BajaNomad - Post your useful plant tips here:

Post your useful plant tips here:

Pompano - 3-5-2009 at 07:41 AM

Pompano Baja Home Garden Rule:

When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it.

If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant. :rolleyes:

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"Error is a hardy plant: It florisheth in every soil."
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[Edited on 3-7-2009 by Pompano]

ckiefer - 3-5-2009 at 07:49 AM

My grandfather always told me "kiki, if you didn't plant it, it's a weed" He was a farmer

dianaji - 3-5-2009 at 07:52 AM

The best soil in the world is from worm compost. and the best way to grow worms is to raise a rabbit or 2 and put the cage over your worm bin.

also, if u can find a starbucks they will give u free coffee grains and worms love that! do they have starbucks in baja? if u can find some seaweed and put that in your compost, the plants love it. wash it off first.

ckiefer - 3-5-2009 at 07:59 AM

I love used coffee grains from starbucks to spread around the gardenia's back home. Thanks for reminding me.

Beachgirl - 3-5-2009 at 08:15 AM

Living next to the river in Mulege we get lots of salt intrusion. I had Googled that problem and read lots of info about salt problems in areas of the world where they have tidal waves and hurricanes which put so much salt into the soil that the people cannot grow staples, like rice. The answer is to keep turning the soil over, and adding gypsum. This year we brought down lots of gypsum pellets to fold into the soil. We also had our yard helper bring us "clean" soil and cow poo. Added the gypsum, too. Still, we have had a really hard time getting anything to germinate. Only about ten percent of what we planted has come up. Mostly lettuces and tomatoes. A friend down the river road said she just now has some veggies coming up that she planted last October. Strange. Those of us who frequent El Candil...Scotty's place in town...know that most of his veggies come from his dad's efforts. His dad told us that he, too, has had difficulty getting seeds to germinate this year. Thank God we don't have to grow cerveza!

dianaji - 3-5-2009 at 08:21 AM

at one time i owned a nursery and had this sign:

God never made a house plant!

DENNIS - 3-5-2009 at 11:51 AM

Never get caught at a military checkpoint with the wrong kind of house plant.

NoShoesRequired - 3-5-2009 at 12:04 PM

Guillermo tells us to place one good-sized dead fish in the hole you plant any palm. I believe him:

http://www.hotel-jardinesbaja.com/id76.html

wilderone - 3-5-2009 at 12:21 PM

For you all who live in a sandy desert and need to supplement your soil, start making a compost pile with your kitchen refuse. Add to that found cow patties, tree clippings, etc. and soon you'll have some compost. Shouldn't use too much gypsum - it loosens a clay soil, but too much and you'll end up with cement. Seaweed might be good for the compost pile, but may have too much salt for direct intrusion. Native Americans put fish with a corn kernal to get them germinated - great fertilizer and would add a little heat during decomposition when the seed is germinating. Don't forget to mulch to keep soil from drying out-will cut down on water needs generally.

dianaji - 3-5-2009 at 12:53 PM

corn gluten is a natural remedy for weeds and fertilized the soil. google it!

only use organic fertilizer for edible plants...NOT miracle gro.

Barry A. - 3-5-2009 at 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dianaji

only use organic fertilizer for edible plants...NOT miracle gro.

Why??? what's wrong with 'miracle grow'?

Barry

dianaji - 3-5-2009 at 01:02 PM

plants grow very well in it, however, it is best to use it for ornamentals. believe me. one day i bought the most BEAUTIFUL strawberries and they tasted like cardboard. the same week, i bought some grown organically and not as beautiful, but WAY more delicious...same thing with cucumbers...such a difference with growing organically.

i do have a concern about not fining food grown organically in baja...or if anyone knows where i can buy them...PLEASE let me know. same things with eggs. i get cage free eggs here in the states where the chickens eat the worms, and the eggs taste sooo much better.

that's my story and i'm sticking to it. a city girl with a farmer's heart!

