Survival Gardening

A Mobile Container Garden

2009-01-07T02:00:00.006-07:00

Wanna see some pictures from our first year to garden? (2008)

The above was part of our garden last year. See the small rectangular tubs? We planted beans in them. We set small indoor trash cans, with peppers and eggplants and okra, in tires to prevent them from toppling over during wind storms. Several tires had potting soil directly into them and they grew beautiful delicious melons and pumpkins. The top right of the pic with the yellow netting (tulle fabric) is a pot with a blutberry plant in it (covered to prevent birds from eating our berries). The raised bed to the right was made from 4' x 8' wood boards, filled with potting soil... we planted soybeans around the edge and carrots in the center. The raised beds for the corn patch is in the upper left corner.

Above: a picture of the potted tomatoes, taken in Summer 2008, about a month before the pic that follows. We placed the pots on boards so earwigs would have a harder time getting into the pot. It worked.

The above is a pic of our tomatoes from 2008 Summer. Hmmm... how beautiful and very productive. We got 5-gallon pots and buckets from dollar stores to go with what we already had. We planted way too many tomatoes, and each of the 20 POTS held at least one tomato (sometimes two), a marigold and a basil. Still, even with overcrowding, we had a huge harvest.

Above is a picture of 6 asparagas plants, about a month after we transplanted them. Three in each "trash can". By the end of Summer, these were so bushy that the little asparagus stems had to fight the foliage for sunlight! These pots are now in our family room, near the grow light, hopefully hibernating until Spring.

Because of the quality of our soil at our current home (sand on top of clay), we grew much of last year's garden in containers., as you can see from above.

Now... because we don't know yet if we'll be in a new house in time for Spring planting, thought we'd go on and plan at least a minimal garden for our 25-35 containers we used last year for tomatoes and various other plants. That way, when we move, we can move our growing plants too.

So... oh, no. Now we really have to finish deciding our mobile-garden plan. Ok... we'll post our plan in a day or two. Meanwhile, aren't these pictures wonderful!

Carrot and Squash Harvest - Sept 3 2008

2009-01-05T02:00:00.003-07:00

Here's our harvest from September 3 2008.

At the top are three white scallop squash. Obviously the two smaller are the ideal size - we didn't notice the bigger until too late. However, after our first free in October, we found an even bigger one that we'd missed. Not very tasty, even baked. No, these are best harvested a couple of inches in size, and eaten raw.

These are carrots - planted so many, not sure what these were. Very sweet and tasty. Washed the dirt off and ate raw. Freshly harvested carrots don't last in our house very long. We planted and harvested atomic red, cosmic purple, orange Danvers 126 half long, and a cremey white carrot that we can't remember details about. We plan on sowing seeds for red, orange, purple, yellow and white carrots in 2009 - lots of each.

The one long cucumber in the picture is a Boston Pickling. The big tomato is a Big Striped Rainbow (slicer - sweet), and there's a lot of other various tomatoes in the colander.

The odd-shaped yellow squash was a result of cross-pollination, but dehydrated well.

We love talking about our garden - even if all the plants are dead and the harvests are preserved now. Don't you?

Tomato and Zucchini Harvest - Aug 14 2008

2009-01-04T02:00:00.005-07:00

This is what we harvested on August 14 of 2008.

We had two Striata d'Italia zucchini, 3 beautiful Boston Pickling Cucumbers, Roma tomatoes, Juliet Grape Tomatoes, Thai Pink Tomatoes, Romano string beans, yellow pear tomatoes, a few red cherry tomatoes, two Kellogg's Orange Breakfast Tomatoes and that one dark tomato towards the middle right is a Black Cherry Tomato.

This was an average daily harvest for us.

We loved growing these, but have decided to cut back on the tomatoes for Year 2009. The Kelloggs Orange were thick paste and strong and meaty. Will do those and Big Striped Rainbow (orange) Tomatoes for sweetness and slicing value. Probably Red Amish for red paste tomatoes although they supposedly don't have much of a taste (which is fine since they will be used for italian sauces and ketchup. Haven't decided what other tomatoes yet.

As to the zucchini, it's the first time we'd grown the Striata d'Italia and were pleasantly surprised. They are thicker on the blossom end, very few seeds, and extremely tasty raw. Somewhat mild. We even got the kid to eat a third of one each time we harvested one. (Family of three, see!) We, unfortunately, planted it in the corn bed, which hindered their growth. We know better next time. And we'll plant more. We would have eaten one a day raw, and did often as well as diced a couple for the freezer (zucchini bread later).

Yummy food we grew ourselves - novice gardeners in Year 2008. If we can do it, so can you.

