Free Podcast Hosting Service- Second Post for Unit 8 Discussion

Hi Everyone,

The below link can be viewed prior to starting your own podcast.

http://www.podbean.com/start-podcast?sourceid=bing_01

This service was recommend by our instructor and I must tell you it was easy to host it. However, if you have to make a change to your pod cast it was a little harder for me to figure out how to fix/correct something.

Ronda Z

How to guide to pod casting:For Unit 8 Discussion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu2QNUY5iyk&list=PLzJ1r4EGn-enCMU1kPstXd7e1SjI3jP_O

This is his first video of requirements needed before the pod cast can even be accomplished. What equipment is needed including microphones, headsets, usb microphones, and etc. I like this one because as he is speaking about the equipment he is showing you the product and explains the positive and negative items for them.

Ronda Z

First Podcast- Container Gardening

Hi everyone,

Here is a podcast attempt for container gardening

http://rondazaragoza54.podbean.com/mf/web/iqkf6m/FinalUnit8AssignmentRondazaragoza.mp3

Please listen and let me know what you think.

Thank you, Ronda Z

First Youtube Video about Why you Should be Gardening

Hi Everyone

Please watch the video link below and comment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3ppGecUccc&feature=em-upload_owner#action=share

I am apologizing ahead of time for my speaking as I got my hearing aids a couple of weeks ago and still trying to get used to them.

Ronda Z

Week 7 CM 313-01 Assignment

Outline for Podcast -Container Gardening

Step 1: The Decision

Your first thing that needs to be decided is how many containers you are planning your garden to be? Are you going to fill up your entire backyard or porch? Or are you planning on just using a few containers to plants flowers the first year to get your thumbs dirty? Believe it or not flowers are very important to a gardener because some can attract bees and hummingbirds to your yard. These are called pollinators and their job is to drink the nectar from your flowers then go to the next one and do the same thing. This is called pollination and is a requirement for most plants in order to produce a vegetable, fruit or even a flowering tree.

Or are you planning on planting vegetables so saving money is the option for the containers. However, do not plant anything that your family will not eat; this would be a waste of money for you? Make a list of vegetable and fruits you buy for your family. This will give you a start then you can look up online each one and see what is required of them for planting. An example of a vegetable to use in the containers are tomato, any variety will grow well.

Step 2: Look at your Exposure

Your area of land planning for the containers to be set up for your garden. Will the containers be on your porch or under that big tree in the back yard? There is still a need for sunshine here also. If you are planting vegetables, remember most of them need at least eight hours of sunshine.

Ok check back in a few days for the next installment of container gardening here on "Gardening in NM"

Part 2 Gardening in New Mexico

Part 2 Step 5-10

Welcome back to part two of Gardening in New Mexico. The previous post had the first five steps; let us review them quickly now.

Step 1: Check out your exposure

Step 2: Choose your planting area

Step 3: Consider a Fence

Step 4: Know your dirt

You have to walk your area to understand your dirt and what it may need to be productive for your goal of planting.


These are all done after you have made your decision on if you are going to plant a garden, and what type it will be a vegetable, fruit, or even flower garden.

Step 5: Decision between tilling the soil or creating raised beds

This step will be based on if you want to nourish your soil and till in some fertilizer or other amendments into it. However, if you have a bad back, hips or legs, you may want to go with the raised bed option. This way you will not be bending down so low to the garden not only for planting but killing those weeds in the future also. If you go with raised beds make sure the wood used is not pressure treated because those chemicals will leach into your food. Not a really good option since we are going for healthy vegetables or even fruit such as grapes or blueberries.

Contact the local County Extension Service

If you are really unsure of what you want to plant so they will grow in your area of the country. An example of help needed would be planting a lemon tree. If I was living in Maine, the lemon trees would freeze because of the weather, however, here in Albuquerque they grow just fine in a pot because they can be taken inside of a garage while they are in hibernation over the winter. This service is provided through the funding of the U.S. Department of Agriculture network.

Write down your preferences
If you are like me, you will need to write them down because we all have hectic lives and sometimes life gets the best of us. If you are planning a vegetable garden, again think about what your family likes to eat, what you normally purchase at the grocery stores or even can purchase because the store does not carry it. If you are planning on a flower garden, think about the colors you love and would like in a vase on your kitchen counter. Here in the desert we have a wide variety of colors, however, the yellows and purples are my favorite because they also attract those hummingbirds I spoke about in the last blog.

