Harvesting corn seeds (Kernels)
on Nov 1, 2009 in seeds seed saving harvest corn Corn is one of those crops I really don’t have space to grow but still like to try every year.  This past year I only had one ear that made it to maturity, in the plants defense we have a very hot summer and I didn’t have the most consistent...

Harvesting pumpkin seeds
on Nov 1, 2009 in halloween seeds seed saving pumpkin harvest The kids and I carved several pumpkins this year but we waited carve the three pumpkins we grew in our backyard until Halloween since these were the seeds I wanted to save for planting next year.  First, I know exactly how these pumpkins were gr...

How to prevent weeds in your garden
on Nov 1, 2009 in weeds organic weed prevention I doubt there is anyone who enjoys pulling weeds, though now at the end of the season is a great time to do some preventive measures to prevent new growth next season. Kill your weeds early: The sooner you pull your weeds the easier it is to keep up...

Fuji Heavy Industries autonomous farming robot
on Oct 31, 2009 in robot garden maintenance We have seen MIT students making robots to tend on their plants.  Now Fuji Heavy Industries has created a robot that can completely take care of your fruits and vegetables in your fields (or greenhouse) for a modest fee of only $100,000.  Y...

Growing blueberries
on Oct 20, 2009 in cheap bush blueberry If it were up to me every part of my landscaping would be edible.  Though my homeowners association may disagree with me but blueberry bushes looks just as nice as any ornamental plant/bush when you visit the nursery with the obvious bonus of fr...

Pickled jalapeno peppers
on Oct 4, 2009 in peppers jalapeno recipe My jalapeno peppers did great this year.  So good I didn’t really know what to do with all of them.  After making some salsa and having several mature red ones as snacks in the garden, I still have about two pounds that I didn’t want to...

Computer controlled grow box Beta 2
on Sep 29, 2009 in computer power control water indoor grow box computer Though I have made some significant changes to the grow box controller, the actual grow box has undergone some minor but important changes over the past few months. Automated watering Now I must say this one is pretty darn simple.  Though I wi...

Late bloomers
on Sep 27, 2009 in fall crops Last February my 7-year-old daughter and I attended the Northwest Flower and Garden show fro the first (which is back on next year if you haven’t yet heard the good news)  During our visit she purchased a single dahlia tuber from Swan Island D...

How to determine your seed’s germination rate
on Sep 26, 2009 in seed storing germination seeds seed saving Whether you are trying to determine if those seeds you have been stored for 3-4 years are still good or questioning your ability to harvest seeds on your own testing germination is a great way to take away from of the guesswork and avoid disappointme...

Peppers sprouting in grow box (time lapse)
on Sep 25, 2009 in peppers indoor grow box Well slightly more exciting than watching grass grow but for something that takes several weeks to complete is definitely worth a watch.  If you watch carefully you can even see the automatic watering in action. Joining the sprouts is a matur...