In The Garden of Freedom....

[Z350Godfather]

I'm just starting to get prepared for a SHTF scenario. A little behind most out there, but better now than latter right? I'm getting my yard prepared for next spring to have a nice big garden in it so I can begin to grow my own food.


=>Does anyone out there know a lot about which fruits and vegetables are easy to start with, easy to grow?
=>Which ones are more of a pain than what they're worth?
=>Any condition to grow in? not to even try growing?
=>Which are great to re-seed from their seeds to grow for the following year?
=>Any other growing ideas to be more self-sufficient or growing ideas?
=>Outside of growing food, what kind of store bought foods last the longest to pack away now for later?


Sorry for so many questions, but I am really finding this SHTF scenario stuff very interesting and very serious...

Thanks to all!!!

 

[Octomonkey]

- Strawberries can be high maintenance because their growths tend to reach out all over the place, so you need to keep them in line to prevent taking over the garden.

- There is a type of leaf lettuce (don't remember the exact name) that will produce out the ***, so only plant a small amount of it.

- Tomatoes are pretty easy and produce a plentiful amount.

- Green beans produce out the ***.

- Potatoes and carrots are cake.

- Corn can be tough, especially if you live in a rural or near-rural area. Deer tend to annihilate the crop is not protected.

 

[Z350Godfather]

Thanks so much Octomonkey! As for the corn, if it's well protected, can it be easy to grow? Do you know much about carrotts , cucumber or zuchini? I heard asparagas can grow full, but it takes a few years to really start growing...

 

[Sailor]

If its for survival focus on large producing, large volume things, like potatoes (well drained they rot when wet) squashes (summer and winter) root veggies, turnip, kohlrabi. Beans of all variety. These things produce and for the most part store well.

You will just have to experiment on what grows well where you are. Get non hybrid seeds and save them for next year. Google has a lots on Seed Savers.

 

[csaws]

As for green beans we tried a variety this year called "lazy housewife", I know of no lazy housewife that can keep up with the rate at which these grow, we could not keep up picking nearly everyday. We finally stopped and they are currently drying on the vine for next year. I believe these are from Seed Savers
Okra if you like it, produces like crazy.

Potatoes are pretty easy as you as you have extra dirt to mound over them, we tried covering with straw and had limited luck (not near as good as the dirt covered ones).

Carrots are easy if you thin them out properly.

Corn is easy to grow, to keep raccoons at bay plant squash plants under them (melons, squash etc) they don't like the way the prickly stems/vines feel on their feet pads. While we are on the topic get green beans that are climbing (not bush) and plant them "three sisters" style the will trellis up the corn stalks. Corn, beans and squash are the three sisters FYI. A bigger threat to corn than deer is bad weather, we lost 98% of our corn this year to bad weather)

Zuchinni, yellow crookneck squash, watermelons, musk melons, pumpkins are all easy, tomatoes and peppers too (just keep them watered, peppers do best when it is hot unlike this summer). Strawberries can get out of hand. We planted blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and grapes this year too. Got some blueberries this year next year at the earliest for the others.

We had no luck with cabbage, great luck with our lettuces we just thought they were all too bitter, no luck with the leeks, limited with the radishes.

Apple peach and other trees are easy to plant and care for but it takes at least 7 years to get anything. Nut trees are the same way... we planted pecan trees last year...15 years minimum for nuts.

We had great luck with kohlrabi, onions, pickling cucumbers (made 50+ jars of pickles). We are getting our fall garden stuff this weekend or so to start things for now and next spring, garlic, peas, etc.

Don't forget your herbs, chives, basil, thyme chamomille etc are all plant and use plants. My wifey will have to tell you more about those though.

 

[Octomonkey]

Corn is easy to grow, to keep raccoons at bay plant squash plants under them (melons, squash etc) they don't like the way the prickly stems/vines feel on their feet pads.

That is a great idea! I never thought of that.

 

[csaws]

Lol don't thank me thank the Native Americans it is their idea.

Better pictures here

 

[El Cazador]

I try and plant foods that have a good calorie content and store well. I grow potatoes in grass clippings, and add more to them throughout the growing season, and always have good luck doing it that way. But I have a good amount of grass to get cuttings from, so a small yard may not help with that. You have to keep the grass deep under the plants to shut off the daylight from the potatoes, and the potatoes come out long, rounded and smooth, not kinked like they do from growing in clay based soil around here. Kennebecs grow well for me, but I've grown Gold Rush and Idahoes before the same way.

