April 2010 Blog Posts (17)

Does anyone know where the best place in Missoula to buy seeds are?

D. E. isn't "earth" but the shells of tiny sea critters (diatoms). When ground up it's razor sharp and will cut the surface of many bugs and cause dehydration = death. You can order it thru Missoula Community Food Coop either from Azure or Frontier - ask. Quality Supply only has it in the Spring/Summer. It works in chicken sheds against mites (sprinkle on bedding and into feathers) and in your pantry against bugs hungry for your beans and grains (mix in and rinse out before cooking) and against… Continue

I finally finished building the cold frames (with a little help) and they are up and running. I have had the cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts & peas in there the past 4 or 5 nights and they are doing great. The smaller cold frame (2' x 3' prototype) is insulated with straw but the larger one (4' x 4') is still uninsulated. It has only gotten down to about 29F so they haven't seen much harsh weather yet, but I am loving them.

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Here's an idea I have been talking about for some time. Add productivity to your garden by going up! This site gives a good way to do it. You don't have to use brand new lumber for this project and you may find a better way to use this design. Visit the fine folks at Home Resource at their new location on Wyoming and Russell for the materials you need at a fair and reasonable cost, AND reuse building materials. If you do this, be sure to take pictures and share your experience with… Continue

Hellooo 1000 New Garden Bloggers,!

I am excited to learn from all of you.! I am so excited to have a garden this year as gardening has always been a life long dream that has yet to come true! I have tried before and had evrything eaten by critters, I am also excited as this is my first blog ever!

So this week I should be getting this compact disc water filter from CA I ordered on Mon. My water has always tasted pretty aweful at my house so water has always been…

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Yes, it would save energy but I think most folks who have city chickens are using their manure on their own gardens but... I could be wrong. I've got 4 chickens and it all goes in the compost.

Hi All, FYI:
MUD is having their Annual Llama Manure sale on May 1 & 2. By the wheelbarrow, trunk or PU truck - you load at PEAS. 10-4. Check out MUDProject.org
And I checked with Heather at PEAS about her chickens (150!) and if we could get chicken manure from her. It's being used by the farmer where the chickens live so that's not avail. to 1KNG.

Thanks for the help with the garden. We are excited to start planting & composting. Anyone know if we should compost eggshells? I looked it up online & found some conflicting advice. Continue

Hello everyone!

Well, my first gardening experience went wonderfully this morning! Emerald, Ky and Morgan installed a plot in my back yard--it looks wonderful! I am excited to learn more about what to plant and how to maintain a beautiful garden! Thanks for all the help and expertise!

Thanks to everyone who helped haul the manure to my garden on Sunday! It has all been spread across the beds and is now covered with snow.

All the seedlings are doing well (Tomatoes, Peppers, Jalapenos, Eggplants, Arugala, Mustard, Spinach, Chard and even some peas!). The tomatoes are starting to get their first real leaves and will soon have to be transferred to larger peat pots. I got a little overzealous with the snap pea start time and now they are outgrowing their pots…

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The Secretary of Agriculture sets and example for the rest of government. A jackhammer in a parking lot...now there's an image! I imagine their budget is a bit higher than 1KNG Montana...
http://tinyurl.com/y3ecye2

In today's Missoulian, reader Lisa Ward of Florence offers her recipe for a concoction to keep deer away from her flowers and vegetables. I know a lot of our gardeners want to use a non-toxic approach to protecting their gardens. Here's Lisa's approach.

Deer repellent for use on flowers and veggies:

Whisk together: 1 egg, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil, 1/2 teaspoon liquid dish soap and 10 drops of clove oil (this can be found on the Internet, or perhaps a health…

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Despite bugs eating a good portion of my pea that I planted less than two months ago. It was delicious! Any tips on the bug situation?

While I only have north and east facing windows, thanks to cheap, $10 shop lights from Ace or Home Depot (and flourescent bulbs ranging from $5-10), my leeks have been going for 6 weeks, and a variety of other seedlings (beets, kale, chard, basil, cilantro, tomatoes and others) for 2-4 weeks. I started them in peet pellets and coconut hull pelIets and potted most of the seedlings up to 3" containers over the weekend. I hadn't used cocunut before, but I think I'm now a fan.

I've also…

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Hi All,
There's a guy in my neighborhood (near Russell & Higgins) who'd love to have a raised bed garden. Hes' a great cook and an avid would-be gardener but he's wheel chair bound.
He needs pretty much the full meal deal - materials, labor, installation, soil. Although he and his small family live in a single family home they do not have extra for this. If anyone has the time and energy to work with me on this, please let me know. Anne L

Lots of people are trying new ways to do old things. Here is an interesting effort from Portland. What we have been calling "Sharecropping" they call "yard sharing." The idea is the same: put the landed together with the landless gardener in an equitable gardening arrangement. How would you do this in your town?

http://www.spingardening.com/whatsSpin/