Local Veggi

Daily updates from my urban garden and curated content from fellow garden enthusiasts. Grow your own and share your greens!

[diycraftsnmore]

[localveggi]

Growing pineapples takes patience. Tops take about 24 months to fruit (even longer in colder climates). Suckers take about 18 months and slips can fruit within a year. Generally a pineapple will flower as soon as it is big enough, so the happier it is and the better you look after it, the sooner it will flower.

[localveggi]

VERY EASY DIY GREENHOUSE

I’m thinking about growing microgreens and I want a simple greenhouse to grow them in. I would make my greenhouse a little longer but other than that, this looks like it would be perfect and quick/easy to build. What do you think? Have you built a greenhouse? 

[hellyeahsucculents]

They’re pretty much tricolored now

[localveggi]

Who grows succulents?! Recently I had a friend give me some and they’re beautiful and diverse. I need more!! 

[localveggi]

Okra amazes me. I planted it from seed over 18 months ago in a planter and it's still producing a ton. I currently have pounds of okra in my freezer haha. Have any good recipes?

[localveggi]

Do you grow red-veined sorrel? It's doing so well in my garden and is a great herb for a variety of dishes. I definitely recommend planting some asap!!

[localveggi]

This blog is primarily focused on urban gardening, however at its core it’s about growing your own food and living a healthier lifestyle. This video focuses on a family from New Zealand that has built a forest from a junkyard. Not only do they grow all of their fruits, vegetables and herbs but also provide food and shelter to an array of wildlife. The world needs more of this. 

[localveggi]

Over the past three weeks the temperature in Florida has dropped into the 50s almost every day. With the change in season my current crop has dramatically slowed in growth but some vegetables are still producing. The collard greens (in the pic above) are still doing very well, as well as the kale. The tomatoes, lettuce, and peppers have significantly slowed down though. They’re still growing but with limited sun and cold weather, it’s slow. As of now their growth cycle will be almost twice as long as the last crop.   

[leparadisartificiel]

Reminder: Plant lavender near your garden, it’s a natural pest controller!

[localveggi]

And it smells good! 

[localveggi]

This is what it looks like from the bottom looking up. Really cool architecture. | @rwillwalker

[localveggi]

Awesome indoor garden @ The Hive at Nanyang Technological University

[bare-roots]

Today’s harvest: cherry tomatoes, radish, mint, spring onion, malabar spinach, and silverbeet (swiss chard) 🌿

[localveggi]

Looks great! Bet it tastes great too! 

[bugbite7]

Start small. Bedazzled by visions of garden-fresh veggies, it’s easy for first-time gardeners to become overly ambitious. Consider containers. No yard? If you have a deck, porch or patio that gets at least six hours of sun per day, you can grow vegetables, herbs, even fruit trees in containers. Keep at it.

Think of gardening as a form of intimate relationship with nature. Like all good relationships, you’ve got to invest ongoing time, care and attention if you want to keep it alive and growing. Plan on spending a few minutes several times a week weeding, checking for insect damage and other problems, and just enjoying the sense of peace and contentment that being in your garden can bring.

[localveggi]

Containers are great too because you can move them throughout the day to keep your plants in direct sunlight. Also, if you use breathable material like this  --> http://a.co/0dACb6I the plant’s roots will grow better and your plants will grow faster. 

[gardeninglovers]

Lemons can be easily grown from seed and are a wonderful looking plant. You can propagate the seeds directly in soil, or in a plastic resealable bag with a damp paper towel. This article will show you how to plant lemon seeds using both…

[localveggi]

Like lemons? Try growing them! Here’s some great advice for all you citrus lovers. I’ve been growing oranges and it’s one of my favorite plants in my urban garden. 

[projectexpatmom]

Other veggies growing in my desert garden: edamame beans, snake gourd, bitter melon, Thai basil, cilantro, and pumpkins (at Doha, Qatar)

[localveggi]

You can even grow vegetables in the desert! Check out this blog for inspiration if you’re living in a hot & dry climate. 

[localveggi]

Ever try growing lufa? They grow similar to cucumbers and have huge yellow flowers that attract all kinds of bees. It’s been a weird and fun one to grow. 

[justingardens]

Why should you garden?

Three health benefits to consider:

1. Stress-relief and self-esteem A Dutch study asked two groups to complete a stressful task. Afterwards, one group gardened for 30 minutes, while the other group read indoors. Not only did the gardening group report better moods than the reading group, they also had measurably lower cortisol levels. Cortisol, “the stress hormone”, may influence more than just mood: chronically elevated cortisol levels have been linked to everything from immune function to obesity to memory and learning problems and heart disease. It may be more than brain hormones causing higher self-esteem scores for gardeners: there’s no more tangible measure of one’s power to cause positive change in the world than to nurture a plant from seed to fruit-bearing.

2. Heart health and stroke risk Gardening may be just one way to achieve your target 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity exercise each week — but gardening provides a rewarding motivation that makes it happen, unlike a treadmill, which invites associations with hamsters in wheels. A large Stockholm study showed that regular gardening cuts stroke and heart attack risk by up to 30% for those over 60. Raised beds can save the joints and extend possible gardening years for seniors, or for anyone wishing to garden more comfortably. Make sure to expose your limbs (without sunscreen) for just 10 minutes during midday gardening: this will give you enough vitamin D to reduce risks of heart disease, osteoporosis, and various cancers. Those with the lowest Vitamin D levels may be doubling their risk of dying of heart disease and other causes: and in most cases, too much time spent indoors is to blame. Try for 30 minutes of gardening a day: if your schedule won’t let you fit in half an hour at a stretch, try a quick 15 minutes in the morning, and another 15 after work. The evidence is clear: too much sitting is dangerous for your health, so break it up as much as you can with little spurts of activity.

3. Brain health One long-term study followed nearly 3000 older adults for 16 years, tracking incidence of all kinds of dementia and assessing a variety of lifestyle factors. Researchers found daily gardening to represent the single biggest risk reduction for dementia, reducing incidence by 36%. Another study estimated the risk reduction at 47%! Why does gardening make such a difference? Alzheimer’s is a mysterious disease, and the factors influencing its incidence and progression remain poorly understood. However gardening involves so many of our critical functions, including strength, endurance, dexterity, learning, problem solving, and sensory awareness, that its benefits are likely to represent a synthesis of various aspects.

[localveggi]

Good info Justin! I think gardening specifically in urban environments can be really beneficial for a lot of the reasons you’ve mentioned. After living in a rural setting for so long, it was one way I was able to reconnect with plants and the environment despite being surrounded by the hustle and bustle of a city. I noticed many benefits much sooner than I was expecting. 

[localveggi]

I started watching videos from this guy earlier this week. He’s an admitted novice but absolutely hilarious. He has an exciting vision for his property too! It’s an entertaining video if you’re interested in growing your own veggies!