tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19454360799194168302012-02-16T03:45:03.202-06:00Backyard Experiments in Agriculture.Farmer Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347045381634264928noreply@blogger.comBlogger231100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1945436079919416830.post-85053171448914368882011-02-28T13:01:00.002-06:002011-02-28T13:03:09.906-06:00

I forgot to put a post up on this page when I moved sites. My blog can now be found here:www.thebellhouse.weebly.comI like the Weebly features better, and it lets me easily see how many people visit my site everyday.

Farmer Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347045381634264928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1945436079919416830.post-17428588555814523652010-05-25T07:10:00.010-05:002010-05-25T07:51:02.489-05:00

It is berry time at the Bell House, and Little Joe has been enjoying a big handful of strawberries everyday. When I get home, he runs to the edge of the deck, points at the garden, and starts grunting with excitement. I go pick whatever strawberries the mockingbirds haven't already eaten, and he gobbles up them as fast as I can pick them. It feels pretty good to be able to give him home-grown

Farmer Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347045381634264928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1945436079919416830.post-22522060659030215272010-05-07T06:55:00.002-05:002010-05-07T10:17:44.791-05:00

I've noticed on the fruit/garden forums that fruit growing enthusiasts like to make and share lists of their collections. Here's my list of fruit trees and bushes:In the ground:6 Kiowa BlackberriesOrlando TangeloBloomsweet GrapefruitWekiwa TangeloHirado Buntan PummeloTropic Snow PeachTropic Sweet PeachRed Barron PeachAnna AppleDorsett AppleCara Cara Pink Navel OrangePong Koa MandarinSarawak

Farmer Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347045381634264928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1945436079919416830.post-89483158562891268522010-05-05T06:58:00.007-05:002010-05-05T07:47:59.353-05:00

I built my vegetable garden in March 2009. It was a lot of work, and as gardens go, I would call this one "bomb proof". I used cinder blocks because I wanted something that wouldn't rot, and my previous wood-frame veggie patch was constantly being invaded by grass. One advantage of the cinder blocks has been their resistance to rot and weeds, they don't leach wood preservative into the soil, and

Farmer Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347045381634264928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1945436079919416830.post-47963575542746548912010-05-04T07:53:00.008-05:002010-05-04T08:22:49.078-05:00

Here are just a few pictures to show you what's going on in our back yard. Everything is growing well, and we're looking forward to the first fruits of the year very soon. I don't have time to post pictures of everything, but I'll get around to it.New Herb GardenJalepenosTiftblue BlueberriesDerby Bush BeansLula AvocadoSweet Charlie StrawberriesIn addition to these, we have several green tomatoes,

Farmer Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347045381634264928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1945436079919416830.post-8228948902090680732010-05-03T08:20:00.002-05:002010-05-03T08:26:29.728-05:00

Our strawberries made it through the freezes without any difficulty. The variety is called 'Sweet Charlie', and so far I really like them (from Ison's). We planted 80 plants, and probably 75 survived the winter. The berries are small but very sweet, and the plants seem to be good producers, considering that we have them confined to holes in the cinderblocks of our garden. I've been picking 2-3

Farmer Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347045381634264928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1945436079919416830.post-70351909159092699582010-05-03T07:51:00.006-05:002010-05-03T08:20:22.540-05:00

The Average American Family:The average American family buys tons of cheap processed and subsidized food, uses electricity from the burning of fossil fuels, is overweight due to poor diet and lack of exercise, and sends copious quantities of garbage to landfills.The Green Family:The green family grows some of their own food in a family garden, and purchases some from local sources. Thus, the

Farmer Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347045381634264928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1945436079919416830.post-26432101040121576842008-08-14T07:26:00.010-05:002008-08-14T07:49:32.954-05:00

The blackeyed peas (blackeyed and purple hulls) have been doing great! They've put out tons of pods. I've been picking and shelling a handful everyday.After a week, I had a pound of fresh shelled peas. Dr. B doesn't like them, so I went to town.What could be better than fresh blackeyed peas and hot buttered cornbread?Delicious!My grapes from are starting to ripen. These were a surprise because

