Our "Plantings", things Learned

I

imp

Senior Member
I grew several Date Palm trees from the pits, after eating the fruit! Hoped at least Dates were not yet genetically-modified and sterile. After many months, seemingly pointlessly keeping the little pot's dirt moist, some sprouted! The first two I planted out back are doing very well. Have several others still in the "one-frond" or one stalk stage. They branch into two after they get about a foot high or so.

Today, I decided to nourish the stuff a bit, using some "All Natural Nutrient" Lilly Miller brand plant food from Wally-World. When done, I sat down to read the fine print: WARNING! Keep from pets. Contains poultry manure and other ingredients potentially harmful if eaten. Contents: Poultry Droppings.

Disheartening, or not? Big flap going on about Chinese pond-fed fish for human consumption are being fed diets of only chicken waste. Whether true or not, most of the frozen fish at the big names are now "Product of China". Do you buy it? :(

imp
 

No Imp, I prefer to buy locally sourced fish. Living on Vancouver Island I have access to inexpensive fresh fish most of the year. Can still buy frozen fish without resorting to Chinese during those months when fresh is expensive. Obviously, I know nothing of growing dates, but are there not other reputable sources of natural fertilizers?
 
Personally, I do not buy fertilizer. Raise worms...for their castings. Crush egg shells and soak in water. Put banana peels in my blender with the egg shell water. Make a tea from fish heads and trimmings, when son goes fishing. Add sea weed to that. And of course mulch what my worms do not consume.
 

Shalimar said:
No Imp, I prefer to buy locally sourced fish. Living on Vancouver Island I have access to inexpensive fresh fish most of the year. Can still buy frozen fish without resorting to Chinese during those months when fresh is expensive. Obviously, I know nothing of growing dates, but are there not other reputable sources of natural fertilizers?
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Do your laws require labeling regarding country of origin? Down here, it seems that the really huge conglomerate food companies evade the issue by labeling their products only with their Corporate Office location, ALDI for example, all products labeled, "Batavia, Illinois".

Really not obvious that you have never grown dates! :) They are nutritionally quite good while being most tasty (and most costly!), around here, $9 per lb. fresh. Chopping them up and including in breads or cakes makes those ho-hum foods sparkle with good taste!

As for fertilizers, manure is a traditional one, of course. Just a turn-off thinking about it. Story told in our family, my Grandpa once reacted in rage, presented with gorgeous, fresh tomatoes from a neighbor, when informed that neighbor used the muckings from his outhouse to grow his crops! imp
 
Hi Imp. Yes, it is required to list country of origin on labeling of most things. I love dates, but even the temperate climate here is too cold for growing them, Although you can grow lemons if you protect them from frost.
 
ndynt said:
Personally, I do not buy fertilizer. Raise worms...for their castings. Crush egg shells and soak in water. Put banana peels in my blender with the egg shell water. Make a tea from fish heads and trimmings, when son goes fishing. Add sea weed to that. And of course mulch what my worms do not consume.
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My Grandma always had eggshells in water out on the back porch. As I recall, the stench was awful from them! Could be they were there too long? Or, remains of white and/or yolk still remained when stored there?

One of my wife's common phrases is "fish head stew". She's a Hoosier, still reverts to Hoosier twang when visiting back there........

An interesting story now that we are on "worms": My nephew, then living in Kansas, raising his family while attending Engineering School, went in with a fellow Marine buddy to raise worms. He told it that the Japanese would buy as much as could be raised. They borrowed $10,000 each from the businesses willing to take a shot at it, in Marion, KS. Raised around $100,000. The "buddy" was said to have absconded with the dough, leaving Dan facing those business owners! He had earlier approached his Grandma (my Mother) for money; she turned him down. Later, she and I had laughs now and then, about the "worm farm"! imp
 
That is the normal odor of the egg shells. I keep mine in a tightly covered container. The same with the fish compost "tea". Once you dilute them and water plants they lose their odor.
Funny story about the worm farm. I shall remember it every time I feed mine. They must have planned a very elaborate set up. I just have mine in big bins...with shredded newspaper bedding. No odor at all. They are very proliferate.
 
ndynt said:
That is the normal odor of the egg shells. I keep mine in a tightly covered container. The same with the fish compost "tea". Once you dilute them and water plants they lose their odor.
Funny story about the worm farm. I shall remember it every time I feed mine. They must have planned a very elaborate set up. I just have mine in big bins...with shredded newspaper bedding. No odor at all. They are very proliferate.
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Evidently, the "technology" of worm-raising has been elevated to new heights in the past 40 years! Back in Michigan, at my Father's Uncle's farm, a large deposit of very amazingly blue-colored clay, produced upon digging with a sharp shovel, "night-crawlers" of amazing size, frightening, actually, to a 9 year old boy, those worms were at least pencil-size diameter, and 12 inches long! The fish loved them! imp
 

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