Here at my farm I regularly feed my plants a refreshing drink of tea - compost tea.
Feeding plants compost tea is a wonderful way to provide wholesome and organic nourishment. Every couple of weeks, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, mixes up a batch and feeds the potted plants in the hoop houses. Compost tea is made by steeping aged compost in water. It improves soil structure, reduces water stress, and is an ideal alternative to toxic chemical pesticides and fertilizers. I use a brewing systems from Growing Solutions, Inc. in Eugene, Oregon - just combine a few ingredients to create the appropriate "brew" and leave it overnight before using.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
This is called the System25 by Growing Solutions. It’s a 25-gallon compost tea model that’s great for nurseries and farms. A smaller 10-gallon system is also available for home gardens. The unit needs a sheltered location with a level surface and access to power and water. I keep this in the back of my citrus hoop house.
The compost filter basket is durable and designed for long term compost extraction use.
The filter is connected to a tray that sits on top of the tank. Ryan fills the brewing tank with potable water up to the fill line.
A hose connected to an air stone sits over filter basket. It provides a consistent pattern of air bubbles that prevents compost compaction and incorporates necessary oxygen during the brewing process.
Once the unit is filled, it can be turned on. The bubble action also helps to release damaging chlorine from the water.
The first step is to add compost tea catalyst, which stimulates important microbial growth in the tea.
Ryan adds about a cup to the activating water.
These brewing systems need several generous quart scoops of compost for each batch of tea. I am fortunate to make so much of my own compost right here at the farm.
Ryan fills the filter basket with nutrient rich compost.
Here is a look at the compost inside the filter.
Next, Ryan adds booster supplements to the tea mixture – 2-4-1 fish fertilizer and 2-3-1 fish and seaweed plant food.
Ryan pours about two cups each into the brewing tank. Fish emulsion contains a rich amount of essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
It also provides macro and micronutrients for robust plant growth.
He adds the same amount of the fish and seaweed liquid fertilizer which helps to improve soil health and increase its fertility.
Ryan puts the lid back on the system and lets it sit for 24-hours to complete the compost tea making cycle.
The next day the tea is ready to dispense into watering cans.
Ryan fills many cans of tea to manually feed all the plants in the citrus house.
Ryan pours enough to reach all around the roots. Compost tea helps alleviate diseases of the soil. I’ve been giving my plants compost tea for many years.
It also increases plant growth and provides them with so many nutrients. Every citrus plant will be treated. In addition to proper feeding, dwarf citrus trees require at least eight to 12 hours of full sunshine and good air circulation to thrive.
Compost tea can be applied to the soil and roots or sprayed on the leaves.
Here, Ryan rinses the filter to remove any residual compost.
Ryan schedules the compost tea feeding process when the plants are already due for watering.
It makes me so happy to be able to fortify my citrus plants with good, rich food. In return, they provide me with bounties of delicious fruits every season.
If you haven't yet ordered your garden seeds there's still time!
The process of ordering through seed catalogs and web sites can be daunting, but it also provides many advantages, such as being able to choose seeds based on how they are grown and how they are treated. One can also find seeds for more unusual and hard-to-find flowers, herbs, and vegetables. Every year, I plant trays of seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company - it's one of my favorite sources. Started in 1998 as a hobby, it has since grown into North America’s largest heirloom seed establishment.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
This is my flower garden when so many of the flowers are in bloom. I start a number of them from seed in my greenhouse every year.
Some of the flowers I start include dianthus. Dianthus flowers belong to a family of plants that includes carnations and are characterized by their spicy fragrance. Dianthus plants may be found as a hardy annual, biennial, or perennial and most often used in borders or potted displays. There are numerous types of dianthus – most have pink, red, or white flowers with notched petals.
Achillea millefolium, commonly known as yarrow, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is a hardy perennial with fernlike leaves and colorful blooms. The large, flat-topped flower clusters are perfect for cutting and drying.
And this dainty perennial is the sweet pea or everlasting pea flower. The sweet pea is a herbaceous climbing vine with beautiful bright flowers that grow up to 10 feet long.
Baker Creek in Mansfield, Missouri, offers one of the largest selections of 19th century heirloom seeds from Europe and Asia, and now features more than 1,000 different seeds in its catalog.
I plant many Baker Creek seeds every year and love how they grow. Each of the colorful packets shows how the flowers look when in bloom or how the vegetables look when mature and ready to harvest.
Baker Creek also carries so many different and sometimes hard-to-find vegetable seed varieties. And, the seed packets have helpful information on how to grow a particular type.
