Steem can wait, I need to grow
I came to steemit originally as a homesteader and prepper.
In the beginning I mainly posted about homesteading and growing.
I love growing and producing food. It gives me great joy and satisfaction.
But over the last few months steem has absorbed more and more of my time. Particularly with the advent of the two radio shows.
I have therefore been neglecting my garden. Fortunately over the winter there has not been so much to do.
But now spring is coming, the days are getting longer, the weeds are growing and my little peach tree is in full blossom.
It is time to get out there digging, weeding, sowing, planting...
I made a start this evening cleaning up and tidying the 'potting room' in the barn.
And I potted the avocado that @cryptocariad has grown from the stone over the winter.
It had developed a single very long root but none of the little side roots but hopefully it will take.
I put it in some standard potting compost. I have never grown an avocado like that so I don't know if it needs any special treatment?
Tomorrow I am going to sort out my seed box and get sowing.
I also have some potatoes to plant.
They could have gone in earlier. Last year I planted them in early March, and they were coming up well but then a really hard frost came in mid April and wiped them out, so I have held back this year.
The other big difference this year is that I already have all the 'infrastructure' in place.
The polytunnel and greenhouses didn't arrive until mid/late summer last year.
This year they are ready and waiting.
In fact the polytunnel is already growing well. Lots of brassicas and leeks, and even some spinach that will be ready for first harvest this week.
I also have the barn sorted already, and a good stock of pots, composts, tools and all the other bits I was still accumulating last year.
If I turn the steem down a bit, and turn the growing up, I should be well set for a good harvest this year.
Last year I managed to double my production on the previous year. I wonder if I can double up again...
You might also be interested in some of my other posts :
Five Ways to Fix the Witness System
Pennsif's Alternative Lifestyle Show - Friday 30 March 2018 - Part 2 with guests @cahlen, @nairadaddy and @ura-soul
Pennsif's Alternative Lifestyle Show - Friday 30 March 2018 - Part 1 with guests @furius and @goldendawne
Time for a Steem Springclean - part 1 - Follows, Discords and Witnesses
SteemCampUK - Saturday 7 April 2018 - Birmingham - looking forward to meeting more UK steemians
SteemRadio - schedule of all the steemit radio shows - week beginning 26 March 2018
MSP The Alternative Lifestyle Show - Friday 23 March 2018 - 'A View from the Ozarks' with @papa-pepper, @awesomehomestead, @armadillocreek, @borrowedearth, @freedompoint, @rockybrookfarm and HomesteadCrossing [recording]
MSP Waves Radio - My Life in 8 Songs - Guest list for Thursday 22 March - @princessmewmew, @techslut, @simgirl
We received a beautiful gift of Koki handmade cosmetics from @kokibyivana
I Still Believe in Steem - I Still Buy Steem - Let's Bypass the Exchanges & Help Me Give Out More Delegations
MSP Waves Radio - Pennsif's Alternative Lifestyle Show - Friday 16 March 2018 - @wwf and the Stewards of Terra Mater [recording]
[ blossom photo by @cryptocariad // other photos by @pennsif ]
Steemit does take a lot of time. My garden is calling me now, too. Soon it will be rainy season and my garden will thrive (hopefully). As far as your avocado tree goes, I can tell you that they do best in temperatures from 60-85F with moderate humidity. They don't like cold (like me). They definitely don't like anything below freezing. Avocados don't drink water very well when they are young (shallow root system). So be careful of sun damage to leaves when they are small. They also don't like a lot of wind.
It can take up to 10 years for an avocado tree to produce fruit when grown from seed. My trees 5 years old now and haven't even flowered. So I guess I need to be a bit more patient!
Wow just 10 years... doesn't seem that long for a tree that can grow so big. In Peru in the Andes the trees become really massive from what I remember of picking avocados off the ground near Machu Pitchu.
Thanks for the info on the root system, the sun and their ability to drink water. I'd like to grow one too
You're welcome.
Thanks for the tips on the avocado - I have put it in on the kitchen windowsill for now.
It will probably do well in the smaller pot until it becomes root bound and wants to be planted outside.
I think it will always need to be in a pot so I can bring it in during the winter.
Our winter temperatures often drop down to about -5 C / 23 F.
Brrrr! That's cold!
What a great space to have for potting and other work in the barn. Happy gardening!
Thank you. I love the barn. Managed to get it tidied up last year.
Unfortunately I can't use the whole barn at the moment as the roof needs fixing badly in the other part but it will be a major job.
Thank you for posting @pennsif.
Lovely potting room and photographs....will have a look at @cryptocariad's site as well.
@englishtchrivy has loads of aritcles about growing plants and such indoors.....perhaps there is one with regard to an avocado plant.
Wishing you and yours all the best.
Cheers.
Thanks @bentleycapital. I will check out @englishtchrivy
You got a lot of work to do there bro! Keep your priorities right and you will get it all done. The garden wont do itself!
This is something I definitely have to learn... juggling priorities!
Difficult for everybody! Prioritize and stick to the plan, I know it aint easy. Same issues here!
It sure isn't easy... but looking back I think I've kept to the plan mostly. We are finally almost on the land!!!
It sure isn't easy... but looking back I think I've kept to the plan mostly. We are finally almost on the land!!!
Indeed it won't. But the weeds will...
@Pennsif I'm glad your able to get back into the garden! I'm hoping school will hurry up and be over, so I can do more outside in my garden!
Very inspiring... we can only do so much for our garden from a 500 sqft apartment... no potting room here! So all I started were tomato seeds.
But I am hoping to get seedlings for other veggies by the time we move onto our property to build a homestead.
A lot of work is coming up and I was wondering about time for steeming on...
Winter was good to get into it for sure. I'll learn to juggle i'm sure.
Thanks and good luck to your little avocado tree
sigh you have a potting shed .... and a barn. I am so jealous!
I for one am looking forward to your homesteading posts. I can live vicariously over our long winter time downunder. :D
Oh that's right you guys are going into winter soon... completely forgot about that, I've concentrating on getting this winter over with so much, lol!
I am jealous too about your barn and potting room @pennsif
At least for people who love posts on homesteading, gardening and such we can get an ongoing year-round supply to read - between the northern and southern hemispheres lol.
Lol, yes very true! Soon I will be writing about our experience!
Thanks for the positive outlook!
Your further ahead then me. My potatoes are non existent at the moment. Maybe todays job. Hope they all start out good for you and no cold snap takes them away!
I am on Steemit too much sometimes and I need to get other things done. I need to get started on getting things ready for my garden also. After this year it will not be as bad, I will have a lot of the things done, like barrels cut in half and the first tilling and working in the garden done. The first start of the garden is the hardest and most time consuming, I think.
Wish I had a garden - Does anyone do any hydroponic growing / cost worth the hassle? Good luck with the avocado! :D