Mionth 3 of Fun With Tower Garden

Month 3 of Fun With Tower Garden - Fall Planting and Summer Produce 

Thank you for joining the growing group of Fun With Tower Garden blog viewers with 735 views to date.  The Tower Garden continues to grow and produce wonderfully delicious crops.  It's time to buy one if you want to plant a fall tower garden.  I've purchased some organic seeds and will start replacing my plants that are no longer producing with the new plants once the seedlings have good roots.

I started a new job in mid-July so my time to take pictures and update the blog has dwindled.  I will go to monthly updates at this time so you can see the fall planting and crops.  

Summer Produce: 

The Tower Garden continues to produce and is thinned out as plants spill over.  A minor fertilizer set back caused yellowing that has been corrected by returning to the use of Tower Tonic sold by Juice Plus.  Plants immediately started greening again.  

The newest crops is a small handful of green string beans.  More to come as this vine continues to spread.

Four cucumbers are growing as a few male flowers finally appeared allowing me to pollinate the abundance of female flowers.

The larger cherry tomatoes are going crazy with a handful to pick every other day.  The smaller ones have stopped producing so they will be replaced with fall plants..

Mint, spinach, and basil continue to produce flowers which need to be removed so the leaves can be harvested.    

New seeds I want to try include snow peas, broccoli, radishes (one at a time), lettuce, and leeks.  I'm not sure what will happen with the leeks and radishes, but I want to experiment since these are ones I enjoy eating.
   

This was the spread of treats at Jisele's August 10 Tower to Table.  Come to the next event to get your garden or order on line.  Events will be listed on the right side of the blog page as they are schedule.  Hope to see you soon!

Thanks for joining 

Fun With Tower Garden

Blessings on your own Tower Garden experience, 

Karen Beard, Direct Distributor
Juice Plus+® Tower Garden ™  
(512) 255-0075

www.funwith.towergarden.com

funwith.towergarden@gmail.com

Week 8 of Fun With Tower Garden - Propagation and Produce 

Thank you for joining the growing group of Fun With Tower Garden blog viewers with 647 views to date.  It's been an amazingly wonderful cool and rainy week here in Central Texas.  Quite unusual for mid-July.  The Tower Garden loves the weather and I do too because less water additions and I don't have to worry about overheating like I do with 100+ degree days.

PROPAGATION:  The Tower Garden comes with seeds and a starter kit so I decided to try some out for sharing and for displays.  You add 1 or 2 seeds to the rock wool set in the net pot, cover with a little vermiculite, and add water to the container.  It takes 3-6 days to germinate.    These are at about a week and a half since starting, including time for germination. The largest is the cucumber, second - the cherry tomato and smallest is the basil.

I also noticed a peppermint cutting from my plant started to root.  It's ready for the roots to be surrounded by rock wool, put into a net pot and added to a Tower Garden.  I plan to give this to one of my new distributors for their Tower Garden.  Sharing keeps the costs down.
 

My strawberry plant continues to flower, however, I don't see much in the way of growth afterwards.  Are they just slow, not ready or not getting pollinated?  I'm not sure but open to information from others with some experience.  

PRODUCE:  These two zucchini babies look healthy.  Once their flowers open, they can be pollinated.  Then the growth really happens fast - less than a week to get to 8-9 inches.  

The watermelon growth has really slowed down.  This one is at 6 inches in diameter.  The 4 inch one continues to get a little larger each week.

Thanks to those who visited our booth at Christmas in July, including a fellow Tower Garden owner.  It was fun to share experience, information and ideas.  

If you want your own Tower Garden with or without a distributor business call me at 512-255-0075 or visit my website to order yours now. There's still time to grow some summer plants, or get started on your fall garden.  Visit the website at www.funwith.towergarden.com or come to one of the events on the right to get your questions answered.

