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September 2010
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The Art of the Homemade Graft

A utility knife was my primary tool, however, my blade was brand new and sprayed with a bleach/water solution.

A very technical diagram of how I cut the receiving tree and the scion for the graft.

Black electrical tape serves to hold the graft union together and resist moisture loss through the open wound.

The Gala scion grafted to the McIntosh tree as it was in late March.

The graft as it is now in May, about a month and a half later. You can see the buds breaking and new leaves forming.

To scroll through the slideshow click next above the picture.

So… last year we bought a McIntosh apple and promptly filled up the rest of the yard to the point that we didn’t feel like we had enough space for another semi-dwarf tree, nor do we need that many apples. The problem is that apples need a different variety nearby in order to set their best fruit and we aren’t sure if there are any other apples or crab apples that would be close enough to do the job (sweet cherries, pears and others have similar needs).

The solution?…… Two varieties on a single tree! Continue reading The Art of the Homemade Graft

UPDATE 2: Indoor Lighting System

Click Here For My Original Blog “Indoor Lighting System”

Click Here For My 1st Update

Here is another quick update on my NEW Indoor Lighting System. Its getting really close to planting time for our summer annuals, and I am running out of space and shelving to store my huge plants - thanks to my new indoor lighting system I put together this year!

My TOMATO plants are beautiful, thick, and bursting with yellow blossoms!  These tomatoes were started by seed on March 14th. That is a little less than a month and a half ago! Some plants are over 12 inches tall! I will need to start my tomato plants later next year, probably the end of March instead!  These plants are getting so big I had to transplant them into a bigger pot a second time!  The goal is to transplant only ONCE…then out they go straight into the ground!

Look how thick the stalk is at the bottom! That is what you want.  These plants will get off to a great start in the garden.

Tomato Plant - grown indoors 12 inches tall

Tomato Flowers - ready to start producing

Here are my CABBAGE plants now, I really need to plant them outside! Look at how huge these leaves have become! Plants are still short and stalky and they are extremely healthy! I have already acclimated them to the outdoors as they have been on my back porch with no cover for a couple weeks now just waiting for me to put them in their permanent spot!

These plants were started the end of February. They are almost two months old!  TIME TO PLANT!

Cabbage Plants- ready to plant

My PEPPER plants are LOVING the warmth these lights have provided. Look how gorgeous they are! They don’t like to be over watered under the lights though. In fact, if they dry out just a LITTLE they don’t mind it! I keep my pepper plants in their own flat so that when I water, I usually wait an extra day longer than I would for all the other plants, especially the tomatoes (tomatoes need alot of water growing under these lights).  Peppers seem to do much better with just a little bit less water than everything else!

These pepper plants also have blossoms on them just waiting to start producing yummy peppers! They were started on March 7th, so they are now about a month and three weeks old. Look how lush and compact they are! They should really perform well outdoors.

Pepper Plants - blossoms ready to go

Last, here are some of my EGGPLANT plants. This was a wonderful surprise, due to the fact that I have NEVER been able to start eggplant indoors ever! They really have taken to this indoor lighting system and have flourished!

These eggplants were started the same time as my peppers on March 7th. They are also about a month and three weeks old. They look better and are much healthier than store bought! I bet the aphids are going to LOVE these eggplants…

OH BUT NOT IF I CAN HELP IT…

Eggplant - gorgeous thriving plants

I NEVER use any chemicals to force growth on any of my plants! I use all organic fertilizers such as fish and bone meal, alfalfa meal, soft rock phosphate, and seaweeds – all creating a unique blend of superior organic-based ingredients that actually invigorates and improves the biological life in my soil.

I can’t wait to get all these plants in the ground and see how well they produce!

Click Here For My Original Blog “Indoor Lighting System”

Click Here For My 1st Update

HAPPY GARDENING!

Michele

Cheap Actively Aerated Compost Tea

Two large air stones for the bottom.

The "T" connection for the air stones.

Paint filter bag.

The small air stone for the bag with the compost.

A dual output air pump.

Not too full to avoid overflows.

Bubble out the chlorine if you are using tap water.

Molasses and brown rice flour.

Adding the molasses.

A small handful of brown rice flour.

Stir it up a bit.

Gather the compost in the filter bag.

Put the air stone into the compost bag.

Secure the bag to the lid.

The compost filter stays attached to the lid.

Air holes allow the pumped air to escape the bucket.

The tea turns a rich brown color.

The compost stays in the filter bag.

The tea brews for 12 more hours without the compost.

- – -

In the pictures above you can see my version of an Actively Aerated Compost Tea brewer which was based upon a design by Bruce Deuley which you can see HERE. The cat, Lane, was determined to help.

My design is slightly different in that I have only one bubbler in the bag with the compost and I made the hole at the top big enough to feed the bag through so it can hang from the lid itself. Continue reading Cheap Actively Aerated Compost Tea