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Sustainable living architecture bridge in northeast India

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Green Vertical Garden (wall) in Madrid

Green Vertical Garden (wall) in Madrid

March 17, 2008 / 8 Comments

photo by juanpg

The newest museum in Madrid, CaixaForum, has a vertical garden on one of the exterior walls. Designed by Swiss architects Herzog & Meuron, there are 15,000 plants from more than 250 different species that are now covering a 1899 converted former power station.

They managed to get a “very unusual encounter between the rough and the natural” with a high contrast between the restored building that has a rusted iron top and the beautiful green plants.

photo by Funksturm

CaixaForum is a sociocultural center and was inaugurated in the very heart of Madrid on February 2008. It serves as a museum, auditorium, art gallery and bookshop.

The creator of the vertical garden is Patrick Blanc, already known for his work in France (the Quai Branley Office Wing), is expected to install the next one in China or probably in the UK. He actually said that such gardens could be created anywhere, even in “those difficult spaces where you don’t expect to see greenery”. His experience comes from studying rainforests and you can see the results. – via – TreeHugger

source:http://www.greenpacks.org/2008/03/17/green-vertical-garden-wall-in-madrid/

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We are proud to offer Biodiversity's products to you as the most superior suite of 100% earth friendly, benign, soil-carbon-building products that are perfect solutions to your farm, turf or home garden. Whether you are a commercial large scale farmer or a simple to advanced home gardener, our products are the most cost effective solution nature can provide. Click here to learn more about the bio fertilizer and soil amendment line.

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We are proud to offer Biodiversity's products to you as the most superior suite of 100% earth friendly, benign, soil-carbon-building products that are perfect solutions to your farm, turf or home garden. Whether you are a commercial large scale farmer or a simple to advanced home gardener, our products are the most cost effective solution nature can provide. Click here to learn more about the bio fertilizer and soil amendment line.

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"Guerilla Gardener"

We are proud to offer Biodiversity’s products to you as the most superior suite of 100% earth friendly, benign, soil-carbon-building products that are perfect solutions to your farm, turf or home garden. Whether you are a commercial large scale farmer or a simple to advanced home gardener, our products are the most cost effective solution nature can provide.

Our Contact Info:

Office: 866-591-5335 ext 1 

Fax:    530-539-3197 

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Is Urban Gardening Getting More Creative? From Vertical Spirals to Lampposts, to Facebook

Is Urban Gardening Getting More Creative? From Vertical Spirals to Lampposts, to Facebook

by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 10.13.10

Design & Architecture  

'Spiral Garden' in an urban setting. Photo: Benet Dalmau, Saida Dalmau, Anna Julibert, and Carmen Vilar via Designboom.

With empty land at a premium in densely populated urban areas, builders have long reached into the sky to maximize the amount of residential or commercial space they can develop.

Now a team of Spanish architects have proposed to do the same thing with "green space", creating an eye-catching design for a multipurpose vertical garden that would be at home in a city center or a park.

The Guggenheim-esque "Spiral Garden," GOOD writes, incorporates "a public vertical garden, a botanical-garden-like place where people can take a stroll, 170 parking spots for bikes, and a composting center where people can drop off their scraps."

Interior rendering of 'Spiral Garden.' Photo: Benet Dalmau, Saida Dalmau, Anna Julibert, and Carmen Vilar via Designboom.

The design team of Benet Dalmau, Saida Dalmau, Anna Julibert, and Carmen Vilar won a Designboom IIDA Award for the concept, which they described as a "public sustainable place like a green heart" that helps make the environment an integral part of everyday life:

A light, spiral structure protected by a transparent and suggestive mesh, the project encourages the city to create sustainable exchange spaces in different ways. This spiral contains an ascending garden where native vegetation can coexist with urban orchards, shared and planted for the neighbors for easy maintenance and serving also as a green outdoor walk. 'Spiral garden system' increases social interaction between people, provides a place for exchanging natural products, and becomes a way for local residents to get involved with their neighborhood.

An urban-agriculture concept by growingcity. Photo: Growingcity via Designboom.

The Spaniards aren't the only ones thinking vertically when it comes to gardens. A separate Designboom piece on the urban-agriculture think tank Growingcity features other innovative ways to reduce major cities' importation of an average of 6,000 tons of food each day. These creative minds envision incorporating greenhouse-style gardens of various sizes into housing developments, lampposts, even underneath workers' desks.

