I live on 5 acres, and the past 2 years I've planted/harvested a garden with varying levels of success. Growing our own food allows us to reduce our food expense, carbon footprint & improve our health...pretty mustachian behaviors methinks. However, there are areas I would like to improve on this year. Specifically:
Canning & Freezing (and not wasting)
Purchasing seeds/plants on the cheap
Methods of planting/growing/pest control
Going full organic
Questions:
I've always purchased my seeds/plants @ TSC (Tractor Supply Company for you none-country-folks) & Home Depot. I'm sure there are internet options that would minimize my expenses, but I don't know of the best sites. Any suggestions?
What have you grown from seed/plant and had success with (i.e. I always buy my romaine lettuce as plants rather than seeds, which is more epensive but I would happily switch to seeds if people have had success with them)
Any organic pest control ideas?
Any planting tips of what to plant when and with what?
Any ideas on how much of certain things you have use? After a few years I'm beginning to learn more on what vegetables were not worth growing and which were - for us, lima beans were dumb as manfriend doesn't eat them and he's the chef. I like them raw but apparently there's arsenic in them.
Anyone want to start (or continue) growing your own food with me? I'd love to hear from some experienced gardners and also have newbies start out (even if you are renting with tiny space, herbs & tomatoes grow great in pots and small places) on the gardening path.
What I grew successfully (in Michigan climate): Red onions, yellow onions, cauliflower, green/red cabbage, radishes, green bell peppers, several varieties of hot peppers, mild hungarian peppers, okra, white eggplant,yellow was beans, lima beans, roma tomatoes, beef eater tomatoes, romaine lettuce, cherry/grape tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, pumpkins (which are great for Halloween freebies as I'm big on decorating with them), spaghetti squash, acorn squash, zuchinni, yellow squash, oregano, cilantro, basil, spring onions, chives, flat leaf parsley, rosemary & pole green beans.
What I grew with little success: Snow peas (something is going awry here), purple egg plants, carrots (they take forever to germinate and have never worked out for me), yellow & red bell peppers (pests ALWAYS destroy), watermelons & CORN (which after 2 years is our arch nemesis and we canNOT get it to successfully grow).
I also have ducks and chickens which dessimated my tomato/romaine lettuce/raspberry/strawberry patches/spaghetti squash over the past few years, so we are working on stricter reinforcements/fences/nets for the gardens this year (manfriend snagged a trampoline net someone was throwing away on garbage day and one of those golf course subdivision nets - so we have plenty of free netting to defend from our free range asshat birds).
Please feel free to add responses/questions/gardening support :)