How to Make a Hanging Planter Cheaply (step by step)

Hello Friends,

Today I'm going to show you the easiest way to make a hanging planter out of a tin can. This method is great for herbs for baked bean sized cans but the bigger you get them you could start growing tomato plants in them. At the end there is also a video to watch about it too!

Hope you enjoy it and if you liked the idea please comment below.

First get a general tin can any size and put water in it to freeze and makes it easier to make holes in (Ice isn't in the picture)

Make two holes at the top opposite each other.

Make 4-5 drainage holes at the bottom.

Fill up half way with good quality peat-free compost.

Get your plant ready (here a herb).

Fill it around with some more compost.

Feed the string through one hole.

Tie it on tightly and repeat with the other end.

Here you have made a hanging planter, easy!

So there you have the hanging planter, how easy was that? It looks great so why not make it and hang it on a fence or on your wall. This will help save loads of money too!

The video shows you in more detail of what to do. If you don't use tin cans simply ask your friends and family to save them up for you. It's important to reuse what you can.

"One man's trash is another man's treasure"

Thanks for reading!

A Great way to make you Raised Beds look Smart

Hello Friends,

I just had to quickly share with you a great idea to make you raised beds look really cool. Now just planks of wood are quite boring this makes it seem more organic and creative. This method gives a 'forest' effect which is what Devine wanted.

It looks so nice against the short grass and you can either buy the fencing or make your own using bits of small willow twigs all cut up, it may be a bit too much on the cost side but I just has to share it with you as it looks really natural and organic.

One idea I had from this was to weave them in copper wire to stop slugs getting into the bed and eating all of the plants.

That looks like one productive garden, wish I could find more photos of this garden!

Here is a similar picture I found that has wider gaps but still looks really nice, what do you think? Thanks for reading!

                      

A bit different, great for borders

Great Self-Watering Systems featuring 'Rain Gutter Grow System' and more!

Hello Friends,

This is a longer post with many great videos, if you don't have time for all of them now, bookmark this page for later. There are many self-watering containers out there and I won't be able to cover all but I'm going to feature one particular channel, Larry Hall. He has the best range of self-watering systems on youtube in my opinion and has had amazing results, he also has loads of colorful (colourful) pictures on his facebook page.

I want to tell you how easy all his systems are and why you should start now,

3 reasons why to start growing in self-watering containers:

1. You don't have to worry about watering for days on end
2. You only need to top up every now and then
3. Go on holidays without asking your friend to water your garden 
4. You don't have to weed! How about that!

Easy!

The Rainwater System
Let's hear from Larry how and why he invented The Self Watering Rain Gutter Grow System.

 Has this got you into the mood of building one? Well watch this brilliant tutorial below

.So this is a bigger project I know but consider it anyway even if you don't have the time at the moment, these projects will be much easier and smaller and still as effective.

Larry's Pop Bottle self-watering Garden
This is genius and good for growing almost anything from cabbage to strawberries. I've found his tutorial and you HAVE to watch it, seriously!

How to Plant it out

What his strawberry plants are doing in it at the moment:

                              
 Okay so that was easier but at the end I will show you how to make a simple self watering container from a couple of cups/pots. 

Those videos might be too long to watch now, just bookmark this page for later! I can't tell you enough how clever this is and should be used everywhere!

Let us look at another photo of the rainwater system. Isn't it really cool!

Part of a 70foot rainwater grow system! More photos here

So there you have two great methods of larger self-watering systems and you have to try at least one out. It's time to change the world into being more healthy and organic, sharing and having fun. These ideas are genius and amazing and I'm truly inspired by them like many other people. 

I really like his ideas and you can visit the rain gutter grow system group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/144745362329424/ This is what I would love to do, go up and down the country installing these. Time for something new here in the UK and can't wait to get loads of people into growing their own produce easily!

One day I'll make my own but until next time, here is my 'mini' self-watering container, cheers! 

How to make Easy Seed Packets (3 methods)

I always end up collecting to many seeds and never have any place to put them and I don't want to go out to the shops to buy some so why not make your own?