Growth in Garden Sharing

Until ideas like these become reality, urban dwellers can find places to garden the same way they find dates, roommates, jobs, and apartments: through social networking. A bumper crop of "garden sharing" sharing websites -- including We Patch, Yardsharing, and Shared Earth in the United States, and Landshare in Britain -- is connecting people who want to grow food with underutilized space, potentially turning cities into real-life Farmvilles (Gameplay involving aspects of farm management such as plowing land, planting, growing and harvesting and by raising livestock).  

source content:http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/10/creative-idea-for-urban-gardening.php

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We are proud to offer Biodiversity's products to you as the most superior suite of 100% earth friendly, benign, soil-carbon-building products that are perfect solutions to your farm, turf or home garden. Whether you are a commercial large scale farmer or a simple to advanced home gardener, our products are the most cost effective solution nature can provide.

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Office: 866-591-5335 ext 1 

Fax:    530-539-3197 

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AUTUMN IN THE GARDEN

Autumn Tips the work and pleasures of the season

In my gardening region, there are two major times to work in the garden: spring and fall. Not that there are not other chores during the remaining two seasons! It is rather a matter of success rate and effort efficiently expended. Our summers with hot, muggy weather, dry ground, blazing sun, and desiccating winds tax the plants and the planter (or planter person?) And everyone in temperate zones knows about winter and its challenges.

My garden is located in sort of an odd climate region of Ohio, which explains the prairie environment rather than the woodland in the majority of our state. We seem to have less rain, especially in the late summer. But, basically, the same rules apply: planting is best in the two little windows March through mid-May and Mid-September-October. With some effort from the gardener, or a gambling streak, one can chance summer and early winter (see the box on the side: "Compost= Black Gold"). For autumn, there are chores of planting bulbs, making compost, dividing perennials, and (if you're smart) digging new beds and tilling for next season.

Moving plants to a new location should be done before October, I think. Mainly, because without dependable snow cover (which central Ohio never has) the plants should have a chance to put down roots in the ideal October weather. Late August and early September are very dry and limit success, unless you diligently water to keep the new plants growing well. A general rule for new plants and starts is the importance of keeping them moist. You can plant most anything at any time if you are willing to keep the soil moist. This is the difficulty for those of us with too many irons in the fire: we often, despite our good intentions forget that special little plant during a brief dry spell. Guaranteed disappointment, even if it revives.

Late August through September are the days for planting Madonna lilies, dividing irises, and moving peonies. Harvesting vegetables keeps you busy, if you planted late crops. The weather is sure death to any weeds you manage to disrupt and disable. Ha! Take that, you scurvy weed!

The late September-October period is excellent for reworking the perennial beds, planting all those beautiful bulbs, and for all shrubs and trees. In the city I might chance planting roses, but everyone is much better holding those off for spring. The great deal of vegetable matter from trees and gardens provides a supply for the compost pile. If nothing else, make a trench in your vegetable garden, fill it, add some fertilizer, cover with soil. You would not believe how good this makes the soil after a time. Chopping the leaves up speeds the decay time, and the fertilizer helps the good bacteria to do its work. Organic in the true sense of the word. If you have flower beds that need to be edged, this is the ideal time for that job, any garden construction work, in fact. The soil is workable and the weather stays clear and pleasant, much better than the muddy spring conditions. Think ahead to make everything ready for the spring planting: using the open window of spring for planting and dividing because the earth is in all readiness from your diligence in the fall.

There are a few exceptions to the "fall is better" idea. Some trees, such as magnolias, are planted in the spring. Bare root roses are better planted in early spring, as well. Whatever is planted, a cover of mulch or other protection should guard against both drying winds and frost heaving.

A good site for information on compost, compost tea, and organic fertilizers and soil amendments is www.superchargeit.org

Source Content:http://ilonasgarden.com/garden/g-autumn.html

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How to Grow Star-Fruit!

Well if you like growing fruit but want to try something different from just growing a plain old Apple tree and would like to try something more exotic. Then why not consider growing a star fruit tree?

They have their roots in Asia, and grow to be a medium sized tree of 25 to 30ft tall. As their name suggests that fruit that they grow are star shaped, at least they are when they are cut open! The fruit should be picked when they are between three and six inches long (But no more than six inches).

Despite being classed by most of us as an exotic fruit, they are relatively easy to grow, so long as you live in a relatively warm climate. In Northern Europe you could attempt to grow one inside a conservatory but it would struggle given the drop in temperature at night in Winter, and given their size of 20ft or more when fully mature they would prove unmanageable.

