Tag: growyourown

  • How to grow basil in a bottle

    How to grow basil in a bottle

    I love basil, you might too. It’s fresh herby smell and taste in a salad or on pizza is one of the pleasures in life. Let’s face it, the basil from the supermarkets isn’t all that fresh and since it’s been cut, it’s on its way out. Unless you’re lucky enough to have access to potted basil in your supermarket. 

    That’s what I always try to have some growing in the garden or near the kitchen window. It grows quickly and you can just take a cutting and start again with a new plant. Here’s an easy method to grow basil in an up cycled plastic bottle, you’ll need a basil seed or two.

    Prepare your bottle

    Wash your plastic bottle so it’s fairly clean. I remove the label so it’s easier to see the root progress. Then cut the top off with scissors.

    Drill the lid

    Drill the lid with a 6mm / 1/4″ hole to allow water to seep into your growing medium.

    Flip your lid

    Flip the lid and place it upside down into your bottle. Use a sharpie or similar marker to mark halfway up the lid as your watermark. 

    Plant your basil

    Fill your bottle to the water mark and lace some cotton wool or kitchen paper into the lid and plant your basil seed into it. 

    Wait for germination

    Put your bottle near a window and wait for the magic. Make sure to keep the water level constant and after a week or so, your basil should germinate. 

    Plant it out

    After a month, you should have a nice little seedling ready to be planted out into a pot. Add some compost tea to the water if you’d like to keep it in near the window. Enjoy!

  • How I grow stone fruit trees from seed

    How I grow stone fruit trees from seed

    How I grow stone fruit trees from seed. There’s a huge variety of stone fruit and if you’re lucky to live in a climate where they grown, they’re so delicious and amazing trees to have in the garden. 

    Grab your favourite stone fruit

    In this case I chose peaches. I love the white peaches in particular. It’s a habit I picked up in Japan where the white peaches are so big, they’re a meal in one. Eat your fruit and save the pit. 

    Give it a rinse to get the flesh off, it will be easier to handle.

    Hammer time

    Grab a hammer (or you can use something else solid – a brick) and hit the pit gently on the seam. It will eventually crack open. Hit it repeatedly but gently. If you hit it too hard you’ll likely smash the soft seed inside. It takes practice. 

    Check the quality of your seed. 

    Prepare your seed

    If the seed looks pale yellow and dried up, it is likely a goner. Your seed needs to be round and firm. Put it into some water for a few hours to rehydrate.

    Plant your seed

    last your seed into a pot, a sandy soil seems to be good. 2-3cm or 1″ deep is plenty. Keep the soil moist and put it in the shade. Full sun will likely kill the seed. 

    You got peaches!

    After a month or so, your seed will germinate and a small seedling will grow. Keep it in the shade and grow it to 40cm or 1ft. Bigger if you’d like. Then plant it in the ground in a sunny position, water it often and mulch the base. 

    Put plenty of organic matter in the hold when you plant it. Fruit trees love that. It will take a few years, but eventually you will have grown a beautiful peach tree that bears lots of yummy peaches!

    I’ve grown lots of stone fruit trees this way. I have several nectarines growing via this method at the moment. Good luck!

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