Trung Quốc với kế hoạch 4 sân bay khống chế toàn bộ vùng trời và vùng biển Việt Nam
16/04/2015 36,840 lượt xem Bản In T+ T-
Liệu đây có phải là kế hoạch của Trung Quốc nhằm sở hữu 4 sân bay (tại 4 hòn đảo: Hải Nam, Hoàng Sa, Trường Sa và Phú Quốc) và 3 căn cứ quân sự trên biển nhằm bao vây và khống chế toàn bộ vùng trời và vùng biển Việt Nam?
Liệu đây có phải là kế hoạch của Trung Quốc nhằm sở hữu 4 sân bay (tại 4 hòn đảo: Hải Nam, Hoàng Sa, Trường Sa và Phú Quốc) và 3 căn cứ quân sự trên biển nhằm bao vây và khống chế toàn bộ vùng trời và vùng biển Việt Nam?
Tin Liên Quan
Vị trí Bãi cạn Scarborough so với bờ biển Philippines mà Trung Quốc đang chiếm giữ và sắp sửa bồi đắp (Ảnh: Facebook)
Trung Quốc sẽ cải tạo thêm đảo ở biển Đông
da chu thap
Trung Quốc đưa máy bay quân sự ra Đá Chữ Thập, Trường Sa
Tờ Stars And Stripes dẫn lời quan chức quốc phòng Mỹ cho biết, chiến đấu cơ Trung Quốc đem trái phép tới đảo Phú Lâm thuộc loại tiêm kích J-11 và cường kích JH-7. (Ảnh: kienthuc.net.vn)
Việt Nam yêu cầu Trung Quốc rút 16 chiến đấu cơ khỏi Hoàng Sa
Đảo Phú Lâm thuộc quần đảo Hoàng Sa. (Ảnh: Facebook / World International News Group)
Trung Quốc tiếp tục điều máy bay chiến đấu ra Hoàng Sa
Hoàng Sa, Trường Sa là của Việt Nam. (Ảnh: mapvietnam.blogspot.com)
Nội dung đầy đủ về Hoàng Sa, Trường Sa sẽ được đưa vào sách giáo khoa mới
Đại biểu Quốc hội tỉnh Quảng Nam - ông Lê Văn Lai. (Ảnh: Youtube)
Đại biểu Quốc hội Lê Văn Lai: Biển Đông đang bị xâm phạm
Thời gian gần đây báo chí trong và ngoài nước đều đưa tin Trung Quốc xây dựng căn cứ quân sự trái phép tại những đảo đang tranh chấp, cụ thể là Hoàng Sa và Trường Sa của Việt Nam.
Liệu đây có phải là kế hoạch sở hữu 4 sân bay (tại 4 hòn đảo: Hải Nam, Phú Lâm, Gạc Ma và Phú Quốc) và 3 căn cứ quân sự trên biển nhằm bao vây và khống chế toàn bộ vùng trời và vùng biển Việt Nam?
1. Ba căn cứ hải quân kiểm soát toàn bộ biển Đông
Ba căn cứ này nằm trên đảo Hải Nam, đảo Phú Lâm (thuộc quần đảo Hoàng Sa của Việt Nam), đảo Gạc Ma (thuộc quần đảo Trường Sa của Việt Nam).
Đảo Hải Nam
Đảo Hải Nam của Trung Quốc nằm rất gần đất liền của Việt Nam, chiếm 2,2 triệu km2 hải phận kinh tế, tức gấp 6,6 lần diện tích đất liền của Việt Nam (331.698 km2), gấp 4 lần hải phận kinh tế của Việt Nam.
Gần đây Trung Quốc đã củng cố hoàn tất căn cứ hải quân Longpo trên Vịnh Á Long (gần mũi phía Đông Nam của đảo Hải Nam). Căn cứ này có sự hiện diện của tàu ngầm mang tên lửa đạn đạo tấn công vào đất liền, tàu chiến. Cơ sở Ngọc Lâm của căn cứ Longpo được xây dựng để chứa các loại tàu ngầm khác. Đây là một căn cứ hải quân đủ sức chứa cho cả một hạm đội lẫn tàu sân bay hùng mạnh.