However if you live in a warmer climate, with a high humidity level, such as Southern Europe, or further afield then try growing a star fruit tree as follows: -

A star fruit tree can be grown from the seed of fruit bought from your supermarket or green grocer. Once you have removed the seeds from the fruit they should be washed and dried prior to planting, however this should be done as soon as possible, as if you leave the seed lying around for days afterwards prior to planting for whatever reason its chances of germination will decrease.

Indeed it is best to plant a larger number of seeds than not as the overall germination ratio of the star fruit seeds is very low.

Plant them in a mixture of compost and fresh damp moss in 4-inch pots. They should begin to germinate in around 7 days, moving to 14 days in Winter. Once the seedlings are around 4 to 6 inches in height they can then be planted directly into the ground. You will need to ensure that they are protected from the cold in the early days of planting as well as protected from rodents such as rabbits, who can destroy young plant overnight.

Now for the long wait. Your star fruit tree will take around 4 to 5 years to reach maturity and to start producing fruit. However once it reaches maturity the star fruit tree will flower around 4 times per year and produce fruit after each flowering. They will produce their largest crop in Summer with other crops coming in December and March (Approximately, although this will vary on where you live).

Source Content: http://www.gyoveg.com/how-to-grow-star-fruit.html

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How to grow organic Cauliflower

Organic Gardening:

How to grow organic Cauliflower

Cauliflowers are the most well known edible flowers Cauliflower Brassica oleracea Botrytis group Family: Cruciferae (Group 2)

Cauliflower is the most well known edible flower. It also makes such a delectable and versatile vegetable. Of course, you can use it as a standard meal accompaniment, and raw in salads, but it's also great with sauces as a meal in its own right or for cauliflower bhaji, for example. I like it just lightly cooked and served up with a knob of butter.

Unfortunately, it's not the easiest of brassicas to grow. In fact, it's generally classified as difficult. So if you're not already a confident vegetable gardener with a couple of years of brassica production under your belt, you might be better to select from the other brassicas for the time being - such as calabrese, which also produces edible flowers.

Site and soil

Choose an open, unshaded site with fertile, well-drained and moisture retentive soil, which should be slightly acid (min pH 5.4, but see note on clubroot - add lime if necessary to adjust pH). Brassicas have a high nitrogen requirement and also need very firm soil. To ensure sufficient nutrient levels, it is best to topdress or apply a liquid feed such as seaweed fertiiser during growth.

Because brassicas are prone to soil infections, for example, Clubroot, it's important to use a minimum 3 year rotation plan.

Ideal pH is 6.5-7.5

Cultivation

CultivarSow/plantHarvest Winter heading*: Angers No. 2 St Hilary28"x28" mid May/end July mid May/end July Feb-March Jan-April Winter (Spring heading): St George Summer Show, Late Queen25"x25" May-June/mid-July May-June/late July April May-June Early Summer: Dominant, Montano, Alpha Paloma, White Summer21"x21" Oct under cloche, thin to 2" OR Jan-early Feb in heat/early-mid MarJune-July Summer: Snowball, Le Cerf, Plana, Dok21"x21" March under cover/mid MayJul-Sept Autumn: Barrier Reef, Canberra, Violet Queen25"x25" late April-mid May/mid-late JunSept-Dec Mini: Dominant, Montano, Alpha Paloma, White Summer6"x6" April-early July in situ13-18 weeks from sowing *For coastal areas of the South, Southwest and Wales.

Perennial cauliflower (formerly broccoli) 'Nine Star Perennial' should be sown in March to April, transplanting to 1m by 500cm (3'x18"). The bed should be moved to a new site after 3 years' cropping. Heads are produced around February to March each year. All must be cut to keep plants productive in following years.

Sow in a seed bed unless soil is heavy, in which case use seed trays or modules to minimise root disturbance. Sow 2-2.5cm (¾-1") deep, spacing 7.5cm (3") apart in the row. Transplant at about 10cm (4") tall or when the first true leaves develop to follow legumes or onto a site which was manured the previous Autumn.

On light soils, plant into drills 8cm (3") wide by 10cm (4") deep and earth the plants up as they develop until the soil is level, otherwise on the flat. Plant firmly enough that pulling on a leaf results in it tearing. Use brassica collars to prevent root fly.

Transplant at about 6 weeks. This is to prevent a check to growth at a later stage, which may stunt growth.

Water after transplanting and daily in dry weather for 3-4 weeks, about ¼ pint per plant.

Hoe to keep weed free. Mulch to conserve moisture and suppress weeds. Catch crops may be sown between rows early on, eg. radishes, lettuces, seedling salad crops.

