July 16, 2010

The Experimental Farmer, Experiments – Fertilizer Friday

I’m joining the weekly Fertilizer Friday meme hosted by the wonderful Tootsie.  You can pay her a visit too!   By clicking here.

Last summer while visiting my daughter in her city apartment I decided that she needed a little color on her mini balcony.    I visited the wonderful Atwater Market and came home with a tomato plant and a couple of daturas.  At the end of the summer when the plants produced seed pods I brought a few home to try my hand at starting  my own this year.
Datura - Seed Pod

I started them in peat pots on April 30th, 2010.  Fortunately they “took” (hurray!) and have become quite lush.  But as all of us know, leaves are nice but bring on the the blooms!  A week ago today when I took a peak, this what they looked like…..

July 9 Dat Bloom A bud!    Yahoo!


One week later…
Datura - July 17 Five times the size in just one week!

Another of the little experiments that I recently decided to attempt was one that I came across on one of my absolute favorite blog “Chickens in the Road”.    (If you haven’t been there before, you should run there right now.  The blog’s author, Suzanne McMinn, describes life on a farm – the animals, making cheese and butter, recipes, etc.  She has a phenomenal writing style with a great sense of humor.) 

OK.  Back to the experiment.   I grew celery for the first time last year.  I got teeny tiny celery starts (1 inch tall) from a local farm.  I planted them and all went well.   I harvested 4 or 5 celery and they looked pretty good.   Not tight and chunky like the grocery store kind but still pretty good.  A short while ago Suzanne posted that she was growing celery.   But using a method that had never occurred to me.   She cut the base off of her store bought celery and planted it!  So that’s what I did on Monday.

July 12 Celery


This photo was taken today….

Celery July 16 Just 5 days old!  How cool is that?


One last quick thing.  I can't speak for other areas but in my neck of the woods, Wal-Mart has hibiscus on clearance. 
July 9 Hibiscus
Just $3!
July 9 Hibiscus COST

And that’s my story for today! Have a wonderful weekend!

6 comments:

Alea Milham said...

I cannot wait to try starting celery in the same manner! Following you and going to go visit Suzanne. I love learning something new; thanks for sharing!

Beth said...

Hi Maureen, Thanks for stopping by. The title of your blog sure fits what you're doing. I'd never heard of planting the celery in th egarden. I'm not familiar with datura so will look forward to seeing your blooms this summer. Have a wonderful wknd!
Blessings, Beth

Diann @ The Thrifty Groove said...

Oh, don't you love that instant gratification when a plant pops to life quickly! I have never grown celery. Now I am going to have to try it!

Lori @ Projects Plenty said...

I am going to have to try to start celery like that... my parrots LOVE it. Thanks for the tip!

Becca's Dirt said...

OK so I'm gonna stick my celery bottom in the ground too and see what happens. stick the bottom of your green onions in the ground too. You probably already did that.

Alea Milham said...

Tried it and it's working! Linked to you in my post today. Thanks again.