27 Aug 2023: Edible Garden Update

    The biggest 2 Bayam plants looks like it is ready for harvest. This is after I have harvested last few days ago. I also planted 5 shanghai green bottom scrapes and it seems to be growing well, except 1 at the left corner. Hopefully can grow big enough for me to eat again. 

    The 2nd batch of Bayam plants seems to be growing well but it seems that it can allow 6 seedlings (max) for small long pots as the ones at the corner does not grow big at all. However, these Bayam plants are big enough for harvest so I would likely be eating them soon. Even the seedling in the hanging pot has grown bigger these few days. Must be growing deeper roots to withstand the wind and rain. 

    Both my compost bins got too wet and have been adding shredded egg tray into them to keep them drier. I also saw maggots on the big red compost bin as it seems the bin got too hot and humid for the small maggots. Likely from the fruit flies. Likely I have been able to find paper egg trays so I do not have any shortage issue for the paper egg trays. 

    I have managed to get some potatoes from Food Rescue@Frontier CC and since most of them sprouted, I have been trying to prepare pots to plant a few of them. The rest will be chopped up and added to compost. I have prepared a styrofoam box with two holes at the bottom for this purpose. Now preparing the compost soil or reused soil for it. I would also likely use a big potting pot as previously I added too much salt. Hopefully the plants added can absorb the salt and allow other plants to grow in the soil again. 

Growing Potatoes

 

    This YouTube video show that it is possible to grow potatoes using cardboard box and plastic bag as well. I have some intention to grow potatoes as I have managed to food rescue potatoes. Since it is possible to grow in plastic bag, I don't mind trying it out. 

    Would be using the methods used in this YouTube video to prepare the potatoes before planting or potting into seedlings. Just make sure the shoots not be white as it will be weak when grown. 

    I would likely use this guide to plant my potatoes. Looks good from planting to harvesting. 

Soluble Calcium Fertilizer In The Making

    I  have decided to make soluble calcium fertilizer using egg shells and eco-enzyme to see if it works. The normal ingredient is vinegar. I did this to test out whether it works and it seems to be working, 

    I have mixed 2 tablespoon of egg shell powder and 20 tablespoon of eco-enzyme. The egg shell powder is still being dissolve so I will have to wait for about 2 weeks to see if all egg shell powder is dissolved. 

Pot Rack From Discarded Dish Drying Rack

    This is my new pot rack to provide me more space for growing my edibles.

    It is actually a discarded stainless steel dish drying rack that I found. As I was planning to purchase a pot rack, I suddenly came out with the idea of using it as a pot rack. I managed to secure it using cable tie and will likely be reenforcing it with nylon strings, especially at the top of the two rack stands, to prevent coming off and falling onto my Bayam(Chinese Spinach) growing below. 

DIY Water Soluble Calcium Fertilizer Using Eggshells and Vinegar

 

    This is the Youtube Video on water soluable calcium fertilizer made from just egg shells and vinegar. Just need to the the proportion right. 

    The ingredients are egg shells, which I get often from my dad and I do keep them myself. I also grinds them into powder often for my plants but as you know, they don't break down so easily, even in powder form. As for vinegar, she uses white vinegar but I am interested to know if eco-enzyme, which is also a form of vinegar, should work as well as it is free for me. I can also buy cheap white vinegar in bulk if I need to do this often. The ratio of vinegar and egg shell powder is 10:1. 

Tips:

• When mixing the two ingredients, note not to make too much as the process builds up many bubbles and may over-spill from the container. Either use a bigger container or make small portions. 
• The process takes about two weeks to completely dissolve the egg shells. So use a breathable material, cloth or paper coffee strainer to cover the top. The process produces carbon dioxide so do not have a tight lid over the container. 
• The completed concentrated solution needs to be diluted with ration of calcium solution with water is 30ml : 4.5L. 
• Spray the diluted solution on both sides of the leaves. Apply during morning or evening to prevent heat stress. 
• If too many concentrated solution, can dilute in bigger volume and use the diluted solution for adding to compost or water your plants. 

Growing Chillli Plants From Seeds To Harvest

 

Found this YouTube video on growing chilli plants from seeds to harvest interesting and decided to put into this blog for reference. Maybe I might grow one but it is recommended to grow a few for  easier pollination. 

