OT: any Reefer-Gardeners around here?!?- post your GARDENING TIPS/QUESTS here

[OceanLyons]

Utah Sweet Pomegranate

The Frederick Passion fruit is growing up the sissoo (Indian rosewood) tree, which is just fine because when the fruit is ripe it falls to the ground. Being in the shade of the tree is ideal. I was told that if you grow passion fruit in AZ's full sun, the fruit would be bitter and not as sweet.

Planted from seed, some a little too late...

Some indoor plants

My chameleon cage the hubby built

I've got my eyes on you...Come on touch me again, I just dare you. Not the friendliest veiled in the world. He's a look, but don't touch kinda guy.

This is not mine, but what I hope to breed one day. Aren't they beauties?
Nosy-Be chameleon
http://www.thechameleonhabitat.com/images/Chameleon/gallery/H2O 009.jpg

 

[K' Family Reef]

we still need to get a 'composter'
to cut up all the bits/pieces before it goes into the bin...

keep our 'current' compost (fresh leftovers)
in a stainless steel covered bowl either on the kitchen counter or under the sink... then add these to a rubbermaid bin out near garbage cans (so we can add the scraps when the garbage is taken out)... when this gets full move it to a larger bin in backyard... composting is easy to do but one does need to have the 'space' to accomodate the containers etc... its really easy and doesnt take but a few minutes/week to manage... and its especially good for our soil here in az...

heres a few pics of homemade composters (fr the web)
vs spending 200$ on premade... we use a little rubbermaid (simple bin sitting on the ground) and just flip it around every few days to mix up the compost inside... when it starts getting heavy one can just wrap bungee cords around it then roll it around on the ground... not gung ho enough to go out and spend 200$ on a composter but have heard from many people that they really like them...



best to cover the holes w/ window screen to keep bugs out etc
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regards

 

[K' Family Reef]

OceanLyons
:thumbsup:

want to look at the photos you posted more closely tomorrow
as just heading to bed... looks like you have some great ideas/projects in the making... birds and lizards too... where do you find all the 'time'

regards

 

[OceanLyons]

Summers off help. Actually, this is only my second summer off.

No kids yet...

The geckos, turtle, and dragons reside in my classroom during the year and the students help take care of them. Anybody looking for a baby leopard gecko? I have three and more on the way.

Also, I'm looking for liquid kelp for the garden. Nada at Lowe's and HD. Does anybody know where I can find some reasonably priced? I read that regular sprayings really help our plants with the heat.

Some links...

Natural Pest Control
http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/biological-pest-control.html
http://www.ghorganics.com/page15.html#Baking Soda Spray
http://www.naturalgardeneraustin.com/information/index.html

Local Forum
http://phoenixpermaculture.ning.com/forum/categories/2008067:Category:68/listForCategory

Companion Planting
http://www.minifarmhomestead.com/gardening/companionplant.htm#Good & Bad Companion Plants

Info on specific veggies
http://www.veggieharvest.com/index.htm

Planting Guide
http://api.ning.com/files/O17LxK5FF...FKiUE4eUxmTY-kjHp0QBhiB/Planting_Calendar.pdf


Other useful links
http://home.att.net/~millero/desert_gardening.htm

 

[jgrog76]

The city of Phoenix sells old garbage cans with the bottoms cut off and holes predrilled in them for $5. I have been using these compost bins for years and they work great and are cheap. The big thing down here is you have to water your bin to keep the moisture up enough for the critters to do thier job.

 

[K' Family Reef]

Darlene

thanks again for posting all your pictures!
a gardening thread is nothing w/ out pics... and it helps espec in this area (az) to see whats working for other people... have gotten some good ideas so far from the pictures that have been posted...


we envy your gardening efforts!
and hope to emulate some of what you have done

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15204005#post15204005 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by OceanLyons

what is that plant in the last picture... looks like a banana of some type?

I'm still a newbie at gardening, but I love veggies, flowers, trees, and tropical plants/fruits. I scored at Lowes a couple months ago and bought several tropical fruits (3 types of bananas, manila mango, nectarine, plum, apricot, and Frederick Passion Fruit Vine). I also have dwarf lemon, orange, and grapefruit trees which have yet to produce fruit (went in last winter). My number one issues have been watering (too much) and nutrient levels (chloroic plants). I'm looking for a irrometer (moisture meter) with a sturdy probe. The ones I get from Lowe's and HD keep breaking. Still a work in progress, but I love it. I'm wanting to add starfruit, papaya, calaloo (caribbean greens), a sweet not tart apple (anyone know of a good one to plant?). Went a little picture crazy....

not sure what to recom about the apple tree (newbie too ) but perhaps someone is more familiar w/ them to give you a good recom... you have a good 'list' of plants that we might have to review to get some ideas from too.


the only thing that we have that is real sensitive to the water
is hibiscus... everything else have just been winging it w/ the water lol... seems to be working so far... and although we have a sprinkler system we have yet to get all the plants hooked up to it...




especially liked your container garden
wanted to set some up in like 4x8 planters but then we are adding pergolas to each side (e/w) of the house as well as the backyard... so until we get that project done container gardens would be in the way... but we were talking about making some smaller containers like 4x4 perhaps w/ a bottom so that they can moved/scooted around the yard (out of the way iow) - whadya think???...

heres a few pics of some herbs we have planted so far

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this is a living 'wreath'
was hanging on the patio... my wife made and its put together w/ chicken wire and peat moss... it was a good idea but we found the peat moss dries out too fast here in az... the idea was to get the plants to completely cover the wire etc... it looked good when she first put it together... we are going to try a few other things w/ it and it was our first attempt...