These methods are the most easy ways you can make a seed packet mainly for scrap paper, your being crafty and saving money and the planet at the same time!

Method 1:
All you need is a post-it note and a pair of scissors.

 

How easy was that then?

Well if you think that was easy I have something even easier for you. Behold the easiest seed envelope in the world:

                              
Then a simple origami envelope will do the trick if you have a bit more time on your hands:

Okay so those were fun, I enjoyed it so I thought you would do too. If you need loads of packets you can order them cheaply off the internet here for UK and here for USA, but it's way more exciting making your own then giving them away to friends. Hope you enjoyed this blog! Please share it, thanks

How to get rid of Aphids Organically

Hello Friends,

Today I'm sharing with you many organic methods to help prevent, get rid of and kill aphids, aphida are farmed by ants for their  'honeydew' and all aphids do it produce honeydew which can produce fungal disease and suck on plant sap they're a pest, and infestations can be deadly for plants. Around 4,400 different species of Aphids have been found to date! An aphid can produce 80 more in a week!

Methods of Control
I have gone around many websites and books to get you many different methods to control these pests so let's get straight to it!

• Boil 5 large cloves of garlic and a teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a litre of water for 40 minutes. 
• Strain it and when it is cool use a mister bottle to spray it onto your plants.Get ladybirds from organic suppliers to eat the aphids.
• If there are only a few aphids on a plant you can pick them off and squash them by hand.
• A simple and effective way of getting rid of aphids is to spray your plants with a jet of water. The water will knock the aphids off and they will generally die before they can climb back onto the plant.
• Make a solution of 10 ml soap to 500 ml water and mist your plants with it. The soap will cause the aphids to dehydrate and die.
• Mix one cup of any type of vegetable oil with 3 cups of warm water and add half a teaspoon of dish washing liquid. Spray using a mister bottle. The oil will clog the aphids’ pores and suffocate them.
• Rub vegetable oil onto the affected parts of the plant.
• You can get rid of aphids that have colonised just one or two areas of a plant by pruning away those areas. Dispose of the infected foliage by burning if possible.
• Combine one tablespoon of canola oil with a few drops of liquid soap and a quart of water and spray onto the aphids.
• In a spray bottle combine 2 parts rubbing alcohol, 5 parts water, and 1 tablespoon liquid soap. 

 Here is how you make a pepper spray to spray on the aphids

So I hope all of those ideas helped answer your questions and if you have any more just post a comment underneath. Most of these methods will also work on Blackfly too. If one method doesn't work try another. I recommed spraying the plants at least 2-3 times a week.

Thanks for reading!

How to Prevent Potato Blight

Hello!

Today's main feature is preventing potato blight, we have it most years and almost every garden will see it at least once. It's a big problem and it has caused 1million deaths many years ago (1840s) in Ireland because of it.

What is Blight?
Blight is a widespread disease in the Solanaceae family. It can destroy a potato plant in 10 days. It loves warm humid weather and wet summer weather so it's quite hard to get a solution for both. Dark brown spludges appear on leaves and on the potato and makes it really manky and inedible.

http://gardenofeaden.blogspot.co.uk

Ways to help prevent it

• Choose handpicked disease free tubers from respected organic suppliers
• Choose a site that's open and has a good airflow so it allows quicker time for the leaves to dry after rain
• DO NOT PUT THE DISEASED PLANTS ON THE COMPOST! It's really important you don't as spores can live overwinter and start again in the spring.
• If only a few leaves are affected cut them off and put them in a fire or destroy them, the plant will carry on growing
• Potato blight unfortunately can't be cured but in the UK organic standards certain protectant fungicides are currently permitted but not on a routinely basis
• Crop rotation will help prevent a build up of disease
• Plant early varieties if possible
• Do not water from above when blight is on the foliage as this can provide the ideal conditions for these new spores to seep through the soil and infect the tubers
• Harvest potatoes when ready and do not let them to sit in the ground
  
  So I hoped this answered you question and please share this post on all social media sites, it would really help me, thanks!

Crop Rotation Plan - Explained

Why rotate crops?