Dao Hai Nam
Đảo Phú Lâm (thuộc quần đảo Hoàng Sa) và quần đảo Trường Sa
Trung Quốc đang hoàn thiện các công trình cảng biển nơi đây để phục vụ cho các tàu hải quân cỡ lớn, kể cả tàu khu trục (loại tàu mang đầy đủ các tên lửa chống hạm, chống ngầm, đối không, đối đất).
Ba căn cứ hải quân này sẽ khống chế toàn bộ vùng biển đông của Việt Nam, căn cứ ở đảo Hải Nam khống chế vùng biển phía bắc Việt Nam, căn cứ đảo Phú Lâm khống chế vùng biển miền trung, căn cứ trên quần đảo Trường Sa khống chế vùng biển phía nam
2. Bốn sân bay khống chế vùng trời Việt Nam
Sân bay đảo Hải Nam
Sân bay tại đảo Hải Nam đã được hoàn thành và đưa vào hoạt động từ lâu, nơi đây tập trung một lượng lớn máy bay chiến đấu của sư đoàn 9 không quân Trung Quốc.
Máy bay chiến đấu JH-7A của sư đoàn 9 lực lượng hàng không Hải quân Trung Quốc triển khai ở hướng Biển Đông, trên đảo Hải Nam. (Ảnh: Báo Giáo dục)
Máy bay chiến đấu JH-7A của sư đoàn 9 lực lượng hàng không hải quân Trung Quốc triển khai ở hướng biển Đông, trên đảo Hải Nam. (Ảnh: Báo Giáo dục)
Trung Quốc được cho là đã triển khai 24 máy bay chiến đấu J-11B ở đảo Hải Nam - lãnh thổ cực nam của Trung Quốc - hướng Trung Quốc muốn bành trướng lãnh thổ ở biển Đông. (Ảnh: Báo Giáo Dục)
Trung Quốc được cho là đã triển khai 24 máy bay chiến đấu J-11B ở đảo Hải Nam – lãnh thổ cực nam của Trung Quốc – hướng Trung Quốc muốn bành trướng lãnh thổ ở biển Đông. (Ảnh: Báo Giáo Dục)
Sân bay đảo Phú Lâm (thuộc quần đảo Hoàng Sa)
Sau khi hoàn tất việc xây dựng, Trung Quốc đã ngang nhiên công bố hình ảnh sân bay này trên đảo Phú Lâm.
(Ảnh: Xinhua)
(Ảnh: Xinhua)
Ban đầu Trung Quốc công bố đường băng dài 2.000m, nhưng nay qua đầu tư đã nâng chiều dài lên đến 2.800m.
Sân bay này cho phép Trung Quốc kiểm soát hầu hết vùng không phận trên biển Đông mà Trung Quốc xác nhận là chủ quyền. Hầu hết các loại máy bay Trung Quốc có thể hoạt động trên đường băng này.
Khoảng cách từ sân bay Phú Lâm đến Đà Nẵng chỉ 390 km, thời gian bay chưa tới 30 phút.
Máy bay Trung Quốc từ sân bay Phú Lâm đến Đà Nẵng mất chưa tới 30 phút. (Ảnh songmoi)
Máy bay Trung Quốc từ sân bay Phú Lâm đến Đà Nẵng mất chưa tới 30 phút. (Ảnh songmoi)
Sân bay Gạc Ma (thuộc quần đảo Trường Sa của Việt Nam)
Sân bay trên đảo Gạc Ma có thể chứa các loại máy bay J11, J16, bán kính hoạt động của loại máy bay này là 1.600km
Từ sân bay Gạc Ma đến TPHCM chỉ 800km, thời gian bay khoảng 50 phút. Sau khi hoàn tất sân bay Gạc Ma, Trung Quốc tiếp tục xây dựng sân bay ở đảo Chữ Thập.
Hình ảnh máy tính “đảo” Gạc Ma của Viện nghiên cứu & Thiết kế số 9 trực thuộc Tổng công ty đóng tàu nhà nước Trung Quốc (CSSC).
Hình ảnh máy tính “đảo” Gạc Ma của Viện nghiên cứu & Thiết kế số 9 trực thuộc Tổng công ty đóng tàu nhà nước Trung Quốc (CSSC).
