♥ 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!! ♥

   FOLLOW ME ON THESE SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS! I ALWAYS FOLLOW BACK!! ♥ ♥

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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