seeds

For the most part, every plant i'm growing i started from SEED: not always an easy task. There are several nurseries in the area, but they are typically ornamentals or fruit trees. Plus i've been attempting the monumental (or dim-witted?) enterprise of growing north american crops down here where i am learning that the two distinct seasons (wet and dry) are equally extreme and challenging in their completely opposite ways.
Por eso, it seems smart to save as many seeds as i can, which i'm still trying to get the knack of. some plants make it easier than others:

Scarlet Runner Beans, always an eye-catcher!
Sadly though, this is one of only 4 pods that I harvested from the 10 plants that i started! Transplanted in January, the little starts seemed happy enough...leaves were large and green, tendrils began to curl and climb. BUT, they were not destined for high places i suppose, as the leaves repeatedly began to yellow and eventually fall off. When red buds finally appeared on my one would-be show stopper, I cheered thinking it would grow and flourish.
Despite the hopeful blossoms, you can see the leaves continued to wither and die. I suppose i should count myself lucky that there were any beans at all? The question remains: what the heck was wrong with them??

From day one, sunflowers have had a presence in the garden. Braving a thirsty dry season, the first batch never grew over 4 ft (though the package claims that Mammoths will reach 12 feet high!) Being a favorite decoration as well as healthy snack, I was eager to harvest the tasty seeds.Supposedly an heirloom variety, these seeds should be viable. however....
most every single one is shell with a dried up carcass inside. Maybe they needed more fertilization??

Moving on, borage, a lovely edible flower as well as butterfly attractor, is a fun flower to harvest seeds from.

Little green pods open to reveal four round seeds, which when dried, turn brown and are released.

i am waiting to plant these guys, as i read that borage is an avid self-seeder. But if not, i've got seed stock ;)

Maybe i've mentioned them before, but i am continually proud of the bell pepper plants i nursed from seed to start and now FRUIT!

Because it was a mixed bag of bell pepper seeds, (and i just discovered that all pepper plants start out green regardless of their end color), the identity of my eight pepper plants remains secret!

Glutton for punishment?

you tell me. i couldn't resist trying again, this time with a supposed heat resistant variety. Upside-down Tomato Experiment : take 2

the little things

, c

First post FROM THE FARM: we finally live here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and we have a new kitty: meet Chia!)
Despite the presence of a seemingly miraculous internet connection (cryptically referred to as 3G), life out here in el campo has been a significant step away from mainstream technology and a huge leap into the welcoming arms of alternative energy. Which ironically isn't as simple as the so-called simple life implies.
Miles from city lights and telephone connections, amidst coffee plantations and avocado trees, our sweet little casa houses a myriad of complex new/old technology.

First step was the use of a handy device called the Kill-A-Watt. seriously.

This handy gauge measures the amount of wattage your electricity-guzzling appliances are guzzling. After measuring each and every plug-in item in our old place, I was forced to cut out some of my favorite guzzlers (notably my toaster oven). Our hope is that our lightened electrical load will be a more feasible burden for la systema solar.

voila!

One week down powered 100% by our six 200 watt panels. and this is the rainy season! Lucky for me, my live-in engineer knows exactly what's happening in the "solar closet," pictured below:

!

?

My department has been finding low-energy alternatives....

such as the simple switch from our auto-drip coffee maker to
the french press, supposedly the best cup of joe out there. ¡que simple!

Rather than burning electricity, breakfast en la casa presents a perfect opportunity to burn some calories: remember this blast from the past??

Our buddy Rich putting an egg-beater to appropriate use

And in an impressive attempt at resurrecting a lost culinary art, a grinding stone sits prominently on my new counter-top, awaiting its chance to pulverize dry corn....or something?

I admit I haven't employed this one yet.....but i will ;)

Lluvia

Time for a serious update! Apologies to anyone who has been following our crazy farm adventures, and a public apology to all the flora and fauna i have neglected the past few weeks :) Now i know: "dry" tropical forest don't mean nothin during the rainy season, AND it's a very bad time to leave garden plants unattended. Just like with kids, you leave 'em alone for long enough, they go WILD:

As I could have predicted, the ayote squash once again claimed reign over the garden. Squash is a hearty plant in general, and here in our "dry tropical" climate, ayote demonstrates a supreme level of prowess. This time, however, I was prepared. Instead of planting 3 seeds to a mound 2 ft apart, as dictated by standard squash cultivation, I planted a total of only four seedlings, and several feet apart at that, so the voracious monsters have been unable to dominate completely.

Many fruit have already formed!