Sân bay Phú Quốc thì sao?
Hiện đã có kế hoạch chuyển nhượng quyền khai thác và quản lý sân bay Phú Quốc nhằm có nguồn để đầu tư phát triển sân bay Long Thành. Kế hoạch này đã được Bộ GTVT trình lên Bộ Chính trị.
Như vậy nếu dự án này được thông qua, sẽ có nhiều nhà đầu tư trong ngoài nước đăng ký khai thác sân bay Phú Quốc. Thử nhìn vào con số các nhà thầu Trung Quốc trúng thầu hầu hết các dự án tại Việt Nam, thì khả năng nhà đầu tư Trung Quốc được khai thác sân bay này là rất lớn.
Các dự án nằm ở vị trí quân sự trọng yếu đều đã về tay nhà thầu Trung Quốc, thời gian thuê đất 50 – 70 năm, như dự án khu kinh tế Vũng Áng (Hà Tĩnh), khai thác bô xít ở Tây Nguyên.
Nếu dự án xây dựng sân bay Long Thành được thông qua và các nhà đầu tư Trung Quốc nắm được quyền khai thác sân bay Phú Quốc, thì Trung Quốc sẽ có bốn sân bay hình thành một tứ giác khống chế vùng trời và vùng biển của Việt Nam.
Và nếu có một cuộc xung đột trên đất liền, Trung Quốc sẽ dễ dàng có được sự hỗ trợ từ không quân và hải quân. Thế giới đều nhìn rõ được dã tâm này của Trung Quốc.
Map VNTuy nhiên, về phía Việt Nam, tháng 4/2015, Tổng Bí thư Nguyễn Phú Trọng đã sang thăm Trung Quốc và vẫn khẳng định quan hệ Việt Trung trước sau như một “đời đời bền vững”.
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Ngọn Hải Đăng
Những cánh đồng rong biển tuyệt đẹp tại Bali, Indonesia
Từ Khóa:Biển đông Đảo Chữ Thập đảo nhân tạo đảo Phú Lâm Gạc Ma Hải Nam Hoàng Sa sân bay Long Thành Sân bay Phú Quốc Tranh chấp đảo biển Trường Sa Thể Loại:Biển Đông Việt Nam Ý Kiến
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1.1 Introduction to Worldview Shift
1.2 Two Worldview Lenses
1.3 The Disconnected Worldview
1.4 Shifting Our Worldview
1.5 Roots of Unified Physics and a Connection Worldview
1.6 Implications of a Connected Worldview
1.7 Summary
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2.2 The Courage to Be Bold
2.3 Different Thinkers: Root of Scientific Ideas, For Better or Worse
2.4 Nassim’s Personal Story of Thinking Differently
2.5 Principles of Thinking Differently
2.6 Changing Course; From 2D Isolation to Holographic Wholeness
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3.2 Reductionism
3.3 Closed Systems
3.4 Einstein and The Relativity Revolution
3.5 Quantum Theory
3.6 The Standard Model
3.7 Summary of Modern Physics
4.1 Introduction to Unified Physics
4.2 Space
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4.4 The Confining Force
4.5 The Connected Universe
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The New Views of Today. A connected Universe. Action and reactions across the universe. All things are communicating in a connected view and world view.
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Starting a Permaculture Garden
Author Jenni Blackmore reflects on the principles of permaculture after years of experience.
By Jenni Blackmore
March 2016
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Squash, beans and sunflowers thriving on reclaimed forest floor.
Photo by Jenni Blackmore
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Jenni Blackmore presents a highly entertaining, personal account of how permaculture can be practiced in adverse conditions, allowing anyone to learn to live more sustainably in a less-than-perfect world.
The perfect antidote to dense, high-level technical manuals, Permaculture for the Rest of Us presents the fundamental principles of this sometimes confusing concept in a humorous, reader-friendly way.
You can purchase this book from the MOTHER EARTH NEWS store: Permaculture for the Rest of Us.
