So although I don't have time this week to engage in my latest interest...I had a really productive week last week. On that note...the latest news from Aunty Jolene's (not so successful) garden:
- I planted new seeds I got from our community's seed-sharing garden. I planted romaine, cilantro, a different variety of kale and papaya (since our trees are probably 2-3 months from bearing fruit and I need the next 'wave' of papaya ready to plant).
- I also planted, as an experiment, some starfruit seeds from fruit I'd bought last weekend at the farmers market in Hilo. I very amateurishly picked out the seeds and dried them for a few days before planting them...and am crossing my fingers that even one of the six seeds will germinate.
- Ryan and I also planted green bean seeds he'd excitedly been given at school... He was so excited...that I almost felt guilty knowing the likely fate of 90% of what I plant.
- I replanted four lilikoi starters I'd managed to grow from seed, and also discovered another mature lilikoi plant growing between my and my neighbor's property. Even better? It's growing right next to 20-foot tall spandex trees, so they can soar as high as their little hearts desire.
- After spending an hour making guava juice from wild fruit we'd picked on the side of the road in Hilo...I've decided to NOT try and add them to our garden. Not only is it too warm, but that fruit is a giant pain the behind to turn into anything.
- Oh, and very exciting...I used our compost for the first time! I have a few compost beds around the house, but this one is the cream of the crop..as it holds every single kitchen scrap we've ever had over the last 6 months. It looks and smells incredibly earthy and I'm hoping it's as fertile as it looks. I didn't want to commit all of our still limited supply to the planting containers, so I just sprinkled a 1-2 inch layer of the compost atop the soil of some planter boxes I used. I'm assuming a trickle down effect of nutrition will fall down atop the seeds, and they will all magically sprout like Jack's beanstock overnight.
- I got these books from the library yesterday...which are Hawaii specific and I think, will be helpful.
- I also harvested my first four eggplants and used them and some basil to cook my first eggplant parmesean (that was...mediocre). Still, like our pesto...it was pretty exciting to produce something that can help create a meal.
- I visited my friend R's garden a few days ago and drooled at the cool stuff she can grow at her 2,000+ elevation...poha berries, bell pepper and cucumbers (mine always looks sickly), etc.
- Then my friend L came over last week and taught me how to grow (new) potatoes! This is definitely on the docket for the future.
- L and her husband C also gave me a third giant 50-gallon water barrel (we got our first two from a different person) that I plan to cut in half and use to grow herbs and greens.
- About 2/3 of my corn plants are coming up, which I hope to replant in a few weeks. I read that it's better to cluster them for pollination (but that it isn't the best time to plant them...oops).
- I've added crushed eggshells to our compost, as I've read it's both a great fertilizer and pest control.
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