The two year gap allows mineral balace of the soil to be maintained, makes better use of organic matter and most importantly reduces the risk of pests and disease. This method works for almost any garden apart from very small gardens.

These do not need to be rotated:
Rhubarb, Jerusalem artichokes, Globe artichokes, Asparagus, Seakale and Herbs

The 3 year rotation plan

Plot A
Potato, Tomato, Pepper and Aubergine (Eggplants), Marrows, Courgettes and other cucerbits and squashes
Plot B
Legumes, Onions and Roots
Plot C
Brassicas Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kale, Kohl-rabi, Oriental greens, Radish, Swede and Turnips

Brassicas follow legumes, onions and roots. Legumes, onions and roots follow potatoes and potatoes follow brassicas.

 So that's the 3 year crop rotation plan all explained for you and if you have any questions please post a comment down below and also check out my YouTube channel

All about Bottle Tower Gardens

Bottle tower gardens are amazing, they hang on walls and can be attached to fences. All they involve are  same sized bottles, compost, seedlings and a couple of tools.

So yes I am one day going to make one, for sure I mean how amazing they are! People grow lettuces to strawberries in them and I want to give it a go too. I've gone round and found great examples and collected some videos and posts together for you to have a look at.

This is Willem Van Cotthem who has a great blog that you can find here

He has numerous videos on his youtube channel with videos on container gardening with very clever results. If you want to see what a fully grown bottle tower garden here I have found a great example on his channel.

And here is the method on how to create a beautiful place just like that.

 

I can't tell you enough how amazing this is, and please share this post with your friends as they should know too! I'll keep you updated on mine but I will probably have to wait a few months to save up for more bottles. This is my favourite small space food growing idea too and I highly recommend you using it even on a balcony or indoors!

I'm going to leave you with another picture of a different idea. I'll probably end up doing a part 2. Now, those lemonades I brought the other day...

How can I Grow Food in Containers for FREE?

I have had this question many times over, and I have some great answers. You have to think inside the box, literally. From old vegetables plastic crates to shoe boxes they can all be used to grow food in! Yes in cardboard, well won't it just fall apart? Yes - in the long run. In the short run there is a completely different answer.

The reason why you should use cardboard boxes is because you can easily grow vegetables like lettuces and radishes furthermore the squash families!

I'm trying to get you into growing saving as much as possible and getting healthy food out of it. I have found one great video about using plastic crates below, watch it, then I'll show you how to grow radishes in a cardboard box.

That video sure would have helped you, it's great! Also I made a video about a week or so ago about growing in carboard boxes and here it is:

 So finally you can use plastic bottles for growing herbs in, just cut the top off and you have a pot! It's very simple and easy to grow your own food, why not start today? I can not tell you enough how easy and important it is to grow your own fresh food, thanks for reading.

How to grow Peppers from Seed - Step by step guide!

Welcome

Growing peppers is fun and easy, you can use the seeds of organic ones you buy from the shops like hot peppers or bell peppers. I would use bell peppers to start off with!

Bell Peppers

1. So first thing you need to do is to cut them in half and scrape out all of the small seeds inside. Eat the pepper now or save it for a pizza topping for later.
2. Place the seeds on a plate and select the biggest ones.
3. Prepare a few pots (you can make one from cutting a plastic water bottle in half) and fill up 3/4 of the way with good organic compost or nutritious dirt.
4. Place a seed or two and lightly cover with compost.
5. Water and keep compost moist and add a clear plastic bag to create a greenhouse effect.
6. Place on top of a flannel on a radiator or in a warm room and wait for it to grow.

 After the seedling is about two inches tall transplant to a larger container and make sure the dirt is still moist.

• After a few weeks it should grow well and needs plenty of light and feed it with Pepper Feed
• After a few months some flowers should start forming and then small immature fruits
• Then a few weeks later you will have your well deserved peppers that you grew from a shop brough fruit! Well done! Store it in a frost free place over the winter will compost and then it will carry on bearing fruits for the next few years!

 Written and published by Huw at https://www.youtube.com/user/HuwsNursery