(05-17-2024, 02:22 PM)Chiefsmom Wrote: Thought we could talk about gardening of all forms here.
Some of you know, I do a big garden every year.  I can everything.  I love it all.

So, I am trying a few new things this year and have already found one major problem.  I have most all my seed stuff in, and some of it, like the peas, are already sprouting.
My carrots, I make the rows mounded.  Had the seeds in.  Then 2 of my "newer" chickens, decided those mounds looked like fun, and completely destroyed half of both rows.  I have a 3 foot fence up, and absolutely NONE of my older chickens have ever done this.  I don't know if Isa browns are just jerks, or its just these ladies.
So, I ordered a bunch of cheap pinwheels to tie to the fence.  That is tonight's job, I'm hoping it scares them.

Most all of my seeds started in the house are nice sized plants, ready to go in the garden.
Pumpkins, cukes, watermelon, tomatoes.
I am doing more leafy items like spinich, lettuce and kale this year.  
The last few years, I have been researching plant medicine as well, and have expanded my herb garden, and will need a row in the big garden as well.

Love it or hate it, I am also growing cannabis again.  Started 6 from feminized seeds ordered online.  4 Sativa and 2 Indica.  All are ready for the ground but 1 that I am nursing along.  Love making my own tincture.

One thing I've learned over the years, is that when canning, it is easier to grow a whole lot one year, than growing a little of everything every year.  Like my corn.  I won't be growing it this year.  Don't need to.   Grew 1/3 of the garden with it last year, and got 60 pints.  2 years worth for us.  
Plus it is good for the ground, to change up what your planting in it and where.

With the cost of everything, including food being so high, thought it might be a good idea to share what we know, and help anyone who would like to grow, but may not know how.
You don't need a lot of land.  Containers work great on a deck or sunny window.  And my goodness!  The difference in the taste of a homegrown tomato, compared to store bought?  Amazing.

So, gardeners, of whatever plants, share your knowledge.  What are you growing this year?  New to it?  Ask and see if we can help!

(07-22-2024, 08:39 PM)argentus Wrote:

(07-22-2024, 08:39 PM)argentus Wrote: I envy you Chiefsmom.   You have this very rare substance called............ soil.   Oh Lordy, wouldn't it be swell.  Still, we have a rare substances to you, or at least I think so called......   cocopeat and seaweed meal.   Newsflash:   Cukes don't care for blazing hot/sandy loam/ salt environment, HOWEVER, change one variable, and make the soil rich with seaweed meal and make it retain water with cocopeat, and Voilà!  It Lives!!  It's a-LIVE!!  

Ok, so this year's projects are twofold:   Water Spinach, and Chayote aka Cho-cho.   Water spinach is fairly easy to grow, except it is super-invasive, so much be contained somehow.   It is illegal to grow in much of the U.S. because it just takes over.   Tasty stuff though, and will keep a few people alive.   

Chayote is in the gourd family, but tastes like a squash.   It can be eaten raw, and is cucumberish, or fried, mashed, and I like making fritters out of them.   Traditional use is in soup as a tasty filler.   Once established, one plant can feed a family.   Well.......... not feed them if that's all they're eating, but as a side dish it really delivers.   

Since those of us down here in the Caribbean see the same things you all do -- that is to say everything going to crap at an alarming rate, we are determined to grow landfood --  breadfruit, sweet potato, tomato, cukes, pumpkin,  chayote, etc., and harvest mobile MREs (feral chickens) and harvest seafood (fish, spiny lobster in season, conch in season, whelks (Turban snail), etc.). 

I envy you also all the berries.   Berries take a hell of a lot more work than most people realize.   Not just letting a bush grow and the picking it.   Strawberries, especially (which, I guess aren't technically berries, but who's counting?)

LOL  Loved "Mobile MRE's"
Sorry it's been so long.  Busy little bee.
I will say black caps (black raspberries are exactly that, let it grow and tons of berries.  No work.  In fact, the wild ones seemed to prefer you leave them alone.   But all the domestic ones, yeah, pampered babies.  LOL
You have a lot of seafood available?  That I could live on.  Not the snails.  Not sure I could do it.
Yeah, Sand isn't good for much up here.  Except blueberries.  Can you raise them down there?

So, on to a lesson I learned, thanks to some of you here.  NO MORE AUTOFLOWERING SEEDS!!!  At least for me, for outdoor growing, which is all I do with Marijuana.  
This is why:   My Hindu Kush:

[Image: https://denyignorance.com/uploader/images/Hindu.jpg]
 About 1 foot tall.   Very Very dense, but disappointing!

(09-12-2024, 11:02 AM)Chiefsmom Wrote: Haven't really looked into shade veggies.  But as far as the herbs go, do you have any sunny spots you could put them in pots?  Even inside?
Actually you could do that with a tomato plant as well.