NEXT EVENT Tuesday July 23 in Leander:  Visit the booth at Living Naturally at Luigi's Mercato

Thanks for joining 

Fun With Tower Garden

Blessings on your own Tower Garden experience, 

Karen Beard, Direct Distributor
Juice Plus+® Tower Garden ™  
(512) 255-0075

www.funwith.towergarden.com

funwith.towergarden@gmail.com

Week 7 of Fun With Tower Garden - New Food - New Dishes - New Events 

Interest in the  Fun With Tower Garden blog continues to grow with 558 views to date.  It's been especially rewarding to be able to make new dishes with the Tower Garden food.  We are now listing links for new events that you can attend to see and learn about the Tower Garden on the right side of the blog listing at www.funwithtowergarden.blogspot.com.  My distributor team members are also identified on the right side of the blog webpage with their pictures and website links.  

At Week 7 of my Tower Garden growth we are seeing a thinning at the bottom as the squash, cucumbers, and watermelon spill over the sides and onto my deck.

I helped Jisele buy plants and prepare them for her new Tower Garden.  She is also growing a few plants using the seeds that come with the Tower Garden kit. At 3-4 inches tall, the seedlings will have enough roots to put into the Tower Garden.  Seedlings include cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, and basil.  Plants put in Jisele's tower include honeydew melon, okra, sage, thyme, watermelon, squash, and lavender for the beautiful scent. 

Two plants I'm concerned about in my tower are the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes.  The spinach is yellowing rather than a deep green and I'm thinking I may need to add iron which is not included in my new fertilizer.  The sun-dried tomatoes are turning black on the bottoms and the leaves are getting thinned out and turning brown.  I'm open to suggestions from gardeners who are reading this blog.  Please add comments below.  I will be visiting the local hydroponic store for their advice and will let you know what I find out next week.

  
The cucumbers are amazing at 20 inches in length and very delicious. I picked these two to make a wonderful cucumber salad for my daughter's graduation party.  I was thrilled to find a new small cucumber growing that managed to get pollinated.  I'm seeing one honey bee visiting my Tower Garden in the mornings to help me with the pollination.. 

Dishes made for the party included cucumber salad with cucumbers and chives from the tower, potato salad using tower parsley, and salsa (not pictured) using tower tomatoes, parsley, and peppers. It's wonderful to have garden fresh herbs to compliment the delicious food flavors.  Next time I will grow some cilantro.  The flavorful mint continues to both hot and cold tea.  On the right is all the vegetable scraps I have been saving to make soup stock (after my daughter suggested this) - included are potato, carrot, cucumber peels, ends of onions, stems and tops from celery and the herbs.  Once it's all cooked in the crock pot all day, the veggies will be removed leaving delicious and tasty stock for making soups.  I added chicken bones to mine, but just veggies is good too.  

A compliment the wonderful food and delicious herbs is the best part of all - making money being a distributor. After the sale of my tower garden to me, four others sold by my first distributor, and the purchase of Juice Plus by me and my distributor I had the points to make my second promotion and a bonus check of $250.  I am more than half way to paying for my Tower Garden and well past the payments I've made to date. 

If you want your own Tower Garden with or without a distributor business call me at 512-255-0075 or visit my website to order yours now. There's still time to grow some summer plants, or get started on your fall garden.  Visit the website at www.funwith.towergarden.com or come to one of the events on the right to get your questions answered.

NEXT EVENT THIS SATURDAY July 13:  Visit the booth at Christmas in July

Thanks for joining 

Fun With Tower Garden

Blessings on your own Tower Garden experience, 

Karen Beard, Direct Distributor
Juice Plus+® Tower Garden ™  
(512) 255-0075

www.funwith.towergarden.com

funwith.towergarden@gmail.com
 

Week 6 of Fun With Tower Garden - Produce and Event Updates

Week 6 of Fun With Tower Garden - Produce and Event Updates 

The interest in Fun With Tower Garden blog  continues to grow with 488 views.  The garden was carted to one event on June 22 with many people seeing and enjoying it.  After six weeks of growth there continues to be major production of vegetables despite the excessive heat in Central Texas reaching 106 degrees.  

Suyo Cucumbers also require pollination between flowers and are growing to 17-18 inches and about an inch in diameter.  The watermelon continues to grow and is 5.5 inches in diameter.  The goal for this baby watermelon is 7-8 inches. 