Besides, we'll do much better next year.

Gardening Resolutions

2009-01-01T02:00:00.004-07:00

Here's our family's resolutions for our garden for the New Year:

Finish planning our garden, as best we can. Pick 3-4 tomatoes, 3-4 beans, 1 summer and 1 winter squash, 1 corn, 1 okra, greens, eggplant, etc.

Order seeds for vegetable garden (assuming we have our new place).

Sell our house by mid-March so we can move closer to Hubby's work and Hubby's mom, and where there is more land and less restrictions on how we can use it. (Right now we are not allowed chickens or bees or farm animals.)

Order, receive and plant several nut trees, fruit trees and fruit bushes. Give them a head start since they take longer to produce.

Prepare vegetable garden area.

Plant vegetable garden.

Buy chickens and when old enough, place in tractor cage for garden/fertilizer/pest control.

Create compost using the two composters we already have.

Harvest and preserve produce.

Blessings to all, and have a wonderful new year. The Williams Family

Catalog/Suppliers: Burgess, Burpee, Nature Hills

2008-12-31T10:04:00.002-07:00

Here are the last three catalogs to consider when you plan your next garden. We might have more in the future, but for now... this is it!

Burgess Seed and Plant Co. - http://www.eburgess.com/index.asp
We've bought from this company before. Quite a variety to choose from. Grapes, citrus, berries, and more. Phone people are helpful.

Burpee - http://www.burpee.com/
We think just about everyone has heard of this company. These seeds are almost always available in stores like Home Depot or Wal-Mart. However, we picked up a package of mixed tomato seeds last year (not available now) and it had only a total of like 8 seeds for over $2.00. They have great varieties, but be sure to check how many seeds you get for their high prices.

Nature Hills - www.naturehills.com
We haven't used this company before but found them when searching for pomegranate. They have several things we plan on checking out about them.

That's it for now. Get going and plan your garden!

Catalog/Supplier: Stark Brothers

2008-12-29T18:20:00.005-07:00

We interrupt this regularly scheduled program to bring you... Starks Brothers! There I was, waiting for Hubby to bring in the mail before I started working on today's gardening catalogs, and up he comes with Starks!

We bought a lot of stuff from them last year. I'm not sure whether it was because we were novice gardeners, didn't dig holes deep enough, didn't water enough, or whether the stock wasn't any good, but many things didn't survive the summer. However, when we move to our new place, we'll be trying again. They have good replacement policies and the phone people are very helpful.

http://www.starkbros.com/

They have miniature citrus trees, grafted apple trees, nut trees, berry bushes and much more. The peach, crabapple and apple collonnade trees that we bought did well. Unfortunately, we'll have to leave them here for the next owners. Bummer.

We'll definitely place an order after we've moved to a new place. Gotta get those fruit and nut trees started so we can harvest in 5-10 years.

Catalog/Supplier: Kitaza / Vegetable Seed / Local Harvest

2008-12-28T16:28:00.000-07:00

Here are three more suppliers to consider when planning your next garden:

Kitaza Seed - www.kitazawaseed.com
Click here ( http://www.kitazawaseed.com/all_seeds.html ) for a listing of all of their vegetable seeds. Note that they have amaranth, adzuki beans, herbs, jicama, sesame, baby corn, and rice! We are planning to order rice and adzuki beans from them this year - not sure what else yet.

Vegetable Seed - http://www.vegetableseed.net/
This is a good place to buy in bulk seeds, as they no longer take small purchases. We like that they have strawberry seeds, along with other heirloom and other seeds. We're planning on getting the strawberry seeds - can never have too many!

Local Harvest - http://www.localharvest.org/store/seeds.jsp?q=
They have luffa, cat grass, stinging nettle, peach tree seeds, mammoth sunflower seeds, garbanzo beans, and much more. We don't like that the listing isn't very organized, but like their variety. We just discovered this place, and have already begun debating what to buy!

A couple more suppliers coming up tomorrow and then that's it for our garden supplier suggestions. Do YOU have recommendations?

Catalogs/Suppliers: Totally Tomato / Seed Rack

2008-12-28T11:00:00.002-07:00

Here are two more suppliers to consider when planning your garden:

Totally Tomato - www.totallytomato.com
We found this website when searching for more varieties of tomatoes. Wow! Our mouths water. And they sell other things too, including seeds to sprout. Check them out.