Mexitron - 3-5-2009 at 01:10 PM

Farmers in the San Joaquin Valley have been using tile drains to carry off irrigation water after it has leached out excess salts--maybe you could put something like that in. That and lots of compost--after having used homegrown compost on our vegie garden it has turned mucky clay into beautiful soil.

Some seeds are cold or daylength sensitive too--I put in some leeks in November last year (because once they are growing are incredibly tolerant of the arctic blasts that come through Fort Worth) but they didn't sprout until the soil warmed up in late February.

Paula - 3-5-2009 at 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by NoShoesRequired
Guillermo tells us to place one good-sized dead fish in the hole you plant any palm.

hmmmmmm.....

I wonder what will happen if we place a good sized dead palm in the hole we plan to fish tomorrow :light:

Mexitron - 3-5-2009 at 01:16 PM

Here's a rather technical link to the salt situation and drainage remedies:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salinity_control

There's lots more on google to check out I'm sure....

toneart - 3-5-2009 at 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Paula

Quote:

Originally posted by NoShoesRequired
Guillermo tells us to place one good-sized dead fish in the hole you plant any palm.

hmmmmmm.....

I wonder what will happen if we place a good sized dead palm in the hole we plan to fish tomorrow :light:

Good one, Paula!
Pompano, have you tried this? (don't forget the corn

)

tigerdog - 3-5-2009 at 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pompano
Pompano Baja Home Garden Rule:

When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it.

If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.

One early spring day my mom was nagging my dad to help weed the flower borders around the yard. He finally grumped his way outside and didn't come back in for a couple of hours. When Mom went out to check his work she discovered he had pulled up everything except the roses. "How am I supposed to know the difference between flowers and weeds?" he protested (a false argument since he grew up on a farm).

Of course she didn't buy that argument, but she also never nagged him about helping out any more. I don't think she ever quite forgave him.

elizabeth - 3-5-2009 at 05:11 PM

For perfectly ripe strawberries:

1. Watch for flowers to turn to small berries;
2. Watch berries grow larger;
3. Watch as berries turn from green to reddish;
4. Pay more careful attention and watch them get redder;
5. Note that there will be only one more day before the berry is perfect;
6. Go out to pick perfect berry;
7. See that the bird that was also watching got it first;
8. Go back to number 1.

Pompano - 3-5-2009 at 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by toneart

Quote:

Originally posted by Paula

Quote:

Originally posted by NoShoesRequired
Guillermo tells us to place one good-sized dead fish in the hole you plant any palm.

hmmmmmm.....

I wonder what will happen if we place a good sized dead palm in the hole we plan to fish tomorrow :light:

Good one, Paula!
Pompano, have you tried this? (don't forget the corn

)

Tony, I have actually tried a version of this. Xmas trees, old wood structures, biomass, etc, etc Up North to create a 'reef' for walleyes, smallmouth bass, pike, and crappies. We would haul them out on the ice and when spring melt came..viola. Instant habitat. Wonderful fishing.

We wanted to do it here, too. Limpet mines and trawlers..get the idear?

For those who are wondering.. 'crappies' is pronounce 'croppies'...just in case you were grossed out.

Marie-Rose - 3-5-2009 at 09:59 PM

Never let your Mexican "gardener" trim your bouganvillias with his machete!!!!
We have been cleaning out the dead wood from several years of "trimming"

Periodic trimming is vital to healthy trees and shrubs.

Pompano - 3-6-2009 at 10:00 AM

It's a yearly chore, but pays off with great bonfires.

Barry A. - 3-6-2009 at 10:48 AM

Pomp-------do you just trim off the bottoms of your Mesquite, or generally prune all over? (Beautiful tree, by the way)

Barry

Pompano - 3-6-2009 at 11:08 AM

Barry..we trim all thru the tree...lots of dead branches are in hard to reach areas. It all promotes good tree health.
We also trim the open range mangales in front to promote upward growth. They have the potential to become great shade trees. These are fairly recent arrivals.

Barry A. - 3-6-2009 at 02:50 PM

WOW, what a beautiful place----- :bounce:

-----thanks Pomp for the good info.

