♥ MY ALLIUMS PROGRESS!! ♥

ORGANIC DESERT ALLIUMS

   I do not know about you guys, but I absolutely LOVE the smell my Alliums give off in my Organic Desert Garden. I just cannot resist taking a piece off of one and munching on it whilst I tend the garden. It seriously tastes completely different than any type of Allium I have bought through the local grocery stores ever. There is seriously nothing to compare it to other than being ten times more flavourful and ten times more refreshing. All of these Alliums are from my Fall run last year, yes they have not been harvested. The reason being is that any Alliums planted during Summer, Fall and/or Winter takes (in most cases) twice as long to mature.

ORGANIC DESERT ALLIUMS

   The reason being that the sun is not around long enough through Fall and Winter to provide the much needed light and heat. Which is what the majority of Alliums require to be fully developed and fully nutritional. I estimate that these Alliums will start to fully mature towards the end of April and the beginning of May. Which is the perfect time, for me and my family at least, to store them for the Winter season here in the desert. I strongly recommend growing enough crop to store throughout the Fall and Winter seasons because it is always going to taste better than what you can find at the market and sometimes you cannot even find these specific cultivars of Alliums other than growing them yourself. Thanks again for reading and staying with me through this sustainable journey and I promise I will try to update DAILY. Until next time green thumbs....


¤ KEEP IT GREEN AND KEEP IT GROWING!! ♥

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HyperSmash

Early Spring Garden Update! 2014

   Hey Fellow Green-thumbs!! It is Early Spring so I decided to do a little video sharing what I am growing in my Organic Sustainable Desert Garden! I'm extremely excited about sharing this video with you fine folk, because it truly shows what you can achieve through gardening in a desert environment. Everything in this video is in early developmental stages of growth, except my Organic Onion Patch. Those are my Winter Onions and take quite a bit longer than my Spring/Summer Onions because of the weather and the amount of sunshine they have been receiving throughout those dreary Fall/Winter months.

   I will do another Garden Update by the end of Spring so you all can see the progress my Organic Desert Garden has gone through. I love doing these type of videos and most of all I love sharing with you fine folk what I can grow in the Desert. Subscribe to my various Social Media Outlets to stay in touch with my Organic Sustainable Desert Garden. Thanks again for watching and staying with me through this journey. It's been fun! Until next time...


¤ KEEP IT GREEN AND KEEP IT GROWING!


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<3 I ALWAYS FOLLOW BACK!! <3

HyperSmash

Pole Beans and Trellis'!

Organic Italian Pole Beans

   Pole Beans require a lot of time and water to germinate at first, but once you see growth like this, it will take off on a spurt. I love to plant my Pole Beans in a pot right next to a trellis. A lot of people have been asking, "Why do Pole Beans need a trellis to grow?". Well the simple answer is that Pole Beans grow vertically, this cultivar of Pole Bean you see above can get up to 8 feet high (2,6 metres). Some cultivars of Pole Beans can actually grow vertically up to 20 feet (6,6 metres), which to me is amazing that a plant can essentially cover a side of a building whilst insulating the building from the weather and providing the inhabitants with delicious crop.

Sustainable Trellis *Made from an old fence*

   I decided to take some gauged wire fencing and some pieces of old wood I tore off from a fence I was no longer using to make a suitable trellis for my Pole Beans. A key thing about being or trying to be sustainable is to reuse anything in your possession for a new purpose. Like these pieces of wood I used for making this trellis a little over 8 feet high (2,6 metres). I will be using the rest of the wood to make signs for my various plants in my garden. *Which I will post a new article regarding each step I use, the tools I use and what materials I found throughout my property.*

   Pole Beans really do NEED a trellis to grow properly or else the vines will just go everywhere and be more accessible to bad bugs and most of all will not feel the wind and won't attract bees properly to it.

   Remember to try to reuse everything you can on your property in a gardeners sense. It's easier and less costly in the long run, which will give you more cash to buy newer seeds or more essential gardening materials. Keep in touch to see my sustainability progress and witness a change in the desert! Follow me on the following Social Media Outlets for constant updates and rants! I ALWAYS FOLLOW BACK!! <3

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HyperSmash

Sustainable Living Tips: Canning

Organic Jarred Tomato Sauce 

   My Fiancee and I have been canning for about 2 years now. We use this process for a majority of crop I grow throughout the spring and summer, to be available to eat during fall and winter. Doing this process usually takes us about a full day or two, just because of all the different food we make to can. In these pictures, we made a batch of tomato sauce and are canning it without any preservatives which will give the sauce approximately a 6 month refrigerated shelf life.

Organic Jarred Tomato Sauce

    I love the fact that you can grow food throughout the spring and summer months, and have a safe and healthy way to store this food for later consumption. If you really are looking into trying to be sustainable and live a healthier life. Learn how to jar and preserve your well looked after crop. It will be a huge expense reliever and also will teach your children the importance of food and the value of money.