Make a Seasonal Plan

Each time of the year means different things for different people including our vegetables and even flowers. After your decision about what will grow in your yard and what time of year they will produce flowers or vegetables, you will need this schedule. An example would be if your flowers bloom in July then die planting some evergreens also will help with keeping the area look lush. Also, if your tomato plants take months to get as big as you would like them, plant smaller vegetables or herbs close so they can also use the space. This is called companion gardening. A big bush of basil in the tomato plants also keeps bugs away from the tomato. Again if you contact the local county extension office they can help with the plan so you have a productive garden.

Buy Some Basic Tools

The following is the minimum tools needed for the garden no matter what part of the country you reside:
spade, garden fork, soaking hose, hoe, hand weeder, baskets to collect the produce or flowers from the garden and a wheel barrow to help with adding the mulch or soil to your garden.

Ok now you have the minimum steps to get started, go outside with your family so they can get dirty also.

My three year old grandson has been working in the garden since he was 1 1/2 years old; he is an old man out there now.

Stay tuned for another post about Gardening in New Mexico.

Ronda Z

Part 1 Step 1: Gardening in New Mexico

The Decision

Your first thing that needs to be decided is how big are you planning your garden to be? Are you going to rip up your entire backyard and go for it? Or are you planning on just using a few containers to plants flowers the first year to get your thumbs dirty? This is a major decision so the entire family should have some say in it just in case you want to recruit their help in the future. Believe it or not flowers are very important to a gardener because some can attract bees and hummingbirds to your yard. These are called pollinators and their job is to drink the nectar from your flowers then go to the next one and do the same thing. This is called pollination and is a requirement for most plants in order to produce a vegetable, fruit or even a flowering tree. Or are you planning on planting vegetables so saving money is the option for this garden? However, do not plant anything that your family will not eat. This will be a waste of money for you which is not the goal of the vegetable garden correct? Make a list of vegetable and fruits you buy for your family. This will give you a start then you can look up online each one and see what is required of them for planting.

Step 2: Look at your Exposure

Now I am not talking about you personally but your area of land planning for the garden. If you are just going to do container gardening this year this is also important. If you are planning on only using the containers on your porch there is still a need for sunshine here also. If you are planting vegetables, remember most of them need at least eight hours of sunshine. This is not true for New Mexico residents for the most part because we live in the High Desert, which means we have blasting sunshine and most of the plants need a shade of sorts in order to survive the desert life.

Step 3: Designate your Planting Area

If you are like me you will need to take a good look at where you are planning on the planting area. Like with anything you will need a plan. Is your yard an open canvas with nothing in it or do you have large trees that provide shade for your project? My suggestion would be to start with a small area the first year if you are planning on a vegetable garden of 4 x 4 plot of land. If you are just planning on planting flowers for those bees and hummingbirds are you going to put them in containers or under that tree? Flowers also have a require for sunshine also; you can get some that will grow and have a benefit as shade tolerant flowers. If you try to plant shade tolerant flowers in the open area with no shade they will die usually very quickly then you have wasted your money on them and might even give up the garden. Each plant will have a tag on them that needs to be read before you purchase them so you will know where they will go in your 4 x 4 area. The same goes for any vegetable plants you may purchase because you got a late start to your garden so buying the starter plants is the way you are going this year.

Step 4: Consider a fence

In my area of New Mexico, we have 1001 rabbits it seems like so this is a requirement here, however, you may be living in a city and have no critters to deal with. Well do not forget that neighbor's dog who will love to tear out your plants after you have them in the ground. Believe me this has happened with my own dogs when they decided they were tired of waiting for the pumpkins so they started to eat them (because I did not put up a fence in the beginning). This will save you from trying to kill your animals or pulling out your hair.

Step 5: Know Your Dirt

Here in my little part of Albuquerque, I have clay soil overtop of a black top since my home was built in 1941 it was originally a bar. Yes when I dig in the ground I have found old beer bottles, old coins and some really old items I am not sure what it is. With this in mind, I have decided to garden with raised beds because I do not want my vegetables, fruit and flowers to have any contact with the old soil. Since it was a bar there was a parking lot here so there probably is spilled oil and gas also in the soil.

However, if you do not want to have raised beds you can always fix your soil with compost from your local nursery or Soilutions. This company has various types of compost that can be purchased to fix your soil.

Mulch also needs to be considered here because not only will it break down into an organic material but it will help keep your plants cool in the summer along with moisture retention. You can usually ask at the nursery or even your local county extension office.

If you like the first five steps, come back for more later for another four steps. Now go outside and get a little dirty checking out your soil.

Ronda Z