-
Climbing Cucumbers
From seedlings to 6 foot tall vines in just weeks, these cucumber plants were a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, about half were plagued by a disease and did not make it. We are looking for natural ways to combat this going forward. https://photos.app.goo.gl/YZ8nRPsRrrYR4gg38
-
Big Thyme Little Thyme
One essential herb for cooking is Thyme, and there are many varieties, but two of them are common here. They are referred to as Thyme, and Big Thyme. Common thyme is the most widely used culinary thyme. It is narrow leaf and also known as english thyme. What is referred to here as big thyme…
-
The Onion Saga
We planted both Scallion (Spring Onions to some) and common onions. The thinking was that while the scallions would thrive, the regular onions would be something of a gamble in this climate. However, the opposite has happened. None of the row of scallions has sprouted, and the regular onions are healthy and thriving. We will…
-
Watermelon and Peas
With plenty of watermelon seeds, a row of them was planted between the columns. It was a chore to till the soil as it was very rocky, and full of roots from the Guava trees close by. The peas I had planted in the seedling tray quickly outgrew that stage and sent roots through the…
-
Seed Tray
A few packets of seeds were acquired in order to try out some varieties of vegetables. With the greenhouse sheltered, they went into a tray to get started.
-
More Citrus
There are a few citrus trees on the property, but 2 of the mature ones had to be cutdown due to termite infestations. Four more were purchased to replace them and add to the count. Two lime trees, 1 grapefruit, and 1 tangerine (we think, according to the seller).
-
Greenhouse H2O
The plans for getting water to the greenhouse evolved over time. The initial plan was to have rainwater barrels immediately behind the structure to capture water from the roof and feed into the sink area. This requires an elevated structure for the barrels to generate enough pressure, and a gutter system for the roof edges.…
-
Filling Beds
The fill for the beds is roughly following the Hugekultur method. The bottom layer are branches, logs, and other pre-compost materials from the property. The middle layer is topsoil, and the final layer is natural organic compost. Each bed is filled one wheelbarrow at a time with major help from Anderson. It takes a couple…
-
Adding A Lid
The next logical step in the process was to tackle the roof. There was a race against time for planting season, but the final roof material was not available, so a temporary solution was put in place. UV plastic was doubled up and spread across the roof. It was clearly not going to withstand any…
-
Internal Structure
With the external structure in better shape, attention could be turned to the internal components. This was relatively simple in that it consisted of a sink section to bring in running water, and planting beds. The concept was to allow for planting beds and aisles wide enough for a wheel barrow. This resulted in three…
