It's great that you're back making videos, it's even better that you look happy while you're doing it. I'm going to have to start thinking about what to do with my little outdoor space between pepper seasons next year.
Hey, Veronica. I am no scientist and I live in hot, muggy, buggy central Florida. I have a few raised beds (that are decomposing after only a few years.) My goal is to let everything find their happy place. I have learned that metal and concrete (bricks) hold the heat which can be too much when temperatures are over 90 every day.
Yeah this is SO true. The concrete seems to suffer less than metal, but plants close to the west facing edge of the metal beds look super sad in the hours before sunset. Definitely taking that into account next season.
Wahoo! Veronica is back! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 Going for excess in the garden gives one the ability to experiment and take chances. We can save seeds from possible crosses if we are not depending on its productivity.
Be carefull, when I was in a community garden, I had Cabbage to seed and close enough were Brocolli that bolted! The resulting seed from the Cabbage grew a strange leafy green Veg that tasted wierd and was neither Cabbage or Brocolli but I guess at the same time were both 😂
I did raised bed gardening this year and it was awesome, tomatos, peppers, squash, cucumbers onions, they were great..."Brandywine" tomatos that weighed 1.3 lbs awesome..Glad you are back and Happy
Hey there V. Been wondering why we never see ya anymore. Looking forward to seeing how my favorite Fierce Farmer Girl is doing. Seriously though, very much do hope all is well with you and yours. You be SAFE and be GOOD!
@@VeronicaFlores One tip for you, I have a lot of happy lemon balm here in florida growing in cinder block holes it seems to like it there, and helps with my mental health :)
Okay, so definitely going to consider root systems compatibility going forward. Also, I have a shaded bed that I haven't been able to do anything with since we moved in, so might get some cover crop and see what works (nothing to lose, right?). Love the cinder block garden, too.
For the shaded spot, I highly recommend trying a perennial pollinator blend. The seeds are kind of pricey, but if you can get them to establish, they'll keep the space lush!
You sure do travel about quite a bit there Veronica! Great to see you back with some fine raised beds to transition towards your cooler season growing out there. With October just around the corner in this area, a change to sharply colder weather could rattle through anytime. Stay Safe! Happy Gardening! -Bob...
@@VeronicaFlores That is a very special and important question Veronica! To me, a 'home" would be that piece of land, not so large yet not a postage stamp ... good soils an warm climate ... good drinking water also good for plants ... learning and growing a bit each day ... purposely a vague description of some kind of home ... Glad to see you back again too! -Bob...
So, I didn't put rotten wood in the bottom of my biggest raised bed, but used peat moss. I layered it with compost, manure and worm castings on top of that and mixed a bit. It's worked really well for around 3 years now and the soil stays loose.
Makes sense! I don't use peat if I can help it because it's over harvested. Plus I have rotten wood all over the place. Using what you have access to is key!
Nice video :) good advice about looking at the root system of plants. When we want to loosen up clay ground we put in a bit of white sand, just plain white sand and if we have it mix that with lava powder.. works great.
Anytime I see arches like that I think of walking into spiderwebs and being freaked out. I'd have to wave a broom or something in front of me before going in. :)
Hahaha yeah the spiders don't like how windy these arches are for some reason... that or the birds eat them, not sure. Only wolf spiders in this garden right now.
First and foremost; you are amazing! I love what you have done with the space in the short time. I have a similar grow space and was thinking of doing something like this but wasn’t sure if it would work. You have pushed me to it. I’m going to do a mix in each bed, I have 8 beds, and will try do mini ecosystems per bed. I can’t wait to see your next videos!!
What direction do the arches face and how do you set up the other plants so they're not shaded out by the arches? I see a lot of arches, but I haven't heard anyone talk about directionality :) Like your videos!
Good point! These face north and south on the trellis sides - the north side later in the summer gets a bit more western sun. I find facing the flat parts of the panel towards the north and south to work best for me - full sun crops on the south side and ones that can take a little shade on the north.
The cinderblock bed is genius! I want to try it. Did you have a long contiguous space in the middle and then blocks around the periphery with smaller things planted in them?
Yep exactly! It worked pretty well, I ended up taking it apart last week because the gophers found it and I didn't line the base. The double stacked holes worked VERY well - the water was concentrated evenly and all roots went straight down to the soil below and into it, super healthy and robust. Would definitely recommend.
Thanks for the video. I read some of the comments and you mentioned the cinder block as well as the metal tubs can get hot. I am in TX, what would you recommend for a raised bed? Btw, You are beautiful.
You can still do the metal tubs it's just worth being aware that the side/end that faces west will be hot in the hours before sunset and the plants along that side may droop. I'm a big fan of using wood or stone for beds in Texas, but have used the stock tanks as well there without much issue. Also it's mostly the pockets on the cinder blocks that heat up a little - the interior fill stays pretty cool thanks to the double wall, especially if you "insulate" it with soil or pebbles.
You can still do the metal tubs it's just worth being aware that the side/end that faces west will be hot in the hours before sunset and the plants along that side may droop. I'm a big fan of using wood or stone for beds in Texas, but have used the stock tanks as well there without much issue. Also it's mostly the pockets on the cinder blocks that heat up a little - the interior fill stays pretty cool thanks to the double wall, especially if you "insulate" it with soil or pebbles.
I try to not go too close to tomatoes with other fruiting plants (especially other nightshades) because they're heavy feeders and they share pests. You can try to put peppers between if you're pruning the tomatoes and trellising them, but it's usually better to have them in separate beds and use other families of plants for the in between.
Hey! I think you'd find these videos interesting - all about water, sustainable farming and how it can help those who are less well off. ru-vid.com/group/PLNdMkGYdEqOCgePyiAyBT0sh7zlr7xhz3 Particularly #3 and 5 Also, glad to see you back! I've learned so much from you over the last couple of years
It's SUPER windy here as well! It always surprises me how much vines will compensate with thicker stems and more tendril anchors to hang on to their fruit - helps to grow varieties that are sub 5 lbs
Those are water troughs for cows, horses, goats etc. You can get them at a feed store or tractor supply. How to get them home? Throw them in the back of your truck.
I rarely have an issue with mildew living in an arid climate, but you definitely have to consider light and space needs when interplanting, so that plants don't get leggy as mentioned
Unfortunately no. It's an issue of insurance, and by request from the friends I live with. Perhaps someday soon though... I have some beans I'm very interested in working with. 🙂
Hi Veronica, I found myself wondering why you have such beauty and look so healthy. It must be because most or all of the make up that most girls use is missing and I would guess that also you eat mostly vegan.
Nope - I do, however, eat a well rounded diet that is not unnecessarily dogmatic for the sake of being intentionally obtuse about how we fit into our ecosystems, go for lots of long quiet walks, interact with judgmental people as little as possible IRL, meet with my therapist weekly, get at least 8 hours of sleep nightly, try to drink enough water, and don't waste my time making assumptions about people I don't know while giving back handed compliments at the expense of entire genders on the internet.
