Leeks, Onion and Garlic

Update – Potato, carrot and escallion. The tallest potato plant is 12 inches tall. Nothing else appears to be different. It continues to grow on the surface but I guess the magic continues underground. The carrot and the lettuce died 😦 . I changed the water for the carrot every other day but it still rotted. The lettuce initially showed some potential but it also died. It could be that I placed it in the soil too quickly. I may try again, but in the meantime, I’ve concluded that it might be more practical to grow carrots and lettuce from seeds.

The escallion is now between 4-7 inches; it’s incredible! Each stalk can yield enough new growth for one meal after 1-2 weeks in either soil or water. Both approaches seem to produce the same level of growth, but I noticed that the one in the soil had a darker shade of green when compared to the ones in the water. I also prefer the soil method because the water method is too much work. To avoid breeding mosquitoes I had to change the water daily and that could not work during periods of abandonment. Now I’ve put everything in soil and left the pot under the eave. I will check back on them in two weeks.

Now unto growing leeks, onion and garlic.

Onions and garlic are a usual part of my shopping but leeks is something new. I chose it because it had roots growing from the base….these days I am more vigilant in my grocery shopping. I am happy to see roots because I may be able to regrow the produce… I had no idea how to prepare leeks so I decided to learn.

Leeks – had it in the fridge too long

Potted leeks

I removed the base just like I did with the escallion and lettuce and I potted it straight into the soil (using water to start is becoming tiresome). I am trusting that the roots that are on it are not too badly damaged from being in my refrigerator for about two weeks before being used. I used the rest of the leeks to make a shepherds pie (my first). I complemented it with red onions, cabbage, callaloo, carrots and broad beans. It turned out just great…yummy 🙂 .

Back to planting.

For the garlic, I separated some cloves and potted five of them (the biggest ones) directly in the soil. In each instance I tried not to disturb the bottom of the clove because I am hoping that’s where the roots will come out. I poured soil in a planter and placed the base of each clove down, while spacing them about 3 inches apart. I then covered them fully with more soil (about an inch). Let’s see what happens.

Garlic for planting

As for the onion, I planted about one-third of it – the bottom part which had some very dry roots; I am hoping that life will return to the onion. I’m also not sure how to plant onions and farmer Google wasn’t of much help with planting from cuttings. So, the first day I put the roots in the soil and had the top of the cut part of the onion exposed. That didn’t sit well with me, and as I thought about it in the night I decided to cover the entire thing with soil, which I did the next morning. I am hoping that a new onion or onions will emerge somehow.

For these new additions I’ve taken to watering them each morning. I’m trusting that that will be enough because they will be on their own for the next two weeks.

Poshly expanding

This week I expanded my posh farm further. My refrigerator continues to incubate my vegetables and now I’ve added two new items to my posh farm. Before I talk about them though, let me give you an update on the Irish potato, escallion, and sweet potato. I am soooo excited!

The Irish and the escallion continue to grow like a teenage boy experiencing a growth sprout; it’s amazing. In hindsight, I should have been measuring the height of the trees for the Irish at the first week, but I didn’t. It is something I’ll do next time to see how fast they grow at this stage; it is quite possible that the growth rate will change throughout the process of propagation.

Escallion in water

Escallion in soil

Growing potatoes

Sweet potato with 2 roots

It’s been 1 week for the escallion and 5 weeks since the Irish was planted. The escallion has grown 2-4 inches while the trees for the Irish stand between 8-10 inches……

The sweet potato is now showing tiny leaves and two roots….The beauty of nature. It’s exciting to see it unfold.

So, now unto my new adventures.

The Carrot Top 🙂

Don’t laugh. This is a forgotten carrot which was in the drawer of the refrigerator for about 5 months. I noticed it growing shoots and I’ve decided to plant it as well.

Carrot with base in water (just taken from refrigerator)

Like for most other farming things, I consulted farmer Google. Most sites suggested that I place the carrot in water so I did just that (after cutting off the edible bit). There are some sites that say you can grow a carrot from a cutting and some which say you can’t. I’m not sure which is correct so I’m going to try and see what happens. I don’t think I’ll leave it in the water indefinitely though. The sites say that this should lead to root development so I’ll leave it in water for two weeks and then plant it in soil.

A Head of Lettuce

Romaine lettuce was my next item (from the refrigerator en route from the supermarket). It seems far-fetched but I have nothing to lose except the base of the lettuce, so I’m giving it a try. The farmer in me can’t wait to see what happens.

Freshly cut lettuce base

Lettuce moved to soil

Like the escallion, I cut off the top of the lettuce and planted the base. I first placed the base in water and left it on the window sill. But, after a few days of having to change the water repeatedly, I figured it would either rot while breeding mosquitoes, or die of water shortage during periods of abandonment. So, I’ve put it in soil, in the same pot that once housed the Irish potatoes; maybe the magic of the Irish potatoes will lead to something here. It too is under the eave of the house where the roof forms droplets from the dew.

In the meantime, you have ringside seats to the happenings on the posh farm, and the possibilities in your kitchen. Happy Posh Farming!

Root Vegetables Posh Farming Style

Beets. Image from http://www.mybalconyjungle.com

I will use today to look at growing root vegetables the posh farmer’s way. I am happy to say that if you are interested, there is a lot of information out there about these things. I am surprised that more people are not growing their own food. You don’t need to be an expert to grow at least one thing.

Among the sites from which I found inspiration are http://www.mybalconyjungle.com, http://www.gardeningknowhow.com, http://www.vegetable-garden-guide.com and http://www.grow-it-organically.com. What I’ve come to realise is that growing root vegetables (radish, beets, carrots, etc) in containers is not a particularly challenging task. They all seem pretty easy to grow. Here are some key things I’ve picked up from my research:

• It is important to begin by preparing the soil well. Start with soil that is moist throughout. Pat the soil down evenly across the entire surface of the container and use your finger to make small impressions in the soil to the required depth for the seeds to be planted.
• These vegetables must start from seeds, they do not transplant well.
• Do not to put too any seeds in one container. The growing vegetable will need space for the roots to grow sideways. A 3 inch distance between plants is recommended.
• It is important to be gentle when watering a container with newly planted seeds. After the seeds have been planted add enough water to dampen the seeds. Try using a spray bottle and make sure that the soil is well moistened. This will ensure that the soil does not draw all that moisture away from the seeds. The spray bottle will help to control the watering process. If the soil is heavily watered after the seeds have been planted, the seeds may shift around or be washed further into the soil.

Carrot seedlings. Image from http://www.vegetable-garden-guide.com

• Do not underestimate the size of the roots. As they are root vegetables, they need space to grow. Use adequately sized containers of about 8-12 inch deep at minimum.

Carrots. Image from vegetable-garden-guide.com

• Place the container(s) where it(they) can get as much sunlight as possible (on the patio or by a glass window). With good sunlight the plants should remain low and spread out, resulting in roots that will stay in the ground. Without adequate sunlight, their roots may extend out of the soil (in search of light) and the root vegetables will be under-nourished (tall and flimsy). If the roots extend out of the soil, check the amount of light the container is getting. If it is receiving enough light, gently push the roots further into the ground or add more soil around them to keep the roots buried.

 Happy Posh Farming!