New gardeners need help!

This is the reason why I stay here at Garden Stew. Nobody here is nasty to anyone... Well, I recently did experience something unpleasant over here too, (for the first time in history) - But the moderators took timely action. So no harm done,

I actually had become so busy in my own stuff, that for the last few years I hadn't been posting over here either... However the COVID-19 lockdown gave me plenty of free time - So I returned.

Now why did I return? Simply because I have made some very good friends over here. Really come to know some very fine people who are true gems. So regardless of whatever might be happening in the outside world - This place is always friendly and welcoming. One really doesn't forget that so easily in today's world.. The friendships we establish, the funny things we share. And generally assist each other without expecting anything back - That one always remembers.

YouTube and other places, just don't have that anymore...

 

@adam.ca
Sweet! Thanks!
Great idea on the stepping stones!
Will do on the soil!

 

Place some of those solar powered lights in your bed, and at night it will look amazing!

 

@S-H
That's a fun idea!

 

Post the exact dimensions of your bed here, and I will make a replica of it in AutoCAD 3D. So that way we can try out different ideas in virtual reality. And decide which ideas will be practical, cheap to implement, but above all else - Save time and labor.

AutoCAD drawings can be converted into other formats. So for example if you are using Google SketchUp - We will still be able to have fun.

Anyhow, back to suggestions...

One thing that you really will feel the need to do sooner or later. Is built a shelter over your smaller plants. Since you are in the Denver area of Colorado, I assume you must be getting show in winter? So investing in a cheap structure made out of PVC pipes, (over which you can put on some plastic) - Will save your plans from heavy rain also.

Or, if you are growing a climber like cucumbers, you can use this same structure to tie climbing strings to - So this sort of a cheap structure has too many uses. And will save you from a lot of headaches later.



Another great idea is to use old CDs or DVDs, and hang them from the above PVC pipe structure. This freely hanging CD or DVD actually works better then any scarecrow when it comes to keeping the birds from picking your small seedlings.

So like I said so above, a simple and cheap PVC pipe structure will save you from too many mishaps later.

 

More great ideas! Thanks!

 

OK, just 3 more suggestions for you now. Not going to give anymore, or else you both might start to experience information overload again... Besides, I don't want to kill off the fun of discovering a few things by yourselves.



Right, so the next thing you need to learn about. Are ollas... They have been around for thousands of years. Aside from giving you a little paece of mind whenever you will be away from your house - These things also save water.



Now here is something else that you will find very interesting. It's called the 3 Sisters Garden.



And finally, you need to do something which will attract honeybees to your garden. And hopefully create a hive nearby.

Best method for this in my opinion is, grow a few flowers which are known to attract bees, (easy to look up online). But to keep them coming to your garden again and again, and establish a hive too - You need to keep a little sugar water, and some pieces of beeswax...

So just do this, and by mid July you might get pleasently surprised to find a new beehive on your property! Once this is accomplished, you will never again need to worry about pollination.

Ladybug propagation is also something worth looking into, as they can easily control spider mites and afids - But I'll leave that for later. Because right now all that you really need to do, is start planting!

 

Thank you!

 

Alright, now the final suggestion - Not for now, but do apply it later, like maybe next year, (when your garden will be fully established)...

Always collect and store as much rainwater as possible. Many people might disagree with me on this. But I swear to you, I have seen plants grow at twice the speed, and very difficult to germinate seeds suddenly sprouting!

My locality is a coastal semi desert, so sometimes we don't get any rain for as long as 3 years straight. But at other times we get so much torrential downpour, that the entire city gets flooded. So we over here have seen both extremes.

Therefore when I say that rainwater has magic in it, everyone should believe it.

City water supply is filtered and processed, making it fit for human consumption. But this unfortunately removes a few trace elements from the water - And also adds some which aren't in natural water.

Take for example the addition of Fluoride. In North America, you can't have any city water supply without this... In my corner of the world, they add alum, (as it makes all the suspended particles of debris in the water settle down, and also has a sterilizing effect). On top of this, Chlorine is added in many stages of this water "purification" process too.

But plants and trees don't really appreciate this... Which is why I always see a dramatic sudden burst of growth in all plants and trees immediately after rain.

This is why I always save as much rainwater as I possibly can. And use it to start my seeds.

Now what exactly has rainwater got in it? Which is causing all plants and trees to start growing like crazy, (as well as make every seed germinate)?

Well, rainwater has very tiny amounts of nitric acid in it. Unbelievably small quantities of it. Which the plants absorb through their leaves first. And later from the roots too, (of it rained enough) - This acid actually isn't enough to do anything by itself. But it acts like a trigger for the plants, letting them know that now is the time to start growing vigorously, (as now there isn't going to be any shortage of water).

But how exactly is this nitric acid made? Well, it's called the Birkeland-Eyde Process - Where lightning in a thunderstorm breaks apart the nitrogen and oxygen molecules in the air, which recombine with water. Resulting in some very tiny trace amounts of nitric acid in rainwater, (extremely tiny amounts).