Water up to 4 gallons per sq yard per week in dry weather. The minimum watering requirement is a single heavy watering 10-20 days before maturity.

The key to success lies in keeping the soil moist, both in the early stages and during the growing season. Checks in growth result in small, premature, deformed heads or no heads at all. The easiest types to grow are the autumn and spring heading types, as there is generally more rainfall in their maturation period.

Pests, diseases and disorders

Winter cauliflower (including spring heading types) may be damaged by severe frost. Preventive methods: either (a) lean plant to North and earth up on South side, or (b) tie leaves over curd (the cauliflower head).

Summer cauliflowers may be protected from scorch by bending a large leaf over the curd.

If cold conditions cause a check in growth, turning the plant bluish-green, apply a liquid fertiliser (such as seaweed feed) or hoe in 1oz/sq yard nitrogenous fertiliser such as Growmore 100% organic. Serious checks in growth may turn the seedlings blind.

On very acid soils, cauliflower may suffer from boron deficiency, indicated by stunted, brittle leaves, brownish patches of discolouration in the curd and inside the stems. Another problem which may occur, this time on highly alkaline soils, is a molybdenum deficiency, which shows up as narrow leaf blades and whiplike leaves. The common name for this problem is whiptail. Both these problems are much more likely on land which has been over-used without adequate organic input. Regular additions of well rotted manure every year will gradually bring the soil back to a decent state. In the meantime, if afflicted by either of these problems, you can try foliar feeding with half-strength liquid seaweed fertiliser every couple of weeks.

Note on clubroot

Soil may remain infected for 20 years; steps to avoid introduction include:

good drainage

rotation

liming acid soils to a pH around 7

working in high levels of organic matter

ensuring clean plants are used - source must be known to be free of disease (best grown at home in sterile medium)

boots and tools used on infected land must be thoroughly cleaned before use on clean land

Once infected avoid growing any brassicas except fast maturing types such as Texsel greens or cut and come again oriental seedlings. If you have no other land available, and you must grow types with a lengthy growing season, you can try sowing seed in modules, and potting up until the plants reach a height of 10cm (4") before planting out. A root drench may also help.

