I just started a few raised boxes. Watermelon, radish, and a few other goodies. Who else like to dabble in the art of producing you own food? I am thinking about maybe adding a few chickens to the back yard, maybe a dwarf dairy goat.
OW
OW
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I have never had a green thumb but when I decided to plant things in my yard where I keep my ducks everything grows like it is on steroids. Must be something good in their crap causing it.
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Was this meant for the Bear Pit?
There are a lot of good gardening forums. I guess hunting is here because a lot of shooters also hunt.
I just haven't been able to get it going out here yet. We have the land, but it has to be cleared wherever we put it. Tall trees all around don't help with light either.
I love the Heirloom tomatoes, totally ruined me on tomatoes now. Only the warm, fresh ripe and ready to split off the vine are any good anymore. Giant Belgiums, Pink Ping Pongs, Jellybeans, Cherry 100's, etc. Oh, those were the days! And I'd love to get a Rainier Cherry tree! They make the mostly yellow cherries? Super sweet with yellowish clear juice, they are like nature's perfect junk food. Luckily, there are lots of little farms with roadside stands that setup every summer around here.
In the meantime, I've had to get by with foraging for blackberries on the side of the road here. They are everywhere.
I just haven't been able to get it going out here yet. We have the land, but it has to be cleared wherever we put it. Tall trees all around don't help with light either.
I love the Heirloom tomatoes, totally ruined me on tomatoes now. Only the warm, fresh ripe and ready to split off the vine are any good anymore. Giant Belgiums, Pink Ping Pongs, Jellybeans, Cherry 100's, etc. Oh, those were the days! And I'd love to get a Rainier Cherry tree! They make the mostly yellow cherries? Super sweet with yellowish clear juice, they are like nature's perfect junk food. Luckily, there are lots of little farms with roadside stands that setup every summer around here.
In the meantime, I've had to get by with foraging for blackberries on the side of the road here. They are everywhere.
I was thinking D.I.Y. would apply to gardening, I did a search of all the forums and nothing about gardening came up. What says admin? Maybe if the thread takes off, it can get a prime spot on the front page. I think this will a popular subject as most of the guys I shoot with have some interest in the idea of self sustainment.
Thanks for the input,
OW
Thanks for the input,
OW
I think it would qualify for DIY---just my opinion.
Anyway, I grew up in the country in NH, and we always had a garden. I love to grow tomatoes, carrots, corn, peas, cabbages, you pretty much name it. Now we live far to close to Philthadelphia, PA, and our back yard only is big enough for one 5'x10' raised bed. My wife and I grow five tomato plants and two hills of cucumbers every summer, and you'd be amazed by the number of tomatoes and cucumbers we give away all summer, as well as having a nice big cucumber/tomato/onion salad every night----Oh, so Tasty! It is my dream to move back into the country and start growing a few more veggies. I love to can and freeze veggies from a good garden---beats the store bought crap hollow.
Anyway, I grew up in the country in NH, and we always had a garden. I love to grow tomatoes, carrots, corn, peas, cabbages, you pretty much name it. Now we live far to close to Philthadelphia, PA, and our back yard only is big enough for one 5'x10' raised bed. My wife and I grow five tomato plants and two hills of cucumbers every summer, and you'd be amazed by the number of tomatoes and cucumbers we give away all summer, as well as having a nice big cucumber/tomato/onion salad every night----Oh, so Tasty! It is my dream to move back into the country and start growing a few more veggies. I love to can and freeze veggies from a good garden---beats the store bought crap hollow.
I'm all in. Love to grow a garden and can most all of it. I usually make and can homemade salsa every year as well. I see it as a right of passage to exist. If there's one thing everyone should do at least once is grow and harvest our own food, meat included. I have recently taken to smoking and canning meat as well and what a satisfying thing to do. I made, cured and smoked my own bacon last year and that fellas.....is living
I would like one... I am a terrible gardner and would like tips. Maybe some info on the importance of PH levels?
just tilled up 600 square feet tonight to get mine in tomorrow. maybe a little bit late but better late than never.
The PH of the soil depends on what your trying to grow, to an extent. I would shoot for the 6.5 to 7.4 level. At least this is more optimum for corn and soybeans.
If not it can effect your cation exchange capacity (CEC).
For those wanting to grow potatoes in a small area you can simply build 2ftx2ft squares out of 2x6's and stack them and plant your taters. Once the plant is high enough to reach the next section of 2x6 set it on there and add dirt until an inch or so of the plant is stickin out of the dirt. Keep stacking them until harvest time. Taters abound
Yes, that is certainly a very good way to do it. You can harvest easily, and the taters are usually decent size.
