The Plant I Never Grew

I guess just about every gardener has their own little "nemesis".  Let's just say I hope I'm not the only one.  I'll grow pretty much anything I can get in the ground or in a pot..  I dig up the Crepe seedlings from my neighbors tree.  I place them in a container and nurture them until they are ready to transplant to the ground.  No problem, piece of cake. I plant my garden and relish in the rewards of my efforts.  But I got this one little thorn in my side that always throws me for a loop.
I love the Aloe Vera not just for it's nurturing advantages.  I've long known the benefits of the plants juices and inner gel.  It's a prominent remedy for burns and a very natural form of relief from Eczema.  Aloe Vera Juice is more common on market shelves.  Studies show the juices have even been found to ease peptic ulcers.  Research also shows that it could be beneficial in immune support and digestive disorders. The fact-finding continues as new benefits are explored.  My mom has used this stuff  for as long as I can remember.  Me, well I'm a bigger fan of the plant itself,  but do admit I've torn open a stem or two to rub some jell on a rash or burn.

 I tried over and over again to figure out how to get one of these gorgeous plants to grow.  Some would even last a few years than fizzle quickly.  I'm husband would just shake his head at me knowing I'd rush off to get a new one.  I know I'm being stubborn.  My mother calls it determined, but than she's mom.  I'm no novice when it comes to nurturing plants.  I know Aloe Vera is a cactus.  It requires plenty of direct sun light, warmer temperatures and very little watering.  So what was I doing wrong?

 Was I giving it too much water?  Did it not get enough light?  The stems of the plant turned mushy at the bottom and fell off.  This is a sign that the plant is getting too much water.  My husband and I did not communicate well on our watering routine.  Aloe Vera hold natural moisture and do not need water often.  Sometimes the stems would turn yellow.  Turns out I didn't not condition the plant properly between indoors and outdoors and it suffered shock. Aloe Vera should be filtered slowing into direct sunlight if transferring from shade.

Now that I now the cause I can hopefully proceed with the cure this time.  I will remove the plant from it's current pot and make sure it has more than enough light.  I will also let my husband know when I have watered the plant.  I will feed it a small shot of coffee grounds blended into the soil to add a little fertilizer.  If my efforts don't pan out I know my husband will shake his head and I will be off to the nearest nursery.

MOTHER NATURE IS CALLING

Most gardeners will tell you that there are many tools of gardening to guide you along the way.  I've even written about a few I've used (see Know Your Zone).  Most of us who garden will have our own view on the prime efforts to achieve gracious results.  At Home Depot the other day my husband ask the Home and Garden employee if it was too early to plant potatoes.  She replied no.  I strongly disagreed.

I've consulted many websites along the way.  I've partnered with The Farmers Almanac and Southern Living magazine all in an effort to get the best results from my crops.  Truth is, as the old saying goes, experience is the best teacher.  When you think about it every ambition in life is a result of someones experience.  Someone who took the time to pass the experience along hoping that traditions and dreams survive.  That we continue to grow and achieve by taking advantage of others observations. Do you have a favorite guide to consider before planting?

While many are still experiencing the dreads of colder climates the area I live in is much milder.  The days are pleasant, the evenings not too chilly.  Mother Nature has taken her wand and spread a hue of green around.  The ground is full of brilliant green above the stagnant brown.  The trees have come alive again with leaves lightly blowing in the wind.  Although Spring has not officially arrived Mother Nature has offered up her opinion of the turning weather, and it looks promising.

Now that I have praised mother nature let me get back to my garden, and the reason I strongly disagree it isn't too early to plant potatoes.  This picture is from my garden just this morning (2/9/13).  Yes, it's a potato.  Funny thing is I hadn't planted potatoes when this little cutie peeped up out of the ground.  Looks like I missed one from my fall crop and it stayed dormant throughout the colder months.  Now Mother Nature has cast her wand and without hesitation my forgotten potato has arrived with big surprise.  The above picture is a pea from my garden.  A Snap Pea that was planted in late November (they prefer cold temperatures).  Of the seeds that did sow and prosper the one above decided to be a late bloomer.  Another nice gift from Mother Nature.  Mother Nature is always a full of surprises.  Finding my spring garden taking off on it's own is one I welcome with a big grin.


So, for my point.  Years of scientific efforts and documented research can't beat the one tried and true sign that you got a go ahead to plant.  When Mother Nature Calls I do hope you will listen.  And by the way I did plant my spring potato crop despite what I was advised.

How Do You Seed

 

 

 Every year it comes around like an anticipated gift.  The weather gets warmer and you know Spring Gardening is only weeks away.  For most the gardening never ends just because the weather changes.  It only shifts focus.  Indoor, Outdoor, In Ground or Container it all has the same desired result.  I always start my gardening the same way (see Starting a Spring Garden Indoors).  I pull out the seeds weeks before planting time and prepare my starts for planting outdoors.  I always want to make sure I am ready when the weather speaks to me.  Not every plant needs a "start" indoors.  Most are quite productive simply planting in the ground.




But how do you find the seeds you need?  There are many markets available for selling just what you need.  On the other hand why not just save part of one years crops for the next years garden?  I can't think of a single crop that doesn't have it's own built in seeds.  Some we eat (ie Green Beans and Tomatoes), most we clean away and discard (ie: Peppers and Cantaloupe) which is a shame.  Some even grow on the vine (ie: Spinach) I leave a portion of everything from my garden for a new years worth of growth.    It's simple to do and is a sustainable way to keep the crops growing.




Removing seeds for preservation works in several ways depending on the produce.  For those crops with edible seeds, for example okra and green beans,  I usually leave one or two set aside and let them dry out.  Once they are dried I open them down the middle and remove the seeds.  For those plants where the seeds are removed before eating, like peppers and cantaloupe save some seeds and set them aside to dry out.  For root plants just let the roots grow (see Plants That Reproduce With Little Or No Cost) and plant them in the ground.

Maybe this year you want to try growing something new, like a cucumber for example.  You have two options for getting seeds.  Buy a package of seeds from a lawn and garden store.  This can be somewhat of a gamble.  You'll never know what chemicals these seeds have been treated with.  On the other hand you probably wanted to buy a cucumber anyway so why not buy an ORGANIC one and spoon some of the seeds out of the inside.  You won't need many.  Maybe five or six.  Set them aside and let them dry out before planting.

Gardening has been the most sustainable human resource from the beginning.  Once you get started like most you'll probably get hooked.  The easiest and most inexpensive way to keep the planting going is to save your own seeds for planting.  I gaurantee you won't be sorry you did.