For information on organic garden products, visit: www.superchargeit.com

Source Content: http://www.gardenzone.info/crops/cauliflower.php

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Growing a banana tree

Seasons Availability: Banana trees are available year round. Broad, long, graceful leaves and rapid growth-commonly reaching full size in just a few weeks-make banana a favorite plant for providing a tropical look to pool and patio areas. The development of bananas following a frost-free winter is a source of both pride and amazement to those unfamiliar with banana culture. Banana is a tropical herbaceous plant consisting of an underground corm and a trunk (pseudostem) comprised of concentric layers of leaf sheaths. At 10 to 15 months after the emergence of a new plant, its true stem rapidly grows up through the center and emerges as a terminal inflorescence which bears fruit. The flowers appear in groups (hands) along the stem and are covered by purplish bracts which roll back and shed as the fruit stem develops. The first hands to appear contain female flowers which will develop into bananas (usually seedless in edible types). The number of hands of female flowers varies from a few to more than 10, after which numerous hands of sterile flowers appear and shed in succession, followed by numerous hands of male flowers which also shed. Generally, a bract rolls up and sheds to expose a new hand of flowers almost daily. Be careful when buying field grown banana tree offshoots or offsets. Many have virus and diseases. Some growers sell banana tree water shoots which have big leaves when small, these banana plants are no good for landscaping or bananas and should be cut off as the main banana plant grows. Good field grown banana tree offshoots (corms) have sword like thin leaves until 3' tall. Climate Banana is a tropical plant which grows best under warm conditions. Frost will kill the leaves; temperatures in the high 20s can kill the plant to the ground. In the lower Rio Grande Valley and other protected areas, the plant will regrow from below ground buds. In colder areas where banana is used mostly as an ornamental, new plants are obtained and planted each spring. The leaves are tattered badly by strong winds, rendering the plant less attractive. Strong winds, in conjunction with saturated soil and the weight of a stem of fruit, can result in significant blow down unless guying or other protection is provided. Soil and Site Selection Banana grows in a wide variety of soils, as long as the soil is deep and has good internal and surface drainage. The effect of poorly drained soils can be partly overcome by planting in raised beds, as the plant does not tolerate poor drainage or flooding. The planting site should be chosen for protection from wind and cold weather, if possible. The warmest location in the home landscape is near the south or southeast side of the house. How to Grow Banana Plants and Trees. The first priority to consider when growing banana is to use the proper soil. It is very important to use a well draining soil MIXTURE and 20% PERLITE should be added to it to assure that you have good draining soil. Do not use heavy soils when growing banana such as potting soil, or soil from a yard. Plant the banana rhizome upright and be sure the roots are well covered and the rhizome has about 1/2" of the base covered with soil. We advise that you water and fertilize banana at the same time using any type of balanced fertilizer to help grow banana. Bananas are heavy feeders so we suggest that you fertilize very lightly each time that you water with the exception being that you do not fertilize if you are not seeing active growth.( Balanced fertilizer means - a fertilizer that has three numbers on the label ). After your initial watering we would not water again until your soil is dry to a 1/2" depth. ( Use your finger to test it ). Please do not expect this to be a plant that you "water once a week". If you water once a week it is unlikely that you will have success growing this rhizome. Grow bananas in bright light. Approx. 12 hours of bright light are ideal for most varieties. Grow bananas in Constant warmth is very important - the ideal night temperature would be 67 F. The day temperatures would be in the 80s. Ideally you would have fresh circulating air. Grow banana with high humidity of 50% and higher is desirable. Grow bananas in THE CONTAINER that is not too large. It should be a standard 6" or 8" pot with a drain hole. Never plant it in a container without a drain hole. Transplant to a larger container when your plant is quite crowded . Propagation and Planting Suckers are used for propagation, being taken when they have a stem diameter of 2 to 6 inches. The leaves are commonly cut off in nursery trade, but decapitation at 2 to 3 feet is satisfactory. The sucker should be dug carefully, using a sharpshooter or spade to cut the underground base of the sucker from the side of its mother rhizome. Large suckers can be decapitated at ground level and halved or quartered (vertically) to increase planting material. Nurserymen transplant from the field into containers for retail use, so planting these bananas is much the same as planting any container-grown plant. Sucker transplanting should be at the same depth as the sucker was growing originally. For ornamental purposes, bananas may be planted as close as 2 to 3 feet apart, but those planted for fruit production should be spaced about 8 to 10 feet apart. Growth Habit: Bananas are fast-growing herbaceous perennials arising from underground rhizomes. The fleshy stalks or pseudostems formed by upright concentric layers of leaf sheaths constitute the functional trunks. The true stem begins as an underground corm which grows upwards, pushing its way out through the center of the stalk 10-15 months after planting, eventually producing the terminal inflorescence which will later bear the fruit. Each stalk produces one huge flower cluster and then dies. New stalks then grow from the rhizome. Banana plants are extremely decorative, ranking next to palm trees for the tropical feeling they lend to the landscape. Foliage: The large oblong or elliptic leaf blades are extensions of the sheaths of the pseudostem and are joined to them by fleshy, deeply grooved, short petioles. The leaves unfurl, as the plant grows, at the rate of one per week in warm weather, and extend upward and outward , becoming as much as 9 feet long and 2 feet wide. They may be entirely green, green with maroon splotches, or green on the upper side and red-purple beneath. The leaf veins run from the mid-rib straight to the outer edge of the leaf. Even when the wind shreds the leaf, the veins are still able to function. Approximately 44 leaves will appear before the inflorescence. Flowers: The banana inflorescence shooting out from the heart in the tip of the stem, is at first a large, long-oval, tapering, purple-clad bud. As it opens, the slim, nectar-rich, tubular, toothed, white flowers appear. They are clustered in whorled double rows along the the floral stalk, each cluster covered by a thick, waxy, hood like bract, purple outside and deep red within. The flowers occupying the first 5 - 15 rows are female. As the rachis of the inflorescence continues to elongate, sterile flowers with abortive male and