Thanks to greywater

My citrus seem to really like the greywater since I have new collectors that heat the water. Every citrus is a riot of blooms, from Palestine sweet lime to Cocktail grapefruit. The garden gets no other water. The added bonus is the exercise getting buckets of it up onto the terraces (the flat portions are dripped by gravity.)

The following thread was started by Merbert on April 19, 2009 at 8:36 pm PST

I could almost smell those blooms. Is that the legendary "Golden Pumpkin"?

The above followup was added by George on April 20, 2009 at 9:01 am PST.

Yes, this is the Golden Pumpkin which is now about 7' tall and 8' wide. It is completely covered with blossoms and the fragrance is intoxicating. The scent is so powerful that roses that climb through it cannot be detected. I can't believe how the Mexican lime's blossoms are all setting. Before using the greywater exclusively on the citrus, this little tree would bloom prolifically, yet set little fruit.

We are very careful about what we use in the water. For instance, soaps and shampoos are as basic as possible. I even make the soap when time permits. The only abrasives around the house are baking soda and occasional fuller's earth. Vinegar is commonly used and is a nice way to acidify the soil. All the citrus peels go into a bucket of water to create acidifier in case the
water is too base.

Certainly my garden isn't anything to rave about; it's nothing like some of the exquisite Cloudforester gardens I see . Growth rates on many plants are much slower than if I used more water and fertilized more aggressively (organic), but most of the plants are tough and the resulting fruits and vegetables very tasty.

The above followup was added by Merbert on April 20, 2009 at 9:45 am PST.

Coexistence is the rule in our garden. Here is an example.

The above followup was added by Merbert on April 20, 2009 at 9:45 am PST.