Simple DIY Hydroponic Growing System

    Just found an interesting YouTube video of growing bok choy using cheap materials to make a DIY hydroponic system. Using plastic containers or bottles for planting seeds and seedlings, plastic pipes and liquid fertillzers to grow bok choy and possible other vegetables. Some people might think it is expensive to buy a hydroponic system but being creative, it is possible to DIY one using cheap materials.

How to plant bok choy in used bottles, sow to harvest using hydroponic

An easy and cheap way to grow hydrponic bok choy mustard in used bottles from seedling to harvesting. 

17 Aug 2023: Finally Kick Start My Big Compost Bin

    I was waiting for Lunar 7th month as I know I would have find enough compost materials to kick start my big compost bin. 

    I added 5 layers of egg tray and hand shredded egg trays at the sides and sprayed with rain water just to make the surface moist. I also made holes on the egg tray to provide airflow as well. I let it stay overnight before I prepare adding compost materials. 

    These bruised apples will be my compost materials for my big compost bin. I have picked up quite a lot and these are apples with bruises on them. I still have quite a lot of apples and oranges but I will not add too much oranges as I am worried that the acidity of the orange will slow down the decomposition process. 

    After cutting the apples, I laid a thin layer of cut apples over the egg trays and cover with a net. My intention is to add more apples or other compost materials later before I top it off with a layer of hand shredded egg trays and wait for more compost materials to be added slowly, especially after the lunar 7th month, I may not have much compost materials to add to this big compost bin.   

This is my first compost bin after I added a thick layer of hand shredded egg tray (previously was too wet and moulded) and 4 cut apples. I top it up with a thin layer of hand shredded egg tray before I cover it with a metal flour sifter in case of fruit flies visiting. So far there is no fruit flies or ants. Will be adding additional compost materials, likely apples as there is still enough space for more compost materials, most likely at the end of the lunar 7th month, just to let the micro-organisms thrive first. 

Tips For Growing Spinach From YouTube Videos

    Even though I have been successfully growing spinach (Bayam) at my HDB flat, I am curious of what I am doing is correct and if there are any more tips to better grow spinach. So I search through YouTube videos and found a few videos that provides useful tips on growing spinach.So here it is:

• Interesting facts is that spinach contains vitamin A, Vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, iron, folates and protein. 
• It is a quick crop as it takes a maximum of 6 weeks to be ready for harvest. 
• Spinach needs to be harvested before flowering. 
• You can harvest spinach anytime and once wrapped with kitchen towel, it can be keep in fridge for 2 weeks.

• Spinach is a easy to grow vegetable but requires full sun to grow well. 
• Her method of sowing the seeds is interesting. She prepared the soil, sow the seeds around the soil, scratch the seeds in, firm it down and water them. 

• Germinate better in cooler temperature, 18 - 21 degrees. 
• Seed priming can be soaked overnight in water or compost liquid, before planting. 
• Leaves need good airflow and leaves be able to dry off. 
• Spinach requires more nitrogen and if leaves becomes yellow, can add more fertilizer to add more nitrogen. 

• Spinach likes sandy loamy soil with lots of organic matter. Take a bunch of soil and squeeze it. If it forms a ball and breaks up easy, then is sandy loamy soil.
• Can add up to 30% compost to soil for spinach.
• Spinach prefers moist soil and depth about 4 inches(10.12cm).
• Plant seeds in 3-4 seeds clumps with every 3-4 inches apart or sow in rows of 3-5 seeds per inch and rows within 4 inches apart. Do not plant the seeds too deep into the soil, just cover the seeds will do. 
• Successing planning to provide continuous supply of spinach by starting a new bed of spinach every 3 weeks. 
• Spinach requires 6-8 hours of sunlight or artifical light to grow well. Spinach prefer morning lights and shade in the afternoon sun. 
• Can harvest every week as long as the plant is producing.

    Other tips:

• When harvesting spinach leaves, do leave a bit of leave stem so to prevent any disease from spreading to the stem. 
• To counter powdering mildew, use half a litre of milk to 1 litre of water and spray on the plants.
• Spinach prefers soil acidity between pH 6.0 - 6.7. 
• Grow from seeds is better than use seedling.

