earlier than I'd intended on fertilizing but, with the way they're all shooting up, I figured they were all early growers/bloomers.



The Saintpaulia leaves I propagated a few days ago are holding up well in the makeshift greenhouse I've created for them. Well done me. I'm hoping that, within two month's time, I'll have some new babies to separate. By then, I should have several more. I'm quite addicted to African Violets now. Even the pink ones have their appeal and I find the color pink to be hideous in most other circumstances. You'd certainly never catch me wearing it but you might catch me buying a ruffled pink Saintpaulia plant.

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Parched Propagation Station

Category: Container Gardening | Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2015 2:49 am

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Water...waaaaaaaateeeeeer..... *drying drool*


Someone in this household who isn't me has been running the central heating to near body temperature. This has been a nightmare for my plants.


Rather than spend the entire post whining about the temperature, I thought I'd give a quick update on everything.


I have divided the aloe vera into several plants. As an experiment, I cut the top from an aloe vera plant and stuck it in some rooting hormone before sticking it in some moist potting soil. The results were spectacular. It is presently downstairs, growing like a weed. Two are going to my cousin whenever she decides to come pick them up. I don't know what I'm doing with the rest.


Next to it on the windowsill is something I never thought I'd see. Sansevieria growing...in water. As another experiment, I took a few leaf cuttings and dipped them in rooting hormone before putting them in my trusty medicine bottle and sitting it on the windowsill downstairs. Within days, there were roots shooting from the cut ends of the leaves. As soon as I take a weed whacker to my overgrown coleus plants, I plan on putting the Snake plants in pots and sitting them in my room where there's more light for them to grow. Once they've sprouted new leaves, I'm going to pass them out to the neighbors who want one of them.



Next to the Snake plants are my African Violet cuttings I just did on the 12th. I'm really hoping that these will grow where the gnat infested one didn't. Neither have a name but they're both a very lovely purple color. I posted pictures in my personal blog.



The lemongrass, Geraniums and Coleus are all growing like weeds, though the temperature difference is having a negative effect on the leaves. The Pineapples have had a minor setback but I've rectified it. They were drying out pretty badly due to the low humidity in the house. To combat that, I put the top back on the container they're growing in. They perked right up once I did that.


In addition, I also planted some Minneola Tangelo seeds in the container with the pineapples. I'm really hoping that they grow.


That's enough of me rambling. I need to get some sleep. Later. :)

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I'm Alive

Category: Container Gardening | Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 6:36 pm

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I am sufficiently well enough to say that now. It's been a wild roller coaster ride of illnesses over the past few months. Hopefully, I'm on the mend.


Now, to my plants: They're all doing great after a mega dosage of Neem. Apparently the Potting Mix that must not be named has a big problem with Fungus Gnats. This led to an invasion of the little annoyances in my room and throughout the house. Behold, the power of Bio-Neem! I sprayed everything plant to within an inch of its life with the stuff and, after a few days, my Fungus Gnat problem went away.

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Ten Second Tidy

Category: Container Gardening | Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 10:38 pm

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My tomato plant is gone. Chopped down in the haste to get my room in presentable order. In truth, it wasn't growing anymore, so it was time to let it go. Also cleared in the tidying was the remnants of the African Violet cuttings (unsuccessful) and the Date palm container (unsuccessful).


My room was just too hot for the cuttings and the seed was too old. For the tomato plant, I think there was not enough light and/or heat for it.


My reason for this devastation? I've got a date! I want my room to look presentable for when he comes here to visit.

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