I grow two or three kinds of winter squash, this year was butternut and buttercup. both store well in the unheated garage as long as they don't freeze. Both are pretty prolific with squash. I have three plants of zucchini, and two of summer yellows, and I grew too much. I've been putting up a mix of tomato, zucchini, summer yellows, Hungarian pepper, and okra to use up the zucchini and summer yellow squash I still have. I grow peppers that can or dry easily, like the hot ones and sweet bananas like Hungarians, but green bells won't put up easily, so I only grow enough for seasoning, and fresh eating.

This year I grew Romano (Roma) green beans, and I've put up 56 quarts of them so far, and I'll put up another 14 this weekend. They're about done now, although they're still blooming. I also grow black-eyed peas (I put up 7 quarts of them pickled whole, and the rest will be allowed to dry on vine) and pole limas. All are high in carbs for the winter.

My cucumbers got an infestation of some root worm early, so I didn't get as much as usual, but almost all picklers are very prolific, so fight the urge to plant a bunch, they'll take over a garden with vines. Same way with summer squash like zucchini.

 

[Z350Godfather]

Hey csaws. Thanks a lot for the info. See what you can find out from your wife about the herbs. Thanks again!

 

[Mr.Hoppes]

Medicinal Herbs too. A small variety can make a difference. Can also be rotated in doors for winter and back out for summer.

 

[csaws]

No problem, I told her she has to make a post about what all she put in the ground herb wise and she said " ok, but all I did was plant it and hoped it grew"

She is a "Master Gardener" though so don't let her fool ya. I will have her type out the list and fix anything I messed up.

I know most of the herbs she plants have medicinal properties, I forgot echineccia (sp?) in the lsit earlier and lamb's ear can be used as a bandage (once again a Native American thing not my idea)

 

[csaws]

Oh yeah one last thing, if you open up the earth this fall, find some horse crap and spread out over the top of it... next spring it will be ready to till in and it won't "burn" your garden. I am not sure how familiar you are with the reasoning of why it will burn it, so I will explain it a little and if I am way off some one will correct me...

If manure has a lot of ammonia or nitrogen in it it is considered to still be "hot" and will "burn" your garden if applied in the spring, it is best to leave it in a heap and let it "cook" all of that stuff out turning it when you can.

 

[WabashMX5]

Out of not-so-idle curiosity, how big a garden plot would a "three sisters" type crop require for a family of 3-4?

 

[csaws]

We are going to try that method next year, we had two thirds of it ( no beans) this year and it worked well. Our garden is 30x50'ish it may be bigger I tilled up more a week or so ago and have not remeasured it, we planted all of our corn in a 15x8 maybe 15x10 area

 

[beez1954]

My vote is for Green beans and Tomatoes.

Find a nice pressure canner and you're set for a lot of produce and a lot of work.

At the North end of your garden put up a trellis or three and plant pole beans to train up the lattice.

Get some Mrs. Wages spice mixes and make your own salsa and spaghetti sauce for canning. (If you like pickles then Mrs. Wages makes 4 flavors and use one of the trellises for cucumbers)

Roma tomatoes are great for the pasta and salsa mixes but throw in a couple of larger species to fill out the need for juice.

Green beans are a must as they are rampant growers and a great source of protein.
We are absolutely tired of picking them and I can't even find any friends that want any more.

Try to find heirloom seeds or plants for seeds that you can plant next year.

Greg

 

[originalhonkey]

hey z ive got some really cool seeds for sale 20 dollars a seed. if you plant them in three days they will produce canned food just pick the cans off and store them. let me know how many seeds you want! lol i do have to say that when i saw your thread i was happy to see you posting,and then i realized that you just added another project to the endless list we have at your new house. thanks butthead!!!!!!!!!!

 

[caneman]

Apple trees can be a big payoff though it takes a few years for them to be bearing fruit.Go through the tree catalogs like Stark Bros. and pick varieties that will keep for 5-6 months or so. They're always good for you and under times of hardship a couple hundred extra calories a day could be vital.

If you happen to be in a rural setting, you might even find a deer or two stopping by for lunch to add to the larder.

 

[Z350Godfather]

Be happy. I'm providing food for you and yours too. now get to work!

 

[Z350Godfather]

thanks caneman. is there a big difference in what kind of apple tree to grow in this part of the country or are they all the same?

 

[caneman]

Most of them should be okay here. They will have growing zones marked in the catalogs. I think you are in zone 5 like I am. Some varieties don't require a polinator, some will require a second variety to get good yields. Dwarf or semi-dwarf trees may be best for a small lot.

Just read the catalogs as they have a lot of information on whether they are eating, cooking, juice for cider or what. Of course any of them can be eaten, but the cooking apples might be a bit tart for some people.

Try different varieties from the market to notice the difference in tastes.