14 Aug 2023: Edible Garden Update

My 1st Batch With 2nd Batch Bayam In Medium Long Pot

    The above shows that my 1st batch of Bayam plants are still growing as they both have grown beyond the glass shelf. With their thick stems, I hope they will not be blown down by strong wind so I need to check that their top leaves do not become too big. Most likely I would be harvesting them anytime soon. The 2nd batch seedlings are not growing fast and I suspect recently due to transplanting and not much sunlight for the past few days, slows down their growth. 

My 2nd Batch Bayam In Small Long Pots

These are the transplanted Bayam seedings from the 2nd batch. They are arranged from left the earliest to latest transplanted seedlings. The seedling in the small pot and those seedlings at the corner of the small long pots does not seem to grow much. Most likely due to be overshadowed by their bigger seedlings beside them. Hopefully they can still grow. 

My Two Bayam Plants Almost Ready For Harvesting

These are the earlier transplanted seedlings and some of the seedlings seems to be growing well and looks almost ready for harvest. Hopefully they grow bigger fast enough so I can harvest them with the leaves from the 1st batch.   

Holes Drilling Time

I have finally decided to drill holes (6mm size) into the IKEA FNISS Waste bin, red, 10L and the Redmart red plastic container. The size of the holes are based on big enough for airflow but not too big to let the completed compost fall out. 

I decided to drill 5 holes at the bottom of the IKEA waste bin and 4 sets of holes almost to the top of the bin. I tried to drill into another red bin but it broken at the base so I have to throw it away.  I also changed the red plastic lid to a circular metal plate with holes. There are many bigger holes so it should provide more airflow. However, during the next day, I noticed ants and fruit flies at my compost bin. Well, I am fine with fruit flies but not for ants. 

My First IKEA 10L Red Compost Bin

I also drilled holes into the Redmart red plastic container with about 2 inch intervals. There are no holes at the bottom of the container as I am going to stack more containers so with holes at the bottom, it will make the other containers wet with liquid from the composting materials.

My Redmart Red Plastic Container With Holes Drilled On All Sides Except The Bottom

DIY Stackable Compost Bin

    Since I do not have enough space outside my HDB flat, mainly corridor or stairways, to increase compost bin capacity, meaning adding more compost bins, I decided to think of DIY stackable compost bin design for my needs. 

    I found a worthwhile Youtube video on this: 

    The design for the stackable compost bin is the closest of what I was thinking of using. This design just drills holes within 2 inches away from each other and only at the sides and top. No holes are drilled at the bottom of the bin. Even though there might be liquid coming out from the bins, that is another problem I need to solve but at least it gives me a head-start. 

    The stackable bins that I am planning to use are the Redmart (Red) or NTUC online (Blue) logistic containers, looking similar to the picture below. 

Source: Alibaba.com

    This type of containers are usually have depth so more compost materials can be added per bin and the materials is thicker compared to normal plastic containers. Such industrial stackable and nestable plastic storage container box are sometimes thrown away after grocery deliveries and it is possible to find them during dumpster diving once in a while. Since the Redmart and NTUC online are slightly different in size (NTUC being slightly bigger), I have not decided which one to use but I have an existing Redmart container outside my HDB flat for me to use straight away. I would likely start off with that Redmart container outside my HDB flat first. I kept a few NTUC containers in my study room and if needed, I might use them instead of looking for new ones.

    Another type of container is the new Redmart containers which is stackable and without the lids. This might provide more airflow but the depth is about three quarters of the above containers. For these container, I may need more containers to compost the same amount of compost materials. Another consideration is with bigger airflow, it might also attract flying insects or lizards coming into these containers. Others include losing moisture so I may need to add water more often compared to the earlier container. Maybe I just try both and see how it goes since I have one outside my HDB flat as well. 

My Redmart Red Container With Lid

    I am still unsure how far I want to take this composting hobby and how long my enthusiasm will last. But at least for a while since I am farming for edibles. 

My Edible Garden Transplanting Complete! - 9 Aug 2023

   The above pictures show my transplanting of all the Bayam (Chinese Spinach) to all the available long and round pots. All pots have glass shelves to prevent strong wind or heavy rain from killing the seedlings except for the hanging pot. Will see how they grow and use these information for next time if I want to grow Bayam or other vegetables from seeds (I still have a few packs of different vegetable or fruiting plant seeds from NParks). Can't wait to see them all grow up but since Bayam grows fast, should be able to see the results in at least 2-3 weeks, I think. 

