Monthly Archives: September 2009

potato tower – results

well, the potato tower did not produce that much. in fact, it was quite disappointing, but i think we learned some valuable lessons and we are not so upset that we won’t try again next year. i think we planted them a bit late. we planted in may and they should have been planted in […]

fall harvest means good food

This season has been so outstanding. We have grown zucchini for the first time…..I know, I know….zucchini is the easiest thing to grow, yet somehow it has eluded us until this year. This season, we actually have sun and space and the plants have thrived! This means zucchini bread, ratatouille, soup….and lots of shredded zucchini […]

how to build a straw bale compost

following the instructions from Eliot Coleman’s The New Organic Grower, we have built a compost bin out of straw bales. this method is beneficial because the straw bales contain the heat needed for the materials to break down, while also allowing air flow. we have set up two bins side by side, but the first […]

let them run wild

the strawberries are out of control. despite ordering 50 plants, only about 5 survived and we lamented the fact that this experiment was unsuccessful. however, we forgot about the runners….the strawberries have multiplied and now fill the planter and continue moving outside the boundary of the pyramid. my solution is to dig up the lawn […]

alfalfa growing

2 1/2 weeks after planting, the alfalfa is growing. so excited that it has survived. though our soil samples indicated the soil was okay, the looks of it and the smell and all the rocks had us doubting whether anything could thrive here…apparently, our fears were unfounded. the alfalfa will add nitrogen to the soil, […]