Oh my goodness!  Well apparently my blog has been a once a month affair here recently.  For good reason though!  I have finally moved in to the new house!  We are now located on 4 mostly wooded acres in Orange County, NC.  I have all the equipment from my town house in Raleigh here and will concentrate on getting it put back together once I get the inside of the house taken care of.  In the meanwhile I will be getting my seeds started.

This is just about my favorite time of year.  The nights are still a little cold but the days are getting more and more hospitable for growing season!!!  I love fresh veggies!  I also will be watching where the sun shines through out the day so I can map out where the garden and green house will go.

There is a bunch of ivy growing around the house.  This mess is getting pulled up because I don't want it to do any damage to the vinyl siding.  On another side there are bushes that will get ripped out so I can plant some beans and cucumbers.

There is just so much to do around the house it is going to be exciting!

Until next time,
  Keep your fingers dirty.

Oh my goodness.  This really is the first post of 2013 for me.  Geesh. Well lets see.  Bought a house. Going to have a daughter in June!!!  I'm really excited about both of these things.  The garden is going to be expanded because I am going to have 4 acres of land.  I won't be able to use ALL of the land because I have a stream that runs through it.  It does mean I will have a constant water source =)
I plan on getting some chickens for eggs and maybe meat when they get older.  I even think I want a goat believe it or not.  I think it would kick ass.
There are lots of things planned for the new house.  As you well know all things must start out small and slow.  This will definitely be my pace in the future...you know, with the little one coming.

Here is the new youtube video posted today (2.16.2013)

Looking forward to this move and the upgrades I have planned!

Cheers!

On a completely NON gardening subject my truck is dead in the water.  I am trying to figure out what in the world is going on.  At the beginning of the video the fan and belts WERE moving.  But, there is always the accompanying noise.

Any thoughts?!?  Thanks!

So, fall has set in here in N.C.. The wind has started to turn cold, and the weather isn't staying much warmer either.  I have planted some lettuce and they are now sprouts and are going in the ground.  The next thing to do is get the tomato trees uprooted and plant some lettuce and broccoli in its place.  Then, the only thing keeping me from pulling the plastic over the garden are the cucumber vines and I think I have a week left on them.  I only have 2 growing currently.

  So, when the hoop house goes up and I get settled, I will put up a video about it!

 Other than that you can go to www.youtube.com/gfunk1127 to see my other videos that haven't been placed on here.

  Cheers!

Its fall update time!

Some late season....yeah right, really some late PLANTED vegetables are producing. So on with the video!

Hey everyone,
 Been away for a while again.  Recently, I have done some fishing in the Mountains of North Carolina.  Trout was the name of that game and we caught many.

We also did some hiking and hit some of the AT ( a good 500 yards of it!).

I also came back home and did a garden update.  Been some time since I've done one of those as well.

I'll soon have the video of Horn Tomato Worm harvesting up.

Fishin!

So this weekend I went fishing!  It was just a couple of hours on both days but I enjoyed myself just fine.
I am also experimenting with some different video editors because I want to be able to put together more interesting looking videos.  I know my stories are good enough...I just want them to be more visually pleasing and interactive.

Here it is! just as I promised...well a little later than I promised, but its here!

Below is a video quandry.  How would you control mosquitos?

2.0 System. We have a new plumbed setup!

I have finally been able to get around to fixing the design of the system.  Now it will run in the direction it should.

I will have a better lit video up soon.

I also, thought I had pictures of the piece I sanded down to connect the pump to the pvc...but I don't.  OH WELL!

Here ya go!  Another late as usual update from me!

On a side note.  There are birds that EAT the tomatoes for its juice...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRrghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

I don't think I'll ever have a "vine ripened" tomato this season as I will have to pick them and let them ripen up in the screen porch.


I am reconfiguring the flow of the aquaponic system (much thanks to my friends at aquaponicshq.com).  The FT water will now be pumped into the swirl filter, which will then feed the NFT, then dump into the grow bed and finally complete the circle back to the FT.

Pictures and write up to follow when it is all plumbed and done!