Farmer Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347045381634264928noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1945436079919416830.post-30488662716244274862008-07-17T14:05:00.003-05:002008-07-17T14:11:08.697-05:00

Victor did good. He got 0.5-inch diameter, 7-foot long bamboo poles in yesterday. I picked up 30 for less than $1 each. I haven't quite decided how I'm going to do it, but I'll be tying and caging the plants as they grow. These poles are much much sturdier than what i was using. I put three in each bucket, and tied them at the top. They're very strong, and should hold up the tomatoes very well.

Farmer Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347045381634264928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1945436079919416830.post-47297166539805368562008-07-16T11:43:00.006-05:002008-07-16T12:04:34.830-05:00

I thought for sure that some of the tomato seeds I planted in June would die. Every single one is now a healthy transplant size. I couldn't believe it. I had originally intended to grow 6 plants (two of each variety) in 5 gallon buckets, but with such seed-sprouting success I expanded to 9 buckets.I planted 3 of each variety (Arkansas Traveler, Sweet Chelsea, and Texas Wild) in a five-gallon

Farmer Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347045381634264928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1945436079919416830.post-76121231063930569632008-07-10T21:26:00.010-05:002008-07-10T21:41:14.308-05:00

We've had so many cucumbers, I thought it was time to do something with them. I googled a no-cook pickle recipe, snuck off to the store, and got pickling.I also pickled a small jar of jalepenos and banana peppers. These are all "refridgerator pickled". While they have to be kept in the fridge, they're also ready to eat after 24 hours. I'll let you know how they taste.On a side note, my summer

Farmer Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347045381634264928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1945436079919416830.post-59895568851305148662008-06-24T15:09:00.003-05:002008-06-24T15:27:02.024-05:00

The picture doesn't do it justice. I had an excellent home-grown lunch at work today. (Don't look Dr. B)Our tomatoes have been the envy of all our friends, neighbors, and co-workers. We really didn't have to do anything. I didn't do anything special. I guess fresh picked is just that much better than store-bought.I've planted more cucumbers, summer/fall tomato seeds, and more green beans (the

Farmer Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347045381634264928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1945436079919416830.post-33086956299583007482008-06-19T06:59:00.009-05:002008-06-19T07:13:56.292-05:00

Just thought I'd post some pictures of our veggies. I forgot to take a picture of the green beans before I ate them. I've been getting one raspberry per day, and will have to make salsa so all the tomatoes don't go to waste. I think I'm going to start weighing all the vegetables and fruit we produce, and find out how many pounds of food we can squeeze out of our backyard. Yesterday I put in the

Farmer Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347045381634264928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1945436079919416830.post-47737168158505330892008-06-18T14:59:00.004-05:002008-06-19T07:15:01.620-05:00

Major expansion. Or at least major for us. This past weekend I put in eight 2.5'x8' raised beds in between the fruit trees. I've already transplanted the peppers, and have planted summer squash and black-eyed peas. Everything is going really well. We've had more tomatoes than we could eat (3-4 per day), and 5 huge cucumbers so far. I've only been able to pick ~ a half pound of green beans, but

Farmer Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347045381634264928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1945436079919416830.post-32447712194164695202008-05-12T15:41:00.005-05:002008-05-12T15:48:25.259-05:00

The Endless Summer Hydrangeas we planted are really doing great! Three of them at the front of the house have some really pretty flowers. The first and third ones are blue and the second one is pink. The fourth hasn't bloomed, but I think it might need a little more time. Originally I wanted them to all be blue, but the pink one is really pretty. I do think it is odd that the plants next to each

Two Sisters' Creationsnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1945436079919416830.post-43986293203269172102008-04-30T07:25:00.016-05:002008-04-30T08:03:32.327-05:00

