You Have Black Soil?

Black soil is a type of soil that is rich in organic matter, clay, and iron. It is also known as black earth, black loam, or chernozem. Black soil is good for growing crops such as wheat, cotton, sugarcane, and vegetables. However, black soil can also be heavy, sticky, and prone to waterlogging. Therefore, it may need some amendments to improve its drainage, aeration, and fertility1 One way to amend black soil is to add a garden mix that contains ingredients such as sphagnum peat moss, perlite, coir, gypsum, limestone, wetting agent, and mycorrhizae. These ingredients can help loosen the soil, increase its water retention and porosity, adjust its pH, and enhance its microbial activity. A garden mix that contains these ingredients is the PRO-MIX Organic Garden Mix, which you can find more information about on its website2

YOU WILL NEVER THROW AWAY EGGSHELLS IF YOU WATCHING THIS VIDEO | egg she...

Green House?

Done right, gardening can be one of the most satisfying hobbies you can ever have. It’s one of the best ways to interact with your earthly roots.  A basic greenhouse can function without having any electricity, but its scope can be greatly improved if you install a well functioning electrical system to it. This is definitely the case if you have any plans to grow tropical plants within your greenhouse. There are also many kinds of temperate plants that require protection from the winter cold, and therefore, having a proper electrical system in place is essential.  
This information was borrowed from the website, under the link in this post.  Check it out, for more information about greenhouses.

Fresh Veggies

 

I'm sure you can recognize most of these plants.  Some I have been enjoying already.

 

Got to support the tomatoes, cow peas and cukes.........onions mixed in around them.

 

Tomato vine and cukes running up the wire.

 

Blooming tomatoes, and on the left underneath the tomato leaf, Kolrabi is growing......first time to try this one..... :)

Ginger

 

This is my ginger plants, that I rooted back in the winter, and now they are really tall.  It looks like there will be a decent harvest of fresh ginger in a few months.

Cool Idea

What a great way to keep them off the ground............. wow!  :)

Supports

This type of support folds up when it's time for storage.  Much easier to handle that the stiff tomato cages.

Mango Plant

About 6 months ago, I cleaned a mango, that I had recently bought at a local grocery.  I let it set for a few days, and then cut it open, cleaned the meat and peel from the seed, and placed it on the window seal, to dry.  About a week later, I noticed a place on the side of the seed that had popped open, from drying.  I removed the inside from the dry hard outer shell.
I took the inside seed, and place it in some water, which I changed daily for about 4 days.  By that time it had started to grow a small root from the sloped end.  After another week, I removed it from the water and placed in in the pot here in the picture in some potting soil.  Covering only the root portion and loosely covering part of the rest of the seed, leaving most of it exposed. 
Here, you see my plant growing and now, I will need to keep it in a warm bright area.

My New Grill/Smoker

 Friday when payday came around, he felt the need to get us a new Kingsford Charcoal Grill/Smoker.  Instead of being smart and buying one already put together, he reaches over and picks up one in a box.  As you can tell it was the wrong decision to make. 

Well, he finally took my advice to heart and read the instructions.  Really this was after he had already put the wrong size screw in a hole and got it stuck.  

 

Men can be so hard headed when they think they know how everything is done.   

 

Needless to say, the grill got the best of him today, and it will be tomorrow or the next day before it gets finished.  All the Dewalt's in the world can't help, when a man knows it all!

Microfiber Cleaning Cloths

Light weight, with strength and durability are just  3 of the quality listing for these items.  I ran across a website which has a warehouse full of these  microfiber   products waiting for you to shop and buy at your convenience.  Not only do they offer  Microfiber Cleaning Cloths  to help with the basic cleaning needs.  They have towels, dairy towels, mops, brushes all located at their Chicago warehouse.  I noticed the towels they consider exactly what you would want to dry off after a shower.  Many of their items are also listed in their "clearance" page, which gives a great discounted price.  
The shipping is free on a order of $100 or more, making that a convenience which you can afford.  I suggest going to this website and look around at the  Microfiber Towels  and other items ready to be purchased.  Some of the sizes shown were 12" X 12" and 16" X 16" already boxed and ready for shipping.  Whether it be one towel are hundreds, they can get your order filled and to your address in no time.  If you are buying for a business or just stocking up for your home cleaning supplies, shop this website and save on all your orders.

