Striving Toward 100% Home Grown Vegitables

[SavedByGrace3]

Our recent move marks the next phase of our quest to become 100% self-sufficient in the area of vegetables!
We now have almost half an acre of arable land available to us.

The first step will be to start a compost heap.
We have collected our fall leaves into a large pile and have started to shred them.
We are collecting kitchen scraps and coffee grounds which will also be added to the pile.
I actually purchased a paper shredder capable of turning even heavy paper like cardboard into confetti.
I will be off to the local garden center to purchase approximately 60 bails of straw that will be the beginning of two or three raised bed systems.
In all this, we have plenty of carbon but are short on the nitrogen... which we may just purchase in the form of 10-10-10 or 0-0-30 fertilizer.
I will be journaling these endeavors both for your information, and to create the material for another book on self-sufficiency.

 

[Doulosiesou]

Excellent, I am interested in your progress.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Harsh weather has impeded or progress...
We shall resume soon.
I did call a landscaper who will level a 30 by 30 patch of land in preparation for an out building and greenhouse. Should be along in a day or two.

 

[bugkiller]

Our recent move marks the next phase of our quest to become 100% self-sufficient in the area of vegetables!
We now have almost half an acre of arable land available to us.

The first step will be to start a compost heap.
We have collected our fall leaves into a large pile and have started to shred them.
We are collecting kitchen scraps and coffee grounds which will also be added to the pile.
I actually purchased a paper shredder capable of turning even heavy paper like cardboard into confetti.
I will be off to the local garden center to purchase approximately 60 bails of straw that will be the beginning of two or three raised bed systems.
In all this, we have plenty of carbon but are short on the nitrogen... which we may just purchase in the form of 10-10-10 or 0-0-30 fertilizer.
I will be journaling these endeavors both for your information, and to create the material for another book on self-sufficiency.

Sounds great. For your nitrogen pick up bagged grass all over town. It's free. I also haul home compost from the city. If I load it, it's free otherwise it's $10 for a 3 yard scoop on a bad day and 7 yard scoop on a good day. That's all I want to haul at a time. They'll load what they call mulch for free. That includes all the wood chips they have. Just got 100 yards of wood chips delivered for free when they trimmed the electric lines in my area. Last year I got 800 yards of chips delivered when a pipeline project went through my area.

bugkiller

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Sounds great. For your nitrogen pick up bagged grass all over town. It's free. I also haul home compost from the city. If I load it, it's free otherwise it's $10 for a 3 yard scoop on a bad day and 7 yard scoop on a good day. That's all I want to haul at a time. They'll load what they call mulch for free. That includes all the wood chips they have. Just got 100 yards of wood chips delivered for free when they trimmed the electric lines in my area. Last year I got 800 yards of chips delivered when a pipeline project went through my area.

bugkiller

Thanks BK. We are watching for senarios as you describe. If we have to we can buy some from a local landscaper. Free is better.

 

[Sheep dog]

Our recent move marks the next phase of our quest to become 100% self-sufficient in the area of vegetables!
We now have almost half an acre of arable land available to us.

The first step will be to start a compost heap.
We have collected our fall leaves into a large pile and have started to shred them.
We are collecting kitchen scraps and coffee grounds which will also be added to the pile.
I actually purchased a paper shredder capable of turning even heavy paper like cardboard into confetti.
I will be off to the local garden center to purchase approximately 60 bails of straw that will be the beginning of two or three raised bed systems.
In all this, we have plenty of carbon but are short on the nitrogen... which we may just purchase in the form of 10-10-10 or 0-0-30 fertilizer.
I will be journaling these endeavors both for your information, and to create the material for another book on self-sufficiency.

This is a good thing.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Just a update... the cold weather and a few sick kin have slowed our efforts in the last couple weeks. We are still working on it.
I purchased and have in storage the needed 150 ft of chicken wire we need to line our raised beds.
We have also purchased 60 water spikes to assist in our watering efforts. add a 2 lieter bottle to these spikes and you can cut your watering effect significantly.
Paid a landscapter 800 bucks to level out a plot for our garage/barn.
Did some work on shreading leaves for the compost heap.
Conitnuing our collection of green kitchen scraps, egg shells, and coffee grounds. We are just dropping freezer bags full into our freezer.
Moving along.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

This is a good thing.

I wish we could convince more to go along these lines. You cannot go wrong with a garden.

 

[gideon123]

A couple of thoughts.

Coffee is very acidic. Don't dump a lot of it on your plants. Some plants tolerate acidic soil, and some do not. Therefore, experiment and see what happens.

When making compost, use good judgment. If you create a big pile of kitchen scraps, you may create a rotting heap in the earth. Instead of helping your plants, you will attract a lot of worms. They will then attack the roots of your plants.

here is a helpful suggestion. soil is not just "dirt". and soil is not dirt mixed with a bunch of chemicals (bought from a garden store). Good soil is an active biological community. It takes time to cultivate and grow the good soil. So try to think about it that way. for example, roto-tilling your soil is a really **bad** idea. but so many people do it, right? they just don't understand what they are doing. You are "nuking" the bio-community living in your own garden.
Those organisms in the soil, and there are literally hundreds of them, are super-important to the life of your plants. Therefore we see, God's kingdom of plants is more sophisticated than we realize. But you can make good progress by making small changes in your garden - just small changes - and see how things adapt.

If you want to read a really helpful book ... "How Plants Work" by Linda Chalker-Scott .. This will explain many things that you never realized - about your lawn and garden. Good luck!

 

[SavedByGrace3]

A couple of thoughts.

Coffee is very acidic. Don't dump a lot of it on your plants. Some plants tolerate acidic soil, and some do not. Therefore, experiment and see what happens.