This 17" cucumber and pepper was picked for Sunday's Simple Food Choices for Vibrant Living retreat featuring the foods of the Tower Garden.     

The Saturday June 22 booth was visited by people interested in the Juice Plus product line which includes the Tower Garden.   

 

On June 24, 25 and 27, Gina Carmichael, RN got the full audience attention in presenting the incredible benefits of Juice Plus - a whole fruits and vegetables product with the water and sugar removed resulting in naturally occurring vitamins and antioxidants.  It prevents the damage caused by the not-so-healthy foods that inevitably find their way into our daily eating and fills in for what we are missing.  

On June 30, Karen and Jisele prepared raw foods using Tower Garden produce.  Many participants of the Simple Foods retreat were able to enjoy the Tower Garden produce including zucchini pasta and cucumbers covered with spinach, parsley/chive herb, and basil pesto sauces.  The carrot salad featured delicious Tower Garden mint.  These fresh food dishes generated added interest in the Tower Garden. 

If you missed these events, new ones are on the way:

Wednesday July 3 pot luck will include Tower Garden zucchini and tomato/basil marinara sauce.

July 13 Tower Garden/Juice Plus booth at 

Hope Presbyterian Church (in Fellowship Hall)

11512 Olson Drive (78750)

July 26 Empowering Families

August 3, 10, 14   Hear the amazing presentation by Gina Charmichael RN  

Tune in next week to learn about the different plants featured in Jisele's new Tower Garden.


You can get direct emails of each new blog entry as the garden takes shape by entering your email address at Follow by Email on the right.
For more information on the Tower Garden and to get your own go to:

www.funwith.towergarden.com

Blessings on your own Tower Garden experience, 
 Karen Beard, Direct Distributor
Juice Plus+® Tower Garden ™  
(512) 255-0075

funwith.towergarden@gmail.com

 

 

Upcoming Tower Garden and Juice Plus Events:

With the continued interest in the Fun With Tower Garden blog (354 views), I wanted to take this opportunity to invite my readers to the upcoming events so you can see a Tower Garden in action and learn more about it.  Juice Plus sells the Tower Garden through its distributor network.  Learn more at any of these Fun and Free events in Austin, Round Rock and Cedar Park:

Saturday June 22 (10am to 6pm) at Nature's Treasures in Austin:

Summer Solstice Open House and BIG SALE

A Summer Solstice Meet and Greet Presented by: Austin All Natural, Nature's Treasures, and Austin Holistic Chamber of Commerce .

Come and enjoy a full day of celebration.  Enjoy free talks, demonstrations and clearings from some of Austin's top Holistic Practitioners.  See the Morning Mist Retreats' Tower Garden and sign up for the Conscious Living Retreat Series.  Tower Garden is a sponsor of the Morning Mist Retreats Meditation Garden pictured above.  

Monday June 24 (6:45pm) at 5013 Sendero Springs, Round Rock, TX 78681:


Tower Garden Free Presentation 

 Join us as School Nurse Gina Carmichael teaches you the difference that whole food nutrition can make for your health and how having a Tower Garden leads to healthy eating for you and your family.  Contact Karen Beard at karenlynnk2000@yahoo.com (512) 255-0075 to RSVP or for more information.  

Tuesday June 25 (5:30 - 7 pm) at Blue Corn Harvest, 700 E. Whitestone Blvd (FM 1431), Cedar Park, TX 78613.  

Healthy Happy Hour

Join us for a fun time as Gina Carmichael, RN leads you in learning about healthier living through simple choices.  Contact Karen Beard at karenlynnk2000@yahoo.com (512) 255-0075 to RSVP or for more information. 

 

Thursday June 27 (6:45 - 8:30 pm) at Old Quarry Library, 7051 Village Center Drive, ), Austin, TX 78731

 

Healthy Happy Kids and Tower Garden

Join us as School Nurse Gina Carmichael teaches you the difference that whole food nutrition can make for your family's health. Contact Karen Beard at karenlynnk2000@yahoo.com (512) 255-0075 to RSVP or for more information.