Thanks to my newly-acquired curcubit experience, this time around ample space was available for my sandía (watermelon) to finally spread her vines!

(Last fall during my first go-round in the garden, squash ended up obliterating all trace of my precious sandías. i cried.)

Other exciting developments include:

arbolitos!

Front and center is a cashew baby, started from a fruit i harvested (and ate) on the farm. Behind, do you recognize these two? The Jane Doe sisters! Unidentified saplings that i started from an unknown seed.

Espinaca!

While I transplanted my original espinaca (Basella alba) to the farm, seeds from the mother plant continue to sprout, providing us with fresh greens daily.

I think i finally got the hang of my favorite flavor of all, jenhibre (ginger),

though i'm not sure how to know when they are ready to harvest?

And.....

for the first time ever i am growing bell peppers!

Because of all the blight issues with the tomatoes, i am taking every precaution to protect the peppers from fungus. They will be transplanted to the ground in mounds where HOPEFULLY the daily downpours will run off rather than pool up.

This is only a small taste of the delicious overgrowth happening during our Epoca de Lluvia. Here, when it rains it really does pour. i am spending most non-rain hours, usually mornings, pulling a jungle of weeds which then re-grow during the afternoon. i love it! Recently i've found that getting down on my hands and knees and pulling weeds as i crawl makes me feel like a jungle cat. anyway....

While the weeds grow, i'm doing my own growing indoors--the kombucha keeps comin'!
Two new flavor discoveries, Zacate Limón (lemongrass) y Fresa (Strawbery).

yum!

At this point, i have more SCOBYs than i know what to do with!

and my real jungle cat, napping to the sound of rain on the garage roof

La Cabra Cabaña

Recently it has been more and more obvious that Ezmeralda needs more sufficient shelter.

the poor dear has been out in the rain, alone, tethered to a tree.

Lucky for her, it was Gansers to the rescue!!!!

Taking a break from volcano hikes, island boating, and sumptious seafood feasts, our dedicated visitors donated their own sweat and tears into the creation of a happy home for our Ez.

The ultimate product, La Cabra Cabaña, was a complete success!!!!!

Since the construction of la cabaña, we have added a newbie to the family:

Meet Lupita Maria!

Despite the bizarre fact that Ezmeralda is a (human) momma's girl, Lupita took to her right away and follows her every move. The girls can usually be found chomping grass and shrubs in various areas around the farm, or during a downpour, shacking up in their tropical luxurious goat accomodations.

Muchas gracias Adam y Alissa!!!!

hiAtus

Although i've been something of an absentee farmer,on the farm growing must grow on! The rains have come and all plants are growing like cRaZy, whether i'm there to watch or not. Probably the most satisfying crop has been BEANS

the good, the bad, and the ugly

Good: flowers are blooming!Calendula, Calendula officinalis

Borage, Borago officinalis

African Marigolds, Tagetes erecta

Girasol, Helianthus giganteus

well, the squash/zucchini situation has gone from Bad to Worse. i should have taken some photos to share, but a passionate burst of rage has rendered that an impossibility. Upon realizing that the poor dears were not only infested with Squash Bugs and Striped Cucumber Beetles but also a despicable pest called the Squash Vine Borer, i tore their ravaged carcasses from the earth to spare them any further humiliation. In my hunt for the aforementioned bugs, i had dismissed the presence of the interesting buzzing black and orange "bee" in my garden, who meanwhile was busy (as a you know what) injecting its caterpillar eggs into the stalks of my squash plants.
Apparently it's possible to salvage your plant if the worm is removed early; in my Three Sisters Garden, it was too late.
On the upswing, while the zucchini plants were of no further use to me, they were a special treat for a new friend....
more Good: Introducing EZMERALDA!
A voracious eater, Ezzie was happy to obliterate every last trace of my squash plants,
not to mention, EVERY last piece of greenery in our backyard. Goats! there's no stopping 'em!

Finalamente, the Ugly

All three varieties of the tomatoes i planted are exhibiting classic signs of the fungus Early Blight. note the yellowed to brown circular spots.
Tomatoes have been the thorn in my side since the beginning (remember the UC-82s??) so maybe i'm not even surprised. Early Blight feeds on moisture, and unfortunately thrives in areas with heavy WEEDS. oooops. so much for my pro-weedy garden campaign.
The other huge mistake i made was planting tomatoes in the same darn garden plot--the fungus was most likely living in the soil since the first tomato crop. arrrgh.
still, the grape tomatoes continue to produce fruit.

¿fruta fea?