Its the season of the Berries at Mom and Dad's House and I stopped in to have a peek...and taste.  They have two types growing this year, both Rasp and Mull.  No, seriously, the Raspberry bushes are busting at the seams with red deliciousness.  Just above it is the Mulberry tree.  This is a wonderful tasting fruit and it makes a great snack and jam!

Here is the video in which my Dad makes his YouTube debut!

Enjoy this update!

I'll be back with another from my garden soon.

Keep your fingers dirty!

G.W.

So, yesterday I checked on the potato plants.  I HAVE GROWTH!  Next, I did what I was supposed to and covered it up with another 1-2 inches of potting mix.  YAY!

On other notes.  I have to pull my Jericho Lettuce as it has started to bolt.  Not to worry, I have other plants I need to put on the Rain Gutter Grow System.  My tomatoes are going strong and I am starting to get many different types of tomatoes growing.  I am going to be a happy, happy boy soon!

My cucumber plants are now taking hold and are starting to get some length to them.  I do love cucumber!

Until next time,
Keep your fingers dirty!

Just had to add this note.  I found potato starters at The DOLLAR TREE!  $1 for one potato!  If you saw the earlier posting you will see the first potato harvest.  I look forward to the second one!

More later!

OH MY GOODNESS it has been 20 days since I have last posted anything!  That is crazy.  Well I have a new video up about harvesting potatoes.  I also have videos from the recent Hail storm as well as an update from the Garden pre-potato harvest.  However, I may leave that one off and just post the Potato Harvest as the latest update until I update the whole garden happenings!  Glad you came back to read and if you are a new viewer WELCOME!

The weather video of the YEAR!  ...so far.

Hopefully I won't let too much time go by until the next time I post an update.  Why don't you stop by my Youtube channel and see my other videos?  http://www.youtube.com/user/gfunk1127?feature=mhee

Have a good day!

Well the information in this video is a day late and a dollar short when it comes to the Frost Advisory subject.  Oh well!  Still a good update!

It is the start of the LED testing here!

I have had some good feedback on the YouTube channel.  Going to be using some string to lower the light towards the veggies.

So, today I had to put up the plastic over my hoop house.  We are expecting temps in the mid 30's which places us in a FROST ADVISORY.  Here in N.C. this is normal to have one or two of these towards the beginning of Spring.  I expect we will have one more in April before its all said and done and then the plants will be allowed to stay out in the night air without threat of freezing.
VIDEO:

Sure hope it holds and the space inside the hoops isn't too large.

Just a little update from the other day.  No REAL change.
The Strawberry Trough is up and running.  Well, not so much a trough than a really small NFT (nutrient film technique) system.

I have added the swirl filter!

It is currently on a 14:30 second cycle, but I will shorten that as I have to shorten my stand pipe another 1/2 inch or so.

The swirl filter seems to be doing its job so far. I will just wait a week to see what it gathers.     

Next up, I am going to think about some LEDs for grow lights.  No, not the expensive $300 kind, but regular cheaper kind because the plants don't get the 6 hours of direct sunlight I think they need.  

  I took a trip to the local nursery today.  I picked up some good things and signed up for a good thing.  I signed up for the program Plant a Row for The Hungry.   http://gardensgardens.wordpress.com/2009/06/04/plant-a-row-for-the-hungry-raleigh-north-carolina/  I think for my row I am going to plant yellow squash.  It will feel good to do something nice for others.  Plus, you get a tax break!  I met a lady today who donated over 1000 lbs. of food, and has plans to expand her garden.  

  Well I picked up some plants.  I have Romaine Lettuce, Head Lettuce, Broccoli, Carrots, Celery and Mint.  

  In the aquaponic growbed I transplanted Celery, Broccoli, Romaine and Head Lettuce.  And doesn't it look better when there are bigger plants in there?!?  YES!

 Tomorrow, I finally put together the raised bed (I know, I know).  I have been slack on getting it together.  I have decided not to stain it, but I will be putting in some posts so I can put up a small greenhouse over the cooler months.  Once that is done I fill it up with soil and plant, plant, plant!

Additionally, the strawberries I purchased have been planted in a little row planter.  I can't wait to see if they will grow.