Jackpine Savage
Veteran Member
Near Long Prairie, MN.where?
Near Long Prairie, MN.where?
Be sure to drill some weep holes in the bottoms of plastic containers so excess water can escape.I’ve been stocking up as I can. Also, though in the past I’ve planted a few tomatoes and bell peppers, this year I’ve built some raised beds to increase the variety and amount available.
I’m looking into growing potatoes in containers too, just to see how much I can get. I’ve got some 5 gallon buckets and small inground pond I bought for $5 bucks last year. At this point, I know I’ll probably never put that pond in the ground, so I might as well put it to use.
What to grow in your garden? If you're new to gardening, be sure to grow what you like to eat!
I'm doubling my garden, but I'm not counting on it. We've been having some bad growing years.
You need to plant the right varieties. I've been developing several varietues which are givung me up to 20 or nore full sized CV peppers per plant, in our short and often cool summers. There is a variety cslled Doe Hill Golden kor orsnge... can't remember) that will produce 30 or more smallish (maybe 2x the size of a golf ball) peppers per plant . The first time I gave a couple plants to my son to grow in pots, he kept snipping the blossons off, because he was sure the plants couldn't support that many fruits! He found out he was wrong...I'd skip the bell peppers or maybe only plant one or two plants. They're really not that productive. I've been lucky if I get a four or five peppers per plant. Now I'm not saying don't plant peppers. Just that there's other varieties that are way more productive.
You need to plant the right varieties. I've been developing several varietues which are givung me up to 20 or nore full sized CV peppers per plant, in our short and often cool summers. There is a variety cslled Doe Hill Golden kor orsnge... can't remember) that will produce 30 or more smallish (maybe 2x the size of a golf ball) peppers per plant . The first time I gave a couple plants to my son to grow in pots, he kept snipping the blossons off, because he was sure the plants couldn't support that many fruits! He found out he was wrong...
Summerthyme
Yeah, people are going to have to get used to "real" chicken again, after buying frankenbirds from WM all this time. Real chicken is tougher, but has actual flavor.One thing to be aware of when home gardening is if you think that in the future that you may be trading or selling some of your excess produce then you need to grow something which looks like folks would expect it to look like. So something like Doe Hill Golden peppers which produce a miniature bell'ish pepper might not be as easy to sell or trade as a traditional bell pepper would.
I say this because if we are entering a GD2 economic environment then having the ability to produce and sell/trade your excess might be an important trait to insure your survival.
Specializing in a few things also would help so use this time to figure out what works best for you.
As an example I grow onions. But I live in an area with lousy clay soil so normally I grow the onions in barrels on my deck so that I can provide better soil for the onions. But I can also easily drag a couple of fallen pine logs up near the house and throw together some raised beds. So where normally I grow about 60 onions a year I could scale that up to 600 without to much effort. Same with raising chickens for eggs. If I collect eggs for a week rather then eating or giving them away I can incubate about 50 chicks and with a 50/50 ration thats 25 new hens and 25 roos to raise and process for meat. Are the roos as good as current grocery store chicken? No. But if may not matter if there are shortages and the price is kept right.
tbd
Do I still need a coop if I have the tractor? Do they live in the tractor which you move around the yard?
Best to find farmers who are selling quarters or whole animals with butcher dates this summer and fall. Put money down. The small butcher shops won't be shut down because only a couple people work there.
The potato crop has been endangered because it has been so wet for the past two summers. Mine are going in raised beds with excellent drainage (SAND) because I can't afford to lose this crop. Avoid things like planting them in tires or other alternatives, unless you did it last summer and know that it works in your area.
If you are new to potatoes and can't afford a crop failure, check with your local co-op extension about what types grow best in your area.
My mom left me several hundred canning jars. Will look to get seals for them.
Automatic ones look like the freakin' space shuttle, ready to launch off your counter.
and with summer coming (and then the election) the Left/commies will orchestrate power outages and then there goes all of your frozen.
do not think they won't do this. THEY WANT THIS ELECTION AT ALL COST
Most of the lockers around me are now scheduling slaughter dates two years out... lots of folks, and possibly some small delis/butcher shops, are coming down here from the Twin Cities and are buying up everything they can get their hands on at the moment.