female parts appear, followed by normal staminate ones with abortive ovaries. The two latter flower types eventually drop in most edible bananas. Fruits: The ovaries contained in the first (female) flowers grow rapidly, developing parthenocarpically (without pollination) into clusters of fruits, called hands. The number of hands varies with the species and variety. The fruit (technically a berry) turns from deep green to yellow or red, and may range from 2-1/2 to 12 inches in length and 3/4 to 2 inches in width. The flesh, ivory-white to yellow or salmon-yellow, may be firm, astringent, even gummy with latex when unripe, turning tender and slippery, or soft and mellow or rather dry and mealy or starchy when ripe. The flavor may be mild and sweet or subacid with a distinct apple tone. The common cultivated types are generally seedless with just vestiges of ovules visible as brown specks. Occasionally, cross-pollination with wild types will result in a number of seeds in a normally seedless variety. CULTURE Location: Bananas require as much warmth as can be given them. Additional warmth can be given by planting next to a building. Planting next to cement or asphalt walks or driveways also helps. Wind protection is advisable, not for leaf protection as much as for protection of the plant after the banana stalk has appeared. During these last few months propping should be done to keep the plant from tipping or being blown over. Soil: Bananas will grow in most soils, but to thrive, they should be planted in a rich, well-drained soil. The best possible location would be above an abandoned compost heap. They prefer an acid soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5. The banana is not tolerant of salty soils. Irrigation: The large leaves of bananas use a great deal of water. Regular deep watering is an absolute necessity during warm weather. Do not let plants dry out, but do not overwater. Standing water, especially in cool weather, will cause root rot. Plants grown in dry summer areas such as Southern California need periodic deep waterings to help leach the soil of salts. Spread a thick layer of mulch on the soil to help conserve moisture and protect the shallow roots. Container grown plants should be closely watched to see that they do not dry out. An occasional deep watering to leach the soil is also helpful. Fertilization: Their rapid growth rate make bananas heavy feeders. During warm weather, apply a balanced fertilizer once a month--a 8:10:8 NPK fertilizer appears to be adequate. A mature plant may require as much as 1-1/2 to 2 pounds of the above fertilizer each month. Young plants need a quarter to a third as much. Spread the fertilizer evenly around the plant in a circle extending 4 - 8 feet from the trunk. Do not allow the fertilizer to come in contact with the trunk. Feed container container plants on the same monthly schedule using about half the rate for outside plants. Frost Protection: Bananas flourish best under uniformly warm conditions but can survive 28° F for short periods. If the temperature does not fall below 22° F and the cold period is short, the underground rhizome will usually survive. To keep the plants that are above ground producing, protection against low temperatures is very important. Wrap trunk or cover with blanket if the plants are small and low temperatures are predicted. Pruning Only one primary stem of each rhizome should be allowed to fruit. All excess shoots should be removed as soon as they are noticed. This helps channel all of of the plant's energy into fruit production. Once the main stalk is 6 - 8 months old, permit one sucker to develop as a replacement stalk for the following season. When the fruit is harvested, cut the fruiting stalk back to 30 inches above the ground. Remove the stub several weeks later. The stalk can be cut into small pieces and used as mulch. Propagation: Propagation of bananas is done with rhizomes called suckers or pups. Very small pups are called buttons. Large suckers are the preferred planting material. These are removed from vigorous clumps with a spade when at least three feet tall, during warm months. Pups should not be taken until a clump has at least three to four large plants to anchor it. When the pup is taken the cut must be into the mother plant enough to obtain some roots. Plant close to the surface. Large leaves are cut off of the pup leaving only the youngest leaves or no leaves at all. Pests and Diseases: Bananas have few troublesome pests or diseases outside the tropics. Root rot from cold wet soil is by far the biggest killer of banana plants in our latitudes. California is extremely fortunate in not having nematodes that are injurious to the banana. Gophers topple them, and snails and earwigs will crawl up to where they can get continuous water, but these pests do not bother the plant. Fruit Harvest: Stalks of bananas are usually formed in the late summer and then winter over. In March they begin "plumping up" and may ripen in April. Occasionally, a stalk will form in early summer and ripen before cold weather appears. The fruit can be harvested by cutting the stalk when the bananas are plump but green. For tree-ripened fruit, cut one hand at a time as it ripens. If latter is done, check stalk daily as rodents can eat the insides of every banana, from above, and the stalk will look untouched. Once harvested the stalk should be hung in a cool, shady place. Since ethylene helps initiate and stimulate ripening, and mature fruit gives off this gas in small amounts, ripening can be hastened by covering the bunch with a plastic bag. Plantains are starchy types that are cooked before eating. Established plantings of several plants together should receive about two cups of ammonium sulfate every couple of months throughout the year. Cold protection of the top is possible by use of coverings and heat sources, but such is not often practical. However, in colder locations, soil can be banked around the trunk just before a projected cold spell to better protect the underground buds, which will allow the plant to regenerate in the coming spring. Unprotected but well-established bananas across the south with some exceptions, regenerated after freezes. Some people dig the entire plant, rhizome and all, remove the leaves and store the plant, dry, in a heated area over winter. To assure survival, it is easier to dig small suckers, severed very close to the parent rhizome, and pot them for overwintering indoors. Pruning is normally practiced only to provide suckers for propagation, as most banana plantings are allowed to grow freely in mats of several plants of varying age and size. For fruit production, some pruning would be desirable to limit the number of plants per mat to 5 or 6. Suckers can be quickly dispatched with a sharpshooter or machete when they are only a few inches tall; however, the sucker must be severed from its mother plant underground. After fruiting, the mother plant which bore should be cut off near ground level, as it can never produce again. The old trunk will quickly decompose if cut into three or four pieces, with each piece then being split lengthwise. Use the remains in a mulch bed or compost heap. After a major cold period in which there is no doubt that bananas were killed to the ground, cut the plants off at ground level