1. We have been trying to bring forth some of the things we have learned along the way.
So here we go.
Someone asked me just today about space and its use. I said where do you live. They said a townhouse. I said wow that's great. They said "Really"? Yes because we need to stop looking out and look up. Vertical gardens are a great way to grow in a small area. Most Townhouses have about a 10' X 25 ' that's a 250 square foot area. Then go up about 6' wow, now that's growing. That's a ton of space if we just get creative.
Imagine there is a parfait table and two chairs along with a small grill then the outside boarders of the actual yard. Plenty of space for a container garden or a vertical fence garden with cucumbers, or zucchini squash, or peas and bush peppers as well as basil and tomatoes. What a great way to top off a plate of pasta with the above ingredients. Maybe just added to a fresh garden salad with some Olive Oil, salt and pepper, no bottle dressing needed, yum! Enjoy :)
2. Is it to late to plant wild flowers? No get them going just take an Iron rake and scrape the ground up (no need for plowing) and sprinkle on the scratched ground and water. Nature does not even scratch the ground. Please don't make this so hard that you won't just go for it. Part of the blast of gardening is seeing the stuff grow and then flower. I told this person that even if they come up late in the summer and don't all flower by fall at least you had some greenery that wasn't there before. Maybe next year some of the seeds survived and now you have a beautiful garden with an abundance of flowers. Perennials are also a good way to go just go to one of the big box stores especially now. They have great sales on half dead plants and bulbs which can be planted and cared for and boom. Flowers every years for years to come. I bought some the other day for a dollar. If they live awesome, If they don't only cost me a buck. I am hoping my "Golgi Berry" Bush does well.
3. Hey don't just dig a little hole and plant those tomatoes, NO. dig down enough to bury the stem up to the first set of leaves. In fact pluck off that first set of leaves, You'll be glad you did. They will be a hardier plant with a better root systems and be able to draw more nutrients from the soil.
4. Washing you VEG. Yes please wash your veggies before consuming or passing them on to your family. We have heard to many recent reports about contaminated lettuces, Spinach, and cut fruit platters. How does this happen. Well, number one it would disgust you to know what they spray on your food when they are growing it, at these big farms. Number two if you cut up chicken in the same prep area that you are cutting up fruit without a high quality cleaning then that's what you get. Contaminated foods with "Salmonella" and sick people. please wash your fruits and veggies thoroughly and use a mixture of vinegar and water. We even wash off our Avocados and Mellon's because we are passing a knife through the outer layer into the flesh of the fruit. Soaking your fruit or veg for 5 minutes and rise off that mixture, then you can feel safe about eating the store bought veg and fruit. Of course then you're going to want our organic veggies instead of the big store ones. Remember "no", pesticides or chemical fertilizers ever used on "MOF" veggies.
5. ___________________Left blank intentionally cause I want you to send me your questions and tell people about my site and our farm. Maybe your question will be the next one to be answered here.
6. I am hoping that when we get this new land deal starting in 2019 we will be trying to open conversation with local schools for an agriculture training and educational benefits for high schoolers. Drop us a note if you know someone that may be interested we will cut of the enrollment once we get going forward. Come back to this site often to see if we are moving forward with the new farm location. These are very exciting time at Mckinley Organic Farms.
7. I leave the old posts and questions here for us to keep track of progress and failures. We've had both. My Basil crop was a bust but now its a complete success I have nearly 350 plants growing. Look out Pizza Man I am coming for you armed with the freshest Basil you've ever seen.