It's a nice blog but I don't think I can really appreciate it. I'm a city person, born and raised in big cities all my life so I don't really like real-life farming, lol.
I do like gardening though. We have a big garden and I grow basil, oregano, chili pepper, sweet potatoes, cassava (source of tapioca), bananas, and I've recently planted bell peppers.
We also used to grow okra but they died last year because of the floods and I don't really like eating them so I didn't bother to replant them. I also tried to grow squash last year but they never bore any fruit... so I just gave up and let them die...
I like gardening and USED to plant all sort of things, orchids, cactus, vegetables, fruit trees, flowers etc. Since I moved house about 1 year ago, I'm getting a bit lazy and just do a bit of vegetables gardening, mostly for my own family's use.
I tried my hand at real gardening two years in a row. I grew tomatoes, okra and a couple of other veggies. I haven't been able to any gardening in the last couple of years due to health issues and surgeries. I thought about trying that toppsie tomato grower or what ever it's called. But I've gotten to lazy to even do that. Has anybody tried one of those?
I am doing square foot gardening this year. I like it, as it's a lot less work than tilling the ground, reasonably easier to maintain and takes less space. Have one square foot box for now. If it works out well this year I plan to build a few more of those. Currently have bok choy, lettuce, cauliflower, eggplants, tomato, beans (dwarf) and zucchini growing.
Is the 'toppsie tomato grower' the one that looks like a coil which you can stretch out so it's like a spiral cone and when you attach it to a stick beside your tomato plant, it will climb and grow around and around it? So it ends up looking like a christmas tree... is that the one you mean, Pam?
no, the one I'm thinking of you put soil into this sack like container. at the bottom of the container is a place to insert the tomato plant. The container with the soil and the plant is hung upside down on a hook/nail ect. Then according to the advertisement add water and it will grow. You can plant tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers I think.
And yes Raje that's quit a garden you've got going.
That's interesting, so it's like upside down gardening. Well, I don't think my mother would like it though, she's very superstitious and she has a lot of 'rules' when it comes to plants.
Pam : I think it will be very awkward for the plant, trying to grow up towards sunlight but gravity is pulling it down. Maybe it will be snake-like, or yo-yo, going-up then going-down?? (Can't imagine it lol). But since it is advertised, I figure they must have done research/test and found out its works. Maybe the air circulation of such set-up does wonder to the plant. Well think of it, you don't really need sack like container, just plant in a pot and hang-it, like some plastic hanging flower-pot.
Tami : Can you share some of those rules. I might try it if its easy and don't require some hard to get items or difficult methods etc. No harm trying if it can results in good plant growth/harvest. Myself, I have no superstitious rules, just follow standard practice or modern gardening techiques.
Thanks, Tami and Pam. Does sound like a lot but really just a couple of plants each enough for one person. I like the concept of Square foot Gardening as it lets you garden in small spaces and you can build the box easily.
Pam: I have seen a lot of the ads for the Topsy Turvy planters, I think one needs to be a bit careful though. I think the type of plant you chose to grow will matter. Also the ads do exaggerate a bit I think. To get the king of abundant crop they advertise you will have to fertilize it I think.
Esamus: You are right on the fact that they have done their research. It seems to work only for tomatoes and hence the plethora of upside down planters available (at least in the US) for tomatoes. I came across a blog of a person trying to grow veggies in an apartment on the fire escape outside his window. He tried growing herbs upside down and that was an utter failure.
I might actually agree with your hanging basket theory except for the part that if the stems of the tomato plant kept rubbing against the edged of the planter, especially when laden with fruit, would cause damage to the plant. I think that is why they came up with the upside down planter for tomatoes.
Esamus, I'll have to ask my mom for all the details but the few that I know from her are:
1. Don't plant trees in front of your house. If you already have some there you'll have to cut them down... it's supposed to be bad because it blocks all the good luck entering your front door...
2. Don't plant cassava stems upside down. There are certain plants that you cut the stems and then plant those in order to have more of them. Make sure those cuttings are always planted right side up otherwise the fruit/vegetable harvested later might be poisonous.
3. When you're in the garden in the summer and you see a patch of land that is very dry and cracked, it's supposedly the home of a 'dwarf'. Our concept of dwarf in the Philippines is like a supernatural spirit that can be white (good) or black (bad). If you walk on their territory say "Excuse me" and be very careful not to damage anything in that area. Many people here have been known to suddenly have something bad happen to them if they were rude or harmful to a dwarf and his home. Like our neighbour who threw a cigarette on his yard where there was cracked land. The next day his whole arm (the arm used to throw it) was swollen and he couldn't bend it. The doctors didn't know what was wrong with it or how to fix it so it took weeks for it to go back to normal.
1. Hmm can't follow this. Normally there are always trees planted in-front of the house on the roadside, planted by the local council. In-fact if we cut it, you are supposed to be fined. But if you cut at the bottom close to the ground and all round the bark, the tree will die naturally. But not a good practice, we are supposed to help plant and grow trees.
2. I used to plant cassava, but always plant it the right side up. I plant it because I like it boiled and it must be very soft and mushy. The ones you buy from the market are usually hard when boiled. My guess is they leave it for months to make the roots bigger and get better profit. My theory is you must harvest it young, normally I harvest it around 3 months when the roots are quite small but eatable. So far, some are OK but some are not so soft.
3. We have the same saying, but normally it applies to when in the jungle or bush, when you want to piss, to say Excuse me.
It's a nice blog but I don't think I can really appreciate it. I'm a city person, born and raised in big cities all my life so I don't really like real-life farming, lol.
ReplyDeleteI do like gardening though. We have a big garden and I grow basil, oregano, chili pepper, sweet potatoes, cassava (source of tapioca), bananas, and I've recently planted bell peppers.