within a couple of weeks of the freeze. Dead bananas are not very attractive and they are much easier to cut off before decomposition starts. Tattered older leaves can be removed after they break and hang down along the trunk. Production, Maturity and Use Most bananas will produce the flower bud within 10 to 15 months of emergence as a new sucker, depending mostly on variety and extent of cool/cold weather. Most production north of the lower Rio Grande Valley occurs in the spring and summer following a particularly mild winter. The reddish purple bracts of the flower roll back and split to expose a hand of bananas, usually at the rate of one per day. After all hands with viable fruit are exposed, the bracts continue to roll back and split for several weeks, leaving a bare stem between the fruit and the bud. Well-tended bananas in commerce produce fruit stems approaching 100 pounds, but such yields are rare under most conditions. The more delicately flavored, small-fruited varieties may attain stem weights of 35 to 40 pounds. Most producers readily accept production of stems having only two or three hands, although six to eight hands per stem is common for well-tended plants. Bananas do not always attain best eating quality on the tree. The entire stem (bunch) should be cut off when the individual bananas are plump (full) and rounded. Although green in color, the fruit is mature and will ripen to good eating quality. The stem of fruit should be hung in a cool, shaded place to ripen. Ripening will proceed naturally in a few days (if properly harvested), but can be hastened by enclosing the bunch in a plastic bag with a sliced apple for about a day. Once ripening starts on the oldest hand, the entire bunch will ripen within a couple of days. Ripe bananas are consumed fresh out-of-hand, in salads, compotes, ice-cream dishes and pudding. Overripe fruit can be pureed in the blender for use in ice cream and baking. Both dessert and cooking bananas may be fried or baked, but the cooking bananas are generally more starchy until nearly spoiled ripe, and their fresh flavor is not so good. Green (mature but not ripe) bananas and plaintains can also be sliced thinly and fried for a starchy treat. Disease and Insect Pests Bananas in commerce are subject to a number of serious diseases and pests, but few problems have been documented in South Texas. An unidentified fungal leaf spot has been observed, but no serious damage has resulted. Leaf tattering by wind is the most common problem. Current Facts Popular Asian cuisine has introduced an increased variety of edible banana products to the marketplace. The banana heart, the tender core of the trunk, is a delicious addition to dishes when peeled and sliced, but does require a saltwater soak for a few hours before use. A note of caution, however, as the sap from the banana trunk seriously stains clothes and hands and resists removal. Gloves and coveralls are recommended when cutting into the trunk. The banana shoot is also an edible morsel. Sprouting near the base of the plant and treated much like white asparagus, thick long white spikes result when allowed to grow without sunlight. However, the sprouts are covered with a pot, not dirt. Indonesia cuisine roasts banana shoots in hot ashes. Exotic banana leaves, although inedible, make ideal wraps for boiled, grilled, steamed or baked foods. Festive banana leaves deliciously give a delicate flavor to foods. Description/Taste The beautiful and stately banana "tree" grows about one hundred pounds of bananas. Bananas are cut and left in large clusters just as they grew. Cut while still green and unripe, the flesh of the banana is very dense and starchy. As the banana ripens, the flesh becomes somewhat sticky and deliciously sweet. A very popular fruit, a ripe banana offers a satisfying soothing flavor and a wonderful creamy texture. Nutritional Value Bananas are one of the FDA's top twenty fruits. An excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B-6, and potassium, they provide fiber, are low in fat, cholesterol-free and low in sodium. A regular sized banana has about 95 calories. Some medications for controlling blood pressure deplete the body's storage of potassium. One banana eaten each day restores the balance of potassium. Recognized as an important part of the diet and to lower the chances of cancer, at least five servings daily of either fruits or vegetables are recommended. A recent study found that eating nine or ten daily servings of fruits and vegetables, combined with three servings of low-fat dairy products, were effective in lowering blood pressure. Applications The banana tree, rather banana plant, adds a festive touch and dresses up a tropical party or a special occasion. The fruit of the banana plant is easy to peel and is delicious simply eaten out of hand. Not only supurb fresh, bananas can be broiled, fried, baked, sautéed, grilled or pureed. Slices make an attractive edible garnish. Overripe bananas make yummy cakes, muffins, cookies and quick breads. Make luscious pies, desserts, sauces, custards, puddings and curries. To delay ripening, bananas may be refrigerated. The flesh will stay firm but the skin will darken. To speed ripening, place in paper bag; keep at room temperature. Conveniently packaged, the banana comes in its very own biodegradable container. Ethnic/Cultural Info Prized during the period of slavery, roasted green bananas were believed to provide "almost the sustenance of bread", according to the culinary historian, Luis de Camara Cascudo. Buddha named the banana to be the symbol of the futility of earthly possessions. The fruit from this tree is especially popular in Hawaiian cuisine. Brazilian cuisine enjoys this versatile popular fruit blended into beverages, roasted and ground into flour, boiled and mashed into purees, fried, baked or simply eaten raw out of hand. Geography/History Originally wild and native to Southeast Asia, banana "trees" are now cultivated in most humid tropical regions. Not really a tree by true definition, the banana actually grows on a herbaceous plant. Neither a tree nor a palm, the banana plant is actually a giant clumping tropical herb. Even more confusing, bananas are botanically a berry making them a fruit and an herb. An underground stem called a rhizome forms the banana plant's false "trunk" that produces large leaves. A flower spike emerges with several individual flowers which eventually produce the edible banana fruits. When Africa introduced Brazil to the banana plant, a local variety of banana called "pacova" had been growing in that part of the world. Even Ancient Egyptians enjoyed the culinary attributes of the Abyssinian banana, species Musa ensete, but more palatable bananas were discovered by early Europeans. By 1516, a small Chinese banana was taken to the Canary Islands from the East Indies and soon was cultivated for consumption. Popular for their sweet and wonderful flavor, many banana varieties flourished in tropical countries by the nineteenth century. Sadly, most of these early varieties are now extinct and just high-yielding commercial cultivars exist today. Ideal temperatures for growing bananas are between eighty degrees and ninety-six degrees Fahrenheit during the day and seventy-two degrees and eighty-four degrees Fahrenheit during the night.