   I will be posting an in detail step-by-step process of canning in the future. So be on the look out for that! Check me out on the following Social Media Outlets!! I ALWAYS FOLLOW BACK <3

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HyperSmash

ONION SEEDS: WHAT TO LOOK FOR!!

Organically Grown Cippolina Onions (Budding) and English Leeks

   Spring is here and for every gardener that means a major event is going to start....plants starting to seed! There is nothing more awe-inspiring than watching what you have been growing in your garden producing, essentially, offspring. Flowers blossom and bees come to make sweet, sweet love to your beautiful plants. During this process, a wonderful thing happens and that is the production of seeds.

   I honestly and whole-heartily believe that every gardener NEEDS to learn how to harvest seeds and store them properly. The whole point of doing this is so that when you go to resow these seeds, they will be more "in-tune" with your particular climate and elevation which will result in a more abundant crop later on.

Organically Grown Cippolina Onions (Budding), Italian Torpedo Onions and English Leeks

   Once these buds start to blossom and go into seed, I will provide you guys with the information and techniques of when to harvest your seeds. But most importantly, I will show you guys how to dry and store your seeds so that whatever seeds you harvest will indeed germinate when you sow them for your next garden cycle.

   Thanks again for allowing me to share my passion and knowledge of gardening with you fine folk. Be on the look out for future updates and videos! Follow me on these social media outlets! I always follow back ^^. Until next time folks.....

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¤ KEEP IT GREEN AND KEEP IT GROWING!




HyperSmash

PRAYING MANTIS: A DESERT GARDENERS MATE!

ORGANICALLY GROWN GIANT DI ITALIA PARSLEY 

   Everyone always constantly asks me, "How do you maintain a healthy organic garden whilst combating 'Bad Bugs' without any pesticides or sprays?". Well folks, that is probably the easiest question to answer about organic gardening. I use 'Good Bugs' to combat the 'Bad Bugs'.

   Today I will be talking about Praying Mantis and reasons they actually benefit your garden. The Praying Mantis feeds on the majority of 'Bad Bugs' including; aphids, flies, roaches, squash bugs, and moths. If you let your Praying Mantis get big enough, it can actually eat mosquitoes and flies (unless a garden spider catches them in their web!).

ORGANICALLY GROWN GIANT DI ITALIA PARSLEY

   The scary thing about Praying Mantis are they can actually kill small rodents, frogs, snakes and small birds. Which can be a good thing, but you do need Hummingbirds in your garden to promote pollination and they also eat some 'Bad Bugs' as well.

   As you can see in the pictures above, I have attached my Praying Mantis egg sack onto a stake. The reason I did this is because in order to hatch properly, the egg sack has to be a foot or two off of the ground (0.3 metre - 0.6 metre off the ground). I put this egg sack in my Parsley patch because it provides the right amount of shade and wind-break, in which my opinion, is the best home you can offer these little garden defenders.

   I hope this helps you folks plan out your organic garden and realize, you don't need any pesticides or sprays to grow healthy organic food. Thanks again for reading my posts and staying with me on my sustainability journey! Feel free to add me on these various social media websites to see my constant updates of pictures from my Organic Desert Garden! **I FOLLOW BACK!!**

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¤ KEEP IT GREEN AND KEEP IT GROWING!

HyperSmash

Pole Beans: Companion Plants and Plants to Avoid!

   Another day, and another addition to my "Companion Plants and Plants to Avoid" section! For me, the best type of bean I enjoy are specifically Pole Beans. I love them Frenched, Baked, Broiled, Pan Fried and done in a Wok. I usually grow extra Pole Beans just to throw some in my compost bin because they are a GREAT source of nitrogen bacteria and just break down extremely well in this Desert Heat.

   I usually grow my Pole Beans in a pot that is right up against a trellis, which I make myself. That way I can control how the plant will grow and what direction they will grow in.

   Pole beans are helped by RADISHES. **If you grow your Pole Beans in a garden bed with an angled trellis, plant some RADISHES underneath the trellis. Your Pole Beans will also make a shade wall naturally whilst growing on your trellis, thus providing your organic RADISHES with a proper shaded area.**

   AVOID PLANTING POLE BEANS NEAR SUNFLOWERS, BEETS AND BRASSICAS. **RADISH ARE THE ONLY EXCEPTION FROM THE BRASSICA FAMILY**

   Most of you are thinking, "Why is this nutter just writing specifically about Pole Beans and not just the Beans family?". Well I'll tell you why, Pole Beans grow completely different from Regular Beans and Bush Beans. I also use the same soil mix as my Kale for my Pole Beans, and I have never had any problems growing them that way. For me, Beans and Bush Beans take a different amount of care than their brother the Pole Beans. If you are thinking about starting to grow your own Beans, I would recommend Pole Beans first since they are easier to grow and require less maintenance than other Bean Cultivars. Hope this helps you plan and I hope my information helps you with various questions you have. If you require more information feel free to comment or email me! Until next time folks....


¤ Keep it GREEN and Keep it GROWING!

HyperSmash

Asparagus: Companion Plants and Plants to Avoid!!

