Hydroponic Floating System, Herbs & DIY Projects

First of all, I wish you all health, prosperity and a fruitful garden!

Second, I want to announce that I've finally finished two small hydroponic floating systems, hurray!! 🎉

Hydroponic Floating Systems

I was holding off planting them in hopes that the temps would be not lower than the mid thirties as lows, but the weather wasn't cooperating. Even though the weather was forecasted for the lows to be in the high 30s, I was waking up to mid-20s!

Luckily the transplants I put in these systems are cold weather crops, so they got through the first series of this below-freezing weather. What I did notice is that the cold at this early stage of transplants has slowed the growth, but otherwise they are doing ok. I’ve started seeing the white roots growing into the nutrient solution, which is a very good sign. 😃

What’s Growing in My Hydroponic Floating System?

Planting greens and herbs are the easiest crops to grow in these systems; I planted lettuce, arugula, cilantro, and watercress in mine. You can really grow just about anything in a floating system. In the past, I’ve even grown cucumbers in a trash can!

An issue with growing vegetables hydroponically is that the nutrient demand is much more than it is for non-fruiting plants. When fruit (or vegetables) starts growing it takes up the nutrients quickly, so you need to watch the nutrient level and add more mixed solution.

Another issue is that as the plant grows with fruit, it will need more of the white roots exposed to air, so when you refill the solution in the growing container, fill only 2/3rds of the way up, leaving 1/3rds of the roots exposed. For information about building your very own floating system, check out my YouTube video!

You can also get some other great info about floating gardens here.

Winter Crafting: Turning Pine Needles into Art

With the cold weather moving in I have been inspired to be creative (hands rubbing together with glee!).

If you have been watching my posts you would have seen that I’ve been playing with my pine needles and started making a gourd bowl. I know just the right person to gift it to. 😊

Gourd Bowl

I’ve been filming my progress as I go, so when I finish the project I can share it with you - stay tuned for that!

If you are interested in playing with pine needles and don’t want to wait for my tutorial video, a good book is Pine Needle Basketry by Judy Mallow.

Crafting Natural Skincare with Homegrown Herbs

Adding to my list of things to do, I plan to make my comfrey salve and lavender lotion. I have been trimming those herbs from my garden in the past year, washing them, drying them and now I have enough for my recipes! 🎉

I love making my own lotion and salve from the things I grow. There is something satisfying knowing what is in the things you make and use. ☺️

Dried Comfrey Leaves

Would you like to know how to make it yourself? Though it would be very nice to use fresh herbs harvested from your own garden, if you don’t have what you need growing in your garden, don’t let that keep you from making your own salves! You can always order those things online.

If you're interested in making your own salves, check out my YouTube video where I explain step-by-step how I do it! Check out how I make my herbal lotions here!

Beyond the Kitchen: Exploring Herbal Benefits

Over 15 years ago when I started delving more into the subject of herbs, I found that although people wanted to grow their own herbs, sometimes only for the way they look and smelled, they usually didn’t know many uses for them. It became obvious that sharing ideas for how to use herbs beyond the kitchen was needed. Besides using herbs in recipes, there are many other uses, such as medicinal and cosmetic (like the salves!).

I found that sharing various ways to use herbs motivates people to keep healthy plants!

Starting Fresh with Microgreens: A Growing Experiment

On another note, I got the things I need for making micro greens: containers, growing media and seeds. Heather has asked me if I could show her how to grow them. It has been a long time since I grew them and there are a lot of issues to address to make growing them successful, so I will be refreshing myself on the process. Stay tuned for more info on that. I’m looking forward to it! 😃

DIY Hydroponics: Watch My Step-by-Step Guide!

Don't forget to check out my latest YouTube video on how to make your own floating system. I promise it's easy, you can do it! Just think of all of those fresh greens, lettuces and herbs you will have at your fingertips!