Sunday June 30 (10:30am to 3:30pm) at Nature's Treasures in Austin:
This one is a paid class - allowing you to enjoy the vegetables from the Tower Garden:

"Simple Food Choices for Vibrant Living"
You will be introduced to food choices for healthy living that do not dictate a regimen of ‘can’t haves.’ Learn to incorporate delicious foods that make a healthy plate. Full participation in food prep is included as a part of the class.  Enjoy the Tower Garden food.    INCLUDES LUNCH 


CLICK HERE to Register and see the entire Conscious Living Series




You can get direct emails of each new blog entry as the garden takes shape by entering your email address at Follow by Email on the right.
For more information on the Tower Garden and to get your own go to:

www.funwith.towergarden.com

 

Week 4 of Fun With Tower Garden - Products, Pollination, Production, and Presentation
 
The Tower Garden continues to delight and teach me.  I have learned about new products for the garden, the importance of pollination, what to do with all the produce, and how to make money doing this as a business.  To learn more about all this and see the garden up close and personal - you are invited to my home in Round Rock, Texas for a free presentation on Monday June 24.  Email me for details at funwith.towergarden@gmail.com .

It's amazing how much growth is possible in a month, and as my other plants in the soil are already suffering from the Texas heat and sun, the Tower Garden continues to proliferate, grow and produce.  It is requiring a lot of water since mine are in full sun all day - about 10 gallons every 2 days but it's worth it for the abundant growth and production of fruits and vegetables.

PRODUCTS: I ran out of Tower Tonic (the fertilizer that came with the garden) so I went to Texas Hydroponics & Organics to see what they had and if they might want to become a distributor.  They had experience using a Tower Garden for aquaponics - with fish in the tank.  So there's three ways to use the Tower Garden - regular, organic and aquaponics!  I chose a mid-price range fertilizer for flowering and fruiting and decided to try an organic bug spray (all plant oils) to minimize the pests.   

POLLINATION: One of my biggest frustrations has been dying produce - shriveled up watermelons and zucchini.  And I found out why.  Although the bees have come to my honeysuckle, they have yet to discover the Tower Garden.  When the flowers on top of the baby produce are not pollinated, the produce will not continue to grow.  Upon inspecting the flowers, I could see the difference, especially in the large zucchini flowers.  Some have small fruit under the flower (female flowers near the bottom of the plant) and some don't (male flowers above the females on long stems).  The center of the male flower has one anther full of pollen and the female flower has several stigma that receive the pollen. 

To reproduce the action of the bees, I decided to use q-tips to collect the pollen and move it from the male to the female flowers. This is especially easy with zucchini.  And the difference is amazing.  The pollinated female flowers fruit started to grow fast and within 5 days was 11 inches and ready to harvest while the unpollinated zucchini just shriveled up.  Since the zucchini flowers open simultaneously but only for one day in the morning - I am now on the watch for pollinating opportunities.

The watermelon flowers are not as obvious but there is a slight difference and they either have a fruit under them (females) or they don't (males).  As you can see, this watermelon was pollinated and is growing fast with these pictures taken two days apart.

PRODUCTION:  With such a large zucchini to eat and more to come, I went on line and found two delicious recipes to go with my paleo eating plan.  Broiled zucchini and zucchini pasta - which is perfect with the pesto I already made using the wonderful Tower Garden basil, see week 3 pictures. Click on the links to find these tasty recipes taste-tested by me - Yummy!. 

The other benefit of the Tower Garden has been the production of an income source.  With my Tower Garden purchase and the other Juice Plus products I have sold in two weeks as a distributor my first retail profit check was $73.  My next monthly check will include two promotion bonuses and commissions and will be much larger.  Stay tuned into the blog or sign up to get the blog emailed to you to find out how much more.  