To those of you worried about Ph----I rarely test it. You don't want to put a lot of Pine needles in your soil unless you are growing certain types of plants that want acid soil. For gardening, the best thing you can do with poor soil is year by year to keep adding as much organic material-----not the "organic" foods in the store, but dead plant matter (grass clippings and peat moss are examples)----as you can add every time you till the soil. You can mulch with hay or straw and then turn them in in the fall. You can compost as much dead plant matter as you produce and add it back to the soil. If your soil is clay type---sticks in clumps and drains poorly----get Pelletized Gypsum and add that year by year until the soil is nice and soft.
Our garden, as I stated earlier, is very small. For the first 10 years or so, I put a bale of peat moss, a couple bags of gypsum, a couple bags of dehydrated cow manure, and sometimes a bag or two of topsoil in until I was happy with the soil. For larger gardens this is impractical, but you can rake up your leaves every fall and put them in a pile with some urea fertilizer mixed in, and keep your grass clipping when you mow. Let them rot over the winter, try to mix them up once or twice before it freezes, and in the spring add it to the garden soil before you till. If you know someone with a horse, try to get some of the horse manure in the fall and mix that into the soil after you harvest your last crops. Let that rot in the ground with a bit of urea fertilizer all winter.
A bit of extra work pays huge dividends in soil quality and later yields. Putting a lot of organic material into the garden will naturally balance your Ph to good crop levels. It also feeds the plants and corrects the soil density issues. Don't put unrotted material in, though when you go to plant, as it will rob the plants of nitrogen needed to grow good crops. Put it into the soil in the fall so it can rot over the winter, or compost it and add the composted material in the spring. A wonderful source of garden nutrients is chicken scat. If you have a chicken house, keep the cleanings and compost them----be sure to decompose the chicken manure very well, as it rots fast and creates a lot of heat. The speed of decomposition of chicken manure can "burn" plants, so compost it well before adding to the soil, and preferably add it in the fall to minimize the possible effects of un-decomposed manure.
Alot of good advice there uncle. I would add that a great garden addition is coffee grounds for organic additions. Don't forget harvest pics when the season permits. It's as good as kill pics.....well maybe not quite but close.
Thanks, Killswitch. Yes, definitely +100 on the coffee grounds!!!
Egg shells should also go into the compost pile if you can do one. Crush them up and throw them into the mix for trace elements and calcium.
We'll try to post some harvest pics too. The cherry tomatoes and the cucumbers have set fruit and in a couple weeks the harvest begins.... I can't wait for some nice juicy tomatoes and nice crunchy cucumbers from this year's crop!
I put in quite a few pickle cucumber plants this year but have never made pickles. I figured I would start researching when it got closer but does anyone here have any pickle canning recipes?
I am also starting a compost pile with my kitchen scraps. will be adding this to composted horse manure every year.
I am also starting a compost pile with my kitchen scraps. will be adding this to composted horse manure every year.
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A couple of things to add for smaller urban garden types. Last year I read an atricle about a lasagna or layer garden bed. I was really easy and produced a ton for the size of garden. I ended up building a 6'x3' raised bed put it right on the lawn. First we layed down a good layer of news paper and then made layers with mushroom manure, peat moss, and soil. This little garden held 3 tomatoe plants, squash, basil, peppers, rosemary, and sage. I'm plannin on adding additional beds in the future. Another tip I have is to make a sunlight map of your property. That way you can determine what areas get the most sun which besides good soil and water is another very important ingredient in a successful garden.
ETA a couple of small tips. If you plan on growing anything that will require staking do yourself a favor and buy 2"x2"x8' in the wood section of your local big box store. They work way better than what they sell as stakes and cost less. Use old tee shirts cut into strips to tie the plants to the stakes
ETA a couple of small tips. If you plan on growing anything that will require staking do yourself a favor and buy 2"x2"x8' in the wood section of your local big box store. They work way better than what they sell as stakes and cost less. Use old tee shirts cut into strips to tie the plants to the stakes
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Never heard of the 'lasagna' garden before, but you are definitely on the right track. That sounds like a great idea. People would be very surprised to learn how much they really can grow in a very small area. Those of us who do that can afford to spend a little bit more per square foot of garden space, and really improve the soil. The increase in yield in a tiny area is well worth it. Those who are blessed with larger garden areas mostly can't afford to spend as much per unit area, but they often have room to compost or are near farms where they can procure less expensive but more voluminous soil additives to enrich the larger garden.
