Pinepig's Virtual Garden

Yeah, that's right. Because constant liquid water falling isn't enough, we've just had hail. I haven't sprayed (still) nor have I transplanted anything recently so I should be fine in the garden hopefully. My biggest concerns with the hail would be the dwarf nextarine and dwarf peach, both of which have buds and the peach has tiny leaves.

Despite the almost-constant (with brief, occasional bouts of sunshine) rain today I did get out to do a couple things. Firstly, yesterday I planted the 5 Scarlet Runner beans I got from my friend T. I didn't try to pre-sprout them, I figure the soil is constantly wet at this point so it's not going to be a big deal. Today I planted 4 Bartolli Big Red beans and 4 Royal Burgundy (purple ones) as well. I also sprinkled some potash around almost everything so they can start getting a good feed.

The biggest thing I got done in the garden this weekend was to shift 2 potted guavas off to the side (to be given to my neighbor--he expressed an interest in a "sprout" and I didn't Realise exactly how big they get so 4 is going to be too much in our garden), shift some dahlia tubs here and there & to take that giant "grow bag" and set it up, set the thick bamboo stakes in the (saturated) ground and use plastic zip-ties to attach the bag to the stakes so the bag doesn't collapse on itself. I started filling the bag with soil. Since I'm going to put both jicama and potatoes in there I used a cardboard box from C's school books to create a barrier and filled one side completely (for the jicama seeds to go into eventually) & only about 1/4 filled the other side (for the potatoes). I have (so far) kept the potato side from collapsing by using short sticks to hold up the cardboard (it's fairly thick) and by piling the soil I put in that side up against the cardboard. I'm not going to be planting the potatoes for a little another week or 2 at least so I figure that's fine to use the soil for a prop for right now.

I'm going to need to buy more soil for the potatoes! In mostly-filling 1/2 the 'grow bag' & approxiately 1/4 filling the other side I went through over 100 liters of soil! I used the old soil from 3 pots (not too huge) and then used 2 1/2 (40 ltr) bags. I knew that it would take a lot of soil but thought 3 bags would take care of it. And the best part? I knew it would take a lot of soil so I turned down the top about 6 to 8 inches. The bag isn't even completely filled to the top.

My 2 tomato sprouts are dead. :( They didn't like being put outside so early, not after having grown up in the lovely, warm hotwater cupboard. So I've replanted the pots but they aren't in the cupboard, they're just sitting on the book shelf. I've had to replant my friend's 2 mortgage lifters because I'm a clumsy oaf. I've got 2 of the ?great white? (can't remember right now) that have come up. None of the other tomato seeds have come up and I'm debating whether I need to replant or not. I don't think I will, I might leave it for now and see how it goes. Again, these aren't in the water cupboard although I do have my friend's Big Rainbow tomatoes still in there. I'm hoping they sprout.

I picked up the Mushroom Gourmet mushroom kit this weekend. I've been wanting to get one and been wanting to get some other stuff at the garden shop but have been holding off because of money. I couldn't really leave some of this stuff much longer so decided to break out for the kit. I emailed and redeemed my voucher for my spores (being sent out tomorrow!) and I've opened the box, pulled the bits out and have read the directions. Wow, a bit more complicated than just plopping a seed in the ground, that's for sure! BUT, the good thing is that while $40.00NZ is a bit steep for the kit, it's kind of a self-perpetuating thing. Basically you prepare your "grow bag", innoculate it with the spores, do a few things here and there, pull out about 1/2 a cup of the innoculated grow medium (keep in fridge for up to a couple to few weeks) & put in the 'top up' material & eventually set it aside to grow. After you get your first flush you pull out the stalks and you can get up to 2 or 3 flushes from that bit of innoculated grow medium & can start your 2nd grow bag (and repeat the process). The local garden stores carry kits for 3 different types (button/portabello, shitake and oyster) but the website also has another 4 varieties you can buy and it looks like on the order form I can also order more spawn & it looks like they have a booklet. I'll consider getting the book maybe next pay, it looks like it has some interesting information that would help going forward.