My Way Of Composting - Trial And Error Way

Source: Composting 101(thistle.co)

   I have been reading and watching YouTube videos on composting and gathering ideas and knowledge. Since I started composting, no harm researching on it.

   Most videos use outdoor compost bins made of wood or pallets to form cubicles to store browns and greens. For home composting like me, space is a big constrain and since I prefer to put the compost bin outside my house, most setup in the videos are not suitable for me.

   However the takeaways from these videos are:

• Carbon to Nitrogen ratio (30:1) is more accurate compared to 2 parts brown and 1 part green. I think I would just go by gut feel or whatever I an find. 
• Whatever browns and greens you throw into compost will eventually be decomposed and become compost. Even meat and cooked food(This may only applies with compost bins on ground soil, not cement floor). Is whether you can wait or not.
• Compost requires Carbon(Browns), Nitrogen(Greens), Air and Water. Any missing component will slow down or stop decomposition.
• Ideally, base of compost have a thick layer of browns as base. Add greens and cover with browns. Can compact the browns and green to have more space for more. If excessive liquid is supposed to leak out from the bottom.
• The browns and greens need to stay moist, not wet. Best to have holes to release excessive liquid to prevent too much moisture and becomes smelly. 
• Rain water is best to moist the compost materials.
• Can add a little bit of citrus fruit peels like oranges and lime. Too acidic prevents decomposition.
• Use a variety of materials to provide different nutrients such as banana peels for potassium, neem leaves for antibacterial effects. 

9 Aug 2023: Edible Garden Update

The above picture shows after harvesting the bigger leaves. I would be transplanting most of the seedlings to a new small long pot later today. 

As you can see, after adding chicken poo fertiliser, it seems to give the seedlings a boost, even though today there is not much strong sunlight. It seems like the 5 seedlings are catching up with the 10 seedlings small long pot. Will see how they turn out and will consider using the same arrangement next time I grow Chinese Spinach from seeds. Overcrowding will limit the size of the plants from growing full size. 

Meal Time - Stir- Fry Chinese Spinach And Cabbage With Oyster Sauce

   Just harvested the Chinese Spinach leaves to stir-fry with cabbage for dinner. The leaves got pretty big as shown in the picture below. 

Time To Add Booster To My Edilbles - Fertilizer

    The fertilizer below is the one that I have bought on 8 Aug 2023. This is earthworm poo fertilizer that I found at Shopee @ $11.98 (Original price is $13). This is the cheapest fertilizer that I can find. 

    The recycled potting soil that I used have already lost most of its nutrients so terrapin poo water is barely enough for my edibles. As I have other plants as well, I decided to look for organic fertilizer and found the above fertilizer and made the purchase. I previously have used quail poo fertilizer but since it is found at the Chua Chu Kang farm that I don't go nowadays, I stopped buying fertilizers for a long time. 

    I also found that I have previously dumpster dived 2 other organic fertilizers. 

   I have tried using small portions of smaller pack chicken poo fertilizer on my edibles. The edibles seems to grow bigger in just 2 days. 

Composting My Kitchen Waste

    Actually I have been burying my kitchen waste into bins with old garden soil that I saved after recycling them from old pots. Reusing the used soil but adding kitchen waste to provide the natural fertiliser, saves cost of buying fertilizer and soil and recycle kitchen waste. I noticed that these garden soil cannot be used direct for gardening as these garden soil seems to harm the roots of newly planted plants so I have to leave them out to dry or sun for at least a week or more before using them as garden soil. 

     I decided to start composting. Since I am using soilless potting soil for my edibles, I prefer to use compost to add to my edibles pot. I do not have any proper equipment right now, so I use a IKEA FNISS Waste bin, red, 10L and a red lid as a starting point since I have 3 such bins available. I did not make any holes at the bottom of the bin since I have not decided whether this will be my final setup. 

Previously I have tried worm composting but the setup did not last long as I have too much worm trays and not enough kitchen waste. Another issue is the temperature outside my HDB flat sometimes gets too warm or windy. Not that easy to keep worm bins so I prefer a more simple composting method. Less harm to living beings, like worms. 

For composting, the ideal green and brown ratio is about 1:2. However, this is not a hard rule so depending on your environment and what you have, the ratio can be tweeted a little depending on your circumstances.  