Money Out of Pocket

It's amazing the amount of money that can be spent on keeping up a yard and garden.  Last year I remember investing large amounts just to keep the yard in city code shape and clean.  It means that if you want to have a yard that keeps standard viewing, then you are going to spend money on it.
My vegetable garden cost quite a bit of cash as well.  This leaves me to think about down sizing the coming year.  I did the type of garden one is accustomed to having in the years prior to now.  Back then you had a huge garden with all types of vegetables to support the coming harvests.  Today, it's not feasible to have such a garden considering the things that just won't grow right in certain soils and the weather.  Certain soils take a large amount of mulch to get it in shape for planting seasons.  I'm one person who is not young anymore.  I have to pay people to come and do the heavy work for me.  Here in you have more expense. 
This coming year I am considering having raised beds that can be easier controlled.  The harvest will be less but I'm sure the area involved will produce better.

Donate

  I recently became introduced to the idea of this post.  It has been check by me and I think this will be a great idea for many people to get involved in.  
The "click to donate" website offers individuals the opportunity to donate to certain causes and never have to spend a penny.  You can go to  http://www.clicktodonate.org  and look at the information they have listed for your possible interest.  The website puts a clicker on your webpage beside the search bar and every time you do a search it register's for the cause you are donating to.  I saw where there were several you could utilize, but it gives you the option of doing your own "cause" as long as you list the company and the name of the "cause".  Donating without having to spend any money is a great idea and is used along with 501 companies.  There are many companies that Google, Bing and other websites are interacting along with to perform this means of donating to non profit organizations.  Along with these companies, you can be of help to certain disaster relief organizations and not have to put one penny into it.
How great it would be if every time you did a search on your search bar, you could actually be of help to some needy cause?  I wonder how these people came to implement this wonderful help based website?  Take the time to go and look around for yourself and see how easy it is to be of service to others without much effort.

Roots

 

Back during Thanksgiving, I had an extra sweet potato that was too small to worry about peeling.

 

So, I put it in a glass of water on the window sill, and left it to root..  Recently, I notice these roots growing around the bottom of the potato.  I also can see some sprouts starting from one of the eye's.  Soon I will have slips that can be planted this spring.  I'm thinking of making a box, with compost in it to set them out.

Beginner Gardener's

Beginner's take heart..........

wifithermostats

In recent years the need for climate control in homes or businesses has become more advanced.  I remember the old units on the wall, which would have to be replaced because of their inability to last any length of time.  It wasn't easy to keep our home warm without high energy bills during the winter months.  I noticed that this was the same with most homes in our area.  Texas weather has such a diverse set of rules and you never know what type of weather the mornings will bring.  One day it will be freezing and the next up in the 70's with bright sunshine.
Our weather can cause uncomfortable times to the elderly and babies.  Also there are many who have health problems which heat and cold can affect.  The certainly need the control necessary for their comfort during the extreme weather months.
Technology has updated the world with it's abilities in most fields that carry any form of electronics.  Units for comfort control have been advanced to the phone apps from downloads.  Programs can be loaded into the apps for your wifi connections.  These programs are giving you the ability to use your voice from your smartphone and other resources.  There is easy access from anywhere as long as you have the wifi programs' set up.  I found the website  www.wifithermostats.org  to offer several options to choose when shopping for the perfect thermostat to have in your home or office.  The convenience of shopping online eases the need to travel to the store, when shipping is available.
There is information about each unit, the quote of prices and you can locate local dealer's who supply the units for purchase.  I call that a great convenience from the website  that's giving the information.   Being able to set up a 7 day program with the touch pad, gives you access to freedom while away from home.  I think that technology has lifted some of the stress to our daily lives, don't you ?  There are several home improvement stores who carry units for your comparison.  You may need to purchase one that fits your budget needs, and there are plenty to view.  Shop today and get the value you are searching for in home comfort control.  You'll be glad you did, when you see your next energy bill.

