Growing your own food

[tenns9]

Any of you know of any good books or blogs about growing your own veggies and fruit?

[KungfuRabbit]

Square foot gardening

[MDM]

The site of a frequent poster here: http://www.nwedible.com/

[Making Cents]

Square foot gardening

This. Definitely start here.

Similar is Cubed Foot Gardening (Christopher Bird) - also good except for his inexplicable recommendation to use styrofoam cups as seedling pots.

I also like Carrots Love Tomatoes and Great Garden Companions.


Basically, you don't need to know much except the cardinal rule: Compost, compost, compost. Don't waste your money on fertilizers that will throw the entire ecosystem and your plants out of balance. Add a bunch of compost to your soil when you plant. Replace as often as possible. Take care of your soil and critters and the plants will take care of themselves.

What you should read up on is not how to grow veggies (they will teach you!) but how to generate enough compost. That is the real challenge.

[Axecleaver]

Second the composting recommendation, although fertilizer need not be completely avoided. Soil health from a good compost base in conjunction with the appropriate fertilizer for what you're trying to grow will maximize your yields and minimize pests and disease. Example: aluminum sulfate for blueberries, potassium sulfate for apples, general 10-10-10 for raspberries and most vegetable crops. Improve your soil every year and it gets easier and easier.

For fruit growing, check out Stark Brothers, they have a lot of good articles on home orchards: www.starkbrothers.com
For potatoes, www.potatogarden.com
For vegetable seeds, www.seedsavers.org

[dudde_devaru]

I started following the Veggiebonds forum from a month.

Purchased  basil, jalapeņo, tomato, oregano and some pitting mix from local nursery. All for $10.

We live in a small apartment and keep these small plants in a well sun-lit balcony

[KJ]

Check out any permaculture sites. However it depends where you live and if you have a yard or a balcony.

Go talk to your local nursery, they can advise you on what will grow in your area. They will also tell you what can be grown in pots and what needs a garden bed.

Even if you don't have much space you can grow a fair bit by growing up and fruit trees will grow in pots, so if you are renting you can take your fruit trees with you.

[Mrs.LC]

Square Foot Gardening is a good place to start.  Check at your local library for gardening books.  The first place to start is understanding the zone that your location is in. 

Mr.LC and I are big gardeners with many many years of growing experience.  We are just starting our blog but keep your eyes peeled as there will be tons of gardening posts to come. 

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