Original Photo: plantfreak.wordpress.com

    I don't know about you folks, but I love it when my Fiancee makes Roasted Asparagus to go with our steaks or to go with the perfect Baked Potato! I think Asparagus just gives whatever dish the right amount of eye candy and flavour anyone can ask for.

   That being said, I decided to share with you my knowledge of what to grow with Asparagus and what can cause harm to your Asparagus Plants. **Asparagus Plants take between 2 to 3 years to produce edible spears which grow straight from the ground. I recommend harvesting this spears with an inch left showing above the ground so it can promote a healthy regrowth of new spears.**

   Asparagus help TOMATOES and PARSLEY.

   Asparagus are helped by DILL, CORIANDER, TOMATOES, PARSLEY, BASIL, COMFREY, MARIGOLDS and NASTURTIUMS.

   (The best companion plant in my opinion is BASIL for the fact that if you plant your Asparagus and Basil together, that will actually promote Lady Bugs to come and visit your organic garden more frequently. Lady Bugs love that combination!)

   AVOID PLANTING ASPARAGUS NEAR ONIONS, GARLIC, POTATOES AND GLADIOLAS! **These plants will most likely attract bad bugs and promote poor growth to any and all Asparagus Cultivar**

   I hope this list helps you with plotting out where your Asparagus Spears will be growing, and remember it does take time for your Asparagus to actually produce edible crop so don't freak out if it doesn't produce quality edible spears within the first 2 years. Until next time folks...


¤ KEEP IT GREEN! KEEP IT GROWING!! <3

HyperSmash

Alliums: Companion Plants and Plants to Avoid!

Organically Grown Italian Torpedo Onion, English Leek, Cippolina Onion

    I don't know about you guys, but in my household, we use various alliums religiously with everything we cook. I love the way they smell raw and cooked. And I'm sure you do too! Well, I promised you fine folk that I would provide more growing information on companion planting and so I decided to share my information on alliums.

    Now most of you are thinking "What the hell are Alliums?" and that this guy is just totally nuts. Well, I'm here to tell you that onions actually belong to a plant family and that family is called "Allium". The Allium family include; onions, garlic, chives, shallots and leeks.

    Alliums help FRUIT TREES, NIGHTSHADES, TOMATOES, PEPPERS, POTATOES, BRASSICAS and CARROTS. *Brassicas are plant family, just like Alliums. Brassicas include; broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi, turnip and radish.*

    Alliums are helped by CARROTS.

    AVOID PLANTING ALLIUMS NEAR BEANS, PEAS AND PARSLEY. *These plants will MOST LIKELY bring BAD BUGS or cause overall bad growth to your Alliums*
 
    I hope this list helps you plan your garden around which plants will benefit your crop and not deteriorate its health. I thank you guys for staying with me through my gardening journey and through my sustainability journey. This year I am shooting for my family and immediate family to not be supported through this rubbish grocery/market system. SO stay tuned in for my future YouTube Videos and Blogposts on here. Until next time folks....


¤ Keep it GREEN and Keep it GROWING!!

HyperSmash

CUCUMBER: COMPANION PLANTS AND PLANTS TO AVOID!

ORGANICALLY GROWN JAPANESE CUCUMBER

    Alright guys! I decided to go through the list of various vegetables and fruits to share with you all MY knowledge of what crop grows well together, what fights off bugs and disease, and finally what CANNOT be grown together.

    So many people start gardening with the notion that each and every single thing they decide to put into their garden, will indeed be healthy and grow plentiful. Sorry to burst your bubble, but that just is not the case. Just like how certain food should never be cooked together because of the vulgar taste they create when combined, gardening is taken in the same sense.

    Today I felt like starting with CUCUMBERS. Why am I starting with cucumbers? Well I just transplanted my cucumbers into their section of my garden box today. :). In which I had so much fun getting my hands and feet dirty planting them!

    Cucumbers are helped by BEANS, KOHLRABI and LETTUCE. *These crops will aide in deterring bad bugs, and promote healthy growth*

    Cucumbers help KOHLRABI, NASTURTIUMS, RADISHES, MARIGOLDS, SUNFLOWERS, PEAS, BEANS, BEETS, CARROTS AND DILL.

    AVOID PLANTING CUCUMBERS NEAR ANY AROMATIC HERBS(EXCEPT DILL) AND AWAY FROM ANY POTATOES! *You will get "bad bugs" that can kill your crop if you plant cucumbers close to these plants.

    Well I hope that helps you guys figure out your garden plot and make sure to rearrange your plants if they are growing near anything that can kill it or cause harm to it. Be on the look out for future posts on various companion planting. Until next time....


¤ Keep it GREEN and Keep it GROWING!!

HyperSmash

FRUITS GIVE US SUPERPOWERS!!

ORGANICALLY GROWN DESERT STRAWBERRIES

    There is a reason when we eat fruit, we as humans feel so satisfied. I honestly believe that fruit evolved to our needs as human beings. Every single time I eat a piece of fruit, I always feel so energized and good inside.

