*First up, Avocado is not a cure for snails! I just couldn't find a niftier title for the post!*
Over here in our lil world, we've started working toward our dream of having a reasonably self sufficient homestead...(I know!...we are currently minus the actual homestead...baby steps folks!!) Part of working towards this dream is maintaining a year round food supply, and so we're slowly working on the art of not killing off our wee vege garden!
We're also learning what it takes to start growing a bigger variety of fruits and vegetables, during different seasons, and how to protect everything from pests in a reasonable friendly way.
We currently have (in our wee urban gardens) Spinach, lettuce, rocket, courgette, cucumber, strawberries, raspberries, blue berries, blackberries and a passionfruit vine. Our baby trees are apple, mandarin, lemon, feijoa, loquat and coffee!
All are currently alive, although the passion fruit vine and coffee tree are looking
And so the next challenge...Avocado Trees (Otherwise known as Trees of Deliciousness!!)!
After a bit of googling i found some do-able instructions here! Did you know that some avocado trees will never produce fruit!? Me either, and they can take anywhere from 4 to 15 years if they are going to! (Also didn't know that an avocado pit had a top and bottom)
First up, the equipment....Check!
Figuring out top and bottom...I was fortunate enough to have a couple of very obvious pits!!
If you're not that fortunate....ummmm, your on your own?!
Spearing them with the tooth picks....Broke numerous tooth picks and also stabbed myself in the finger...I will never be a hunter.
All spiked and ready to go! (I did mine on an angle too)
In goes the water, and into a sunny spot!!...Now to wait...and hope...
And now, our second attempt at snail prevention!! We began the snail war by using salt (salt around the plants dries the snails out as they creep over it), which is really quite effective...until it rains...
And then i remembered a wee tip that i read a while ago about using sharp things like crushed egg shells. The snails can't slither over the sharp edges so they stay away....hopefully.
Olly had other ideas about shell placement....
and level of crushed-ness....
We got there in the end though!
And now our seedlings look like they were a part of some weird alien crop circle gone wrong....but that's fine...if it works! I shall keep ya'll posted....'cause seedling/snail watch is certain to have some of ya on the edge of your seats waiting for news... ;)
Renee :)
Your "gray" thumbs will be green in no time! P.S. You may want to have another look at the Isla and Olive sweet print giveaway post. I have had to redraw as the winner has not been in touch x
ReplyDeleteBawahahahaha! I am a plant hospice worker too:-}
ReplyDeleteOooo I use the eggshells too and they seem to work really well...even though our gardens look odd!
ReplyDelete