Friday, July 9, 2010

EDIBLE GARDENS THE INSIDE OUT

Perhaps, you heard the story about Victory Gardens or the Obama's White House edible garden.  This fad is spreading faster than porcine fever in Puercorico.

It is promoted mostly by bufoons of the agronomist persuasion and gullible vegan buffs fishing in murky waters.  There are other$, but making a buck in hard times does not justify talking only about the sunny side up of the matter.   "The wise, intelligent way in touch with nature, to harvest your own food".


Before you take that first step, spending money, time and effort, please check this out, then proceed.

To have any garden, edible or not, the following issues should be kept in perspective: soil preparation, irrigation, weeding, plant rotation/association, pest control, fertilizers, compost on just
the left hand.

On the other, what is your physical shape and stamina?  If you are over forty, kneeling for planting/weeding is not that easy. Back, thighs, calves, neck,
shoulders, arms will be felt after 15 minutes.  You will need a cushion, gloves and a cool hat, cool not as in fashion, but to avoid sun burn.. 


The agronomist fellow offering you four sticks of wood in a rectangle with shitty 
soil from the hardware store will not tell you this, all for fifty bucks.


The problem could be solved with tables. Set your garden HIGH, and avoid all the pain.  As you see gardening is not that fantasy with a happy ending being sold on the media.  Do not get discouraged, you do not have to believe what I write.
I am half way there....

Now orchards, herbs/species and produce have different: soil, sun, shade,
irrigation requirements.  Some grafted
fruit trees do well in adequate pots if you
keep in mind the conditions and variables. The same goes for anything else.


Most gardeners are inclined to plant tomatoes, lettuce and peppers to choose three.  These in turn have 11 different types of insects, fungi, virus or bacteria that will feast on them.


Beetles, snails, slugs, white flies, thrips, to name a few.  Some will chew, suck from your future harvest. Some will kill it early or later.


In consequence, you have to MONITOR for insects daily, checking the leaves over and under to detect damage on time.  What do you know about this?
You should be able to diagnose the problem. The botanical name of the plant will allow you to research and determine what: herbicide, insecticide or fungicide is required.


If you are of the organic tribe, you could also find homemade remedies friendly to the environment, biodiversity to resolve the matter.

ANTIGONUM RULES

Once you make the committment to
create the garden with everything mentioned so far.  Pick what is to be planted, space and/or pot.
Check for growing conditions,
pests and diseases.

Start with a few plants watch, learn
and enjoy.  Do not allow ignorant
imbeciles spreading the edible gardening gospel take your money
away.  You can do it with your
own effort and will.  
Time to go. Apaga i vamonos...

Bonus
Snails Headcount

North Garden 49
South 2












  

3 comments:

  1. I love this post! The whole green fad has really been getting attention from half assed yuppies with enough money to buy the premium products advertised in the upscale magazines. Personally, I don't use pesticides in my garden because I attract enough native treefrogs, lizards and predatory bugs to do the job for me, since I provide a suitable habitat.
    To all of those who want to do away with conventional farming techniques, its a little different. First of all, "natural" and "organic" pesticides and fertilizers are all unnatural too, just like the very existence of modified strains of crops. Personally, the most important thing is to break the monoculture of the same damn strains of food and diversify in case a blight breaks out.
    The green movement in the garden is just like so many other good ideas: its a good idea, but only the marketable parts catch on.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I appreciate your feedback to the point.

    I am sick of the following herd without any inquiry.

    The Green Gurus everywhere are mostly motivated by avarice.

    Thanks for the visit.

    ReplyDelete
  3. But you missed the fun one.. "organic" compost! Lovely thing.. that they found a way to process municipal biosolids, add shredded tree filler and sell it to the unknowing with the organic label prominently displayed on the front. The "organic" meaning nothing more than carbon based materials.

    Now while any moron in a big white house with a team of gardeners can grow organically... there are some that discover while following this fad, that they develop a demented sense of satisfaction and accomplishment from this endeavor.

    For some it is in their blood, the need to grow, the thrill of propagation, the mystery of what could be. I get it. Although I may never be as good as my Grandmother.. some are raised with the obsession.. some need to discover it on their own.

    Now if you'll excuse me... I have to go get some seeds before the neighbors wake up and ask why I am in their yard.

    ReplyDelete

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