    I started noticing that I felt less tired, and had more of an attention span for all of my gardening work including writing my book. * I will let you guys know when it is almost finished so you can be on the look out for it! * There has to be a study done on the effects of fruit, regarding brain stimulation, health and overall emotions.

    I believe that fruit helped us evolve into the beings we are today, we learned to cultivate it for our needs and we also learned which fruits were best in each season. Without cultivation, societies would never really have taken place. Look throughout history, certain fruits have ACTUALLY caused wars just because of the fact of our bodies needing them.

    For example, ever hear about how Xerxes tried to conquer all of Greece? Well his true ambition was for the FIG! You read that right folks, a man decided to take a whole country to war just for the fruits that specific countries regions bore. Remember, there is a reason why fruit is so important! Until next time...

¤ EAT SOME FRUIT!

HyperSmash

HERBS! HERBS! HERBS!

    Now, when most people think of "herbs" they think of the smoke-able kind that makes you all mellow yellow. When I talk about "herbs" I am actually referring to culinary and medicinal herbs that have been passed down through all culture's ancestors, especially the Chinese Culture.

    Most people do not know that they can actually grow their own culinary and medicinal herbs for personal use. Take LAVENDER for instance. Did you know if you brew freshly organically grown LAVENDER into a tea, it actually acts as a relaxant and anti-depressant.

    Another example would be MOTHERWORT, which can be made into a "tonic" (as I call it) with the use of certain specific alcohols (brandy, and all grain alcohols). After letting this "tonic" settle for two weeks or so, I recommend putting three to four drops into your favourite tea and you will see the effects of this tonic. * MOTHERWORT helps ease menstrual pains and afterbirth pains as well as helping with menopause. This tonic will also help with keeping your emotional balance, with your circulatory systems and aides your hearts health (reduces palpitations, and strengthens the heart).

    We as a civilization have totally forgot the natural ways of curing and aiding our everyday stresses, aches and pains. We really need to get off of all this chemical bullshit and realize that these chemical drugs are doing more harm to the body than good. I hope this information helps some of you, and widens your perspective of how we treat our bodies. Remember, this is our life and we should live it to the fullest and healthiest as possible!

HyperSmash

WAYS TO WATER YOUR GARDEN

    So many Las Vegas residents end up asking me how do I water my garden without wasting so much time actually filling a bucket then watering each plant individually. I actually DO NOT do this. In my opinion, that is a waste of time. Especially during the summer months when an individual can get heat-stroke from just tending their garden.

   So I came up with a plan! I dug up all of my water pipes throughout my backyard, so I can see where each sprinkler head is located at. After doing that, I took off the sprinkler head and attached a top where I can attach about 8 individual hose lines with a drop stake that can be put right next to my plants.

    Doing this method, I have saved myself from heat exhaustion and also granted myself more time to focus on the well being of my plants. Take a look at the picture above, do you see the little knob right next to the stalk of my Pepperoncini Plant? That is the drip stake. I promise you, this is probably one of the best methods to use for watering your garden in this desert climate.

    I hope this helps out you guys and puts into perspective how harsh gardening in the desert can be on the gardener. Make sure to wear sunscreen and don't exert yourself just to water your plants. They won't benefit from anything if you cannot take care of them! Until next time

¤ Keep it GREEN and Keep it GROWING!

HyperSmash

HOW TO TELL WHEN YOUR VEGGIE PLANT IS PRODUCING SEED!

Organically Grown Lacinato *Dinosaur* Kale

    I have had so many people ask me how can they tell when their plant is producing seed, more importantly WHEN to harvest these seeds and how to properly store said seed. Well as you can see with the picture above, this specific Lacinato (Dinosaur) Kale is in flower and has buds forming above said flowers. Those buds at the top are the seeds one should be harvesting. Each time you grow a plant in your specific climate, that plants genetics adopt to grow in your area more effectively. So, my opinion for you is to continually harvesting your own seeds and replanting them so that after a while your seeds will grow more abundantly in your region.

Organically Grown Lacinato *Dinosaur* Kale

    Now for me, I have a rule, I DO NOT harvest any seeds from a plant that has not started flowering. After continual trial and error I found that seeds harvested from a flowering plant have a higher germination rate than harvesting seeds from a plant that has yet to produce a flower. So if you are going to start harvesting and cultivating your own seeds from your plants, I encourage you to wait till at least one flower blossoms. It will increase your odds of another successful season of seeds that will truly germinate.

    I hope this helps you fine folk figure out how to find your seeds and more importantly, I hope it helps you harvest seeds that will indeed germinate at a rate higher than seventy percent. Until next time....


¤ Keep it GREEN and Keep it GROWING!

HyperSmash

USING WATER SMART IN DESERT CLIMATES

    To me having a yard with grass in a desert climate is a complete and utter waste of time. More importantly it is a complete waste of WATER. I never understood anyone in Las Vegas who decides to keep a yard with grass. You could be saving that water and much more money by just having a garden, in my opinion. Take this for instance, my neighbor puts their water on for about 9 minutes roughly 4 times a day. Where our yards meet, my side is filled with rocks and it usually is drenched with the water from their sprinkler system. I watch everyday as the gutter fills with overly used water from my whole street. It saddens me so that these people are so ignorant to the fact that they could be growing crops and actually using those crops for a purpose.