Source: https://helpmecompost.com/compost/basics/brown-to-green-compost-ratio/

Composting includes a balanced "browns mix" and "greens mix." Here's what greens and browns mean:

• Greens are materials that are rich in nitrogen or protein. They are also the items that tend to heat a compost pile up because they help the microorganisms in the pile grow and multiply quickly.
• Browns are carbon or carbohydrate-rich materials. The main job of browns in a compost pile is to be food sources for all of the lovely soil-dwelling organisms that will work with the microbes to break down the contents of your compost pile. Also, brown materials help to add bulk and help allow air to filter through the pile.

Browns for the Compost Pile

Brown materials for composting include dry or woody plant material. In most cases, these materials are brown, or naturally turn brown. Brown items include the following:

• Fall leaves
• Pine needles
• Twigs, chipped tree branches/bark
• Straw or hay
• Sawdust
• Corn stalks
• Paper (newspaper, writing/printing paper, paper plates, napkins, and coffee filters)
• Dryer lint
• Cotton fabric
• Corrugated cardboard (without waxy/slick coatings)

Greens for the Compost Pile

Green materials for composting consist mostly of wet or recently growing materials. Green materials are usually green or come from plants that were green at some point. But, this is not always the case. Here are green items:

• Grass clippings
• Coffee grounds/tea bags
• Vegetable and fruit scraps
• Trimmings from perennial and annual plants
• Annual weeds that haven't set seed
• Eggshells
• Animal manures (cow, horse, sheep, chicken, rabbit, but not dog or cat manure)
• Seaweed

Source:  https://www.thespruce.com/composting-greens-and-browns-2539485

Source: https://image.slideserve.com/855357/ratio-recipe-carbon-to-nitrogen-ratio-of-30-1-l.jpg

Composting Ratio Chart

Source: https://soilseedandgarden.com/what-is-composting-and-how-does-it-work/

Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/550565123200510718/

Best Fertiliser For Leafy Vegetables - Red Ear Terrapin Poo

    I found out that terrapin poo is best for growing greens. I have a adopted pet terrapin (picture below) and have been using it's poo water for watering my plants. Previously I kept a fresh water bichir and I also use the aquarium water to water plants too but the effects is so effective compared to terrapin poo. 

    My adopted terrapin is also a survivor of a 9th floor suicide drop. Somehow I suspect someone let it out of its container and it climbed over the edge of the corridor and fell 9 stories down but survived. It cough out blood for the next 2 weeks but recovered. I have another terrapin that also fell 9 stories but died. Both terrapin were adopted together. 

    Every day, I would collect the terrapin poo water from its container (shown in above picture) and pour it into a plastic container. In the evening, I would add rain water to fill up the container and then use it to water my plants. It is better to dilute the poo water as it might be too much for some plants, especially seedlings. 

Seedling Arrangement, New Small Pot And More Bayam Leaves For Harvesting

2 Small Long Pot with Bayam Seedlings

    After transplanting the second batch of Bayam (Green) into a newly prepared small long pot(right), I reduced the numbers of seedlings from 10 to 5 to experiment which arrangement is most suitable for Bayam (Green) to grow.

    Initially, I transplanted 10 seedlings into a small long pot(left) but 2 died (left corner), left with 8 seedlings. I suspect due to overshadowed by a flowering pot beside it previously. I have transplanted 2 more back to the same pot so you can see the difference in seedling size. 

Small Long Pot Preparing For New Seedlings

    This is the newest small long pot that I prepare for transplanting the rest of the seedlings. Previously grew spring onion and sweet potato leaves. Sweet potato leaves has a stronger taste when stir-fry it. This small long pot does not have glass shelf covering yet.

Medium Long Pot With 2 Big Leaves Bayam Plants

    The two biggest Bayam (Green) plants' leaves seems to be growing bigger and shielding the seedlings from the sun. Most likely be cutting those bigger leaves to prepare for my meal soon. 

How To Grow Leafy Vegetables In A Pot (NParks Video) - Useful Information To Grow Edibles

 Just stumbled upon this video from NParks so I decided to write down useful information about this video and how I can improve my gardening skills to grow edibles. 

Leafy vegetables have shallow roots.They grow well in soil with 10-15cm deep. 

Fill the pot with edible growing mix or potting soil.

You can sow seeds directly or transplant seedling.