So we have started our plants in egg shells! In the video I posted that we were using our soil compost to grow our seeds but the worm issue (as seen in the video) was a bit too much, so we instead spent about $12 and got some organic potting soil...easy peasy! Enjoy!
For more info on GMO vs Non-GMO go here - In the video I mentioned that once you introduce GMO plants into your plant beds you could consider all your plants GMO, the same goes with your compost. Once you introduce GMO food into your compost and put that in your beds you can consider your beds and all plants in it GMO. If that doesn't bother you, then there's no problem and you will probably save money since GMO seeds and food are much cheaper. However, if you want to keep things as organic as possible, be very careful about what you put in your compost. If it's not labeled Organic or Non-GMO, consider it GMO and trash it. Better safe than sorry.
Wow, what a Mother's Day! So much fun and energy with the family, but this momma is P OO PED today! ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ So pardon me if my sentences run on or make no sense at all. That's how it is being a momma of 5, sometimes sleep is only something I get to think about occasionally. Anyways, yesterday my husband and I did a video on how we built our garden beds, but since we are only working with a cell phone as a video camera, the volume level isn't the best so I will try to write down a generalization of what was said.
We built our 5 wooden beds (one big one and four half the size of the big one) on less than $10. We acquired the wood for the beds by asking if the scrap wood pile near the dumpsters at my husband's work (he works on a military base) was free for the taking, it was! So working with what we acquired, we were able to build beds that are about 22 in high and varying widths. Now 22 in high is way more than we need to work with as far as growing, so... we plan on filling the bottom with some rock we have that will help take up volume in the beds as well as help add drainage ability since the beds are sitting on concrete. We also didn't make the beds exactly flush with the ground (there is a little space) so that will aid in drainage as well. We took scrap two by fours and broken up bookshelf we had already and built braces in the middle and connectors for the corners. The braces in the middle are to help aid in the beds not bowing to the weight of the soil pressing against the sides since they are long and high. We will also aid in this by not filling the beds all the way to the top (maybe half way or a little more). Additionally, we plan on adding small drill holes to the side (where the soil will be) to help aid in aeration and drainage. We got our nails from Re-Use Hawaii, they are used but we got a ton for about $6 and they work well enough. (We used both a hand saw we already had and a borrowed circular saw to cut the wood as well and make sure to bend the nails down so they don't stick out after you hammer them in...FYI)
We also made a brick bed on the side of the house under our rain gutters because it's a shady spot and good for leafy veggies that don't like a lot of direct sunlight. We had the bricks already in our yard marking our tiny wrap around tree bed that we just plucked out and stacked. We used plastic folder dividers (stapled together) to protect the house from the wet soil constantly up against it (it would rot otherwise) and are going to make drainage openings in the bricks so there is no standing water.
Aloha Everyone! It's nice to be back after my healing and bonding time with my newest little one, Eve. We are doing well and the whole family is excited to be on a new adventure with organic home victory gardening! It was suggested to my husband and I that we film how we do what we do during this adventure so that others can learn that it is possible and hopefully start one of their own. So off we go....WEEEEEEEE!
Our goal is to make our victory garden in the most sustainable and economic way we can while staying as organic as possible. And we will show you just what we did to do that.
Of course after we filmed this we realized we left some resource info out, so here is a complete list of resources that we have used or have been advised of. Please feel free to include your input and feedback from your experiences in gardening in the comment section below!
Military Folks- We got our wood from a Hickam scrap pile near the Mobile Diving Unit. All we had to do was ask if we could have it and load it up ourselves, FREE.
Freecycle Honolulu We were very blessed to receive organic compost with worms in it for the extra yumminess of our soil. It's also just a great resource in general for just about ANYTHING. We've gotten food, clothes, beds, tvs, baby stuff galore...etc. I am sure you could use this site for your gardening needs, just ask, post a "Wanted" and see what happens. You'd be surprised what you can get on there!
Honolulu Zoo I was told that they do give away free organic compost but I never tried it nor do I have any contact info, so if anyone knows anything more about this, please post it in the comment section below.
Pearl City Home Depot- If you go to the back parking lot of home depot in Pearl City, you will find a garden section near it that gives away free mulch. It's the Oahu Urban Garden Center, ran by the University of Hawaii. If you have more info on this site, let me know in the comment section below.
Re-Use Hawaii Is an AMAZING place! I want to stay there for a whole weekend, like a hotel! Seriously, it is like a Home Depot or Lowes and has just about everything you could possibly need to build or maintain your garden and even things for your home. Cheap, cheap, cheap! We got our nails and hanging fixtures there and will be going back for more wood lattices to help our plants grow upwards.
They also have FREE MUCLCH at their Kapolei site and will grind your wood for free (so I hear). If you can find a cheaper resource with this kind of quality on the Island, let me know in the comment section below!
John from Growing Your Greens.com This guy is our inspiration! Well one of them at least, he has a how-to video on just about everything you can imagine for home planter bed gardens and how to make the most of small spaces. I highly recommend checking him out.
Back to Eden Video- This was our founding inspiration for doing what we are doing. I definitely recommend watching this amazing man and what he has accomplished with his home garden. This is also a helpful video of how to grow your garden on your lawn (grass lawn), for those that aren't doing planter beds. You can find a sample of the video here.