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Compost Ingredients

Our guide to the good, the bad, and the so-so compost ingredients.

Building a compost pile creates more anxiety and obsession among gardeners than any other gardening activity. So before you start a pile, remember one thing: Relax.

"There's no right or wrong way of composting, and people get panicked that they have the wrong recipe," says Dr. Maynard. "Composting is a natural phenomenon—it's decomposing; you're just helping it along a bit." That said, there are good, bad, and so-so compost ingredients. So before you add an ingredient to your pile, make sure it's up to the compost quality-control test. Ask yourself four basic questions about each ingredient:

1. Is it biodegradable?

2. Will it help make high-quality, nutrient-rich compost?

3. Did it come from a chemical-free lawn?

4. Is it free of disease, toxins, and other contaminants?

If you answer "no" or "I don't know" to any of these questions, forgo adding the ingredient to your pile. It's that easy. Mix and match the green and brown ingredients listed below until you find a compost recipe that works for you. Just keep in mind the carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio as you build your pile.

The Good Stuff

Greens

Aquarium water, algae, and plants (from freshwater fish tanks only) add moisture and a kick of nitrogen.

Chicken manure has high amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

Dead houseplants add a dose of nitrogen, but don't include thorny or diseased plants.

Fresh grass clippings should be mixed with plenty of drier, brown material, or you'll risk creating a smelly pile.

Green garden debris, such as spent pansies, bolted lettuce, and deadheaded flowers, can all be recycled in the compost bin.

Horse manure contains more nitrogen than cow manure.

Manure from pet rabbits and rodents (e.g., gerbils and hamsters) can be composted with the accompanying wood or paper bedding.

Vegetative kitchen scraps (carrot peelings and the like) should be buried in the pile so they don't attract animals. Eggshells are okay, too.

Weeds can be composted! No joke. Just remember never to add weeds that have set seed or weeds that root easily from stems or rhizomes, such as field bindweed and Canada thistle.

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The Meatrix, Part 2.5

FOR INFORMATION ON ORGANIC GARDENING SUPPLIES, VISIT WWW.SUPERCHARGEIT.ORG

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The Meatrix PART 2

FOR INFORMATION ON ORGANIC GARDENING SUPPLIES, VISIT WWW.SUPERCHARGEIT.ORG

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The Official Meatrix I

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Organic Gardening Tips

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Grocery Store Wars (2005)

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"Potato harvest with the EZ Organic Gardener"

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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORGANIC AND NATURAL FOOD?