PRESENTATION: Tower Garden Free Presentation.  Join us as School Nurse Gina Carmichael teaches you the difference that whole food nutrition can make for your health and how having a Tower Garden leads to healthy eating for you and your family.  June 24 at Karen's 5013 Sendero Springs Drive, Round Rock, TX  78681  6:45 pm.  Contact Karen Beard at karenlynnk2000@yahoo.com (512) 255-0075 to RSVP or for more information. 

Follow the Fun With Tower Garden Blog and watch it grow!
www.funwithtowergarden.blogspot.com
You can get direct emails of each new blog entry as the garden takes shape by entering your email address at Follow by Email on the right.
For more information on the Tower Garden and to get your own go to:

www.funwith.towergarden.com

Week 3 of Fun With Tower Garden - Pruning, Pests and Produce
 
This has been a very interesting week with the Tower Garden.  Much new growth, new pests and new produce starting to grow. Here's what it looks like now, the growth has been phenomenal:

PRUNING:  My main pruning tasks has been trimming the roots so they don't clog the pump. With the large zucchini, cucumber and watermelon leave at the bottom, the root growth has been tremendous.  After a weekend away, I finally checked the water level after 5 days and it was down by half, the roots had taken over.  The water had also raised above the recommended 85 degrees.  First I trimmed all the roots to near the top of the water level.  Second I added 10 gallons of dechlorinated water with the Tower Tonic fertilizer in it.  Third I checked the pH, it was ok at 6 (ok range is 5.5-6.5).  Fourth I rechecked the temperature and it was still high. 

Fifth, I took the lid off over night so the water would evaporate and pull down the temperature from the rest of the water.  It worked and dropped about 7-8 degrees overnight.  The second time I did it, it was a cool night so the temperature dropped a lot more to 70 degrees.

PESTS:  The plants have all looked healthy but I noticed droppings on the shelf and cage, a telltale sign of tomato caterpillars. Another sign is leaves with holes or completely chewed away.  These pests grow almost as fast as the plants and are really nasty when they are big.  Better to catch and dispose of them while small.  Here's four I removed this morning.  By wiping off the tower shelf everyday, it's easier to see new drippings and find and remove the culprits.

PRODUCE:  All but my green bean and strawberry (a 2 year plant) have been producing flowers and starting to grow new crops.  True to the claims of the manufacturer, the basil is obviously healthier and larger in the tower garden than in the ground.  I transplanted a baby volunteer from the ground into the tower 3 weeks ago.  The ground plants are spindly and keep putting out flowers that have to be removed.  The Tower Garden basil is happy just putting out very large and healthy leaves.  

New baby peppers are showing up and one is getting larger.

New tomatoes are emerging despite the heat (although we did have a couple of nights dip into the 60s).  I've been able to pick and eat 4 healthy cherry tomatoes from one plant and others are quite full.
 

I was surprised to see how the cucumbers started to form full of little spikes and looking like stems with a flower on the end. The cucumber flowers are much smaller than the zucchini flowers below. 
 

The zucchini has had the most growth with the biggest leaves and flowers about 5 inches across.  I was surprised to see the baby zucchini appear, almost overnight with a flower growing on top of it.  There are also other flowers above the produce that have stems and no produce on it. 

I am harvesting peppermint and spearmint daily to add to my hot and iced tea.  The smell is so refreshing and delightful.  Parsley and chives have also been harvested as needed.  Can't wait to make some pesto from that wonderful basil !!!

  
Last chance to Register for the Free Tower Garden Presentation:

Tower Garden Free Presentation.  Learn how to grow fruits and vegetables in a small space with no dirt – it’s fun and easy!  June 11 at Behren’s Ranch Amenity Center, 2503 Arbor Drive, Round Rock, TX 78681.   6:45 pm.  Contact Karen Beard at karenlynnk2000@yahoo.com (512) 255-0075 to RSVP or for more information. 




Follow the Fun With Tower Garden Blog and watch it grow!
www.funwithtowergarden.blogspot.com
You can get direct emails of each new blog entry as the garden takes shape by entering your email address at Follow by Email on the right.
For more information on the Tower Garden and to get your own go to:

www.funwith.towergarden.com