Of course, this is not to be confused with "acid rain". As that's a result of sulphur dioxide in the air, (accumulated because of industrial and automotive pollution) - Which when combined with rainwater makes sulphuric acid. This is actually not desirable, and very harmful for plants and animals.

Anyway this in a nutshell is way rainwater is so good for plants. Therefore it makes sense if we have a way of storing it whenever it would rain.

Also note, that whenever collecting rainwater - Make sure that no light is able to enter the storage tank. Or it will cause algae to grow.

 

@Simple Gardening

busy weekend? have you managed to get your garden soil up to par?

 

I think they have run away, after experiencing an information overload from us as well! Or taking a breather...



Otherwise I would have next suggested that they (at some later date) built a solar dehydrator also. It would not consume any power - But will dry their home grown vegetables for easy long term storage.

Since they got inspired to grow their own food after the COVID-19 lockdown - Means that survivability is what's really on their mind. So having this means that they will still have lots of their own grown stuff is storage, (specially during the off season).

Solar dehydrators are very easy and cheap to build. And since there aren't any moving parts in them, (except for the door for easy access) - Means that they will last forever.

 

Yes a busy weekend.
We did get away (but not from information overload) , just a weekend to relax.
We plan to work the soil tomorrow, which will be part of the new video. I plan to go to Walmart and get some sort of bagged compost/soil mix as suggested.
Looking forward to seeing how it goes!

 

Instead of spending too much time, energy, and money on getting the right soil composition - Why not simply let nature do it for you?

I posted about this plant 10 years ago over here - Butterfly Pea, it not only looks good, but converts your soil naturally, (by injecting nitrogen into it).

It's an annular plant, (lasting only 1 summer). But in my area where it is always mercilessly hot. This functions as a perennial plant... It's actually a very beautiful vine which grows very fast!

https://www.gardenstew.com/threads/my-butterfly-pea.20544/

Also, if you have any local fishing shop nearby which sells live Earthworms for bait. You can release them in your garden, (they will be thankful that fish didn't eat them, and they ended up back in their natural environment).

I mean, why should we break our backs working under the hot sun - When nature can do it for you, (practically for free)!



By the way, butterfly pea attracts honeybees also.

 

You make a good point there S-H. I am thinking I'll get some worms as well and see about this plant. Then we'll be covering this factor from multiple angles. Thanks!

 

This plant, Butterfly Pea, is very good at converting the soil. However, if this isn't available - Then you can try any other pea also...

All pea types are capable of doing this. But of course, Butterfly Pea does it a lot better. However if it is not available, you can try another pea.

And about that idea of leaving out some sugar water with some pieces of beeswax. If you are going to do it, start now - Because by early June to mid July. Some of the bees leave their established hives with a new and younger queen.

It's their way to insure the survival of their species... So around this time of the year worker bees start look for places to establish a new colony.

Now if they find clean sugar water with some beeswax also, (placed above ground so animals can't get to it). They will assume that there must have been a hive thriving over here in the past. Therefore one of the new younger queen bees will be sure to arrive with her own workers.

Planting sunflowers around your yard also keeps the bees very happy. Dwarf sunflowers are my favorite for this. Bees can't have enough of them!



But keep in mind, they like very CLEAN sugar water. If there is any dust, they will assume that the air has pollution. So they might walk away, (fly away).

And of course, use mineral water or rainwater to add sugar to, (for the same reason). As bees wouldn't like the taste of fluoride, alum, and Chlorine I think will straight away knock them dead...

One idea which I myself have very successfully tried, is to use the water which drips out from the back of air conditioners. As that's almost the same as natural water. I try this, when rainwater isn't available. Or you can go to your local petrol pump, (gasoline station) - And ask if they have any deionized distilled water, to top up wet lead-acid car batteries. This works very well also. However distilled water can be obtained from online chemistry supply stores too, (very cheaply).





Of course, disregard the whole idea. If you suspect either one of you might be allergic to bee stings.

In my experience, bees are very intelligent insects. And normally don't go out stinging anyone - Unless provoked.

But please keep in mind that the type of bees I have in my area here in the city of Karachi, Pakistan. And what you may come across in your locality - Will probably be very different types indeed. So I can't say anything about how aggressive your bees might be. My wild bees are mostly very friendly, (until someone is stupid enough to poke something directly in their hive).

I am only suggesting this, as bees are the absolute best pollinators in nature. So with them in and around your garden - You are always going to get excellent harvests year after year!

By the way, I have never harvested any honey from the beehives on my property. Reason being, that I don't want to steal something from these little creatures. I am thankful that they find my garden welcoming, and do all the pollination. And they by themselves decide which tree branch they want to build their new hive.

Another reason why I don't harvest any honey, is because I can't be sure if any of my neighbors used pesticides. If they did, then consuming that honey wouldn't be a good idea.

Which is why I don't act greedy, I just let the bees have all their honey. Since they made it, they should keep it. So I simply let the bees be.