When I first developed an interest in permaculture and started amassing a library of the great books available I’d gobble up the first few chapters but begin to lose my appetite when it came to zones and guilds, in part because the diagrams looked a little overwhelming in their apparent complexity. I was tempted to — okay, I did — hurriedly scan through those chapters so I could get back to the growing and harvesting parts that interested me the most. My abject fear of all things mathematical was rekindled by any mention of degrees of slope, angle of sunlight, or exactitude of compass points. In actual fact, the concepts of zones and sectors are based in common sense and are essential to any successful permaculture plan.
Zones range from one to five, from the most often to the least often visited. For example, I don’t want to have to charge to the far end of the garden for some fresh basil, with my sauce already bubbling and company due to arrive in five minutes. Therefore zone one includes herb pots on the deck by the kitchen door. Potatoes, once planted, require almost no attention until harvest time, so they will be best placed in zone three.
Sectors are like slices of a pie-chart that clearly define the sunniest spots, the wind tunnels, any natural water courses and so on. Once these characteristics have been itemized it’s much simpler to take full advantages of their attributes and take steps to minimize any negative effects. Having them drawn out on paper helps solidify the existence of these invisible boundaries.
Every homestead, regardless of size, will be unique when laid out to incorporate permaculture ideals. This is one of the many wonderfully satisfying aspects of living in harmony with the natural world although, as with any retrofit, things don’t happen overnight. Patience is a virtue that doesn’t get mentioned often enough as a necessary requirement in many of the informative books already written on attaining the dream-state of sustainable living. On the other hand, even though things might not always zoom along on the permaculture way, they often seem to have a knack of integrating and developing very smoothly.
A few years ago hurricane Juan ripped through Nova Scotia. If I was a paranoid type I’d believe it specifically targeted our property, leaving in its wake a gnarly, impassable wreck of fractured and uprooted trees. For a while we tried the “I can’t see you” and the “If we ignore it, it will go away” approaches, which were as successful as might be expected. Finally we began the painstaking (read aching muscles) job of first removing the debris and then attempting to reclaim the land.
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Top 10 Tomato-Growing Myths
6/10/2014 10:28:00 AM
By Melodie Metje
Tags: tomatoes, summer gardening, Midwest, Ohio, Melodie Metje
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are by far the most popular vegetable to grow in the United States. There is nothing like a tomato ripe from the vine! Many people started gardening by way of the tomato. They were the very first vegetable we grew. Many gardeners have the techniques they swear by to get the biggest and best tomatoes. Here are some tales that are not necessarily true.
Tomato Growing Myths (and Some Truths)
Tomatoes love as much sun as possible! This depends on where you live. In very hot climates, 6-8 hours is plenty. Your tomatoes can actually scald in intense sun and heat. For hot climates, plant your tomatoes in a north to south row so each side gets some shade each day.
You should prune your tomatoes for the best harvests. This again depends on your climate. If you live in a hot climate with intense sun and heat, you want to keep the leaves to help protect the tomatoes from sun scald. If you live in a damp area, you want to prune the tomato plant to allow good air circulation and sunlight.
Tomatoes love fertilizer! Actually, you only want to fertilize when you plant and again when the plant flowers. Too much nitrogen encourages leaf growth. Some that really sock the fertilizer to the plant end up with a giant green plant with no tomatoes. To help with flowering, fruiting and blossom end rot, be sure to get a fertilizer with plenty of phosphorous and calcium.
Tomatoes can’t be grown in pots. Tomatoes can be grown in pots, but not the big tomato plants or you have to grow them in a huge container like a whiskey barrel. Look for dwarf, pot, or patio types. You will need to put in a large pot and be prepared to water often.
Tomatoes need to be watered a lot. Actually, if you water your tomatoes a lot, you can end up with fungal diseases and mushy fruit. The trick with tomatoes is to keep their moisture even. Letting the ground crack and then drowning the plant will result in cracked fruit. In the hot times of the summer, you will likely need to water at least weekly. Be sure to not water the leaves, but the root.
When you see leaves dropping, something is wrong. This is a natural progression of the plant. As fruits begin to form, there is less energy for the leaves and some leaves will turn yellow and die.
A spindly tomato transplant is an unhealthy one. Actually the hairs on the stems can easily be transformed into roots. I take my transplants and remove the bottom leaves and plant on its side with only the top 4 leaves above ground. This gives the plant a good root system.
