Year of the Wood Dragon
kittymoonbeam
3 months ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (13)
Related Discussions
Have Ligularia Dragon Wing, Dragon's Breath &
Comments (2)pam i finally have something you want!! i have a two year old osiris fantasie. i'll run out during the next rain break and take a look....See MoreAny successful one acre growers over 50 yrs old?
Comments (48)Gardengirl12 - I am 48 and expanding my garden so don't hesitate to move forward. We all have our good days and better days. The only bad days are those days on which we allow ourselves to second guess our dreams, our plans and our ability to carry those out! I come from many generations of market gardeners (different styles, different relatives) so it is definitely in my blood lol. My parents are currently aged 72 and 74 and they continue to successfully operate a CSA and market garden, subsidized with specialty jams, jellies and baked goods. Figuring out what specifically are good sellers in your area is very vital, however; this takes time and so just plan for that. Keep your expectations low enough that you won't be discouraged and can maintain a positive view as your business grows. Write down achievable goals for each of the next 3 seasons. Keep DETAILED notes on both successes and failures so that you can build from them each year. Every gardener is unique in their technique, needs, abilities and market area so having a bunch of folks looking over a business plan which is developed specifically for you is not worth bothering with. Only you truly know what you are capable of doing physically, mentally and emotionally to bring your dreams to reality. Most populated areas have some sort of farmers market already established. If you have not already done so, take the time to visit EVERY TIME it is open to study what others are successfully selling. Make notes on what types sell the best, what seems to just sit there and get tossed out at the end of the day. Also take note if the majority of the sellers seem to carry "value added" products such as soaps, jams, wool, eggs etc to make up a portion of their sales. If there is a well established specialty vendor such as "Tomato Lady", I would plan to grow and sell something different as my main source of income. You can always introduce a specialty item similar down the road but focus on developing your own following and avoid disappointment from trying to directly compete with someone who is already well established. As you are developing your sales plan, keep in mind that the majority of your first customers are going to be those whom you already know. Just putting yourself and your product out there is not enough to sell the amount you will need to earn a profit. I am not a big believer in local chambers etc and I refuse to pay dues to be a "part of the community business network" in which I live. Consider ways to effectively advertise for yourself at either no cost or low cost. Keep in mind that ANY cost is going to effect your bottom line even if it is only a penny for the ink that printed you those 50 copies on your home computer. Stay detail oriented so that in the future you can truly see where things can be changed to be better financially as you grow the business. Don't try to be everything to everyone! EVER! You will ALWAYS have someone asking for something that you don't have. Don't fall into the trap of trying to provide it all because the time and product it takes you to grow "just 2" of something special, is time and product which is taken away from what you have developed well already. If you continuously receive requests by more than a dozen customers for a new item, then consider it a possibility for a "limited time only" product. EG - I don't grow zucchini because every Grandma and her neighbor does. However; IF I kept getting requests from more than a dozen of my REGULAR customers, I would consider growing enough just to serve them. I don't see that happening anytime soon though as my market really supports the "unusual" versus the "ordinary". I could go on and on lol yet I have winter sowing to get done. I hope you do well with your adventure and I truly mean that... it IS an adventure!...See MoreDragon Fruit (Zone 7a) - 4th Year Off to a Rough Start
Comments (1)I got rid of one I had, so maybe shouldn't comment since I don't have much experience with it. Just wanted to say that if you had sludge on top (..."Removed the top half of sludge from the pot"...), all of the potting mix was probably too wet and should be replaced. If top few cm are wet, it is usually worse as you go deeper. I see lots of damage that looks like rotting, that makes me think there isn't enough drainage or you keep watering it too much and too often. While I don't think around 65*F would be too low in spring, combined with wet soil it could cause some problems. It is best to have few drainage holes in the pot, and very well draining mix that should dry up between watering. It is a cactus after all (Hylocereus undatus = white fruit, H. costaricensis = pink fruit, or H. megalanthus = yellow fruit) and should not sit in soggy substrate. I grew mine in very gritty mix without bark (just grit, coarse perlite and smaller amount of turface). Reason I got rid of mine was that it grows too big, and it is quite prickly :). And from what I read, they need long periods of really warm weather in order to fruit. I am in colder zone, but don't think yours is warm enough either. Perhaps GH would help? IIRC, fruit sets after 30-50 days after flowering. It needs nocturnal pollinators (bats or moths), and hand pollination may not work with some sp. So you may get it to flower (it needs to be mature enough), but fruit may be questionable. I know few ppl here grow them and have success with flowers and even fruit - ( they are in warmer zones than yours and am not sure if fruit ripens for them). Hopefully some of them will help......See MoreRestore or refinish wooden cabinet - made in the year 1900
Comments (4)You can hand refinish old veneer pieces. I would sand only, no stripper that might loosen the veneer. I'd hand sand becuase with an electric sander you could go right through the veneer if not careful. You may actually be able to remove the old finish by rubbing with denatured alcohol or lacquer thinner and fine steel wool. As far as the chipped part, you can repair it, but finding a piece of veneer that matches may be hard. The repair will always show, but it's 120 years old so what. You'd need to read up on gluing in a veneer repair. Then a new stain and protective finish. A professional could do all this for you and would probably do a great job, but $$$'s...See Moresultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)
3 months agokittymoonbeam thanked sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)kittymoonbeam
3 months agolast modified: 3 months agosusan9santabarbara
3 months agosocks
3 months agojerijen
3 months agofig_insanity Z7b E TN
3 months agojerijen
3 months ago
Related Stories
PRODUCT PICKSGuest Picks: Year of the Dragon
20 ways to celebrate the Chinese Zodiac's animal sign for 2012
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDESCelebrate the Year of the Dragon with Water and Red
Welcome the Chinese New Year with photos featuring the legendary dragon's power and the color of luck
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNIdeas From the Year’s Top 10 Kitchens of the Week
Get inspired by the found objects, reclaimed hardware, efficient storage and work zones in our top kitchens of 2016
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNGet Ideas From This Year’s Top 20 Kitchen Tours
Smart storage, functionality for cooks and families, vintage touches and lots of personality mark your favorites of 2015
Full StoryHOUZZ CALLTell Us Your New Year’s Resolutions for Your Home
Share your plans and dreams for your house this year — whether they involve organizing, remodeling or redecorating
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGNEscape Into This Year’s Most Popular Outdoor Seating Nooks
Picture yourself cozied up on a Stockholm balcony or gathered around a blazing fire in an intimate English garden
Full StoryEVENTSPreview Some Captivating Art in This Year’s London Design Festival
The Victoria and Albert Museum’s LDF exhibits are about reflection, wearable art, tiny insects and lots of Swarovski crystals
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGNSoak Up Ideas From the Year’s Most Popular Urban Gardens
Readers’ favorite photos from 2016 deliver new ways to think about city backyards
Full StoryLIFEWhat We Love (and Don’t) About New Year’s
Here are our favorite and least favorite things about ringing in the new year. What are yours?
Full Story
Feiy (PNWZ8b/9a)