Smaller Garden Next Year

[Todd]

Compared to most people we have a big garden - about 1 1/2 acres including the orchard, berries and grapes. While I can't cut back on the permanent stuff, I am going to cut back on annual crops.

There are a lot of reasons; my SIL and her hubby moved so we won't be supplying them with vegies; my DW's father died so we're only supplying her mom who doesn't eat that much at 87; my DW has arthritis in her right ankle and it's gotten bad enough so I do all the gardening (irrigating alone takes over 1 1/2 hours each day); we've done variety testing for 25 years and are finally happy with what we're growing; we aren't getting younger (We'll be 66 at the end of the year).

My basic plan is to only grow what we need for ourselves or to grow out seed to keep it viable. For example, this year I grew out my Navajo blue, Navajo red, Hopi pink and Hopi blue corns along with some melons. Next year I'll grow out my field corns. I'll do the same thing with potatoes - just grow enough in case I have to plant for a year's supply. My winter wheat is finally what I want and I'll use it as a cover crop on the area that I'm going to fallow - close to two thirds of the garden.

It's like right now, I'm putting a new roof on our rental house, trying to cut next year's firewood and we have a ton of apple juice to make and can plus some more tomato juice. Next year I have to stain the house and shop/garage (I don't know the wall area but the square footage for these structures is about 4,300SF)...and cut the following year's firewood...and do the orchard and garden.

If TSHTF, which I fully expect in the not too distant future, I'll crank the garden back up and, in fact, exapnd it But, in the mean time, we've worked out a planting plan that will give us what we need but cut down on the effort.

Todd

PS I'll post the results of our gardening year in a week or so when I have time. I'll also include the results of a slicing tomato field trial we did years ago since many of the varieties are still available.

 

[Gingergirl]

Todd,

I'm also cutting down the garden as DD1 and DD2 are away at college most of the year now. But my garden is TINY compared to yours, only 40' X 40' including grapes and raspberries (not including tree fruit.) I do grow all the vegetables we can eat through the year except corn. I also don't grow grain. I was going to convert a 5' X 15' area to blueberries, and put in a strawberry bed. Also had thought of adding another apple and peach tree, and maybe a few cherries. (I never seem to have enough fruit.)

But if TSHTF, I don't think I would be able to expand much beyound 40' X 60' (not including trees.) It already seems that between the garden and the canning, I have no time. I would never be able to come close to your 1/2 acre.

 

[ShepInTheValley]

I've never measured the sizes of our gardens; we have tiered gardens near the house, which I LOVE, and which I'd like to expand another 2 levels one day. The 2nd garden we put in down by the well, which is a long distance from the house. Needless to say, it doesn't get near the attention the closer garden gets.

This year I transferred my herb garden from the main garden to tiered garden beds in another section by the house. I'm new at this so I didn't realize how much herbs can expand.

We've been planting a small orchard of various fruit trees... adding at least 2 per year since we've been here. There are: apple, pear, plum, cherry, peach and nectarine... but I'm concerned about the 2 plum trees. They look like they could be dying for some reason. We have wild black raspberry bushes all over our land and have been transplanting canes in rows for ease of harvesting. We also have other wild fruit such as gooseberry, wild plum and wild grapes. A neighbor friend gave me a few red raspberry canes to transplant too, which we got in this spring.

Other than the tilling, the majority of the gardening and harvesting rests on my shoulders, so I've had some waste here and there. That makes me feel bad but I have gotten a lot of canning, freezing and dehydrating done. It's really hard work, but I love this way of life! There's just nothing like pulling something off the shelf in the middle of winter, that you grew and canned yourself earlier in the year!

 

[ejagno]

Todd, it sounds like you have a yard and garden that would be heaven to my eyes. It's so wonderful that you have found that "perfect" crop for your area and taste. I guess I have many more years to reach that point but I do look forward to that point. I'm still in the experimental stages. I want to plant a peach tree this year.

My Dad gardens religiously but now needs help to maintain his gardens so instead of increasing mine I've decided to help him. He became so depressed when his arms didn't have the stength to till much of it, let alone harvest all of it. I figured that it was more than beneficial all the way around to help him. It's made him as content as can be. I know in my heart he plants for us kids. For example, he nor Mom eats green beans but he knows how much we love them so he insists he has to have a 100' row every year. They rarely eat mustard greens but he planted 100' of greens knowing that we love it in soups or smoothered with sausage and tasso. The most aggitating part is that I'm the only one of 6 kids that goes to help him. The others all wait in line for him to garden, harvest and clean, cut or shell for them. They want their veggies and fruit all nice and prepared for them to take home. As for canning.....................ughhhhhhh, they think that it's leftovers in a jar.

I've been canning for years and there is not a more beautiful site or taste than that of canned jar foods. I prepare my veggies as though I'm eating them that day.......includes seasoning or flavorings prior to canning. This way all I have to do is pour it out, warm it up and eat. To my cleaned and chopped fresh okra I add the tomatoes, bellpeppers, onions and seasonings...........now if I want to eat it smoothered I just pour and eat but if I want it in a gumbo I just add my "canned" chicken or seafood broth,applicable "canned" chicken or seafood, a touch of "canned" roux and eat. I also love to eat whole smothered baby okra. I have that canned as well with its seasonings and spices so that all I do is empty the jar, warm and eat. The way I see it............canning and preparing veggies is a very time consuming job so if I'm going to go through it then I want it complete.....not just a plain blanched veggie in a jar that still has to be seasoned and prepared to eat.

Best of luck to all of you hard working gardeners out there. It's a job that reaps great rewards.

 

[Sarrah]

Sounds like you have done an excellent job over the years on your garden. Seems you have the right idea cutting back with the ability to increase it again if needed. We are still planting here and will be for a few more years. One of our biggest goals is to put things in so that as we age it is still easy for us to manage. Raised beds are our goal for most of the area. When we are finished we will have 1/2 acre in space in raised beds orchard and an area for ground crops such as asparagus. The asparagus bed is the one I am working on at present.
Your chore list brought to mind my Grandfather who moved in with my aunt when he was 87. He was a gardening man and she lived in a semi rural location. After he had planted all the available area in her yard. He started to cultivate and grow along the roadway leading to her house. He gardened down the gravel road for about 1/4 mile. I recall my aunt complaining that granddad grew so much that she had too much work to do canning and helping harvest such a massive area. But this work kept granddad fit and happy for another ten years till he turned in his tools.

 

[AnniePutin]

You sound like a wonderful, successful gardener, Todd, but I think that your decision to cut back is the right decision. Hopefully, you'll also be able to enjoy it more once it isn't such a humongous chore, and the option to grow more will always be an option if needed. As we get older, it's harder to do as much as we did when we were younger, especially when health issues intervene.