Rochester Urban Gardening

Hey all,

The local news rag did a piece on our little chunk of land this week. They interviewed myself, a student and our principal. It came with a video on their website if your interested.

http://www.postbulletin.com/news/stories/display.php?id=1464317

Best,

Caleb

Name that Pest!

Thought I'd throw a post out here and see if anyone can tell what's eating my tomato leaves? This is the appearance of nearly all the foilage that's close to the ground.

The mid-upper parts of the plants look great and healthy, and the plants are flowering well with lots of baby tomatoes growing. I've probably spent only about 3 minutes looking around my garden for pests recently and have seen: slugs, japanese beetles, lady bugs (not a pest I know!). I found one slug ON a tomato plant, but the japanese beetles I saw were on other plants (beans, sugar snap peas).I have a great bug book that shows photos of the damage they do and this doesn't look like the slug damage in my book. Hmmm.... Thoughts?

Food Ark in National Geographic

GREAT feature story just out in National Geographic on our planet's dwindling food variety. For those of us interested in growing and preserving heirlooms there's excellent stuff in here. Here's one link to that lists several resources for heirloom seeds, many of which I hadn't heard of. Thought I'd pass it on!

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/07/food-ark/growing-heirlooms

Also here's a great graphic from their article showing just how far our food varieties have dwindled:

Minneapolis Food Swap!

This event is a great idea if you have extra produce or plants to get rid of! Last month I brought my spinach and a few tomato and herb plants and came home with two loaves of bread, some preserves (Rhubarb Vanilla Hibiscus Sauce!), hummus, and several kind of baked good goodies!

Want to learn more? Here's a link to the June Swap Recap. And hey - those are my plants and spinach in the photos! Maybe I'll see you at the next swap?

http://mplsswappers.wordpress.com/2011/06/22/june-food-swap-recap/

Pallet Trellis?

Saw this idea on how to make a trellis from a pallet and thought I'd share! Love new trellis making ideas. :-)

http://earthlytenthomestead.wordpress.com/2011/05/06/pallet-trellis/

Green Noise

Remember Neil, the bug guy?  Here is his website, green noise.

Also, I read there that you can buy worms for composting at Eggplant Garden Supply!  My worms live in the closet, and have tripled in number since I got them in March!  We are giving them away as gifts to friends now...

A Front Yard Farm Update!

So much to do and so little time!! Today's goals: plant my peppers, some remaining herbs, stake my tomatoes, put up the trellis for my edamame, and do something with that boulevard I have covered with a small dirt pile still awaiting some insectary plants! Today's accomplishments? Well in between caring for 21 month old twins and an energetic 6 year old who decided today he hates weeding, I planted a few of my plants awaiting a home, weeded tons, and got that trellis netting up. And according to the 6 yo the most important task: picking the first (and only) ripe strawberry from our strawberry bed.

Here's how things are looking now:

The center will some day be full of asparagus! For now, just some odds 'n ends and soon to be lots of lettuce. The empty spot on the outer ring is where I just harvested my spinach. Will put some peppers there shortly! Around the rest of it are sugar snap peas, melons, beans, onions, tomatoes, tomatillos, ground cherries, several herbs. The small little bed in the back right corner has edamame and soon to be delicata squash (my favorite!).

Potatoes are happily growing in their burlap bags. (Thanks Dunn Bros!)

The strawberry bed in back is successfully protected from squirrels with some netting draped over pvc pipe.

And hopefully tomorrow I can give these guys their new home!