-Tomato Seeds - http://www.totallytomato.com/sp.asp?c=69
-Pepper Seeds - http://www.totallytomato.com/sp.asp?c=11
-Other Vegetable Seeds - http://www.totallytomato.com/sp.asp?c=12
-Vegetable Plants and Roots - http://www.totallytomato.com/sp.asp?c=57

Whatcom Seed Company - www.seedrack.com
We just found this company and can't wait to order from them. They have pinion pines, which we want to plant so we will have pinion nuts in 10 (??) years or so ($3.07 for 25 seeds). Also has Christmas fir trees, vegetables, fruits, bonsai trees, sugar maple, rice paper plant, giant cabbage (25+ lbs), tea plant, rainbow-colored carrots, pecans, coffee trees, and much more.

Start at the first page ( http://www.seedrack.com/01.html ) and work your way through - alphabetical by technical name.

Have fun working your way through garden planning - isn't this fun?! We still have about 6 more companies to go through (2 days of postings).

Catalogs/Suppliers: Vermont Bean, Veg Seed Warehouse, Bountiful Gardens

2008-12-27T21:00:00.001-07:00

Here are three more contacts for you to use in planning your garden:

Vermont Bean - www.VermontBean.com
This company has more than just beans. We haven't used them before but in our search for gas-less beans, we discovered this place. Can't wait to order!

Beans: http://www.vermontbean.com/sp.asp?c=4
Fruits (rasp/straw/rhubarb): http://www.vermontbean.com/sp.asp?c=63
Vegetable Plants: http://www.vermontbean.com/sp.asp?c=112
Vegetable Seeds (A-L): http://www.vermontbean.com/sp.asp?c=5
Vegetable Seeds (M-Z): http://www.vermontbean.com/sp.asp?c=33

Vegetable Seed Warehouse - www.vegetableseedwarehouse.com
We found this website in our hunt for new suppliers, but we aren't incredibly impressed with their website. (above website took us to www.seedsforthesouth.com). If anyone has experience with this company, please let us know.

Price List to Print: http://www.seedsforthesouth.com/seedlist.html

Bountiful Gardens - http://www.bountifulgardens.org
We wanted to write about this company because we liked what we originally saw, but when we back to it to get links for this posting, we couldn't access their website. Maybe we'll try again some other time.

Catalogs/Suppliers: Avacado Trees / House of Wesley

2008-12-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

Here's two more suppliers of gardening seeds/food-producing plants:

Avocado Trees:
Interested in getting avocados that you grow yourself? Check out this website: http://www.avocadotrees.com/ - It's a new avocado variety called 'Don Gillogly', and does great as a tall houseplant. From their website: "ABSTRACT FROM THE PATENT: 'A dwarf avocado tree producing two distinct crops per year of a green-skinned fruit with superior flavor and which said fruit turns black upon ripening.' "

House of Wesley - www.houseofwesley.com
We bought a lot of stuff from here last year. They have a huge variety, but we had a few problems. In one order, they sent the wrong tree. They said they would fix it, but we never did anything about it. They have a huge variety of fruit and nut trees, privacy plants, and so much more. The only vegetable they carry is asparagus, but... take some time to look at the website.

Have you had any experience with these?

A couple more gardening suppliers tomorrow.

Catalogs: Baker Heirloom / Parks

2008-12-25T19:27:00.003-07:00

Here are two more gardening catalogs to check out for your garden planning:

Baker Heirloom Seeds: http://rareseeds.com/seeds/
I love this company and their catalog. The only thing is that although most of their items have "length to harvest" days noted, some don't. Since we live in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, length to harvest is very important to us. Another little gripe is that there isn't any planting directions on the packets. Hope they change that soon. They do ship quickly, and are very helpful when asked questions (last year we asked for a winter squash - not pumpkin - that is easy to grow and provides tasty nutritious seeds - they recommended Mexican X-Top cushaw squash - easy to grow, interesting to look at, and yum!). These are all heirloom seeds, and most are NOT genetically modified. The exception seems to be corn, which is almost important to get "clean". The following are the seed categories with appropriate links:

Amaranth : Angled Gourd : Artichoke & Cardoon : Asian Beans : Asparagus : Beans : Beetroot : Bitter Melon : Broccoli : Brussels Sprouts : Cabbage : Carrots : Cauliflower : Celery : Chef's Choice Mixed Greens : Corn : Cowpeas : Cucumber : Edible Gourds : Eggplant : Endive & Escarole : Fava Beans : Fennel : Garden Berries : Garden Peas : Garlic : Gourds : Grains : Greens - Assorted : Herbs : Jelly Melon : Kale : Kohlrabi : Leek : Lettuce : Lima Beans : Long Beans : Melocoton : Melons - American : Melons - Asian & Eastern : Melons - European : Okra : Onion : Oriental Greens & Cabbages : Parsnip : Peppers - Hot : Peppers - Sweet : Radicchio & Chicory : Radish : Rhubarb : Roselle : Runner Beans : Rutabagas : Salsify : Seed Collections : Snake Melon : Snow Peas : Sorghum : Soya Beans : Spinach : Squash - Summer : Squash - Winter : Swiss Chard : Tomatillo : Tomatoes - Green : Tomatoes - Orange : Tomatoes - Pink : Tomatoes - Purple : Tomatoes - Red : Tomatoes - Striped : Tomatoes - White : Tomatoes - Yellow : Turnips : Watermelon : Wax Melon