You can only transplant in early summer. Actually, if your tomato plants are starting to fade in mid summer, you can put out new transplants that will give you fruit until the first frost.
When you make sauce, the skins and seeds have to be removed. I put whole tomatoes into the food processor. Some say that the skin and seeds can impart a bitter flavor. With the many types of tomatoes I have raised, this has never been a problem for me.
Only paste tomatoes can be used for sauce. I use all my tomatoes for sauce. The best for sauce for me are the most prolific tomato plants. These have been Yellow Pear and Juliet for us. I would ask your neighbors which ones give the most fruit if you are looking to put up by freezing or canning.
The last tip: Tomatoes are susceptible to fungal diseases. Do try to not plant your tomatoes in the same spot for four years. Fungal diseases stay in the soil and take a while to die out. The same goes for a pot. A way around it for a pot is to use new soil and disinfect the pot each year.
Solar Backyard Chicken-Coop Building Plans
4/14/2016 9:48:00 AM
By Steve Maxwell
Tags: chickens, poultry, chicken coops, building plans, DIY projects, raising livestock, Steve Maxwell, Ontario, Canada
We’ve kept chickens on our Manitoulin Island homestead since 2002, and experience has taught me something that no one made clear to me beforehand. When it comes to chicken coops, a handful of smaller, semi-portable coops are better than one large, permanently anchored house. I call this approach “modularity”, and I’ve worked this ideas into some free plans you can download.
The big problem with permanent chicken houses is that they’re always troublesome and expensive to build. Lack of flexibility means they offer no chance to reduce or expand flock size, either. You’ve got what you’ve got when it comes to coop size. Keeping chickens in one place in a permanent coop turns that area of your yard into a dusty, vegetation-free wasteland. Permanent coops are also difficult to heat with winter sun – an issue that really matters where I live in Canada.
All this is why I’ve come to prefer one or more smaller, semi-portable backyard chicken barns that can be mixed and matched in different ways. We use one to raise day-old chicks, others as production houses for adult birds. Add another house if you want to separate some birds because of disease of bullying.
The modular coop I designed is solid and exceptionally warm in winter because of the clear, solar roof, yet also easily ventilated in summer by hinging open the roof. Simple to build, this design can be moved to new locations when needed. Individual modules can be pulled out of production for a time to break pest cycles, and they're easy to clean without standing in poop.
Although my solar-heated design looks fancy, it’s really only a box made of 5/8-inch plywood with trim. Nothing this substantial could be easier to build.
My design sits on legs that raise the structure off the ground, and there are two reasons for this. First, it keeps the wood of the coop high, dry and away from rot-promoting soil. Raising the height of a chicken house like this also makes it perfect for winter use in areas that get snow. I used 1” diameter galvanized steel pipes for my chicken house legs, but you could also put it on some replaceable 4x4s.
The opportunity to collect eggs without opening the chicken door is one advantage of the clear, hinged solar roof. Simply swivel the top upwards, reach down into whatever nesting box you’re using, then retrieve the eggs. You can also replenish feed and water this way, too.
Although hens can get in an out of a very small door, having a large door makes it easier to move feed and water in from the side if you want, and move out manure when it’s time to clean the houses. In my design nearly one whole side swings outwards, with no lip above the floor level. Manure and bedding is easy to scrape out. There are more details here than I have space for, but you can download free plans for my chicken barn at BaileyLineRoad.com/chickens.
As practical as it is to keep backyard chickens, the real attraction for me is also because these birds are great fun to watch. In a world with too many screens in front of us, it’s refreshing to be entertained by something non-digital for a change. Try it and you’ll understand what they mean by “chicken TV."
Steve Maxwell, “Canada’s Handiest Man”, is an award-winning home improvement authority and woodworking expert. For more than two decades he’s been helping people renovate, repair, build and maintain their homes. Find him online at Maxwell's House blog and read all of Steve's MOTHER EARTH NEWS posts here.
All MOTHER EARTH NEWS community bloggers have agreed to follow our Blogging Guidelines, and they are responsible for the accuracy of their posts. To learn more about the author of this post, click on their byline link at the top of the page.
Should you prune your tomato plants?