Barry

Crappie

Skipjack Joe - 3-6-2009 at 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by PompanoFor those who are wondering.. 'crappies' is pronounce 'croppies'...just in case you were grossed out.

One of the most beautiful north american freshwater fish.

Dumber than mierda. But very good eating.

crappie.jpg - 45kB

Igor....

Pompano - 3-6-2009 at 04:38 PM

Golly!...I always thought these were the smartest of fish..and it took a master angler to catch them!

Kind of like Pintos!?

Just kidding,Igor. You are right. These guys are dumber than a box of rocks and easier to catch than a winter cold. But deeelicious in the pan!

A balloon is the ticket... :rolleyes:

Skipjack Joe - 3-6-2009 at 04:51 PM

Right about now, Roger.

Right about now they start to gather in these huge schools in our ponds in central valley, california. They get active here before the bass and bluegills. Hiking down a trail with newly arrived grass and wildflowers to a pond for crappies had become a spring ritual for some of us.

But I digress, - bajatalk.

BajaNuts - 3-6-2009 at 08:08 PM

Container gardening is a great option. Forget about the 50'x50' garden, build some raised bed if you like a lot of produce or go for pot gardens if you like a few select plants. They also use less water than large ground plots.

There are some pot gardens that should not be left out in the open. Use discretion when choosing locations for your pot gardens.

Unglazed clay pots evaporate moisture much faster than glazed clay pots. If you want the unglazed clay look on the outside, look for a pot that's been glazed on the inside. When you see the right pot, you will get a glazed look in your eyes.........and all will be well with the world..............

dianaji - 3-6-2009 at 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaNuts
Container gardening is a great option. Forget about the 50'x50' garden, build some raised bed if you like a lot of produce or go for pot gardens if you like a few select plants. They also use less water than large ground plots.

Agreed. i could never raise strawberries until i planted them in a raised garden...no more bugs eating them, easier to control. i am now raising onions, swiss chard, sorrel, kale, fennel, peppers, lettuce. No more digging!!! It's so great to just go and pick my own salad. :bounce:

Bob H - 3-6-2009 at 09:00 PM

When I was a kid, growing up in Miami in the 50's and 60's, my Dad used to take all the leftovers of the fish we cleaned and dig them down all around our trees and shrubs, guts, bones, everything leftover. We always had beautiful trees and shrubs.

My next door neighbor would throw out her coffee grounds out her kitchen window, onto the grass in the back hard - hurling it all over the place. They had the thickest, greenest, back yard on the block! Must be good stuff.

For house plants - a friend of mine saves the juice from canned tuna and mixes it 50/50 with water and waters his house plants with it. They are just beautiful!

That's my 2-cents worth.

Bob H

Evolution of a garden

Pompano - 3-7-2009 at 12:15 PM

A few years ago...well okay, 25-plus years ago...I grew lots of luscious tomatoes, etc in that little white cage. Using a bubbler system with good fresh water and natural fertilizer. (a little added goat manure is great) Had to enclose the container shelter within mesh to protect it from the birds, rabbits, donkeys, and cattle that were looking for a meal.

(I guess I was 'organic' long before the term came into use. That term 'organic' still gets a chuckle from some older north country ranchers. Dashing out to the 'organic shed' on a cold winter's day..scattering our free-range chickens, ducks, and turkeys, dodging the compost piles....brrr...Hey, who's taken the Sears & Roebuck catalog!)

The Hydorponic Garden.
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There was a brief 3 day period when my cage was 'borrowed' for a community project. We took all the veggie buckets out with the plumbing. And used it for...catching 'Lucky the Coyote.' Now THAT was an event. It's a whole different story, but I wrote about it on nomads and in my journal.

