Photos from Earth Hour 2011

 Planting in the dark can be quite tricky, as is trying to capture it on a cheap digital camera without flash. Still, it was a success- I planted some anise-hyssop and more sweet basil in an egg carton.

I got out my supplies and candles beforehand, and tried to create as much candlelight as I could. I forgot how tiny the anise-hyssop seeds are, so trying to select only four in the dim light proved to be very difficult.

I enlisted the help of my mother to
document the process but she left on the flash. As a result, I got temporarily blinded and the photo looks like I'm planting in daylight!

The whole process didn't take too long, including clean up so I decided to take a photo of myself with my plantlings. Had to set the camera down on the table to avoid getting a blurry shot- et voila!

Let's hope the seeds germinate soon! I'm really looking forward to munching some basil and sipping a lovely anise-hyssop tea!

Plant a Seed for Earth Hour!

This Saturday, March 26th is a day for celebrating the Earth, and the collective power of change.

Traditionally, it is a day when, for one hour, people turn off their lights and power down (and sometimes, step outside to enjoy the sight of stars!). Some people hold mini Earth Hour parties at their home, lighting candles and playing board games, or just chill out and have a good long chit chat with their loved ones.

So, what else can we do to celebrate this day, and that doesn't require electricity? What about planting a seed? Such a small gesture yes, but very symbollic and appropriate for a day when we are celebrating Earth and ways which we can change things for the better.

This idea was launched by Push Food Forward, and it's wonderfully simple: plant a seed, any seed, at home and watch it grow and provide you with foliage, food, flowers or all three!

There is a facebook event page, and I would encourage you to check out more of Food Forward's events and follow the blog too!

Happy Earth Hour!

More Seed Starting Shenanigans

Another beautiful sunny day, and the birdies are chirping. I've been checking up on my first batch of seedlings and still no germination. It has only been 3 days but I am getting anxious. Hopefully they will wake up soon. The worms are doing ok so far- none have tried to escape, and I adding a fan to increase air circulation in the closet has helped I think. I also visited a friend who gave me some dried leaves he collected (all disease free and clean as a whistle). It was on his recommendation since worms generally love outdoor carbon sources, and since all I've been doing is overloading them with newspaper and egg cartons there is some sense in adding some au natural carbon sources.

Today I endeavour to start the rest of my seedlings- this time, I'm going for the mega batch. I purchased a flat of 50 cells of coir cups in a tray (bit of an expense but it will save time later when I'm trying to separate them and put them in another container or to give them away), as well as a Coir Brick.  For those unfamiliar, coir is dehydrated coconut husk fibre, a by-product of the coconut growing industry. It is quickly gaining renown for its ability to retain water and provide a light weight material for mixing into potting soil. It doesn't provide any nutrients, but simply adds lightness to any mix which is beneficial for container gardening (promotes drainage, decreases water logging that might increase mold and rotting). It is a potential competitor (or usurper of?) peat moss, a non-renewable resource that is currently very popular due to its locality. More about this debate later, but for now I'm using both materials: the coir for adding to my potting soil mix and in the cups, and peat which is already in my mix and in the Peat Pellets I got from a friend.

I also was very fortunate to get an extra four varieties of tomatoes from a seed exchange with the same friend I got the leaves from. The new varieties are from his own collection of saved seeds, and he was able to tell me a lot about their growing conditions, preferences, tastes, sizes, colours... Due to the limitations (and some benefits) of container growing he suggested four varieties of tomatoes to try:
Green Zebra
Isis (LOVE the name!)
Golden Girl (another charming nomer)
and Black Cherry.

So altogether thats 16 varieties of tomatoes that I'm starting in my 50 cell tray. It doesn't make for an even division of varieties, so I am in the process of deciding which varieties to start more/less of. I have to take into account the age of some of the seeds and therefore the reduced germination rate but also the practicality of each of them. The Cherokee Purple, for example I had difficulty with and my friend confirmed that they are finicky. No kidding- last year I only got a few fruits even when planted in the community garden (not in containers). I had a great success with my cherries (except whippersnapper) but now I also have some determinate varieties that I may want to favour instead of the indeterminate. Urg, so many factors!

I also want to start some basil to accompany the tomatoes, and these I will plant in the peat pellets I got. Basil and tomato are the best of friends, so it makes enough sense. I also got my hands on some sacred basil (or tulsi) seeds which are very widely grown and used in Indian homes and is a known aryuvedic herb for its adaptogen properties (not to mention its calming effect when prepared as a tea).

I forgot to mention that in addition to the coir and potting soil, I'll be mixing in some of my left over perfect for potting mix which has some mycorrhizae in it- a natural fungus that benefits the plant roots to improve nutrient uptake and water retention. I used it last year in my containers, so I'll try it again in my seed starting. There is some information floating out there about the benefits of innoculating soil for plants as some (many?) benefit from the fungal microorganisms. I'm still in the process of learning about the complexities of soil ecology, but container gardening is a bit different, since it already presupposes a controlled environment. Gardening is one big experiment anyway, so I'll leave it at that and go with the flow. I am an intuitive gardener, afterall :)

Now to begin. Before I do, I think a good seed starting dance is in order so a quick detour to youtube, search for Xavier Rudd and hit play.

 Spring is nigh!

The Beginning of Something Beautiful!

It's almost officially spring- a brief walk around my neighbourhood, through the parks, and even on my own balcony all provide evidence that new life is springing up all around!

The trees are starting to bud, and just this morning I spotted the first of the chives peeking out from last year's pot. Truly an inspiring sight.

Although I try to follow the moon phases for starting seeds, I just started the first of my (hopefully many!) seedlings this morning. 12 varieties of tomatoes, the result of three years' amassing different varieties. The tomato varieties I have are:
Ildi
Whippersnapper
Yellow perfection
Austin Red Pear
Red Pear
Green Grape
Oxheart
Blondkopfchen
Old German
Cherokee Purple
Peacevine
and Mountain Princess

*phew* Some of these are cherries, some are standard tomato varieties, some are determinate, most indeterminate, and all but three I've grown successfully in the past. Last summer's weather was absolutely perfect for growing tomatoes, and I'm a bit worried that this year's weather might not be as ideal (based on some predictions in the almanac and word of mouth). Predominantly cool, wet weather as we had two years ago only encourages aphids and other pest infestations and so I'm hoping that this year, even if the weather isn't the best, I will be able to use my since-learned knowledge of how to control/avoid severe infestations. I will write more about that as time goes on.

In addition, yesterday marks the day when I brought my first herd of red wigglers home. For those who don't know, these are the worms that produce that rich, black gold (also known as vermicompost, worm castings) chock full of nutrients and is one of the best possible amendments for the organic gardener. It can be done on a small scale in homes and requires very little in terms of financial investment (apart from buying the worms and a home to house them). All they need (carbon, in the form of shredded newspaper, egg cartons, etc. and greens- your kitchen wastes) can be collected from your home. They DO however need some TLC, watering, and general attention, much like any other household pet. They don't necessarily provide any social comforts and the composting process takes several months but I still think it is a marvellous process and well -worth the investment. I will update the blog to show the progress of my initial pile of food wastes and how the worms are adapting. The first day was a bit rough for them (they tried to escape!) but I did some simple troubleshooting on Cathy's Crawly Composters website and now they have settled down and begun munching on the goodies I painstakingly chopped up for them.

That's it for now. Composting ahoy!