Earthworms?

So, you think earthworms are outdoors creatures? Well, you can actually raise them indoors, and use their castings to improve your soil, indoors and out. Container Make it large and manageable, space 8 to 12 inches deep. They feed on the top layers of the bedding. Bins can be plastic or wood. Drill 8 to 12, ¼-inch-diameter holes in the bottom and sides for aeration and drainage. Drill more holes if using plastic or bedding stays wet. Place a tray under bin to collect “tea” that drips from bin. Tea makes good fertilizer for houseplants. Bedding Options; shredded cardboard, newspaper, or coir (coconut husks); and peat moss. Mist bedding with water if it looks dry. Cover bins to keep worms in dark. Keep temperatures between 40°F and 80°F for survival, place bins in cellar, warm garage. Red wigglers thrive in temperatures between 55°F and 77°F (Worms from garden, night crawlers, prefer cooler and deeper soils.) Buy red wigglers through the mail or at a bait shop. One pound of red wiggler worms (about 1,000 worms) can eat a 1/2 pound of scraps a day. Food Feed worms vegetable scraps, fruit peels, coffee grounds, tea bags, crushed egg shells, and even leftover pasta. No spicy foods. Avoid meats, fish, fatty and oily foods, and bones. Lay a thin layer on top of bedding. Worms feed in the dark. A small amount of potting soil or cornmeal help your worms digest their meal. Harvest After 3 to 4 months your worms should have eaten the bedding and the scraps. Top layer of matter should be dark brown and the consistency of chunky sand. Harvest the castings. Push the castings to side, add more bedding and scraps. Worms will go to the new bedding and scraps. Dig out castings and add more bedding and scraps. Make sure to pick out stray wigglers and return

Hi Nita Watson,

Your content has been published on Associated Content from Yahoo!.

Planting by the Moon

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/7883786/planting_by_the_moon.html

Get It Ready

Most gardeners, know that the soil has a certain time to be worked.  It takes getting the soil turned over and start on a fresh new planting season for the coming spring.  When turning over your garden soil, you will want to use a good tiller.  This will give the ground a good loosening and get other items worked into it.  You will want to start feeding your garden early, so by the time you are ready to plant, the fertilizers won't be too strong and burn the tender plants.  It's almost planting season, so if you haven't gotten your soil ready, now is the time to start.

Pest Control

They are taking care of this man's pest problems that attack his garden.   

Farm Machinery

Living in a rural area is something I've experienced most of my life.  I'm accustomed to seeing large tractors ahead of me on the FM roads.  It's necessary for the farmers to move their equipment from one field to another, when the work needs to be done.  Naturally, the drivers who are behind them are scowling at them for being slow and in the way of traffic.  I'm sure they are in such a hurry with their own lives and world they can't realize that these farmers are part of what keeps our nation in needed food supplies.
The  farm machinery  they use is a dire implement utilized by all farmers, whether they are owners or laborers.  Each piece of farm equipment is used to do certain jobs necessary for the production of crops and conditioning of the soil for later planting. 
The local rural area where I lived was known for it cotton and grain crops.  We have a working cotton gin and grainery in our small town.  The freight trains come through here often and stop to pick up loaded grain cars to take across the states to processing plants.  In the same trip they drop of empty cars to be loaded with more grain held in the huge silos waiting to be shipped.  I haven't noticed the traffic of the cotton, from the "gin" once it's been processed into huge bales.  I have seen many trailers filled with the boles of cotton, that has been gathered by the farmer's and their equipment. 
I can even remember sitting under a trailer, when I was young, while my grand parents would pull cotton and place it in the big sacks they towed on their backs down the field rows.  When I grew older, they took cotton ducking and made me a "cotton sack" half the size of theirs so I could pick cotton to make a little money for my Saturday town candy run.  Going to town on Saturday's was something to us back in those years.  Having some jingle in our pockets made us feel good.  The candy was great too and times were considered hard back then.  We had no idea how this world would become so commercialized the way it is today.