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more herbs in a ball container...

 

[K' Family Reef]

for some reason my photography is getting worse (and there was already no room for error) but here are a few pics...

some may be blurrier then others :lol:




here she is taking a break from her swim
this is our planting table... that bird of paradise has been planted, replanted then replanted about 3 different times... our dog seems to have a knack for beating stuff up and this bofp has taken a beating... the other is an orchid tree grown from seedling
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wait till the next baby arrives here shortly!...
she is going to be in for a SURPRISE!... here she is helping w/ folding clothes
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[OceanLyons]

That is a Zebrina banana. It will stay fairly small (3ft x 3ft). I also have Rajapuri and Cardaba.

Dirt sure does weigh a lot. Maybe heavy duty casters if it would be rolled across a hard surface?

The raised bed is made out of redwood. I like the fact that I can sit around the edges. It makes gardening easier. My only complaint is that I need more room. There's so much that I want to plant and I run out of space quickly. Next time, I think that I'm going to do all the tomatoes on trellises. They get so big and out grow the cages, even the big folding rectangular ones.

Nice herbs. I plan to add more herbs. Maybe burlap and perlite would help with the moisture on the wreath?

Two crops that I wished I would have planted for this summer are spanish peanuts (plant raw peanuts) and sweet potatoes (grow out vines from a tuber). Each eye on the potato can grow a plant. They are supposed to do really well in our summer heat. Boiled and salted green peanuts are so good! http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/BoiledPeanutsHistory.htm

 

[K' Family Reef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15209829#post15209829 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jgrog76
The city of Phoenix sells old garbage cans with the bottoms cut off and holes predrilled in them for $5. I have been using these compost bins for years and they work great and are cheap. The big thing down here is you have to water your bin to keep the moisture up enough for the critters to do thier job.

thats a great deal for $5...

where are the holes drilled on the side?

regards

 

[K' Family Reef]

Ryan
what are these plants?


thanks.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15177388#post15177388 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NaClH20NMYVEIN
Here are a few things currently blooming.

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<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15177397#post15177397 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NaClH20NMYVEIN
[</a><br /><br />
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</center> [/B]

 

[OceanLyons]

Here's a pic. of the composter.
http://phoenix.gov/SCANPIC/trsh19.jpg

 

[K' Family Reef]

thats a great compost bin for $5

 

[jgrog76]

Sweet potatoes do great down here. I have two different types planted this year. They normally do not start growing until May when the dirt really warms up. It is about the same time where tomatoes really start to grow well. They grow and vine all over the place until late October or early November when the cold kills the vines above ground. The good ones to eat will be at the base of the vines. The plants put out tons of little tubers a few feet from the main plant and will resprout the next May. Do not plant them anywhere you will not want them because once they go one summer it is almost impossible to remove all the little tubers before they start to grow and the plants will take over an area they like.

 

[jgrog76]

I forgot to add they make a great ground cover underneath taller plants. They do not "vine up" plants like pole beans vine types of squash.

 

[K' Family Reef]

my wife loves sweet potatoes
that sounds like something that would be great for a container garden...

are these the same thing?

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc130/WarrenAmyMadelinne/sweetpotatoevine.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

regards

 

[jgrog76]

I cant tell from the picture but they will look very similiar to that just not a bushy. They are more stringy like a pole bean growing along the ground. Once some of the new tubers sprout the area will be pretty much covered in leaves. If you go to a Sunflower market or Sprouts you can look for some of the older sweet potatoes that the eyes have started to show. Leave them out of the sun but in a warm spot on the counter and they will sprout in a few weeks. Then just plant in the ground and water. It is not too late for this year. You would have enough to make a good size dish for Thanksgiving.

 

[NaClH20NMYVEIN]

First one is a canna, it has larger leaves and smaller flowers. The second one is a cup of gold vine.
Everyones pictures are looking great.

 

[OceanLyons]

Ryan,

Are you growing Hawaiian or Mexican papaya? I had a neighbor that grew a Mexican Papaya tree from a seed. It was about one and half stories tall on the east side of a two story building. She watered it daily and it produced fruit. What do you know about them growing them in AZ? Neat looking tree. I don't like papaya by itself, but the hubby loves it with lime. My plan is to eventually grow enough fruit so that I can make tropical fruit juice concentrate.

jgrog76,

Do you think it would be impossible to train the sweet potatoes to grow up trellis? And, should I not plant these in the main bed? I just put in two sprouted tubers yesterday and they would be easy to move now. Mmmm... roasted diced sweet potatoes with rosemary, garlic, and olive oil. I can't wait to grow my own.

 

[NaClH20NMYVEIN]

Hawaiian, or at least I'm trying I keep killing them. Luckly they are easy to grow them as seedlings. I run into trouble after they get about a foot tall.

 

[OceanLyons]

Good luck with this batch. It's a really cool looking plant. I've read this about them http://www.phoenixtropicals.com/papaya.html .