What to grow in your garden? If you're new to gardening, be sure to grow what you like to eat!
I'm doubling my garden, but I'm not counting on it. We've been having some bad growing years.
A buddy just called me. A farmer is giving away his hogs. If our freezers weren't full I'd be on it.
Sprouting is one thing I've never tried to do. I don't know much to nothing about the process. How do you cook bean sprouts? Or how do you eat them?
Carol Deppe’s books are excellent. Also, there are a couple of books by Steve Solomon that are quite good. I like the winter gardening books, too, but you’ll have to be able to get row cover and greenhouse cover to follow his ideas.
Kathleen
Please don't make my mistake and make it too heavy and awkward to move easily.They have to have some shelter even in the summer time. You can't leave them out in the pouring rain or a hail storm. And they have to have shade. My husband is an over-achiever, my chicken tractor has a roof. If you have predators, even stray dogs, you need a secure area for them at night. I've seen tractors that were built like Fort Knox, (the downside to them is that they're generally too heavy for one person to move alone) and some simple mesh wire ones that the people just used during the day when they were outside themselves and could defend the chickens if necessary.
The chickens usually live in the tractor which you move around the yard. Google "chicken tractor" and you'll get tons of ideas.
I have been looking at raised bed gardens like this:
View attachment 194359
Certainly looks pretty. But I see what looks like Marigolds and Nasturtiums(sp?) in there.
Yea you can eat Nasturtiums they have a peppery taste, but dont eat too much. Marigolds?
Same here, last year my arugula, chicory, and kale did really well so that's what I've planted this year, in addition to chard and four types of radishes which do well for us, and beets. Tomorrow I'll plant beans and peas. Last year, the tomatoes were meh, cucumbers nonexistent, and we got only three zucchinis.
I’ve been stocking up as I can. Also, though in the past I’ve planted a few tomatoes and bell peppers, this year I’ve built some raised beds to increase the variety and amount available.
I’m looking into growing potatoes in containers too, just to see how much I can get. I’ve got some 5 gallon buckets and small inground pond I bought for $5 bucks last year. At this point, I know I’ll probably never put that pond in the ground, so I might as well put it to use.
Grow Jerusalem Artichokes, you'll never be short of venison, the deer love them
One thing to be aware of when home gardening is if you think that in the future that you may be trading or selling some of your excess produce then you need to grow something which looks like folks would expect it to look like. So something like Doe Hill Golden peppers which produce a miniature bell'ish pepper might not be as easy to sell or trade as a traditional bell pepper would.
I'd plant what I wanted. The idea is to spare the back. If you are gonna do raised beds why not raise them all the way...
Pictures welcomed!Mine are 4-ft tall which really saves my back. Thank you YS for the mothers day present last year! They are 4x4x3 and are really cool. We're going to build hoops for them this year so I can extend the crappy Colorado season and pray to the snow gods we get them in before another late May snowstorm!
California wonder does really well for me. Average 20 or so nice big ones per plant. That's with lots of miracle grow though.You need to plant the right varieties. I've been developing several varietues which are givung me up to 20 or nore full sized CV peppers per plant, in our short and often cool summers. There is a variety cslled Doe Hill Golden kor orsnge... can't remember) that will produce 30 or more smallish (maybe 2x the size of a golf ball) peppers per plant . The first time I gave a couple plants to my son to grow in pots, he kept snipping the blossons off, because he was sure the plants couldn't support that many fruits! He found out he was wrong...
Summerthyme
The used lids work great when you use canning jars for dry storage items too.You can reuse canning lids. It is not recommended but in a pinch you can. I don't plan on throwing any of mine out unless they are bent or the seal is damaged. Just wash them, boil the and set them aside. I have tried it with just canning water and the seals worked fine. Again only as a last resort but it beats wasting food.