When making compost, use good judgment. If you create a big pile of kitchen scraps, you may create a rotting heap in the earth. Instead of helping your plants, you will attract a lot of worms. They will then attack the roots of your plants.

here is a helpful suggestion. soil is not just "dirt". and soil is not dirt mixed with a bunch of chemicals (bought from a garden store). Good soil is an active biological community. It takes time to cultivate and grow the good soil. So try to think about it that way. for example, roto-tilling your soil is a really **bad** idea. but so many people do it, right? they just don't understand what they are doing. You are "nuking" the bio-community living in your own garden.
Those organisms in the soil, and there are literally hundreds of them, are super-important to the life of your plants. Therefore we see, God's kingdom of plants is more sophisticated than we realize. But you can make good progress by making small changes in your garden - just small changes - and see how things adapt.

If you want to read a really helpful book ... "How Plants Work" by Linda Chalker-Scott .. This will explain many things that you never realized - about your lawn and garden. Good luck!

Thanks Gideon123. I am always up for a good book. I agree "growing your soil" is key and ultimately the solution to virtually all garden issues. Another book is "Let it Rot."

 

[drjean]

How you going to turn all that compost? Gasoline driven tractor? Just wondering.
Get a cow. Get two. You can then claim you have a 'farm" and also have the manure to boot!

 

[bugkiller]

How you going to turn all that compost? Gasoline driven tractor? Just wondering.
Get a cow. Get two. You can then claim you have a 'farm" and also have the manure to boot!

Just takes time. It beats watching TV.

bugkiller

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Wish we had enough land for a cow, even a small breed.
Zebu.

 

[drjean]

I just purchased a small food dehydrator. Excited!? Fake food is soooo allergic to me...and there's no way I'm doing preservatives/nitrites/nitrates in any food. This will give me "fresh" unadulterated veggies and fruits and jerky shelf stable (meat at least 2 weeks to 3, veggies and fruits like "forever").

 

[SavedByGrace3]

I just purchased a small food dehydrator. Excited!? Fake food is soooo allergic to me...and there's no way I'm doing preservatives/nitrites/nitrates in any food. This will give me "fresh" unadulterated veggies and fruits and jerky shelf stable (meat at least 2 weeks to 3, veggies and fruits like "forever").

Good move drjean. We have worn 2 of them out. Big garden this year and that means lots of dehydration. Barbara loves this one. Caters to the long term storage of preppers:
https://www.amazon.com/Preppers-Deh...words=dehydrator+books&tag=christianforums-20

 

[Hearingheart]

Grass clippings make a good mulch for keeping weeds from taking over and look into companion planting. Keeps the pests at bay and can give a larger harvest.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Grass clippings make a good mulch for keeping weeds from taking over and look into companion planting. Keeps the pests at bay and can give a larger harvest.

Interesting point!

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Grass clippings make a good mulch for keeping weeds from taking over and look into companion planting. Keeps the pests at bay and can give a larger harvest.

Yes HH. Good advice to any gardener. They are an excellent source of both carbon and nitrogen...
Thinking of using wood chips but I have heard they can been nice little homes for slugs. We have slugs in SC bad!

 

[drjean]

Couldn't get that link to work. I have already done a tray of squash, apples, anjou pears, bananas and now have celery, carrots and beef going. I crock potted the meat after a vinegar marinade and it's almost dry in half scheduled time! I think one needs to cook it on high heat after drying anyway though.

I sent my Laundry Pod back as it was bigger than they advertised and took more than twice as much water (for a hand crank thing). I opted for the dehydrator to carry on my van instead (can wash clothes in a bin. lol) But wont' have to carry the dehydrator, will leave it in storage and use it from time to time for the next quarter's food?!

Wish I had bought one years ago!

I was really caught off guard on the last trip to the desert, as I made different food plans... and coming from South Florida where everything is available "all the time" (well, vidalia onions aren't available when it's coca (cocaine) crop growing season in Peru lol) I had to drive 30 miles just to find a regular grocery store and it had "nothing" fresh imo. Of course it did but not what I'm used to seeing in abundance!
I have many foods that are allergic to me, and I can't just eat anything. I have issues with carrots and bananas because their sugars go right to the blood stream, but having some to nibble on dehydrated will do fine as it's not like I have to eat a whole banana or throw it away...

I enjoyed gardening in MO and each summer we spent almost nothing on food because of the garden and our fishing skills.

Remember to plant marigold as many insects hate their smell and will leave your garden alone.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Couldn't get that link to work. I have already done a tray of squash, apples, anjou pears, bananas and now have celery, carrots and beef going. I crock potted the meat after a vinegar marinade and it's almost dry in half scheduled time! I think one needs to cook it on high heat after drying anyway though.

I sent my Laundry Pod back as it was bigger than they advertised and took more than twice as much water (for a hand crank thing). I opted for the dehydrator to carry on my van instead (can wash clothes in a bin. lol) But wont' have to carry the dehydrator, will leave it in storage and use it from time to time for the next quarter's food?!

Wish I had bought one years ago!

I was really caught off guard on the last trip to the desert, as I made different food plans... and coming from South Florida where everything is available "all the time" (well, vidalia onions aren't available when it's coca (cocaine) crop growing season in Peru lol) I had to drive 30 miles just to find a regular grocery store and it had "nothing" fresh imo. Of course it did but not what I'm used to seeing in abundance!
I have many foods that are allergic to me, and I can't just eat anything. I have issues with carrots and bananas because their sugars go right to the blood stream, but having some to nibble on dehydrated will do fine as it's not like I have to eat a whole banana or throw it away...

I enjoyed gardening in MO and each summer we spent almost nothing on food because of the garden and our fishing skills.

Remember to plant marigold as many insects hate their smell and will leave your garden alone.

Tell me about it DrJ. We are putting the kid of some metformin exec through college.