We also used to grow okra but they died last year because of the floods and I don't really like eating them so I didn't bother to replant them. I also tried to grow squash last year but they never bore any fruit... so I just gave up and let them die...
Does anyone else here grow stuff in real life?
I can only grow potted plant, mostly ornamental. I am growing rosemarry and snapdragons. Like Petunia a lot but they get scrawny in tropical climate.
ReplyDeleteI like gardening and USED to plant all sort of things, orchids, cactus, vegetables, fruit trees, flowers etc. Since I moved house about 1 year ago, I'm getting a bit lazy and just do a bit of vegetables gardening, mostly for my own family's use.
ReplyDeleteYeah, gardening is actually quite time-consuming and tilling new plots is back-breaking work sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI get lazy too and some days I don't want to get out of bed early just to water my plants... this is probably why my squash was a failure. XD
I tried my hand at real gardening two years in a row. I grew tomatoes, okra and a couple of other veggies. I haven't been able to any gardening in the last couple of years due to health issues and surgeries. I thought about trying that toppsie tomato grower or what ever it's called. But I've gotten to lazy to even do that. Has anybody tried one of those?
ReplyDeleteI am doing square foot gardening this year. I like it, as it's a lot less work than tilling the ground, reasonably easier to maintain and takes less space. Have one square foot box for now. If it works out well this year I plan to build a few more of those. Currently have bok choy, lettuce, cauliflower, eggplants, tomato, beans (dwarf) and zucchini growing.
ReplyDeleteWow, raje's got a lot of nice veggies! :D
ReplyDeleteIs the 'toppsie tomato grower' the one that looks like a coil which you can stretch out so it's like a spiral cone and when you attach it to a stick beside your tomato plant, it will climb and grow around and around it? So it ends up looking like a christmas tree... is that the one you mean, Pam?
no, the one I'm thinking of you put soil into this sack like container. at the bottom of the container is a place to insert the tomato plant. The container with the soil and the plant is hung upside down on a hook/nail ect. Then according to the advertisement add water and it will grow. You can plant tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers I think.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes Raje that's quit a garden you've got going.
That's interesting, so it's like upside down gardening. Well, I don't think my mother would like it though, she's very superstitious and she has a lot of 'rules' when it comes to plants.
ReplyDeletePam : I think it will be very awkward for the plant, trying to grow up towards sunlight but gravity is pulling it down. Maybe it will be snake-like, or yo-yo, going-up then going-down?? (Can't imagine it lol). But since it is advertised, I figure they must have done research/test and found out its works. Maybe the air circulation of such set-up does wonder to the plant. Well think of it, you don't really need sack like container, just plant in a pot and hang-it, like some plastic hanging flower-pot.
ReplyDeleteTami : Can you share some of those rules. I might try it if its easy and don't require some hard to get items or difficult methods etc. No harm trying if it can results in good plant growth/harvest. Myself, I have no superstitious rules, just follow standard practice or modern gardening techiques.
Thanks, Tami and Pam. Does sound like a lot but really just a couple of plants each enough for one person. I like the concept of Square foot Gardening as it lets you garden in small spaces and you can build the box easily.
ReplyDeletePam: I have seen a lot of the ads for the Topsy Turvy planters, I think one needs to be a bit careful though. I think the type of plant you chose to grow will matter. Also the ads do exaggerate a bit I think. To get the king of abundant crop they advertise you will have to fertilize it I think.
Esamus: You are right on the fact that they have done their research. It seems to work only for tomatoes and hence the plethora of upside down planters available (at least in the US) for tomatoes. I came across a blog of a person trying to grow veggies in an apartment on the fire escape outside his window. He tried growing herbs upside down and that was an utter failure.
I might actually agree with your hanging basket theory except for the part that if the stems of the tomato plant kept rubbing against the edged of the planter, especially when laden with fruit, would cause damage to the plant. I think that is why they came up with the upside down planter for tomatoes.
Esamus, I'll have to ask my mom for all the details but the few that I know from her are:
ReplyDelete1. Don't plant trees in front of your house. If you already have some there you'll have to cut them down... it's supposed to be bad because it blocks all the good luck entering your front door...
2. Don't plant cassava stems upside down. There are certain plants that you cut the stems and then plant those in order to have more of them. Make sure those cuttings are always planted right side up otherwise the fruit/vegetable harvested later might be poisonous.
3. When you're in the garden in the summer and you see a patch of land that is very dry and cracked, it's supposedly the home of a 'dwarf'. Our concept of dwarf in the Philippines is like a supernatural spirit that can be white (good) or black (bad). If you walk on their territory say "Excuse me" and be very careful not to damage anything in that area. Many people here have been known to suddenly have something bad happen to them if they were rude or harmful to a dwarf and his home. Like our neighbour who threw a cigarette on his yard where there was cracked land. The next day his whole arm (the arm used to throw it) was swollen and he couldn't bend it. The doctors didn't know what was wrong with it or how to fix it so it took weeks for it to go back to normal.
1. Hmm can't follow this. Normally there are always trees planted in-front of the house on the roadside, planted by the local council. In-fact if we cut it, you are supposed to be fined. But if you cut at the bottom close to the ground and all round the bark, the tree will die naturally. But not a good practice, we are supposed to help plant and grow trees.
ReplyDelete2. I used to plant cassava, but always plant it the right side up. I plant it because I like it boiled and it must be very soft and mushy. The ones you buy from the market are usually hard when boiled. My guess is they leave it for months to make the roots bigger and get better profit. My theory is you must harvest it young, normally I harvest it around 3 months when the roots are quite small but eatable. So far, some are OK but some are not so soft.
3. We have the same saying, but normally it applies to when in the jungle or bush, when you want to piss, to say Excuse me.
Nice to learn something new!