The Pancakery

Brian, thanks for checking in with an update. I hope you are recovering well and keep looking towards the future.

I was just reading a gardening book, the author kept mentioning how such and such crop would grow in containers. Maybe you could pioneer 5 gallon bucket permaculture.
Sounds like you are healing from the eye ordeal, keep up the good work!

Annie Howell-Adams wrote:I was just reading a gardening book, the author kept mentioning how such and such crop would grow in containers. Maybe you could pioneer 5 gallon bucket permaculture.
Sounds like you are healing from the eye ordeal, keep up the good work!

Homerculture? Like in the orange Home Depot buckets. You've seen into the future already I think. Found a few good pots/tupperwares at the Goodwill Outlet too. Looking at seeds this week for some ordering. Only 45ish days till Spring!

Like I said before I wanna grow the usual veggies and greens. But I've got this idea to grow Apple Tree Guild flats to sell. I wanted to grow comfrey just anyway, but imagine for a moment. . . a flat of starts with comfrey, yarrow, dill, fennel, beans peas, garlic, etc, and a seed mix of the same and more to throw under the mulch. There are already tons of people around Denver with fruit trees in their yards. This would be a plug and play style of guild build, instant succession at its best.


My eye's feeling good. Maybe a little funny but not any cornea than usual.

Just ordered Permaculture in Pots. I should have it read just in time to start the seeds indoors for the end of April outside.

Got a little collection of plastic tubs and other planters so far. Next weekend I'll be bicycling around Denver alley-scoring to shore up my container collection. Plus what ever else someone decided to throw away, fingers crossed for 2 X 4s.

So as a pre-Permie in Pots plan, I want to try using a aerated tea soil inoculation. I have not grown in pots organically before, just salty fertilizers. So I want to really dive into living (potting)soil.

What I've found so far to be the biggest and best inoculate tea is Rainbow Mix by Earth Juice. It has a large species count and friends of mine who use Earth Juice's stuff really like it. Here is a compiled list of what's in the final mix:

Mycorrhizal Fungi: Pisolithus tinctorius, Scleroderma citrinum, Scleroderma cepa, Rhizopogon luteolus, Rhizopogon fulvigleba, Rhizopogon villosulus, Rhizopogon amylopogon, Rhizobium japonicum, Glomus intradices, Glomus etunicatum, Glomus aggregatum, Glomus mosseae, Glomus clarum, Glomus monosporum, Paraglomus brasilianum, Glasgaspora margarita, Trichoderma harzianum, Trichoderma viride.

Beneficial Microbes: Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus megaterium, Azotobacter vinelandii, Rhizobium japonicum, Bacillus coagulans,Azotobacter chroococcum, Azospirillum lipoferum, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Bacillus laterosprorus, Azospirillum brasilense, Bacillus pumilis, Bacillus licheniforms, Lactobacillus acidophilus.

Also a "Proprietary blend of mycorrhizae fungi"

And a healthy glob of EWC, with all of its microbes

Paired with a good potting soil to grow all these guys in, I think I can make a productive patio garden. Hopefully




Now the long wait for the mail to come.

BUMP for staying on track and finishing Permaculture in Pots by Juliet Kemp. I have most of my containers cleaned and ready, seeds in starting trays, balcony partially clean

I have had a lot of trouble figuring out my method of actually growing in pots still. I started a new thread in the permaculture forum just on that.

I still like my choice of Earth Juice liquid ferts and am leaning toward a separate preparations of my fungal and bacterial inoculants. Fungus can be overtaken by the faster reproducing bacteria in the initial growth stages. The endo fungus spores will need to be applied at the first transplant, as they do not survive well in soil without roots.

The balcony should be cleaned totally this weekend and some pictures would be in order. Spring is sooooo close.

Well, as usual the time got away from me and I am starting my 2016 garden stuff before sharing what happened in 2014 and 15. Well 2015 I moved back to Connecticut mid summer, so no plants then. BUT 2014 did indeed make a great garden year. I have some of the better shots below . . . . . .

EDIT: I forgot to elaborate on my potting mix. The big tub is a water reservoir on the bottom 6", with a EWC/vermiculite/peat moss medium on top. Amended with dry kelp and bone meal. I gave different brews of aerated teas using the Earth Juice liquid blends. The hydro tower is synthetic nutrients . But I have big dreams of linking it into a fish tank for a aquaponic system. Probably not this year (2016) since I have the in-ground plots to work on. Still, fresh synthetic veggies is better than week old. Anyway thanks for reading this far already!

And things grew more and mroe . . . .








Even had free photoshoot models

And today I potted up some kale and broccoli sprouts. Along with rockwool cubes of tomato, zucchini, pepper, and basil. I also planted an herb pot in a 3 year old not-till 10 gallon fabric pot. Cilantro, thyme, dill, basil (again), radishes, peas, and peppers. Threw my leftover peas into the ground for good measure too! I am in a woody area and direct sun is fleeting, 4 or 5 hours in the summer. So I am excited to see what I can accomplish with this restriction. I am thinking lots of greens and herbs. More to follow!