Our thumbs are a little greener
We’ve branched out a little more since those first cherry tomatoes and peppers we planted while we were building our home. Some crops have worked, some haven’t. We’ve tried to plant potatoes twice and while the second time looked promising, the plants died before we could harvest.
Lettuce did really well and was pretty easy. Lots of water and sun. We actually planted too much. We went harvesting while we consumed it but the last ones stayed on the ground too long and became sour.
Broccoli also did well but we didn’t realize the amount of space the plants would take up. We also planted too much but in this case we harvested all of it and froze what we couldn’t consumer immediately.
Other things we learned along the way... starting from seeds takes longer but you get a lot for very little. One dollar worth of sugar pea seeds yielded tons of plants. We also learned that using a few drops of organic soap diluted in a gallon of water serves as a healthier way to deal with critters who chew your plants. Just mix and spray over the affected plants. You really don’t need a lot of soap. One of my coworkers learned that the hard way when he didn’t hear my entire advise. He added too much soap and killed his tomatoes. I felt horrible.
Lettuce did really well and was pretty easy. Lots of water and sun. We actually planted too much. We went harvesting while we consumed it but the last ones stayed on the ground too long and became sour.
Broccoli also did well but we didn’t realize the amount of space the plants would take up. We also planted too much but in this case we harvested all of it and froze what we couldn’t consumer immediately.
Other things we learned along the way... starting from seeds takes longer but you get a lot for very little. One dollar worth of sugar pea seeds yielded tons of plants. We also learned that using a few drops of organic soap diluted in a gallon of water serves as a healthier way to deal with critters who chew your plants. Just mix and spray over the affected plants. You really don’t need a lot of soap. One of my coworkers learned that the hard way when he didn’t hear my entire advise. He added too much soap and killed his tomatoes. I felt horrible.
Mulch, Potatoes and a Thief
Before we can start building, the town made us remove invasive trees. We had an entire forest of them and had to hire a crew to help us. That wasn't cheap but there was no way we could've done it alone. After getting lots of quotes, we found a company who did it for $7000...ouch. I felt bad losing the trees but at least we were left with mounds and mounds of mulch which we used this weekend to make the area look nice. We got lots of help from our family who came out to load up a wheel barrel and help spread some mulch to make the picnic area beautiful. This weekend we also started our potato towers. My husband bought some food grade barrels and we started planting potatoes on Saturday. We bought some seed potatoes and planted them with organic soil, cow compost, mulch and organic food. We added the mulch because we hear potatoes don't like to be in mushy soil. The idea is that the potatoes will start growing up the barrels and we will keep adding more soil until they are full. It should take about 4 months. What we didn't plan for was the visit of our nocturnal thieves. When we got there Sunday morning, we discovered the potatoes had been dug up by raccoons. One potato was missing so today my husband is getting a wire net to cover the barrels. I replanted the rest. I guess this is nature's way of teaching me we are not alone. Will keep you posted on the potato towers.
Gardening Update
While we wait for the permitting process to conclude and the build to begin, we're taking advantage of the rainy season. We planted a Soursop (chirimoya) and less than a month later it had grown about two feet. We also got our first bell pepper. Exciting new stuff for city slickers who have never had a garden.
The swings
The girls and their cousins helped us turn some old chairs into two unique swings.
A small vegetable garden
Though we still don't have water, electrical or sewer on-site, I decided to put this vegetable garden together with the girls. It's rainy season in South Florida so I figured Mother Nature would provide. It was a way to get the girls excited about the experience ahead. We found a sunny spot, cleaned it out, added pest control that is safe for veggies, covered it with a plastic mesh, planted them, added soil and water we took in gallons. My husband framed the garden for me with some tree trunks that were laying around in the property (we have lots of downed trees).
The Omellete Maker
My husband decided to grab some scrap wood he had in the garage and build a chicken coop. We may not have a home yet but our future ladies do.
