My journey growing plants.
Hi, my name is Charle’
And I love growing plants
All kinds of plants
Learning As I Grew
My journey growing plants began as a young girl helping my mom plant exotic flower beds around our yard. Petunias, pansies, and geraniums displayed vibrant colors trailing from hanging baskets and adorning garden beds around the yard. I remember hours spent deadheading these high-maintenance plant varieties to encourage new flower growth.
In my twenties, I began growing vegetable gardens for fresh tomatoes and peppers in small backyard plots. However, my growing skills drastically elevated when my journey took me to a rental home in Grants Pass, Oregon. The property included a large garden spot encompassing one-third of the backyard. Gardening in that rich, black soil was a turning point in my life as I learned about organic growing techniques.
Interestingly, I discovered how leaves decompose in wet Oregon winters when piled into a heap on the backside of the garage. The moist, black fungi growing at the bottom of the pile were especially beneficial when turned into the garden soil.
I wasn’t aware at the time of what was causing the decomposed leaves to enrich the soil, but they undoubtedly helped as I grew the most flavorful food from that garden. And…a sweet woman taught me how to can and preserve the foods I grew.
Several years later, my journey of growing plants took me to a peach orchard in Palisade, Colorado. Z’s Orchard is a 20-acre farm growing a variety of peaches, apricots, and plums. In addition, apple trees, a large raspberry patch, and several vegetable gardens comprise the land.
I discovered a different calling in my life as I learned to grow outdoors on a large scale. I found incredible satisfaction from planting flower and vegetable seeds in the spring and nurturing them until harvest.
During this time, I became intrigued with learning more about soil and the microbial life that supports it. Delving into organic growing techniques taught me about the benefits of cover crops, encouraging beneficial pest populations, and companion planting.
Growing on a Commercial Level
Working at the farm presented many opportunities to further my knowledge, but I was curious to learn more. So, I went to work for a commercial indoor greenhouse operation. A kind, patient older man taught me how to understand plants’ lifecycles, their needs, and how to care for them. Under his guidance, I learned cloning and pruning techniques on a wide variety of plant species. Growing thousands of plants in a large-scale greenhouse operation opened the doors for my commercial growing career.
After that experience, I spent several seasons working in the cannabis industry as a commercial grower. A massive 55,000 sq/ft indoor marijuana cultivation operation provided a new avenue to fine-tune my growing skills. I became proficient in cloning and mother plant care while learning more about growing at scale. However, after a year of mismanaged nonsense from that company, I needed a change.
I moved on to work with hemp growers when this emerging cannabis sector was making its debut in Colorado. Spending a couple of seasons working with new hemp growers was indeed an eye-opener. Many of them were looking to make big money in the new green rush without any growing knowledge whatsoever. Unfortunately, many of those companies shut down their operations within a couple of years as the hemp industry struggled with oversupply chains. While I loved tending thousands of young clones and watching them grow, I decided I needed a change.
So, I went back to growing vegetables. I was offered an opportunity in a newly erected greenhouse to fully design and build the interior grow beds, irrigation system, and planting schedules. The owner wanted to provide fresh food to the local community throughout the year. I reached out and partnered with a food brokerage service that purchased our organically grown winter greens to provide local and regional restaurants and markets. Growing food to share with the community became a driving force during that winter of the initial onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sharing my Knowledge
My years of growing experience in many different environments have provided education beyond the scope of an institution. I went through trials and a lot of errors which is really the best way to learn.
I spent many hours researching and gaining knowledge of plant life, conservation practices, and environmental adaptations. And so, I share a few thoughts on growing plants.
There is a sense of peace in growing them. It is truly a blessing to watch a young seedling sprout, knowing it will provide food, medicine, or enjoyment. My goal in writing is to spread awareness to others of the joy of growing plants. And also to encourage and promote sustainable growing practices utilizing Mother Nature’s gifts.
Please feel free to reach out to me with thoughts or questions regarding growing plants. I will get back to you shortly.