Park Seed : www.parkseed.com
I haven't used this company too much but I've never had trouble with them. Your opinion?

Asparagus : Beans : Beets : Broccoli : Cabbage : Carrots : Cauliflower : Celery : Corn : Cucumbers : Eggplant : Garlic : Kohlrabi : Lettuce : Melons : Okra : Onions : Peas : Peppers : Potatoes : Pumpkins : Radishes : Shallots : Soybeans : Spinach : Sprouts : Squash : Tomatoes : Turnips

More to come tomorrow!

Catalogs: Seeds of Change / Gurneys

2008-12-24T02:00:00.003-07:00

Today's featured gardening catalogs are:

Seeds of Change ( http://www.seedsofchange.com )
We've never bought from this place before, but they look great! Garlic, seed potatoes, cover crops, sesame, amaranth, and ... well, here...

Amaranth : Artichoke : Beans : Beets : Broccoli : Brussels Sprouts : Burdock : Cabbage : Cardoon : Carrots : Cauliflower : Celery : Chard : Chinese Cabbage : Collards : Corn : Cucumbers : Eggplant : Gourds : Kale : Leeks : Lettuce : Melons : Mustard Greens : Okra : Onions : Peas : Peppers : Planting Garlic : Potatoes : Quinoa : Radishes : Rutabaga : Sesame : Shallots : Spinach : Squash & Pumpkins : Tomatillos : Tomatoes : Turga Parsnip : Turnips : Yacon

Gurney's ( www.gurneys.com )
We've ordered from here before. They have small fruits and berries, fruit and nut trees, shade trees, and more. Check out the peanut seeds and easy grow kits.

Bean Seed Beet Seed Broccoli Seed Brussels Sprouts Cabbage Seed Carrot Seed Cauliflower Seed Corn Seed Cucumber Seed Easy Grow Kits Eggplant Seed Gourds Greens Herb Seed Kohlrabi Seed Lettuce Seed Melon Seed Okra Seed Onion Seed Other Vegetable Seeds Pea Seed Peanut Seed Pepper Seed Pumpkin Seed Radish Seed Root Crops Spinach Seed Squash Seed Tomato Seed

More to come tomorrow!

Gardening and Seed Catalogs

2008-12-22T15:49:00.002-07:00

We've started getting our seed catalogs in the mail! We LOVE this time of year, when we can't get out in the garden and harvest. When the snow covers our carefully tended patches. When the furnace runs constantly to prevent our indoor plants from freezing.

Just yesterday, we got the hard copy of the new Baker's Heirloom (www.rareseeds.com) seeds. As soon as we've examined it from top to bottom, and others, and have made our choices for next year, we'll post our views on various seed catalogs and their companies.

Thanks for stopping by!

The "Three Sisters": Corn, Squash, Beans

2008-12-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

Have you heard about the "Three Sisters" method of planting corn, beans and squash?

From ( http://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/3sisters.html ): The Iroquois believe corn, beans and squash are precious gifts from the Great Spirit, each watched over by one of three sisters spirits, called the De-o-ha-ko, or “Our Sustainers". The planting season is marked by ceremonies to honor them, and a festival commemorates the first harvest of “green” corn on the cob.

Native American People used corn as the staple in their diet. Parched corn plus prevented starvation for many days. Corn was boiled, roasted and also ground and used as flour for many dishes. Corn was easy to store by braiding the leaves and hanging upside down from rafters. Husks for used as dolls, masks and mats. Corn stalks could be used as fuel. Keep a watch on the corn, and soon after you see the silks and pollen (which gets everywhere!), watch for the cobs. After a while you'll get the hang of seeing the brown silk tassles, and the feel of the cobs, you'll know when to harvest.

Pumpkins (or other winter squash) provide the ground cover. The pumpkins from even a couple of centuries ago weren't our jack-o-lantern but more of a crookneck. Pumpkins could be stewed or dried to use during the coming winter. Not sure if the seeds were roasted, or just kept for planting the next year.