Ramon Gonzalez
Ramon Gonzalez
Living / Lawn & Garden
August 7, 2012
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Ramon Gonzalez Tomato Sucker
© MrBrownThumb
Ask 10 gardeners if you should prune tomato plants and you may come away with 10 different answers. Some gardeners swear by pruning, while others don’t see the benefit of pruning their plants at all.
Watch Pruning Tomatoes for Production
One aspect of tomato pruning that I do follow and recommend is removing suckers from the crotch (where the stem and a branch meet) whenever I spot them. If left to grow, the sucker will develop into a branch of its own, flower and even set fruit.
Why You Should Prune Tomato Suckers
The thinking behind pruning suckers is that they compete with the plant for vital nutrients, water, space and light. Allowing suckers to mature into a branch can result in a plant that produces a smaller overall crop. Some tomato growers swear by only letting a select number of branches produce fruit, but I find that removing the suckers is enough to ensure a decent batch of tomatoes.
Why You Shouldn’t Prune Tomato Suckers
If you’re growing determinate tomatoes in your garden pruning is counterproductive. Determinate tomatoes are only going to grow to a certain height and produce fruits. By removing suckers you’re lessening the amount of tomatoes you’ll harvest. On the other hand, some pruning of indeterminate tomatoes may be a good thing to keep the plant from getting too heavy and growing out of control.
How to Prune Tomato Suckers
The best time to prune suckers off of your plant is when they are young like in the picture above. At this stage of growth you can simply snap off the sucker with your thumb and index finger. If the sucker is as thick as a pencil a sharp knife or hand-held pruners should be used. Sterilize the knife or shears after ever cut to lessen the chances of spreading a disease that will kill your tomato plant.
If you didn’t notice the sucker until it grew to a size thicker than a pencil, I would recommend just leaving it alone and allowing it to flower and fruit. I’ve damaged and killed many a tomato plant by trying to remove a sucker that was just too thick. It is better to be safe than sorry.
Browse all of our tomato content for mouth-watering tomato recipes, savvy tomato growing tips, and up-to-the minute tomato breakthroughs.
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Related on TreeHugger.com:
What's the Difference Between "Indeterminate" and "Determinate" Tomatoes?
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Tags: Fruits & Vegetables | Gardening | Tomatoes
13 Vegetables That Magically Regrow Themselves
If you’re some kind of plant wizard, you can do this at home and maybe never buy groceries again.
posted on Apr. 12, 2013, at 10:05 p.m.
Ariel Knutson
Ariel Knutson
BuzzFeed Staff Growing vegetables from seeds is cool, but growing them from kitchen scraps is totally badass. Does it require some time? Yes. Is going to the grocery store easier? Definitely. But if you’re crazy enough to attempt these there are a lot of benefits. Upcycling your basil stems and onion butts (heeheehee butts) will save you money and you can do it indoors. Just make sure you use fresh scraps (not stuff that’s been composting for a week) and remember to pay attention to your baby future plant, making sure it has the water and light it needs.
1. You can grow scallions from their discarded roots.
You can grow scallions from their discarded roots.
imgur.com
Growing scallions from their roots is arguably the easiest vegetable to regrow. Change the water every day and you will see results in a week. Find directions here.
2. You can grow garlic sprouts (which are edible!) from a garlic clove.
You can grow garlic sprouts (which are edible!) from a garlic clove.
simpledailyrecipes.com
Or you could just use the garlic clove. Find directions to grow garlic sprouts here.
3. You can grow romaine lettuce from the bottom of a head of lettuce.
You can grow romaine lettuce from the bottom of a head of lettuce.
threepsandq.wordpress.com
You don’t need to put romaine lettuce in soil, but if you do, the leaves will grow to twice the size. This also works for cabbage. Find directions here.
4. You can grow carrot greens from discarded carrot tops.
You can grow carrot greens from discarded carrot tops.
projectfidgetyfingers.blogspot.com
This looks like more of a fun experiment than something you’d actually want to eat. Carrot greens can be a little bitter, but you can try chopping them up with some garlic, vinegar, and honey to sweeten them. Find directions on how to grow them here.
5. You can grow new basil from basil cuttings.
You can grow new basil from basil cuttings.
cepsinthecity.blogspot.com
An endless supply of basil?! Make sure to change the water often so the plant doesn’t get slimy. Directions here.
