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Update On My Pineapple Babies

Category: Container Gardening | Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 12:14 am

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My babies have multiplied! It's four total plants. Three big and one small which is impeded by some type of mold growth. If I have to remove it, I will but I want to give it a little more time to see if it will overcome this obstacle.


I've been looking at The Frugal Gardener for how to take care of them once they get too big for the matzoh crunch container. Since space is a priority, I'm going to see if I can find a place with clear plastic cups and tops for me to grow the larger plants in.


All the other survivors of the formicidae bombardment are doing well. My coleus has grown beyond all recognition as have the geraniums (pelargoniums).


I'm going to bake and recycle the soil on all the ones that died.


Updated Pineapple Plants Progress 28 June 2014 ( photo / image / picture from xantedeschia's Garden )




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The Pineapple Seedlings Have Finally Sprouted!!!!!

Category: Container Gardening | Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2014 4:45 pm

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I am a proud mamma. I now have two confirmed Pineapple seedlings in my arsenal of wicked cool plants. Hopefully, there will be more on the way too. Below are the first pictures of my new babies.


I'm so happy!


Emergence of the Pineapple Seedlings (Seedling Number 2) 15 June 2014 ( photo / image / picture from xantedeschia's Garden )






Emergence of the Pineapple Seedlings (Seedling Number 1) 15 June 2014 ( photo / image / picture from xantedeschia's Garden )






Emergence of the Pineapple Seedlings 15 June 2014 ( photo / image / picture from xantedeschia's Garden )






Emergence of the Pineapple Seedlings (Zoom Out) 15 June 2014 ( photo / image / picture from xantedeschia's Garden )





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Pyrrhic Victory Against the Formicidae

Category: Container Gardening | Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2014 9:08 pm

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The war was devastating. The casualties, overwhelming. I lost a total of thirteen plants in the implementation of the battle plans against the ants. The basil, nasturtiums, most of the sweet potatoes and my beloved spider plant all perished in the catastrophe.


All that remains of my beautiful spider plant are three cuttings. Hopefully, they'll grow and outshine their predecessor. The lemongrass, tomato plant (not hopeful), geraniums, coleus, orange trees, snake plant, aloe vera, some sweet potato vines and African violets are all still here.


Next year, though, I'm growing peppers. They're more reliable. The tomatoes are very leggy and looks as though they've giving up. I wonder if there's an infiltration of ants in their pot?


The basil is completely wilted. I'm sure that the ants have been through that soil. It's turned up and loose to the touch and that's not how I initially planted it.


Oh well, at least I prevented the swarm from hell happening in my room. Not one flying ant has shown up in my room and, for that, I'm happy.


So, I will enjoy the few plants I have left and hope for better luck next year.

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Darn Ants

Category: Container Gardening | Posted: Thu May 22, 2014 8:03 am

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I just had to dispose of my long term baby over the dreaded Formicidae menace. Black garden ants had taken over my Spider plant. My beautiful baby that went back to 2007. I won though, because I just double bagged the little fiends. They went from a menace of hundreds to a pestering of tens.


This is the result of the three weeks late exterminator. He was supposed to be here nearly a month ago but, for some reason, didn't come. As I live in a housing community, I can't just spray chemicals myself per the lease agreement. So, I have to wait...and wait...and wait.


Meanwhile, my house is slowly being overrun by the Black garden ants from hell. Well, I'm fighting back the only way I know how. My destroying my babies as I find the ants. So far, I've only seen them infesting the one plant a lot. They had gotten to the point where they'd laid eggs and were about to swarm. I'm going to do another watering today. If I find more, I'll delete like a Cyberman, taking cuttings where I can, until the problem is diminished. :(

Last edited: Thu May 22, 2014 8:07 am

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My New Sickly Baby

Category: Container Gardening | Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 12:17 am

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I found it on the bottom shelf, freezing, in the reduced price section of the outside plant display.



African Violet Rescue Plant ( photo / image / picture from xantedeschia's Garden )


This is my new Saintpaulia baby. I fully intend on getting a large collection of African violets. What I didn't count on was getting them for pennies. Yep, this plant cost me the princely sum of 27 cents USD.


As soon as I get more money, I'm going back for the rest of them. That's a promise.


Not much else is happening. Things are shooting to the skies in my garden. The sweet potato, that I was going to give up on ever sprouting, looks insane right now. I have a compact florescent bulb (is it really a bulb?) and the sweet potato is pretty close to it. I tend to leave it on all night due to my not sleeping at night. So, all my plants grow towards it during the night time hours.


The twin tomatoes have more flower buds growing in, the nasturtiums are shooting out of the soil, and all the rest are growing vigorously.


Tomorrow (Friday) is the day I fertilize nearly everything. I'm hesitant to fertilize the seedlings. I don't want them to get overfed. They're in new soil, which has fertilizer already, so I'm probably going to hold back on them. Everything else, except for the fern, twin tomatoes, pineapples etc are getting dumped on.