Fresh young beans were cooked in stews, while the dried beans provided meals later - rehydrated for soups and stews, or ground into flour. Great source of protein when meat was scarced. The vines were braided together and also hung from the rafters. Pole beans, chosen appropriately, will use the corn stalks as a trellis without strangling the stalk. Planting the corn with plenty of room in between will help you find the beans. Once they start flowers, keep careful watch. They will quickly become edible size and ready for eating as cooked "green beans". If you plan to dry the beans, leave them alone until harvesting the corn, to dry on the vine. Still, keep a watch on them so that predators don't steal them or they don't split once they've dried.

Sunflowers have recently been found to do excellently in this arena. They break down the earth with their strong roots, and stretch out to provide a living trellis for the beans. The sunflowers are harvested when the back of the heads turn brown and bend from the weight of the seeds. Cut the stalk near the ground, hang upside down, with paper bags around the head to catch the seeds as they dry. Good for snacks, but also good for grinding into flour, and making sunflower seed oil.

Why companions? The squash/pumpkin provides ground cover to keep moisture in, and the prickles of the leaves and vines prevent predators (like raccoons) from getting to the corn. The corn provides stalks for the beans to climb. The beans fix nitrogen into the soil, which the corn needs. Together, this is companion planting at it's best. PLUS, when you mix corn, squash and beans in your diet, they make a complete protein. Also called succotash, which we don't like, but we do make our own various recipes even tastier!

Picture: Our Three Sisters
Corn-Patch on August 20 2008
As novice gardeners, we tried the "Three Sisters" in Summer 2008. This year we planted "Early and Often Sweet Corn", several different kinds of beans, and several squashes, including pumpkins, Mexican X-Top, zucchini, and yellow crookneck, plus some sunflowers and cucumbers. We tried to follow the "Square Foot Gardening" method but having difficulty finding how to plant using the Three Sisters, we guessed. BOY, we were WRONG!

We planted the corn seeds too close together.

We didn't plant enough sunflowers.

We planted too many kinds of corn, and they all intermingled, which was ok with us, but the different heights and maturation rate gave us problems.

We planted too many kinds of beans. At the end, we froze all of them because we couldn't remember what was good to dry and what was good fresh-eating.

We planted way too many kinds of squashes and cucumbers and etc. They all cross-pollinated, and came out very strange. Mutants. Plus, some of our choices (zucchini and yellow straightneck) were bush kinds which grew up to push aside the corn stalks, making them weak.

We didn't mulch and keep up with the weeds. Thus, by the end of August, we couldn't keep up and the weeds (bind-weed in our case), strangled all of the plants. We would have had a much better harvest if we'd kept up with the weeding.

So, here's what you need to do:

Start corn in peat pots, one corn seed per. When the seedlings are an inch high (you'll notice a long taproot starting), plant entire peat pot in corn bed. One corn per square foot.

Two rows of corn, about 10 feet long. Then 4-5 feet before starting another 2 rows of corn, 10 feet long. And again. The 4-5 feet in between gives you room to pick your beans, check the corn and squashes, and pull weeds without getting a corn stalk hitting your heiny.

Same with sunflowers - make sure they get the northern side of ALL the cornbeds because if you get the mammoth sunflowers, they will block out sunlight for the rest. These need 3 square feet for each flower as their roots are quite strong, and their stalks and leaves and faces need more room up top.

A week after planting the corn and sunflowers, start seeds indoors (in peat pots) for pumpkin (or your chosen vining squash).

When corn is at least one foot high (prefer two feet high to give them a good head start), plant entire peat pots of squashes - one per TWO corn plants and one per TWO sunflowers. Your squash seedlings should be a few inches tall by now.

At the same time, sow three bean seeds per corn or two per sunflower - make a triangle around the corn/sunflower. They will quickly grow up and around the stalks.

Our plan for next year: we've chosen:

Black Aztec Corn (heirloom - not hybrid) (sweet when ripe, and black when dried, perfect for flour)

Sugar Pie Pumpkin (heirloom - not hybrid) (perfect for making pies and canning puree, and some of the larger ones can be used as jack-o-lanterns)

Missouri Wonder Pole Bean (heirloom - not hybrid) (old-time cornfield type - loves winding around the corn stalk and won't strangle it - good for string beans and for drying)

We'd like to grow Sonoran Gold Bush Tepary Beans (low on gas-producing, high in protein, don't need much water, excellent fresh or dried for storage) but as you can tell from the name, they are a bush bean. We'll grow the tepary, soybeans, anasazi, black turtle and other beans elsewhere.