"The Coyote Capture Cage"
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Now back in use as a garden, but then as truly great veggies became more available from home delivery pickups from Mulege..and the 'Rolling Green Store' driven by Pancho Anaya..I made that veggie cage into..a Bird Cage. I'd entice wild birds into the feeders when the door was open.. and then pull the door closed with a long rope. Well, you know what happened then. I couldn't stand to see all those cardinals, orioles, vermillion flycatchers, woodpeckers, doves, and quail ..TRAPPED. I took the door off then and just used the whole thing as a wild bird feeder. Put up perching branches and all. Got tons of birds in there and cost me a mint in bird scratch at Manuel's tienda in Mulege.

The Bird Cage.
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Getting older and needing more sleep now. Damn birds chirping, peeping, clucking, and flapping thier stupid wings in the morning..who needs that? What to do with the mesh cage..? Hmm...hey, I love HASSENPHEFFER!

Viola!
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The Rabbit Cage
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[Edited on 3-7-2009 by Pompano]

dianaji - 3-7-2009 at 12:53 PM

pompano...that's so great!

Barry A. - 3-7-2009 at 01:36 PM

Fabulous story------------many thanks for sharing, both your great writing, and your great photos. I am still laughing, and looking in total wonder at your "place in the sun"-------

------a dream place, for sure. :yes:

Barry

Bob H - 3-7-2009 at 04:59 PM

Great story Pompano! Now, what I'd like to know ... what do you do with the rabbits? Do they end up on the BBQ? Or, are they just pets?

Bob H

Rabbits and Radishes

Pompano - 3-8-2009 at 07:40 PM

The rabbits have disappeared. The door was found open...and the longears were gone from thier hutch. I suspect operator error is responsible after a certain feeding session. There is a nitwit living here.

At this point I would say that the rabbits were more for pets then the main ingredients for some mouth-watering Hassenpfeffer. Yeah..those were pets...just pets.

All is not lost though, I am thinking of some chicken buddies next.

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Here's a garden idea and how to use that old tin boat you dragged 3000 miles to the border and then over the potholed Baja road, punching in a few holes enroute...damn &%#$ topes!

1. Dig a hole the size of your hull..not too deep, maybe a foot or so.

2. Drop the holed boat into it, fill it with good black dirt.

3. You will not find good black dirt here, so use the brown or tan stuff.

4. Feed a goat a bushel of dates and invite him to stand in the boat for several hours. Instant fine fertilizer!
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You might also improve those garden goodies by a liberal dose of this fine up-east product. Squanto's Secret.

An Old Indian trick.

This actually goes back to the old wives tale that Native Americans where the first people to use week-old ripe fish to fertilize crops. Not so..don't believe that tommyrot. Swedes were actually centuries ahead in this practice. Unfortunately for the Swedes, when neighboring Norwegians heard of it, they sneaked across the open border and dug up the fish...which was rotted, but being used to lutefisk, they reveled in their booty. That is gospel.
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I once tried Squanto's Secret on some radishes.
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dianaji - 3-8-2009 at 07:48 PM

that's some fish...err rabbit tale!!! :lol:

dianaji - 3-8-2009 at 07:50 PM

oops...meant radish tale. :rolleyes:

dianaji - 4-7-2009 at 09:01 AM

here's a great idea to grow tomatoes and other plants. i'd like to make one...

http://earthtainer.tomatofest.com/

oladulce - 4-7-2009 at 06:19 PM

How do all of you composters and fish-in-your-plant holers keep the ants under control???

Composting would be a great solution to reduce trips to the dump as well as amending our crappy soil but I spend so much energy trying to keep the ants at bay, I have no desire to attract them by saving food scraps. Even if your compost container or pile is away from your house, how do you keep the ants out?

dianaji - 4-7-2009 at 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by oladulce
How do all of you composters and fish-in-your-plant holers keep the ants under control???

Composting would be a great solution to reduce trips to the dump as well as amending our crappy soil but I spend so much energy trying to keep the ants at bay, I have no desire to attract them by saving food scraps. Even if your compost container or pile is away from your house, how do you keep the ants out?

diatomaceus earth... they may have it at home depot. or a garden store if u have them where u live. it is non poisonous and u can put it around for many other insects, spiders, etc.

diana