    Everyone I see with grass in Las Vegas in their yard, usually ends up only being green for about 2 months because of the vicious desert sun. Then you'll see the same people complain about wasting time and their water to feed their dead grass, yet they still continue each year with the same cycle. I believe we should break that cycle in Las Vegas and maybe REQUIRE people to have a garden of their own. Since the majority of all veggie crop and fruit crop are imported into this city.

    I whole heartily believe if the city of Las Vegas does push some requirement like that out, we'll see more healthier people out here. Let me know what you think and if you see the same problem where you live. Keep the gardening passion growing and grow something green! Until next time....

¤ Keep it GREEN and Keep it GROWING!

HyperSmash

Soil, Soil, Soil!!

    Another Spring Season has come! Which means, for us gardeners, that it is time to break into the previous Winter Season's compost dirt pile and enrich it further with some steer manure! After dumping my compost dirt pile and cleaning through the various rubbish that did not fully decompose, your compost should look like this. For me, and other avid gardeners, compost is as good as gold. Without a great compost, your crop won't be as plentiful or as mature as it could be. You do not necessarily have to use a kiddie pool like I did, you can also use a tarp or a garbage bag that has been fully opened and flattened out.

    Compost is always going to be on any organic gardeners list of things they have to continually upkeep. I cannot express how important it is to have compost on hand. You never know how your crop is going to take to your prepared soil, especially if you mix up cultivars like I do (i.e. two tomato plants but one a beefsteak and the other a roma). I usually add more compost to my plants roughly around two to three months into growth so that when I harvest the plants crop for the first run I will have a great probability of the plant to reproduce an equally or greater crop with the second run.

    It's always a fun thing to dirty your hands and get in touch with nature through gardening. Until next time folks....


¤ Keep it GREEN and Keep it GROWING!!

HyperSmash

Onions: Thinning out the Old, Spreading out the New

    Spring has sprung for Las Vegas and that means I had to go out to the garden and figure out which plants need to go and which need to still grow! I absolutely love it when spring comes around, it's such an addicting feeling. Once I started harvesting several different alliums, I just could not stop! I saw a couple of onions that did not get the chance to fully grow through the previous Winter months, so I took the liberty of freeing them from their claustrophobic growing space.

    Once I pulled the clustered onions to safety, I put them into a cup of water in order to make certain the roots will not dry out. After making sure every single onion had enough space to fully mature and grow into a nice sized crop, I worked the soil of my onion patch yet again to add some manure into it.

    I'm telling you, there is an incredible feeling when you work with your hands in a garden. I really can't put it into words other than, zen. So why not go and make a little bit of space in your backyard or front yard for your very own therapeutic slice of heaven. Until next time...

¤ Keep it GREEN and Keep it GROWING

HyperSmash

TIME TO START YOUR OUTDOOR GARDEN, INDOORS!

Organic Indoor Tomatoes and Peppers

    That is right folks! It is time to start getting everything ready for gardening outdoors! If you have been following my blog posts and various tweets I have put throughout the Winter Season, you will know I have already had some organic vegetable plants started indoors for my Outdoor Garden Spring run.

    But you guys are in luck! You still have time to start your outdoor crop, indoors. I would recommend doing this by the end of the week so your plants will be big enough and healthy enough to transplant into your outdoor garden beds or pots. I have been using only one hundred watt growing lights to propagate my seeds, which truly does the job quite well I must say.

Organic Flamingo Pink Swiss Chard

    I also use a mixture of manure, compost, plant matter and dirt to germinate my seeds so I don't have to add any rubbish to promote growth. But you can always use whatever soil medium you have on hand and just add manure or compost or both even down the road. If you start your seeds next week or the week after, don't freak out! Just wait the extra week or two and keep your plants indoors until they are healthy enough to transplant. You do not want to waste all that time just to aggravate yourself in the end.

    Well I hope you all are getting busy and warming your green thumbs up from the winter season. I wish you luck and hope all your plants are healthy and vibrant. Until next time folks....


¤ Keep it GREEN and Keep it GROWING!

HyperSmash

Organic Indoor Salad Greens: End of Week 6

Organic Indoor Eros Escarole

   What a wonderful sight! I cannot hold a smile back when I see anything growing in a garden. Salad Greens are no exception, to me certain leafy greens just grow incredibly beautifully. My Organic Eros Escarole, in the picture above, took on a whole new journey. Some of the leaves as you can see started drying up, so I gave the plant a little extra manure. After doing that, it seemed to have gotten back into the healthy growing spirit. As you can see in the middle of the plant, the new leaves that are sprouting are growing at an amazing rate. This growth seemed to have happened over a series of three nights. Which I am totally grateful for!