As to the squash choice... in the following years, we'll replace the pumpkin (year 1) with Mexican X-Top Cushaw Squash (year 2), Butternut Squash (year 3) and Spaghetti Squash (year 4). Then we'll start the rotation all over again. This will prevent cross-pollination, and give us a variety. When each squash is harvested, half of the harvest will be put into cold storage, and the other half will be sliced and dehydrated (saving some seeds for toasting and some for planting in the next appropriate year).

You absolutely should try planting the "Three Sisters". It's companion planting at it's finest.

Garden Plans for 2009 Growing Year

2008-12-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Have you thought about your garden for next year? Really thought about it? If the prices of produce and staples continue to rise, do you want to offset your grocery bill by growing most of your food? Here's some questions to answer:

How much space do you have? (indoor windowsills, corner of room for grow-lights, backyard, community garden, farm, etc.)
What about for permanent plants, like berry bushes, fruit and nut trees, and asparagus or rhubarb?
How much time do you have? (you work full time, spouse does too, kids have lots of activities & summer camps, etc.)
How much energy do you have? (you're disabled or can't bend or kneel, you have an exhausting job, your kids and spouse doesn't help, you're sick, etc.)
Look at your last several grocery lists. What is on there that you can grow?
Do you want to grow a little of everything you eat, or lots of one or two things?
Can you look at the PLETHORA of seeds available and limit your purchases to one or two of each vegetable?
Do you have the resources to preserve the produce, like dehydrating, freezing or canning?
Is it worth it? Factor in containers, potting soil, tools like garden spade, seeds, dehydrator, water, etc.

Now's the time to give these things a thought. We just received three gardening catalogs in the mail today: Totally Tomatoes, Vermont Bean Seed Company, and Kitazawa Seed Co. Already, our minds are spinning as we make our lists and decide how on earth to limit, for example, our tomatoes to one outdoor (probably Amish Paste) and three indoor. What about you?

This blog will discuss the different kinds of fruits and vegetables, composting, companion planting, indoor, outdoor, composting, and more. We hope that we can help you make your decisions and guide you through this exciting period. Feel free to ask questions!

Preparedness and Plans for Our Self-Sufficient Garden

2008-12-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Did you read the article we recommended yesterday?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/11/27/11143/168/114/667032

We've been working to be self-sufficient for a while. With the real possibility of food shortages and/or very high prices, we are even more motivated. BUT... even if nothing happens, and there's plenty for all of us, we are tired of depending on agribusinesses and oil dudes and transportation and government ... we plan to be self-sufficient anyway.

However, we have a problem. We have to sell our house in February or March and move to a different city, about an hour away. Will we be able to sell our home, find another one and move in before the first seeds need to be planted? We are hoping and praying we can. Meanwhile we must plan as if we will, so since we intend to grow almost ALL of our food next year, we need to make preparations NOW.

First, we need to store enough to get us through to Fall 2009. (Like rice, salt, honey, cornmeal, potato flakes, quinoa, millet, spelt, amaranth, oats, wheat berries, dried eggs, powdered soy and rice and goat's milk, spices, tea, olive oil, dried fruits and veggies, and canned fruits.)

Over the winter, we'll learn how to grow everything we need, including cotton, quinoa, etc., and how to process it, like how to make soybeans into soymilk and tofu. We'll learn bee-keeping, animal husbandry, cotton-ginning, and more.

When the seed and other garden catalogs get here, we'll order what we can, including: tomatoes, beans, onions, garlic, okra, peppers, eggplant, spinach and other greens, parsley and other herbs, radishes, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, berries, fruit trees and bushes, nut trees, etc. We'll need to order grain seeds and cotton seeds from other places. We'll grow black elderberry bushes for privacy fences and cough syrup. We'll grow bayberry bushes for wax for candles. We'll grow herbs for seasonings and medicines. We'll grow cotton for necessities like cloth, medical supplies and more. We'll grow juniper for fire-starting and berries. Subsistence farming for a family.

When we get settled, we'll get chickens (meat, eggs, fertilizer, pest control, feathers, goats and/or mini cows (milk, meat, leather, lawn-mowing), and bee-hives (pollination, wax, honey). Anything we can grow or raise or do to be a self-sufficient family, we'll do.

Well, you get the drift.

As we do this, we'll take you through our process, giving as much information as we can. Please feel free to contribute your own information about YOUR journey into self-sufficiency.

2009 - A Gardening Must

2008-11-30T09:26:00.000-07:00

We just read the following posting:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/11/27/11143/168/114/667032

It highly concerns us. It makes us even more determined to get the know-how and wherewithall to accomplish our goals.