I was looking at old pictures of some of my plants in my Picasa account. It's hard to believe they're the same as the scraggly scrawny plants I grew years ago. Here's to hoping they grow even better and stronger than they've ever grown. :)


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A Date with Some Pineapple Seeds

Category: Container Gardening | Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 1:01 am

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I've struck again. Ghetto Gardening is in full force in the room of KTC.



After getting a plastic container of Matzoh Crunch! (a dessert of matzoh covered in sliced almonds and chocolate), I decided to plant the Pineapple seeds. Yay!


There were five pineapple seeds total. I planted them all in two rows in soil that's about an inch (2.5cm) deep. I saturated the potting mix with water, sprayed it down with more water for good measure and put the lid on it before putting it in my window between the Aloe Vera cutting (which is doing great) and the Orange tree/Nasturtium pot. Yo ho ho, hopefully, they'll grow.





Undaunted, I decided to really put my bravery at planting out there. Finding another upcycled carryout container, I cleaned it of its previous sewing contents before packing in the potting mix and poking a deep hole in the soil with my finger. Then, I placed the date palm seed inside, saturated it with water, and placed it on the Rolling Stand under my window. Hopefully, this one will grow too. Not too big but enough to make a lovely houseplant.




On Monday, I transplanted the tomato plants to a bigger pot and planted the majority of the Nasturtiums either in with the tomatoes, or in a carryout container of their own.


How are the tomatoes standing up on their own? Well may you ask. I, with much difficulty due to my thumb, untwisted a coathanger and plunged it into the soil. That's my stake. Told ya. Ghetto Gardening. :D

Last edited: Thu Apr 17, 2014 1:03 am

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The Great Potting Escapade

Category: Container Gardening | Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2014 8:10 pm

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Today was a busy day. I planted the rest of the Lemongrass and Cinnamon Basil today. In addition to that, I planted Coleus, Geraniums and put three Aloe vera cuttings into new pots. Well, two new pots and a Carryout pint sized soup container.


I only bought six pots today and wasn't anticipating potting aloe cuttings. I'm getting some more pots come the 18th, so I can plant even more stuff. cRaZy. That's me.

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Didymochlaena truncatula FTW!

Category: Container Gardening | Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 9:54 pm

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I finally placed the fern. Thanks to the label on my African Violet, I was able to find out what kind of fern I have. Apparently, it is called Didymochlaena truncatula or the Mahogany Fern.


When it isn't as overfed as mine is, it's really a lovely plant. The fern is still alive, so it's not too late to save it. I will just tone down on the feedings and up the light a bit. I was giving it the regular bi-monthly feedings I gave all my other plants. Not good. Now I know though, so hopefully, it will thrive. I pruned the dead leaves off of it to give it a bit more light, air and room to grow.


Other than that, more Cinnamon Basil and Lemongrass is coming up. I can't wait until it's big enough to eat. Between those two plants and the nasturtiums, I plan on doing a lot of my own herbal flavorings when I cook or make salads. That's if the tomatoes grow and if I get the peppers I want.


I'm also thinking of getting Shiso seeds. I can't make up my mind which one to get though. One is red leaved, another is green leaved and the third is bi-colored (red and green). They're almost $4.00USD a pack on Johnny's and I can't seem to catch them on the other sites for much cheaper at $1.00USD a pack. They're always sold out.


Today, I also found out what kind of African Violet I have. It's apparently called "Maine II" variety. In celebration of finding out what kind it is, I took a cutting, dipped it in some rooting hormone and immersed it in some water to make an attempt to root it. Thank goodness for my medication bottles. They're the perfect size for the leaves.

Last edited: Sat Mar 22, 2014 10:51 pm

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Yay! Cinnamon Basil Mania

Category: Container Gardening | Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 10:31 pm

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I planted this cinnamon basil on the 16th of this month and it's finally coming up today. I'm so excited!!!! :)


Cinnamon Basil - First Seedlings ( photo / image / picture from xantedeschia's Garden )


The funny irony is, I just planted some more cinnamon basil today. I put this batch of twelve seeds in with the Lemongrass, ginger, and radishes, since there was room for them. I thought the other seeds weren't going to germinate given the coarseness of the soil. I'm glad I was wrong.


Everything else is growing to perfection...except that fern and some of the radishes.


Today is Friday and, in addition to the normal gardening shows, it means Maryland Farm and Harvest comes on tonight. Well, right now actually.


So, have fun and later!


Have a great weekend!


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Resistance is Futile - Lemongrass and Cinnamon Basil Test

Category: Container Gardening | Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 4:49 pm

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I couldn't resist temptation.


So, I planted a few of the Lemongrass and Cinnamon basil seeds in with established plants. I planted the cinnamon basil in with the Spider plant and the Lemongrass in with the Ginger and radishes.


I'm a total loony.


I do hope they grow, but this is really a test to check the viability of the seeds. At least, that's what I keep telling myself.

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