6. Lemongrass can grow from its discarded roots.
Lemongrass can grow from its discarded roots.
suitedtotheseasons.com
The bottom of a lemongrass stalk is too tough to use in cooking, so this is a nice way to avoid throwing out half the plant. After about three weeks of leaving the lemongrass stalks in water you should begin to see roots. Then you’ll need to plant the lemongrass in soil in a sunny location. Find directions here.
7. Celery can grow from a leftover celery bottom.
Celery can grow from a leftover celery bottom.
foodstorageandsurvival.com
How crazy does this look?! After three days in water you should replant the celery bottom in soil. Find directions here.
8. Onions can grow from the root end of an onion.
Onions can grow from the root end of an onion.
instructables.com
It seems strange that you could just chop off an onion bottom and plant it in soil and something magical happens. Find directions here.
9. Bok choy can grow from bok choy scraps.
Bok choy can grow from bok choy scraps.
17apart.com
Very similar to growing celery. Find directions here.
10. An avocado pit will grow into an avocado tree.
An avocado pit will grow into an avocado tree.
apartmenttherapy.com
Growing an avocado plant requires a lot of attention, and will take anywhere between five to thirteen years to produce avocados (if it ever does) . If you’re feeling ambitious and have a lot of free time, why not? Find directions here.
11. A sweet potato will sprout vines that may eventually grow new sweet potatoes.
A sweet potato will sprout vines that may eventually grow new sweet potatoes.
cherylsgardengoodies.wordpress.com
This will take some real estate. Find directions here.
12. Ginger roots can sprout and grow more ginger.
Ginger roots can sprout and grow more ginger.
chiotsrun.com
It may take a few months for shoots to sprout and up to a year for the plant to grow harvest-worthy roots, but at least this project is low-maintenance. Find directions here.
13. A pineapple can grow a pineapple from its crown.
A pineapple can grow a pineapple from its crown.
rickswoodshopcreations.com
Yes, you can grow a pineapple indoors, but it will take up to three years. Find directions here.
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7 Ways To Grow PotatoesWe tested easy ways of planting potatoes in containers and straight in the ground. by DOUG HALL APRIL 6, 2015
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In April 2010, I was planting potatoes of the German Butterball variety, using the following seven methods. For the five raised planting techniques, I used a mixture of 2 parts topsoil to 1 part compost. Through the course of the growing season, the benefits and drawbacks of each became clear.
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planting potatoes
1. Hilled Rows
Dig straight, shallow trenches, 2 to 3 feet apart, in prepared soil. Plant seed potatoes 12 inches apart and cover with about 3 inches of soil. When the shoots reach 10 to 12 inches tall, use a hoe or shovel to scoop soil from between rows and mound it against the plants, burying the stems halfway. Repeat as needed through the growing season to keep the tubers covered.
Pros: No containers to buy or build; no soil to transport. This is a simple, inexpensive, and proven method that farmers have used for millennia. Practical for large-scale plantings.
Cons: Yield may be limited by the quality of the soil. In places where the soil is badly compacted or low in organic matter, one of the aboveground techniques might work better.
planting potatoes
Related: Control Potato Beetles Organically
2. Straw Mulch
Place seed potatoes on the surface of prepared soil, following the spacing specified for hilled rows, and cover them with 3 to 4 inches of loose, seed-free straw. Mound more straw around the stems as they grow, eventually creating a layer a foot or more in depth.
Pros: The thick mulch conserves soil moisture and smothers weeds. Harvest is effortless with no digging. This method is suggested as a way to thwart Colorado potato beetle.
Cons: Yield in the test plot was slightly less than in the hilled row. Field mice have been known to use the cover of straw to consume the crop.
planting potatoes
3. Raised Bed
Loosen the soil in the bottom of a half-filled raised bed. Space seed potatoes about 12 inches apart in all directions and bury them 3 inches deep. As the potatoes grow, add more soil until the bed is filled. If possible, simplify harvest by removing the sides.
Pros: This method yielded the largest harvest in my trials, and the potatoes were uniformly large. Raised beds are a good choice where the garden soil is heavy and poorly drained.