If farmers have troubles with the supplies and fuel to: break up the land, plant the seeds, water, harvest, and transport crops, what will we do?

Garden, that's what.

And make changes to our liftstyles.

So....here's our tip for winter: read up (especially our blogs because we're going to tell you how to grow, store, and cook what you grow), make preparations, buy your seeds, and change your life.

If we can do it, so can you!

Wonderberries (aka Sunberries)

2008-11-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Wonderberries. They are also called garden huckleberries & sunberries. They are a small shrub and not as picky as tomatoes. Gotta remember to NOT eat the green berries (possibly poisonous!). Eat when blue - cook with sugar like in a pie. Here's a good reference: http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/wonderberry.htm.

I'll post a picture of our wonderberries soon.

We'd gotten the seeds from Baker Heirloom (www.rareseeds.com). I'd planted the seeds in a cup, and when they got about 2 inches tall, transplanted into a planter and placed outside near our strawberries. I hate to say this, but except for watering (sprinkler), I forgot about them. It grew into a very small bush, about a foot high. When it got cold and we started bringing in the plants (October), we brought that in. As we were figuring out where to place it, Hubby noticed the bush had a lot of dark blue berries on it! Guess we missed the unripe/green stage. We were quite brave, and each tasted one. Yum! They are quite sweet, like a blueberry, but much smaller. They have a good Winter home in our family room, under the grow light, with the tomatoes, banana tree, and blueberry bushes.

We can't find any nutrition data on them, but we're somewhat confident they are similar to other berries in nutrition, antioxidants, probably vitamin C. Now that we've experimented with the seeds, and like the taste, we plan to have a LOT of wonderberry bushes next year. Planning on a huge crop of these okay-to-ignore berry bushes.

We have only the one plant this year so no experimenting with processing and preserving, but next year, we'll try to dehydrate, make jam, and freeze. Anyone have experience and/or knowledge of wonderberries?

Can Rice Be Grown in Backyards?

2008-11-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Rice is such a staple in many homes, and it's also one of the many foods being effected by this horrible economy. So.... we'd like to figure out how to grow rice at home.

Where would we get non-genetically-altered brown rice seeds?
Is there an easy rice to grow?
Can brown rice be grown in containers?
If a family of 4 eats rice 5 times a week (that's 20 servings), how many seeds should be planted to supply this family for an entire year and still have some left over to plant the next year?
How is rice cultivated and harvested?
And hulled?

Thanks for your information. Check back later to see comments. We'll post the results of our research when we have it.

Kitchen Composting

2008-11-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

What is Composting? It's when one-living things (plants, eggshells, leaves, grass, etc.) decompose to make "healthy dirt" - full of minerals and good things to make plants grow when added to soil. It's also a way to help save the earth: recycle yard and kitchen waste, and reduce what gets put to the curb to taken to landfills. Very necessary when doing container gardening, lasagna gardening, square foot gardening, and more.

What should be Composted? Here's a good alphabetized list:

Aquarium Plants
Bird cage or other vegetarian pet wastes
Bread, stale
Burned oats, rice, bread, etc.
Cardboard & cereal boxes (shredded)
Cereal and chips, stale or soggy
Coconut fiber
Coffee grounds
Corncobs (chop to help decompose)
Cotton and Cotton Swabs (no plastic)
Dead bees, flies, mosquitoes, etc.
Dried flower heads/leftovers from prunings
Egg shells (rinse)
Feathers
Fruit peelings
Gelatin
Glue, Elmer’s
Grass clippings
Hair, pet or human
Houseplants, dead
Kitchen waste: old salad, cheese, greens, fruit, veggies, bread, rice, pasta, etc.
Leaves
Lint from dryer, behind refrigerator
Liquid from canned fruits/veggies, old wine, old beer
Matches (paper or wood)
Moss
Nail clippings (fingernail, toenail, dog nails, etc.)
Newspapers, shredded
Nut shells (no salty ones)
Onion and garlic skins
Outdated spices or herbs
Paper napkins, notes, towels, junk mail, tissues, receipts, paper bags
Pasta, old
Pencil Shavings
Pickles
Pine needles
Pits, olive/date/cherry/etc
Popcorn (unpopped or popped)
Potato peelings or stale potato chips
Razor trimmings (beard, mustache)
Rotted vegetables, fruits
Shells (shrimp, crab, lobster, etc.)
Soil, from the yard
Straw, hay, wheat, bark
Sweepings: Whatever you sweet or dust-mop up or vacuum up
Tea bags, used
Toothpicks
Vegetable peelings
Watermelon rinds
Wood chips, ashes, saw-dust

Can Composting be done Inside? Yep. Not everybody has a backyard to compost. No problem... there are other ways to compost in even just your kitchen! We took a plastic gallon milk (or water!) jug, and cut a hole near the top, opposite side of the handle. Place in the fridge. Add things from list above. Then we have two small sealable trash cans just outside our kitchen door that we add potting soil, our scraps from the fridge-jug, and worms when we can find them. Mix it around every 60 days or so. Add to indoor planters after it's become dirt!