Definitely a bit more work than "regular" veggies but hey, fresh mushrooms and a supply of dried mushrooms? Yes thank you. And if I do it right and can keep it going I'll have an almost endless supply. I checked the price of Portabellos in the store yesterday and they're up at $15NZ a kilo. Since I can use this kit to grow button or portabellos (portabellos being large buttons), it's going to pay for itself pretty quickly if I do it right.

I took some pictures tonight of the kit. This way I'll hopefully remember what the kit came with and what the original components looked like if I'm able to keep it going indefinitely.

Here's the kit:



And here's the kit once its belched its contents. There's a white plastic bag, 2 bags of grow medium (that you grow the mushrooms in), a roll of cotton wool (bandaging-type material) and a white cotton cloth that you use as a 'filter' to keep bugs out and spores in and some fine "top up" soil.



Here's 2 picts of the grow material:




I haven't taken a pict of the topping material. It basically looks like really fine soil. I've got an old canning pot (huge stock pot) that I was going to give away but have decided to hold onto it and use it for the mushrooms. It will hold at least one bag of culture easily and since I'll be starting this inside the house (laundry room) and moving it outside for growing that will keep it all tidy.

Oh, and bonus? When the grow medium stops producing flushes (the site says 3 to 6) you can use the tapped-out medium as compost or put it in the worm farm. I'm not sure which would be more beneficial. From the FAQs:
"After this initial crop, there can be a rest time of 7-28 days for Oyster and Field mushrooms, and it may be 1-3 months between flushes for Shiitake and Burgundy mushrooms. Most people get 3-6 flushes from their set up."

And a 2nd edit. I forgot to mention I've bid on some of those Urenika potatoes. I'll let y'all know if I win the bid (Tues our time) and get some picts of those (and I want to get some shots of the Grow Bag for the jicama/potatoes I set up today later) and show y'all.

We've got time off in Sept for vacation and other than a visit to Rotorua at some point during the week I'm hoping to be able to get into the garden and get some stuff done. I need to pick up lawn seeds to reseed the trampled areas. There's just been so much rain and while I've avoided walking on it as much as possible I haven't stayed off completely and at this point I need to walk on it to start doing some of these spring chores.

I've got a tulip or daffodil coming up where I've been growing carrots. I had tulips & daffs in there last spring and thought I'd pulled them all up. Guess not :)

I've got tiny sprouts on the potatoes I planted last weekend! There is one that is the 'biggest' (as in slightly poked above the soil) and the other 3 I can see have just barely have a tiny piece above the soil. :) Gonna be eatin' 'taties!

I've only got a few things I've harvested but wanted to get in the habit of making these harvest posts. I tend to harvest a little here and there, try to plant so we don't have a ton of stuff come ripe all at once. We don't have a ton of room and rather than have 2 dozen lettuces come ripe all at once I'd rather plant 10 and have to replant more often as they come ripe. The only exception is tomatoes because they self-seed and flowers (being of the non-edible type of course!)

Today's post is also a virtual harvest post. While one peach was ready to come off the tree the others weren't so I figured a virtual photo harvest would be nice.

First off, I moved the ficus last weekend. It's been in the same wooden trough/pot and in the same place for the last 5? 6? 7? years? at least so it had grown out of the pot and through the bricks. We had a wooden pot made (local guy who makes them far cheaper than the stores) but it was a bit big for the old spot. So not only did I have to work my butt off hauling the ficus out of the ground and out of the old pot but then shifted it around trying to figure out where to put it (but was smart and didn't fill the pot with dirt first!).

I moved it up by the back fence, right up against the lemon tree & moved the dwarf peach down below where the ficus used to be. It's created a nice little sitting spot, and when I put the umbrella up, haul out a camp chair and the folding camp table it's perfect! And I realised that the garden has become a little oasis for me :) Picts under the cut.

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