Roots (=plants) need a beneficial bacterial/fungal environment for healthy growth – using this charred earth tactic will kill off said environment time and again. And then, just as in conventional agriculture, all sorts of unwanted thing will get to your weakened plants. Remember, you aren’t working in some sterile Space Shuttle environment; you have to [...]

If that’s any help to you: I couldn’t get these two species to grow, either. Why don’t you try the following: Stop using the peroxide, reduce the humic acid to the absolute minimum, and put in salads, (or peppers/tomatoes/nasturtiums) – if normal salads don’t grow, you can still change things in your system; I think [...]

Growing two in one pot is actually not such a good idea, unless it’s peas or beans.
The plant nearer to the window doesn’t have to bolt because it’s getting the lion’s share of the available light -
in March, that is, which is why there aren’t any flowers developing very quickly.

No pot is “self-watering”; water always comes from somewhere I’ll construct a system that connects the rain gutter to a series of buckets, and then overflows into a pond. The pellets would therefore only take away water storage capacity. The big problem now is the soil in these buckets (components, moisture level), as I [...]

I will probably construct a cold frame cum vertical garden, and then do some globalbucketing for the tomatoes.
And beekeeping I definitely want to dabble in, hopefully this year already.

Owen, thanks for trusting me one this one It really does work; I done it a few times over the last year. Unlike peroxide, the Neem can stay in the water for longer, stopping the next generation of larvae as well. And no, Mel, the only soil without fungus gnats in them is absolutely [...]

Ah yes, bare roots, headless, the crackling of dead leaves … I could add a few of those as well. I got a wonderful specimen of Cyclanthera pedata going, then the pump “was somehow left unplugged” – and I’ve so far not gotten one to grow again. But unfazed, he sets out to build for [...]

These are the larvae of fungus gnats, the small black flies you encounter wherever there is a combination of soil and moisture. If your plants are doing fine, they shouldn’t be a problem, otherwise Neem will (temporarily) help against them.

Perhaps someone else could answer this: Are they doing well in expanded clay, too ?

… and of course:

Blähton
something to keep the Blähton from clogging up the funnel, a plastic Teesieb perhaps.

Hi there, if you take a look at the link I posted in the Germany section below your entry, you’ll find a rather stylish and uncomplicated version that uses funnels. If you choose to make it, here’s your Einkaufszettel : Aquarienluftpumpe, leise (Eheim seems to be making good ones) Schlauch T-Stück (Plastik-/Metall-)Trichter Kette (from [...]

A two-bottle WF seems an interesting idea – and it doesn’t have to remain a Mini-WF: If one had those two bottles further apart, and some nicely integrated climbing aids (like a small EarthTainer), I’m pretty sure two tomatoes would be more than willing to fill an entire window. (I currently have a single one [...]

EarthBoxes, or Global Buckets ?

Heavy, prone to cracks, splashing water … all of this once again brings us to another option: the use of funnels.
We still haven’t had a completed WF made of funnels, but I’m not giving up hope !

Hi – I’d love to see some pictures of your indoor worm farm. Will it be within the flat itself or in the basement ?

I hope you’ve eaten the flowers – a steady supply of zucchini/squash flowers will sound like heaven to quite a few hobby chefs !

If you have someone in the neighourhood who’s planning a green roof:
The crushed clay pellets used for those are even better than the whole ones, and you’ll only need a few handfuls.
http://our.windowfarms.org/files/2010/10/mystery-planter.jpg
If there are no green roofs around, the stuff shouldn’t be too expensive in the first place.

Hi, you can purchase crushed Neem seeds, which is what I used. Put a teaspoon full into the reservoir and leave it there over night. Then: Soak about two teaspoons of Neem in two or three cups of water over night, add a a squirt of dish liquid, shake, and then thoroughly spray the leaves [...]