Organic Indoor Gourmet European Mesclun Salad Mix

   After already using the "cut and come again" technique all of my salad greens seem to reproducing quite well. These Gourmet Mesclun Greens are thriving off of just compost, manure and water. Nothing special is needed to grow a full pot of salad greens, especially since these greens are fully mature under a month. I cannot stress how easy and how rewarding growing your own greens can be. I mean I seriously stopped buying salad greens from the market all together because of my indoor organic salad greens I am growing. After a while of constantly going to the market and buying fresh salad, only to have to throw away the last portion that usually ends up getting soggy from packaging it is in.

   There is no limit to what we can grow indoors, as long as you have the right equipment that is! Thanks again for following my grow-log, it means so much for me. Leave me a comment if you have any questions or inquiries. Until next time friends....


¤ Keep it GREEN and Keep it GROWING

HyperSmash

Tomato Cultivars for Beginner Gardeners

   There are so many people out there who want to start gardening, then these individuals end up buying temperamental vegetable/fruit seeds, get frustrated with the certain care these seeds need and all together abandon gardening from this bad experience. I have found and recorded various tomato cultivar so that I could make this Beginner Gardeners Tomato Cultivar List.

Organic Italian Roma Tomatoes

Roma Tomato - Fast Germination. Can yield up to twenty tomatoes at a time. Took seventy days for first mature fruit.

Super Sweet 100 Cherry Tomato - Fast Growth. Full half-dollar sized fruit. Took fifty-five days for first mature fruit.

Yellow Pear Tomato - Fast Germination. Pear-shaped fruit the size of ones thumb. Took sixty days for first mature fruit.

Organic German Heirloom Tomato

German Heirloom Tomato - Average Growth. Pinkish hue. Great size and best as a slicing tomato, in my opinion. Took sixty-five days for first full fruit.

Organic Cherokee Purple Tomato

Cherokee Purple Tomato - Fast Germination. Average sized slicing tomato. Purple hue to flesh. Took seventy-seven days for first full fruit.

 * I used dead plant matter, sand, compost and manure for my soil base and re-mulched every other month.

   All of these cultivar take little effort to keep alive. All you need is a timer for your watering system and to prune them every other week. Remember this is all just a little bit of your time for amazing healthy organic food you grew for your loved ones and yourself. Not only will you feel accomplished growing your own food but you can also make your garden a place to hang out in your back yard. Which is pretty cool because then you get to show your friends/family how simple gardening is and the fruits of your ridiculously easy labour. Thanks again for reading my posts, follow/ subscribe for future updates.
Until next time my fellow green thumbs...

¤ Keep it GREEN and Keep it GROWING

HyperSmash

Organic Indoor French Radish: End of Week 5

Organic Indoor French Radish

   Another week and more growth to show for these beautiful delicious little morsels. I cannot believe time has gone by this fast, I mean look! Each radish bulb seems to be wanting to come up from the soil. I went and looked over all of the weekly and bi-weekly photos I have taken of these Organic French Radishes over the past five weeks. Truly, I am amazed at what nature is. This proves that life is everywhere we look and we can help maintain these precious lives so that future generations know what they are and how they came to be. These radishes have grown and shown me that even with a little help, the outcome can be magnificent.

Organic Indoor French Radish

   You can see here that these little red devils are about ready for harvesting. I would say about four or five more days until I pluck these little mouth-watering organic french radishes. As soon as I pluck these I am going to sow more radish seeds and I am thinking about sowing two different radish cultivar seeds together in the same pot, which will give me a choice of which type of radish I would like to use that particular day after I harvest and store them properly.

Next post will hopefully be on a harvest video for these wonderful little guys. Thanks again for staying with my grow log and seeing how little effort it takes to grow your own organic healthy food. Subscribe/follow me for future updates and videos! Until next time fellow gardeners....

¤ Keep it GREEN and Keep it GROWING!

HyperSmash

Organic Indoor Spinach and Swiss Chard: End of Week 5

 Organic Indoor Bloomsdale Spinach

   I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am to have this spinach plant growing. I love spinach. I would eat spinach every day if I could, I did not grow enough spinach to last me throughout this years winter unfortunately. But the only way we learn is through trial and error, so through my error I now know to start saving and storing my spinach a couple of weeks earlier for next winter. Bloomsdale spinach is an insanely fast reproducing spinach cultivar, I believe this cultivar should be a staple in every novice gardeners' garden. This plant usually will start fully producing around the fifty-fifth day after germination in my personal experience. This is the only spinach cultivar I have grown since I started gardening and I actually am going to try out a new spinach cultivar this spring in my organic outdoor garden, so be on the look out for those future posts and YouTube videos!

Organic Indoor Flamingo Pink Swiss Chard

   I cannot believe that my fiancees' cat decided to eat all of my swiss chard sproutlings I had previously growing in this container you see here. After planting new seeds about two weeks ago, we are at this stage yet again. But at least the growth rate and germination rate are extremely fast and ideal for the average garden. I am excited to try this plant, I always heard its similar to kale but has its own taste. It's always fun to try something new and exotic!

   Thanks again for following and reading my grow-posts, it means the world to me. Let me know what your favourite veggie or fruit is, and maybe I can tell you how to grow it! Until next time friends....