There are also actual countertop or other kitchen composters you can buy. Here's a few links:
- http://www.cnet.com/8301-13553_1-9881204-32.html
- http://www.cleanairgardening.com/kitchen.html
- http://www.gardeners.com/Kitchen-Compost-Crock/13006,default,pd.html
- http://www.gaiam.com/product/id/1006630.do?gcid=S18376x028&keyword=compost%20bucket

Happy Composting!

Giving Thanks for...

2008-11-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today is Thanksgiving. What are you thankful for? The 14 pumpkins you grew and have stored in your basement? The 20 butternut squash you bought on sale this week? The mason jars of dried vegetables? The freezer full of tomatoes and string beans? The spinach you have growing on your windowsill?

Whether you live in the USA or another country, take a moment to give thanks for your gardening know-how that provides food for your family.

A Hydroponics Greenhouse

2008-11-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

We've been wanting to experiment with hydroponics (growing in water) for a while. What a great way to get our fresh greens during the non-Summer months! We love lettuce and raw spinach, but after the grocery "contamination" scares, who really wants to risk their health? But every time we go to a gardening show or a special gardening show, we are disappointed that the high price tag hasn't gotten smaller.

Then, on a trip to Hobby Lobby, we came across a kit called "Hydro Greenhouse 2". They are small enough to fit on our dining room table, or in the family room where we have lots of containers of tomatoes, the banana tree, the wonderberries, the blueberries, and the grow lights. So... we bought two for about $20 each.

Planting....

Kit 1: Spinach, Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce, and White Bunching Onions

Kit 2: Spinach, Buttercrunch Lettuce, and Red Bunching Onions (will do next week)

Once we get the hang of this, we'll experiment with little carrots, radishes, parsley, and maybe other things. We'll keep you updated.

Growing Quinoa in our Backyard

2008-11-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

We'd like to grow quinoa next Summer, and are looking for information:

Where can we get non-genetically-modified seeds?
Some sources say quinoa is gluten-free and some say it does have gluten. Huh?
Is there more than one kind, like there are different kinds of corn?
We understand the quinoa does well in less fertile soil, drought, low temperatures, and short growing seasons. So at the foothills of Colorado's Rocky Mountains - it should do well, right?
Can it be grown in containers?
If a family of 4 eats quinoa twice a week (8 servings), how many seeds would we need to plant to supply them for an entire year, and still have enough left over to plant for the next year?
The leaves are supposed to be highly nutritious and full of protein, cooked. Same as raw?
How is it planted, grown, harvested and stored?
We've used quinoa as those little pellets/seeds. Is there a reference for the step-by-step process of hulling it?

Year 2008 was our first time as gardeners. We did ok with corn, but would like to add quinoa to our "garden" in 2009 as it is a complete protein. As our goal is to be self-reliant, this seems like a perfect addition to our "grain" stores, and for yours.

The leaves can be eaten as vegetables. The hulled grain can be used in cakes and breads, to make porridge, or to make beer.

An overall MUST ingredient for our food stores, so ... ... ... thanks for any info you have on this. We'll post an update when we have researched all the info we need to grow quinoa.

Garlic: Have you planted your bulbs yet?

2008-11-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Garlic needs to be planted in the fall in order to harvest the next Summer. Have you ordered, received and planted your bulbs yet? If not, you better get going.

It is best to plant garlic as close to the autumnal equinox as possible - but since it's not too late.Carefully separate the bulbs (the whole) into cloves (the parts) - don't bruise any of them. Plants the cloves, top side up, 4-8 inches apart. Garlic will sprout roots pretty quickly, and use the rest of the Fall to feed and develop. A good root system will develop. The cold of Winter will give it a chance to rest until warmer weather arrives, when the warmth will allow new growth (above and below the ground). Then, it will bolt, so since it doesn't produce seeds, it will use it's energy to produce as many cloves and leaves as it possibly can before the hot Summer weather will kill it's leaves.

Be sure to mark your calendar to harvest when leaves die, or it will be hard to find, then will start the process all over, thus overcrowding that little space.

For lots of detailed information, go to: http://www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com/growing.htm.

** Survival Gardening **