I can't believe how well things are growing. Our tomatoes are HUGE, and are escaping the confines of their cages. We have several tomatoes on the plants, and I think the Coreopsis planted in front of them discourages stink bugs.We also have two new addtions: a Fuerte and a Mexicola Grande avocado tree. If we can keep them pollinated, we should have avocados all but 2 months out of the year. I

Farmer Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347045381634264928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1945436079919416830.post-56335363112386370842008-04-09T06:55:00.004-05:002008-04-09T08:03:15.547-05:00

Peppermint, Fennel, Garlic Chives, Rosemary, Oregano, Sage, Thyme, Epazote, Lemon Catnip, Lavender, Basil, and one other I can't remember. These perennials make up our new herb garden. This weekend I went to the Arbor Gate (big selection of healthy looking plants) and picked up 12 herbs. I had hoped to plant parsley, cilantro, and tarragon, but I couldn't find them. Even more disappointing was

Farmer Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347045381634264928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1945436079919416830.post-41992757377976787582008-04-08T06:55:00.004-05:002008-04-08T10:00:06.302-05:00

While at Caldwell's Nursery, I also picked up an Improved Meyer Lemon and a Mexican Thornless Key Lime. They didn't look very good, but the price was right. The leaves on the lime were a few, and mottled green and yellow as if it needed to be fertilized or was suffering from some sort of mineral deficiency. Most likely nitrogen. It did have several little blooms, so hopefully all is not lost.

Farmer Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347045381634264928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1945436079919416830.post-70801013378399633952008-04-07T06:55:00.013-05:002008-04-07T08:15:02.609-05:00

This weekend Andrew and I drove down to Caldwell's Nursery in Rosenberg, TX to look for Cara Cara Pink Navel oranges. The two they had in stock didn't look very good, and Andrew wound up getting one for free because it looked so bad. Despite the poor state of the citrus, the had a some very nice looking peach trees. I picked up a Tropic Snow and a Red Baron. According to Urban Harvest, the Tropic

Farmer Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347045381634264928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1945436079919416830.post-71773757156576291172008-04-04T07:10:00.007-05:002008-04-04T08:00:21.409-05:00

The blackberries were the first thing I planted this year. They are Kiowa blackberries, reported to be the largest, thorniest, best tasting, and most Houston tolerant cultivar available. Dr. B and I bought the last three they had at the Arbor Gate. They didn't look like much, just little thorny sticks. However, it didn't take them long to become established and start flowering. In retrospect, I

Farmer Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347045381634264928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1945436079919416830.post-46416633044400180912008-04-03T07:55:00.013-05:002008-04-07T08:19:56.985-05:00

Yesterday afternoon I had another package from Ison's waiting for me. The apple trees and the blueberry bushes seemed to be packaged with a little more care than my previous order. The plastic wrapping was filled with moist wood pulp to keep the roots from drying out.I honestly hadn't thought about trying to grow apples here. I didn't think it would get cold enough, and that is the case for most

Farmer Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347045381634264928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1945436079919416830.post-81687028437590714262008-04-02T07:08:00.015-05:002008-04-04T07:36:24.164-05:00

The strawberries I got from Ison's didn't look very promising when they first arrived. They were $8 for 25 strawberry plants, and I thought I had been swindled. They came as a bundle of bare root little sticks, and certainly looked dry, dead, and disappointing. I planted three plants each in eight hanging baskets (97 ¢ each at Walmart). I used regular potting soil, covered the surface with 1/2-

Farmer Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347045381634264928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1945436079919416830.post-60888866463264276232008-04-01T07:07:00.004-05:002008-04-02T09:14:48.892-05:00

We bought the house on Walford Dr. in September of last year. It had a large backyard, shade in the afternoon, a covered porch, a garden shed, and a small orange tree of unknown cultivar. When spring came around this year, we began to look into building flower beds and planters around the porch.It all started with a bag of pecans my grandmother gave me. She has several pecan trees, and I thought

Farmer Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347045381634264928noreply@blogger.com3