¤ Keep it GREEN and Keep it GROWING



HyperSmash

Organic Indoor Salad Greens: End of Week 5

Organic Indoor Eros Escarole

   One cannot describe how amazing it feels to know that I, with my own hands, have brought this plant to life from seed with the use of knowledge I have obtained through trial and error. This seed was extremely fast during the germination stage and had a steady growth rate throughout its life. This cultivar to me is a must grow salad green to accompany other leafy greens in whatever salad you decide to make. This growth is amazing considering this is one of the plants my cat decided to eat.

Organic Indoor Giant Caesar Lettuce

   Another one of the plants my cat thought belonged to him and his stomach. Yet look at the regrowth and how yummy these leafy greens look. I always grow this leafy salad green just because of the taste and how well this salad holds dressing whilst not getting soggy. This green I would say is about a third of the way to full maturity. Each head will be quite compact and wide. I am looking forward to sharing its full maturity with you fine folks, the pictures will be phenomenal!

Organic Indoor Gourmet European Mesclun Salad Mix

   These Gourmet European Mesclun Salad Mix leafy greens are about to mature in a day or so and be ready for my fiancee and I to have a little salad snack. These greens usually are done between twenty seven to thirty five days after germination. I will always regrow this cultivar of mesclun just because of the fact of continual harvest, which is extremely possible and highly recommended to do with the majority of mesclun cultivars.

   Another week, and more growth to show for it. I cannot wait to share a harvest video of salad greens with you fine folks. Which will come round soon enough! Thanks again for reading and following my posts, it means so much to me. Until next time friends....


¤ Keep it GREEN and Keep it GROWING!

HyperSmash

Organic Indoor Tomatoes and Peppers: End of Week 5

Organic Indoor Tomatoes

    Another week has gone by and another picture that shows the various tomatoes I have planted growth. This is truly satisfying, recording a grow-log and sharing it with you fine folk so you can see the joys and wonder of gardening. There is no way I would ever give this hobby and lifestyle of mine up for anything. The rewards are beneficial and in the long run I get to learn something new everyday about each plant and each of their cultivars. So far I have learned that these tomatoes will rapidly grow if there is a substantial amount of light. Also that no matter how sunny it is that if these tomato plants get too hot, they will wither and die. So in order to protect these lovely plants, later on I will be covering my Outdoor Organic Garden with a layer of Burlap Cloth so that the plants can get enough beneficial shade and still thrive in the deserts burning sun.

Organic Indoor Peppers

    These pepper plants are already trying to start to flower even though I have not thinned them out and transplant them into their own individual Solo Cup. Each plant's stalk is incredibly thick and flexible even though they have only been growing for about five full weeks. Which is a great sign and shows that this plant will be healthy and hopefully hold up all of its' crop when it produces. All of these peppers I am growing are going to be specifically grown for my family. Sometimes I give out free extra crop to my neighbors and friends when my immediate family cannot finish it all before the crop spoils. Hopefully these pepper plants will keep a nutritious and fast reproduction rate when they start producing beautiful yummy peppers for me to pick. I will definitely set aside a few of each pepper to see how they handle being turned into a spice.

    Hopefully you will want to start planting a vegetable plant or two and give gardening a try. Thanks again for reading my posts, it means so much to me. Leave me a comment if you have any questions, recommendations for plants to grow, or just want to chat. Until next time friends....


¤ Keep it GREEN and Keep it GROWING

HyperSmash

Organic Indoor Herbs: End of Week 5

Organic Indoor Herbs

   Yet another week has passed and my indoor garden is extremely aromatic due to the flowering and budding herbs that have been growing in there for the past five weeks. These herbs are completely relentless when it comes to growing, no wonder most people only recognize them as "weed-like" in their growth rate. I cannot begin to explain how amazing these herbs smell. The aroma is incredible, it is pretty much just having live potpourri. Everything I currently am growing is going to start to mature before I actually put it out in my outdoor garden because I want to have some living plants already to go when the last frost ends. If I timed everything right I should be having a continual harvest each week, which I am hoping I got right!

   It is always a brilliant idea if you are the home cook to maybe look into the idea of growing your own herbs, since buying them frequently can be quite costly in the long run. Not only will growing your own herbs let you have your very own herb paradise but it will also teach you about the herbs you are using in your recipes. To me it is important to know what you are eating and where it has come from. This is why I will always promote and grow everything I consume myself.

   Thanks again for reading my grow-log and staying up-to-date. Give gardening a try, maybe it will be a stress relief or your new hobby. Until next time folks....

¤ Keep it GREEN and Keep it GROWING

HyperSmash

Organic Outdoor Winter Kale and Parsley

Organic Outdoor Red Russian Kale

   I have been using the "cut and come again" technique I believe about four times now, and you can see the re-growth results on this plant here which has reproduced with fully nutritional leafy greens ready for the picking. This was the first cultivar of kale I grew when I started gardening so long ago. Kale is a very versatile leafy green that can be used in a variety of different culinary uses and different types of cuisine (i.e. European, American, English, Asian). The re-growth rate of this specific cultivar, for me at least, is about a week to a week and a half. Which is perfect for me because I use kale quite frequently for various favourite dishes of mine, such as ramen and baked chips. Kale is an extremely easy plant and grows throughout the winter, if you cover them with burlap as I did which keeps them warm and lets them mature but at a slower rate.