Cleared land in the backyard, dug up dirt, tilled, sifted out rocks and put up a 8foot x 4 foot raised bed about a month ago using mulch, garden/vegetable soil and topsoil. Went to the local nursery and got some lettuce, peppers, cabbage, sweet potato, 'big beef' tomato and cherry tomato plants. The tomato and sweet potato plants are 3 times the size they were when I planted them. The only vegetables that didn't do so well so far is the lettuce where we lost about 50% as they simply didn't grow. Everything else is growing like a weed; soon I'll need tomato stakes.
Never did this before and learned a lot about it within a week. May try a small herb garden now as buying herbs for dinner is ridiculously expensive.
I'm sure there's still a lot I'm clueless about, but for the time being it seems I can pull this off and do it again.
Never did this before and learned a lot about it within a week. May try a small herb garden now as buying herbs for dinner is ridiculously expensive.
I'm sure there's still a lot I'm clueless about, but for the time being it seems I can pull this off and do it again.
Very true, my local coffee shop gives out their used grounds for free!
I don't know shit about gardening but I feel I have a good sense for design. We made this last week for my shooting buddy's wife.
Nice multi-level bed, looks like a great spot to get max use of space.
Your kidding right? My wife is the VP for Sunset Magazine (if your not from the west disregard) No more garden stuff, hear it every day.. How about internal balistics, again for the more than I can count times...... Still better
Jt
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Maybe you can get us a good deal on some seeds, I would love some nice heirloom tomatoes.
I use to help my grandfather on the ranch raise cattle and peas and oats, now I just keep the trucks that supply everyone going.
What? No one has inserted the "lead farmer" video clip from Topic Thunder yet??? You boys are slipping.
I live in Central NY farm country, with the local (mostly) Mennonite produce auction just up the road once a week during growing season. Makes no sense for me to grow any, and the Mennonites can start stuff in greenhouse, which is just about mandatory with our ultra short growing season. Quality is good, price is very good, and we pressure can several veggies for use through the year.
I'm still closing in on the right recipe for canning good full sour garlic Kosher dills like we could get back in Jersey. Tried fermentation, it was a no-go; no more of that. The cukes are no problem, but the process still isn't quite right. I should be right about there next season.
Greg
I'm still closing in on the right recipe for canning good full sour garlic Kosher dills like we could get back in Jersey. Tried fermentation, it was a no-go; no more of that. The cukes are no problem, but the process still isn't quite right. I should be right about there next season.
Greg
You don't need to be a pro to raise good veggies in the back yard----and anyway, they became pros through practice. The backyard garden is much like a rifle---You can have five Rem 700P's in 338LM, and each one will shoot a little different----same with backyard gardens, they all are unique, so you need to learn what to do in your backyard.
As far as the herbs, some garden shops sell a mixed herb planter or hanging basket which you can put on the back porch and have nice herbs near the kitchen all summer long. Or, you could plant an herb bed in the back, and just take the leaves and freeze them. You can dry them as well, but it is more time consuming, and if you freeze them in zip-loc bags then you can chop them when you want to use them---just chop off a little from the bunch in the bag, reseal the bag and use the bit you chopped off in your cooking.
Stay growing, my Friends!
I don't have a green thumb at all but last Halloween I decided to try pumpkins. I saved some seeds and planted them about 2 weeks ago, and now have over 30 sprouting seedlings! Should be good for the deer in the area at least, and maybe I'll get to carve a couple. Should be fun to shoot too!
lol - I'm game... We typically have the usual stuff....sweet peas, onions, lettuce, squash, cucumber, tomatoes, jalapenos, peppers.
This year though our strawberries grew like crazy from last year, you might see them showing up in the F/S forum...frozen berries or jam?
This year though our strawberries grew like crazy from last year, you might see them showing up in the F/S forum...frozen berries or jam?
I think I might throw down some pumpkin also, they are always fun for the kids.
This is almost identical to what I was told years ago. Except I was told to use old tires. Just keep stacking them up as the plant grows, and pour the water to it. Shouldn't be hard to find used tires now, should it?
Just strung up two more grape vines, some raspberries and blackberries, and some passion fruit on the far back fence and set up a fig, cherry, tangelo, and lemon trees in preparation for another 20 fruit and citrus trees going into the orchard next spring. Wife wants a large garden but I will be the one taking care of it while she gets to eat it all so I will have to see on that one.
Simple solution there----make the kids do the gardening----that's what my dad and mom did, and it worked out well for them. Mom did a lot of canning and freezing, and we did much of the planting, weeding, and picking.
Bees would be a great addition to any homestead. I have a friend who keeps a few hives and nothing beats local honey!
