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Post by binnylou on Mar 16, 2020 8:02:50 GMT -5
With the threat of covid 19, have you changed what you are growing this year? Perhaps you might be sharing more of your produce with neighbors and family. Or trying some new things because you can only eat so many tomatoes. What are you thinking of growing that you don’t normally grow?
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Post by martywny on Mar 16, 2020 8:40:41 GMT -5
I haven't changed anything except for keeping more bottled water on hand. I planned a large garden this year because I want to wean myself off as much purchased food as possible. Canning, dehydrating and freezing everything I grow.
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Post by tom 🕊 on Mar 16, 2020 10:30:37 GMT -5
I think people would be healthier and more resistant to viruses and such if they ate green food -- green onions, green garlic, chives, garlic chives, lettuce, cilantro, etc. -- but I have found it impossible to give such foods away. I would like to share my surplus, but it isn't practicable. Others do not think as I do, so my current surplus of cilantro and garlic chives is going to waste.
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Post by ahntjudy on Mar 16, 2020 10:35:13 GMT -5
Sorry...off topic briefly... tom 🕊 ...Do you have space for freezing cilantro and the chives?... I've never grown cilantro, but I freeze parsley and chives very successfully...
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Post by ahntjudy on Mar 16, 2020 10:43:16 GMT -5
I decided to grow pole beans this year...will plant them just inside the rabbit guard garden fence...letting them climb up that all along the one side of the garden... I'm making woven trellises from cut back branches (fig and pussy willow) to extend higher up from the fence top... Going to make the trellises in sections so I can remove them and store them easily for next year...
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Post by tom 🕊 on Mar 16, 2020 10:48:30 GMT -5
I have space but don't need to freeze because I can grow green food much of the year. I am short on green food only during the heat of summer and early fall, but the rest of the garden -- beans, cowpeas, long beans, eggplant, ... -- is in production then.
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Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Mar 16, 2020 13:03:21 GMT -5
I'm thinking longer term as well, probably more beans to freeze or dry. Maybe more squashes as they keep well. More onions, tomatoes, potatoes and the basics, especially for hearty soups. What I really need is a way to have lettuce and spinach year round, so I'm thinking about biting the bullet and excavating to create a cold frame.
I'd like to try corn again, but the last time I grew it the raccoons had a feast, and I ended up with limited ears for myself.
ahntjudy , I like your ideas. I too have been thinking about using the probably close to a hundred unwanted trees and saplings to make trellises, especially for the border areas. Vertical gardening will hopefully be something I can accomplish this year to maximize space and grow more.
How do you plan to integrate the woven extensions into existing fence sides? That's been something I've been mulling over as I want to do that to the fences and provide higher visual barriers from the neighbors, but my thoughts are that I'd be better off using longer tree trunks that are anchored in the ground than in adding to a fence and risk the possibility of the extensions becoming too heavy and toppling over...on me.
I'm thinking of making tripods of the longer branches to give them more stability.
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Post by binnylou on Mar 16, 2020 14:33:29 GMT -5
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Post by breezygardener on Mar 16, 2020 14:37:39 GMT -5
I'm not growing anything specifically due to the plague descending upon us, but am trying a few new things.
Am giving sprouting broccoli ("Aspabroc") & stick cauliflower ("Fioretto") from seed this year. Grew the "Aspabroc" from purchased seedlings last year & enjoyed them, so figured I'd give them a whirl from seed. Will also be growing "Blue Jade" sweet corn in a large tub just for fun. It's a dwarf sweet corn (only 3'-4' tall) with deep navy-blue kernels that's especially bred for containers.
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Post by binnylou on Mar 16, 2020 15:13:38 GMT -5
I’m considering planting twice the amount of spuds compared to last year. Possibly filling the 4 x 8 instead of planting just half of the bed to potatoes. Also considering fewer pumpkins but more of those small tasty butternut squash.
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Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Mar 16, 2020 19:13:18 GMT -5
binnylou , thanks for the reminder. I had actually forgotten about zip ties!
Something I'd like to do is create a root cellar in the garage. Has anyone done this? If so, how do you control the humidity level? Whenever I've overwintered bulbs in the basement, they always shrivel up and die so the basement isn't a good option. The humidity is high, and even with a dehumidifier it's hard to bring the levels down.
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Post by Wheelgarden on Mar 16, 2020 20:09:16 GMT -5
We're considering potatoes (white as well as sweet). Did sweets a few years ago, but mice and moles were a problem, and we haven't tried again. Looking real hard at another attempt, because they're good, and they store well when well-stored. More squash, too. Necessity is the mother of gardening. So much for downsizing...
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Post by desertwoman on Mar 16, 2020 20:44:36 GMT -5
I'm going to plant extras of what I usually grow, so that I have more to share- especially with neighbors who are more elderly and frail and afraid to go shopping.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Mar 17, 2020 0:14:07 GMT -5
I will be planting a couple more butternuts, and definitely more pole beans. One variety I have - Withner White - is what they term a "cornfield bean", which are good at growing up a corn stalk, and don't need as much light - something to think about. It did great the first two seasons I grew it, and this year I got another of that type - Cherokee Cornfield bean. I won't plant as many, but I'll see how the two compare. I reduced my peppers slightly, and increased my okra by 50%, and also have more types of gourds.
I was trying to grow some cauliflower, but I gave up on it - it just doesn't get along with me! lol I do have that Fioretto type out there, but that's all I left.
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Post by Mumsey on Mar 17, 2020 5:49:49 GMT -5
We are cutting back at Dad's, I'm pretty sure we will not do market this year. We will still plant his garden for his use and a LITTLE extra for him to play around with selling from home. Wheelgarden, Dad has had that problem with critters in sweet potatoes too. His solution is to plant 3 rows, 80 ft long. You have so many potatoes you don't miss the ones the critters ate! Last year it was only 2 rows, critters didn't seem to bother them as much. This year will be 1 - 1 1/2 rows. He still has 2 banana boxes full left. I will be canning more green beans this year, and concentrate on our own supply. I didn't make sauerkraut last year, so that will be on the list.
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