Cons: The soil to fill the bed has to come from somewhere—and it takes a lot.
planting potatoes
4. Grow Bag
Commercial growing bags are constructed of heavy, dense polypropylene. Put a few inches of a soil-compost mixture in the bottom of a bag, then plant 3 or 4 seed potato pieces and cover with 3 inches of soil. Continue adding soil as the plants grow until the bag is filled. To harvest, turn the bag on its side and dump out the contents.
Pros: Grow Bags can be placed on patios or driveways or used where garden soil is of inferior quality. The bags should last for several growing seasons. Their dark color captured solar heat to speed early growth. Harvest was simple, and the yield was impressive, considering the small space each bag occupies.
Cons: This is a pricy technique. The brand of bag I used costs $12.95.
Related: Potatoes: A Growing Guide
planting potatoes
5. Garbage Bag
Plant a large plastic garbage bag following the instruction for a Grow Bag, punching a few holes through the plastic for drainage. Roll the top edge of the bag to help it stay upright; otherwise the bag is prone to sag and spill soil. To harvest, rip the bag and dump out the contents.
Pros: Like the Grow Bags, a garbage bag can be employed where in-ground growing is not an option. Black bags capture solar heat to speed early growth.
Cons: Aesthetically, this is the least appealing choice. Yield was meager, perhaps because the thin plastic allowed the soil to heat up too much, limiting tuber formation.
planting potatoes
6. Wood Box
Following instructions found online at irisheyesgardenseeds.com, build a bottomless square box (I used lumber from discarded pallets). Plant the same as for a raised bed. The box is designed so additional slats can be screwed to the sides as the plants grow and soil is added. In theory, a bottom slat can be temporarily removed to facilitate the harvest of new potatoes. For the final harvest, tip the box and dump out its contents.
Pros: This is another raised strategy for growing potatoes where the garden soil is of poor quality. Yield was similar in quantity to that of a raised bed.
Cons: A lot of time and effort went into the construction of the box. I felt the results did not justify the effort.
Related: 5 Potato Box Mistakes You're Making
planting potatoes
7. Wire Cylinder
Using hardware cloth with ¼-inch mesh, fashion a cylinder about 18 inches in diameter and 24 inches tall. Put several inches of soil in the bottom, then plant 3 or 4 seed potatoes and cover them with 3 inches of soil. Continue to add soil as the potatoes grow. To harvest, lift the cylinder and pull the soil back to expose the tubers.
Pros: In a climate with incessant spring rains, the wire mesh would provide excellent drainage and prevent the soil from becoming waterlogged. This is another raised technique to consider where garden soil is poor.
Cons: I harvested a limited number of undersized tubers from the cylinders—a dismal showing, probably because the soil-compost mixture I used dried out so quickly that the plants lacked adequate moisture.
Tags: POTATOESTEST GARDENORGANIC GARDENINGSPRING INTO SPRING
GARDENVEGETABLESThe Secret To Huge Potato HarvestsThis technique produces huge yields, and all you need is a simple paring knife. by C. C. WALKER JANUARY 22, 2015
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1. A potato tuber is a much enlarged and modified stem. In this illustration for planting potatoes, the stem end is at the bottom. The eyes are really buds, each fed by a vein or feeder fiber that runs to the stem end of the tuber, indicated by the blue lines in the illustration. That is the way the tuber develops as it grows. If this feeder fiber is undisturbed in cutting, the new plant that develops from the sprouting eye will develop and feed through the same fiber.
2. Begin by holding the tuber with stem end downward. First remove a conical section around the stem end. Then, starting about 1/2 inch above an eye, cut toward the stem end, meeting the stem with the knife in each cut. Leave one or two healthy-looking eyes in each piece.
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3. After air-drying for several days to develop a protective layer, cuttings are ready to plant. Dig a 4-inch deep trench, enrich it with compost, place the cuttings (eye side up) a foot apart, and cover with soil.
Originally published in Organic Gardening magazine, April 1948
Republished in Organic Gardening magazine's Special Collector's Issue, February/March 2015
Illustrations by Steve Harrington
Tags: GROWINGPOTATOESGROWING GUIDECLASSIC OGORGANIC GARDENING