I test what grows best in my garden and what I should plant the next season… or not.
Basil is a big crop here at my farm – I always grow lots of basil. I enjoy using it in my cooking and try as many different varieties as I can.
We begin ordering seeds in January and February. It is important to get seed orders in as promptly as possible so one is not disappointed when popular or rare selections sell out.
My garden is filled with poppies, another wonderful perennial. Poppies are those papery, tissue-like blossoms that look stunning both in the garden and in the vase.
Sweet pea seeds can be sown into small pots of compost in autumn and overwintered indoors, or planted directly into the ground come spring.
Here are some of the snapdragons I’ll plant this year. Snapdragons are available in most colors except blue and coordinate well with other garden bloomers. Snapdragons are known for wispy jaw-like upper and lower petals. A single stem averages 10 to 15 of these unique blooms, grouped closely together.
The head house counters are stacked high with seed starting trays ready for the next batch.
Ryan fills seed trays every day this time of year. These are Aster seeds. Aster seeds range from light to dark brown, and are long with pointed ends. They’re also fairly large and easy to see and handle.
As with all the seeds, Ryan drops one to three seeds into each cell. It’s always a good idea to keep a record of when seeds are sown, when they germinate, and when they are transplanted. These observations will help organize a schedule for the following year.
Every tray is well-marked. Ryan places a label at one end of each row indicating the variety of seeds that are planted.
And then after each tray is filled, it is covered with more Miracle-Gro Seed Starting Potting Mix, watered and left in a warm location to germinate. Even when it’s blistery cold outside, it’s busy inside getting ready for the next exciting growing season.
Sometimes business trips take one to interesting and exotic countries filled with culture.
Last month, our own Kevin Sharkey traveled to Mumbai, India, to attend the milestone event celebrating designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee's 25th year in fashion. Although his time there was brief, Kevin also had the opportunity to tour a bit of Mumbai - he walked through the bustling flower and vegetable markets, visited the historic open air laundry called Dhobi Ghat, saw the detailed architecture of the Chhatrapati Shivali Terminus Railway Station, and learned about the city's rich history and diverse population.
Here are some of his photos, enjoy.
Kevin stayed at the famous Taj Mahal Hotel. Built in the Indo-Saracenic style, it opened in 1903 and has often been known simply as “The Taj”. The hotel is located in the heart of the city and overlooks the majestic Gateway of India monument.
The Taj is grand with more than 540 rooms and 44 suites. Here is a view from one of the floors.
The Taj is an architectural landmark. Here, Kevin captured one of the many arched entrances to the interior balcony.
Mumbai is also home to bustling markets. This is the Dadar Flower Market.
The best time to visit the market is early before sunrise, when vendors are setting up their stalls for the day.
Through the aisles are bags and piles of colorful flowers – roses, marigolds, chrysanthemums, lilies, etc.
Flowers are used for many events in India such as festivals, celebrations, weddings and religious ceremonies. Visitors often buy garlands for temple offerings and home decorations.
Garlands are made all day long from fresh cut flowers. These flowers come from local farms as well as distant nurseries.
Here are some cut flowers also for sale.
Other stalls, or booths, at the market include supplies for making one’s own decorations.
Here is a stall filled with skeins of string.
Indian street vendors are very adept. Many are seen carrying dozens of crates at a time.
This is a stall in the vegetable market. Baskets are displayed early in the morning filled with fresh greens.
Some are wrapped, some are sold loose, and some vegetables are tied neatly in bunches.
Fish is also popular in the market. Many of the common fish types are from the Arabian Sea.
Kevin captured this car as it pulled out of the market with the day’s purchase on the roof and supported by the passengers inside – where there is a will, there is a way.
This is called Dhobi Ghat, an open-air laundry in Mumbai. It was first built in 1890.
The washers, known as dhobis, work in the open air to clean the many linens and clothes from Mumbai’s hotels, hospitals, and other large companies. Rows and rows of drying linens surround wash pens throughout the Dhobi Ghat.
Thousands of workers flog, scrub, wash, dye, press, and bleach the items each day.
And here is a photo of the ceiling inside the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station in South Mumbai. Its tall vaulted ceilings are decorated with elaborate carved wood.
Inside the terminal is a combination of old Victorian Gothic Revival décor and Indian traditional architecture.
And here is an empty platform. Mumbai, which was known as Bombay until 1995, is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12.5 million. It is also considered one of the largest financial, commercial and entertainment regions of South Asia – rich in culture and history. If you haven’t been, consider a trip to India and Mumbai. There is so much to see. Thanks for the photos, Kevin.
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