Brrrrrrrr....Last time I posted I was learning about growing mushrooms. It was an interesting run but proved to be much more work than I am interesting in doing to continue production. I may grow a few more batches here & there in the future. All in all, I harvested about 4 quarts worth (dry weight) of Oyster shrooms. The logs inoculated with Shittake have not produced anything....yet. They'll live outdoors for the winter.
Now I am learning about & setting up Hydroponics. :)
It's another one of those things that I have always been interesting in trying. I used the same space that I grew the mushrooms in to set up a home-made ebb & flow system. I bought to plastic tubs, a 10 gallon for the reservoir. Then a simple shallow tub for the part that floods. They cost me about $10 for the both of them. I picked up the drains from the local Brew n Grow & the tubing (the tubs too) from the local Menards.
I sowed some White Sage & some spinach Monday. The Sage is growing!! You can see the white of the new root in the photo of the rockwool cube.
I noticed a dandelion growing in one of my avocado pots from being outside all summer. Since I like to feed Zarnan (my Russian tortoise) dandelions, I carefully removed the plant (tap root & all) and placed it into a net pot that came with the starter hydroponic kit I bought Monday, then carefully filled in around the root with rockwool medium. This morning I found a bean plant growing in a another pot that had been outside all summer, so I removed that one as well, placing it in another net pot. The dandelion has been in the system for three days & shows signs of vigorous new growth. YAY!
I also bought a Venus Fly Trap over the summer. It lived outside in partial shade for the rest of the summer. When I brought it in I noticed that the traps were turning black then dropping off. I went to this wonderfully helpful VFT forum that gave me some very helpful tips & ideas to get the plant back on the road to normal growth. I re-potted it into some fresh peat-moss & the symptoms disappeared. When I visited my favorite local greenhouse I was sorely disappointed in the lack of knowledge shown by the lady that helped me about this amazing plant that they sell. She asked me if I had fertilized it & if I had not that I should. ???!!!!!???? You NEVER-EVER-NEVER feed VFT's commercial fertilizer as it KILLS THEM! Wow, what a disappointment. Even I knew that much! Needless to say my favorite greenhouse did not impress me that day.
I believe it is starting to go dormant now as the leaves are yellowing. This is normal.
I also inherited a bunch of plants from my next door neighbor, who passed away over the summer. She was a nice lady who had lived in this building since it was first built. She was 93. So I have a jungle in the living room! LOL I rather like the extra green in the apartment. They are thriving on the winter sun as it shines in most of the day during the winter (south facing).
So far I have learned a couple Blues tunes as well as Fire in the Sky...a classic of course. LMAO Another one of those things that I have always been interested in trying. I've had it for about 2 months now.
Hi Rexenne
ReplyDeleteHow have you been? Long time no hear from. Have you given up on the fiber arts?
Gertieanne
Glad you are back!! I have missed your adventures. How is the karate going?
ReplyDeleteHi Ladies!
ReplyDeleteI've not givin up on fiber arts, I still knit...a lot, but mostly for the yarn shop I work for. I do spin once in a while but not as often or fervently as I have in the past. I am like this. I try a thing, jump in with both feet for a while, then slowly move on to something different.
Karate is still on hold as I am having balance issues along with random & very strong dizzy spells. Not fun. I have also been experiencing lower back pain (ranging from severe to mildly unpleasant) on a daily basis from the moment I wake up that has stopped me from doing most of the things I used to do for exercise...including Karate. If I toss & turn a lot, my back hurts worse in the morning. I dunno what is going on with my body. LOL
Money is pretty tight now-a-days as I am saving to travel home to see me Mum. So paying for Karate is pretty much not an option right now.
Other than that, my sense of learning all I can to be self-sustainable is still insatiable. LOL
I'll bet you are never bored with all of your interests and your adventures. That is great. I am much the same way. I'm glad you are still knitting. I'm knitting a sweater for my Mom right now. It is a basic cardigan. Keep up the posts when you can! Linda in Colorado
ReplyDeleteglad to see you back ! I missed your posts ... ;-)
ReplyDeleteWhat about the result of your experience with milkweed fiber ? I have also jump with 2 feet on this technique in my garden ... but ... what a deception when I tried to obtain fibers !... I think I haven't the right milkweed !... so I'm trying to obtain plants of cotton and flax ...
I'm also playing guitar... but not electrical.
and I have a fishroom with bettas, goldfishes an others ... that give me good water for my plants (it is an excellent grow-up for them)
and I am growing some little alive foods like towards grindals, microphone towards, anguillules of the vinagre, artemias , for my fishes and it is a very intesresting activity too.
friendly from France
http://annderodegain.canalblog.com