Project Green Thumb: Container Gardening

Gardening is a great way to enjoy fresh produce. You can control every element of your food--the soil, the fertilizer, and the variety. It's a wonderful way to incorporate truly local, organic food into your daily diet. However, not everyone has the space to have a traditional in-ground garden. That's where container gardening comes in!

Container gardens come in all shapes and sizes. Some people simply have a few pots of herbs, while others use old wine or shipping crates to create a larger garden. (Christina has a very large raised container garden, which you can learn more about here and here.)

Veggies that do well in container gardens: 

Lettuces 
Swiss Chard 
Cherry Tomatoes 
Fennel
Radishes 
Onions
Herbs 

Tips to keep your container garden thriving: 

1. It is more "stressful" for plants to grow in containers than in the ground, so they will dry out more quickly. Make sure to water them more often than you would a regular garden plant. 
2. Because they are deprived of the natural nutrients found in the ground, they will also need to be fertilized more often. Most experts recommend using fertilizer every third to fourth watering. 
3. Make sure to give potted plants plenty of room to grow. It's tempting to crowd them to make them look more full, but that will also cause them to be "stressed." 

Here are two great resources for starting your container garden! 

How to Build a Container Garden out of Recycled Shipping Pallets 

How to Start a Container Garden (includes in-depth tips about items to plant, and how much soil/water each individual plant needs) 

Already have a container garden? About to start one? Send us your photos and we'll feature them on the blog! 

Project Green Thumb: Being Patient!

I am thrilled to see that so many of you have started your own backyard gardens! I think that growing your own produce is truly the healthiest way to obtain fresh produce. Today I wanted to offer you a few tips on being patient as you tend to your first "crop" of fruits and veggies. 

1. Don't give up! The first time your plants bear fruit it will be very small. Don't be discouraged! This is normal. They will get bigger and bigger each time you harvest them. 
2. Pay attention to the weather. Believe it or not, even in Hawaii, we do have seasons. There will be times when it's extra rainy here. If that's the case, check to see if your plants need extra fertilizer. And if it's been unusually dry, make sure to water more often. 
3. Be patient. It's very tempting to pick your fruit or veggies right when you start to see them develop. Give them time to ripen on the vine. 
4. Talk to them. Don't forget to whisper "grow" to your plants! Seriously, I do this, and I'm convinced it is why my plants flourish. Ha! 

I also want to suggest that you plant a pineapple with your family. They take about two years to bear fruit, so it is definitely something you want to start almost as soon as you move to the island. It's something very special you and your family can do to celebrate living in Hawaii! 

Project Green Thumb: Garden Supply List

Last week we demonstrated how to build the structure for an above-ground garden. Today, we’d like to share with you what we used to plant our garden. 

Supply List: 

• Soil. We prefer to use Miracle Grow Soil for Gardens and Flowers.  
• Small lattice work for cucumber vines and tomatoes. 
• Sturdy stakes to pen the tomatoes up with.
• Twist ties to tie plant to the sticks or lattice work. 
• Staple gun (not mandatory) to staple lattice work to frame. 
• Gardening scissors to cut fruits and vegetables. 
• Watering hose (we use a Good Year hose)
• Watering Wand

In our garden, we have herbs, vegetables, and fruits. We planted half herbs, and the other half is split between fruits and veggies that our family likes. Our garden contains:

• Herbs: thyme, rosemary, mint, oregano, and basil. 
• Veggies: green onions, bell peppers, and cucumbers.
• Fruits: strawberries, blackberries, and tomatoes. 

We bought our entire garden as seedlings, not as seeds. This will give you faster results. However, if you want to use seeds, feel free! 

Some more tips:

• Water daily, being sure to saturate the soil. Try your best to not get the leaves of the plants too wet. Always try to water in the morning. 
• Every three months, re-fertilize the soil. We use Miracle Grow, but there are 100% organic fertilizers to choose from. 
• Use flags with streamers attached to keep fruit-loving birds away. I also use a fake owl! 
• If you start to see tiny bugs in your garden, kill them with a simple mixture of water and dish soap. 

Happy gardening! 

Project Green Thumb: Building a Raised Garden

Today's post is brought to you by Christina's husband, known to most Boot Campers as "Sexy Beast."

Several months ago our family made a commitment to start gardening as part of our healthy lifestyle. We like to know where our food comes from, and growing it yourself is the surest way to know that! We started by building a raised garden, and the step-by-step process is detailed below. 

We chose to have a raised garden because:

• We wanted to repurpose our picnic table. 
• Keeping the garden off the ground helps eliminate pests. The biggest concern in Hawaii is termites. If you have metal legs on your table, mice will not be able to climb into the garden.
• The raised bed prevents weeds from the grass spreading into the garden.
• It eliminates the potential of the wood rotting from the sprinkler systems.
• We wanted to ensure proper drainage of the garden.

There are a few drawbacks to an above-ground garden: 

• You can only use a square or rectangular table.
• The table has to be sturdy enough to support the weight of the dirt, and needs to be in decent shape. You should not use a glass table for this project.
• The table will be extremely heavy, so it can be difficult to move unless you have two people. It will weight approximately 150-200 pounds.

Ready to start building? Here's the step-by-step process: 

Supply List:

Wood: Buy treated wood to prevent rotting. I bought the cheapest kind available. (If you buy at Lowe’s or Home Depot, they’ll do the cuts for free. Make sure to bring your measurements!)

Power Drill: Any drill will do!

Screws: I used DeckMate 8x2 ½ Phillips square-drive screws because they don’t rust.

Paint (optional): I used outdoor spray paint to help seal the wood. This helps ensure that my wood does not rot, and also for aesthetic reasons. This is not mandatory.

Pavers or Bricks: Use underneath the legs of the table to make sure the structure doesn’t sink into the lawn.

Table: Use your own old backyard table, or find a cheap one at garage sales or on Craigslist. Just keep in mind that the table needs to be in decent shape, or it won’t be able to support the weight of the garden.

The "Sexy Beast" and daughter Trinity building a raised garden! 

The Steps:

1. Measure the length and width of your table. The length should be the longest measurement. Use 12x2s for the outside of the table. When measuring, be sure to add the width of the wood to your final measurement. This is the wood that will connect all the pieces into a square.
2.  Once you have measurements for length and width, you’re ready to move to the inside of the box. I used 4 1x2s and cut 2 of them a foot shorter than the length and 2 of them 6 inches shorter than the width. This is what actually sits on top of the table.
3.  Next, you’re ready to build. I flipped the table upside down, and formed the box with the 12x2s. Once they are matched up, you’ll need to measure how high you want your box to sit above the table. For example, if you want the box to be 6 inches above the table, you would measure that and put your 1x2s at the height you want it.
4. Now, you should have a box. To connect the wood box to the table I used (2) 2x4s underneath, cut to the width of the table, plus 3 inches.

Helpful Hints:

• If you’re using a solid-top table, you’ll need to drill drain holes into the table. If your table has gaps, add a piece of plywood to prevent soil leakage.

• It’s important to pre-drill the holes before using the screws, or you risk splitting the wood.

Stay tuned for next week's Green Thumb post. We'll be discussing the specifics of planting your raised garden!