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I spread my seed as often as possible, a few times they even took and sprouted offspring, so in conclusion I am basically a professional farmer
We know dude... We see them a lot on those short buses and making the fries at McDonald's...
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built a tumbling composter from a repurposed soda syrup barrel and a bunch of material i had laying in the garage.
^ That's nice! I'm cheap, but may not be as handy as you. I took some scrap 42" wove wire and tied the ends together and set them out of the way below the chicken house. I fill them with grass clippings, chicken litter, rabbit poo and hay/poo mixture from the barn. I'll add a little left over fertilizer and give it a turn w/ a pitch fork every once in a while.
" I would like one... I am a terrible gardner and would like tips. Maybe some info on the importance of PH levels? "
I'm in the South and natural ph is pretty low. Example: when planting corn, my typ 5-10-15 rate is 500 to 600 # / ac, but the lime rate will be 1 to 1.5 tn / ac. Contact your local extension about getting soil samples. I pick the bags up local (kinda, same county), take samples, write on the bag what I'm growing (bermudagrass, corn, peas, ...) and mail it off. A few weeks later, I get the results and recommended rates for what I'm growing.
What the 'bad gardeners' typ do is get all excited about it in the spring, loose interest in the summer and then it goes to crap.
" I would like one... I am a terrible gardner and would like tips. Maybe some info on the importance of PH levels? "
I'm in the South and natural ph is pretty low. Example: when planting corn, my typ 5-10-15 rate is 500 to 600 # / ac, but the lime rate will be 1 to 1.5 tn / ac. Contact your local extension about getting soil samples. I pick the bags up local (kinda, same county), take samples, write on the bag what I'm growing (bermudagrass, corn, peas, ...) and mail it off. A few weeks later, I get the results and recommended rates for what I'm growing.
What the 'bad gardeners' typ do is get all excited about it in the spring, loose interest in the summer and then it goes to crap.
Here is our little garden.
I was thinking of doing something similar to you with some free pallets but I am also including kitchen scraps and didnt want to worry about my dogs or wildlife being attracted to it and it getting eaten or scattered.
The pallets would probably be strong enough to handle it. You don't want to put meat scraps out, but the veggie scraps wouldn't be too terribly much an enticement to wild life. Most herbivores want it fresh, not decomposing. It's the carrion (meat) eaters that are attracted to rotting flesh, not to rotting vegetation.
Here is our little garden.
Nice garden, man. Way to go---get those kids involved early.
thanks for the info on the Ph. Yes, lime will do a great job of sweetening the soil. If your soil Ph is too sweet, then pine mulch will acidify it. (That is why, as you say, the soil in the South is often acid) Also, the wire mould for the molding organic matter is another great way to do compost.
built a tumbling composter from a repurposed soda syrup barrel and a bunch of material i had laying in the garage.
Great Composter, Man! Cheap, but just effective as the store bought ones.
Or stack up tires, same deal, but not as pretty.
Yes tires work but it has been discussed on many of garden threads about chemicals leaching out of the rubber compounds of the tires during the hot summer months. I can't attest to any of that which is why I didn't mention it.
You tator growers impress me. Growing up I spent a lot of time hilling tators, spraying tators, digging tators, liming the cellar, spreading tators and all I got was a wrinkled tator. Following spring we'd cut up the left overs and start over. I buy mine from the grocery store.
Extra points to anyone that knows what it means to 'sodie corn'.
Extra points to anyone that knows what it means to 'sodie corn'.
Side Dressing.
Adding fertilizer to the hillock or 'mound' supporting the corn stalk, or the row itself.
Adding fertilizer to the hillock or 'mound' supporting the corn stalk, or the row itself.
Urban Garden
Just because you live near the city, and have less than 1/10th acre of land, doesn't mean you can't have a veggie garden.
Just because you live near the city, and have less than 1/10th acre of land, doesn't mean you can't have a veggie garden.
Tip on planting mators: Remove all but the top and one leaf and plant deep. Sprinkle a little lime and Epson salts into the hole. Don't allow natural soil to touch the leaves (I mulch w/ pine straw). Planting deep makes for a more compact (bushy) plant, Epson salts keeps it from getting blossom end rot, the much keeps the dirt from getting on the leaves during rain and this prevents early blight. The lime is because I'm in GA.
If you want to keep the chem's out, mix a very small amount of Dawn dish soap in water and spray to help control bugs.
If you want to keep the chem's out, mix a very small amount of Dawn dish soap in water and spray to help control bugs.
All great tips, you can never enough tomatoes! I am making salsa with some of mine this weekend.
So there is hope for us all! Great looking little garden.