Organic Outdoor Giant Italian Parsley

   Parsley is a staple in our house hold, and I am sure it is a staple in many other house holds as well. This plant hold so extremely well in frost condition and throughout winter. This plant was the only thing left thriving in one of my outdoor raised garden beds. This cultivar is an extremely easily grow and holds up to anything, I would definitely recommend first time gardeners to grow this specific cultivar, because its so extremely easy to maintain and grow.

   This goes to show that there are some veggies and herbs out there that will thrive in winter conditions. Thanks again for reading and following/subscribing to my social media, it means so much to me and I always follow back! Until next time friends...


¤ Keep it GREEN and Keep it GROWING!


HyperSmash

Outdoor Organic Onion Patch

Organic Outdoor Onion Patch

   I have been growing onions in this patch for well over a year now. These onions you see in the photo above are my third cycle of onions I have planted from seed. The total cost for me for growing my onions fails in to compare how much I spend on onions. Every onion I have planted has smelled and tasted like no onion I have ever had before. Growing onions yourself is an amazing treat, especially since my household uses onions in pretty much every other dish. So far I have only grown Wallah Wallah Onions and French Grey Shallots, which I grew twice in a row. Overall, I will always grow new organic onion cultivars as long as I can get my green hands on them. ^^

Organic Outdoor Cippolina Onions

   I love stews and soups, you'd know that if you are a constant reader of my posts. These Cippolina onions are just the perfect stew and soup onion ever grown, in my opinion of course. Cippolina onions are small, but nonetheless take the same amount of time to grow as a medium sized onion. The one thing about these onions I love to do with is to make a little bowl out of it then fill it with zucchini and peppers and roast it in the oven till it is browned. That makes a yummy one bite snack!

Organic Outdoor Italian Red Torpedo Onions

   Italian Red Torpedo onions to me, make the perfect addition to any salad because of the intense onion flavour and crunch they have to offer everyone's palette. I decided to grow these onions because I cannot find them at any market I have been to as of yet and because they are a pretty onion to grow.  I am assuming that these onions will be full matured by the middle of March, which is the time for perfect weather to start to eat outdoors!

Organic Outdoor English Leeks

   My Fiancee has had me hooked on English Leeks for the longest time. We both tried leeks raw together in a delicious salad from a restaurant in England, which lead us to our leek addiction today. My Fiancee will also use these delicious cultivar of leeks in her version of potato and lee soup which I will hopefully talk her into posting a video or a blog on that specific recipe.

   Well I hope you enjoy eating onions so much that hopefully you'll think about growing your own onions to eat for your family or yourself. Thanks again for reading and following/subscribing to my various social media accounts. Until next time folks....

¤ Keep it GREEN and Keep it GROWING



HyperSmash

Indoor Organic Potted Veggie Plants: End of Week 4

Organic Flamingo Pink Swiss Chard

   Another week has gone by and more progress has been shown for each individual plant! Unfortunately my "vegetarian" cat ate the majority of my Flamingo Pink Swiss Chard sproutlings, which gave me no choice but to plant some more seeds. These are those seeds and are about a week old. So their growth is actually pretty decent. I'm hoping these will be ready for transplanting with my other plants.

Organic Lacinato "Dinosaur" Kale

    What a pretty texture that is developing on these Lacinato or Dinosaur Kale. I love eating and growing kale, it's just easy to grow and incredibly versatile culinary ingredient. This cultivar is one of my top choices for kale, and will continue to be until another cultivar knocks it out of the park. I use my spinach soil mixture for my kale plants which has lots of nitrogen in it.

Organic Bloomsdale Spinach

    What can I say? Ever since I saw Popeye as a boy I HAD to have spinach. This spinach is one of my favourites because it isn't very picky and works well in both my outdoor and indoor organic gardens. This spinach usually takes about sixty days for me to fully mature but I have heard and read peoples' posts/comments stating they have had it fully mature at day fifty-five. Just remember any spinach thrives off of nitrogen, so make sure to have lots of manure to spare!

Organic Tronchuda Kale

    Yet again another kale! This kale I am growing specifically for culinary use in stocks, stews and soups. This kale cultivar derives from Portugal, and is known for its use in Portuguese Soup. You are looking at about 3 weeks of actual growth since I got the seeds from Baker Creek Farms quite late. But overall this plant is a real producer and has excellent growth rate. I'd recommend this to anyone wanting to grow kale! You cannot find this cultivar in your average market either.

That is it for this weeks indoor organic potted plants, be on the look out for future posts/videos on gardening and adventuring! Thanks again for following and reading my posts, I am glad I get to share my grow-log with you fine people. Until next time...

¤ Keep it GREEN and Keep it GROWING





HyperSmash