KITCHEN GARDENS

Tags: Food, Gardening, Kitchen Gardens, Potager, Gardening Fundamentals
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Ive been posting over on the Gardening thread. It has become pretty much a discussion of flowering and border planting. Id like to start a thread on kitchen gardens. SO, here it is.

I believe that 2009 will be a year when many people in the northern latitudes rediscover the "Kitchen Garden" . The worldwide economic downturn will (I hope) cultivate a sense of self reliance and responsibility to grow and produce at least some of ones own food.
Ive been doing it for years but this year Im planning to expand my growing area to take in some larger crops of stuff to "put away" for the lean and cold months.

The weather hasnt been cooperating here in SC Pennsylvania (US). The cold and snow has , while not being technically brutal, been annoyingly cold and the result is a seed bed area that is brick hard and snow covered. I should be out thinking about planting my pea seeds( we hd split pee soup last night). I cant. SO, Ive begun many eeds inside in peat pots and flats/ Im starting several onion seeds (I like seeds because , when they dry for storage, the onion doesnt have a thick rot inducing stem). Ive also started red beets , aegeratum, some parsley, several flats of lettuce . (Ill direct seed the rest as "Mixes " "msclun style".

Please share your veggie garden experiences and , maybe if you have a problem , we can solve it by cooperative means.

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interesting thinking about economics and gardening, watching a documentary about the shakers a few years ago, they touched on the community during the depression, when it was discovered that locals were sneaking on to the properties and stealing food from the gardens, they did the only thing that seemed reasonable, not build better walls, plant more produce, something they continued to do for the whole of the depression

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From the garden this year

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a40/dadpad/P2110008.jpg

Those tomatoes (and a heap more as well are currently being turned into relish and smell wonderful.

The eggs come from a gender confused chook. It attempts to crow each morning then lays an egg. Seriously though, the crowing is getting better and there are fewer eggs each week.
A chicken of a certain age.

The basil was converted into pine nut pesto by my son. not too bad for a young bloke.

Lettuce did well this year. We like the frilly, cut and come again types.

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@djjd62,

The new eco-tourism of the Lancaster Tourist bureau is adding a few tours to look at AMish and "English" veggie gardens , so that the tourists can carru=y away some of the information and tips for produce production. Apparently its becoming wildly popular and the tourist bureau is planning to put our "hints for gardeners" in a series of info pamphlets and stuff on their website.

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@dadpad,

Nice mix, the basil and tomatoes. Lotsa possibilities . We always plant a huge row of basil for pesto and sauces. Its gerat to just walk by and take a swipe at the leaves , Best smell, THE BEST.

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I've been producing or bartering about a third of my food for years (more than just veggies) . I think everyone should grow something to eat - even if it's just lettuce in a window box. I've posted this picture and site before, but I love to repeat it because it might inspire someone new:

http://urbanhomestead.org/journal/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/nytimesgrd.jpg

http://urbanhomestead.org/journal/2008/04/19/ny-times-the-green-issue/<br />

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@farmerman,

Here's my question:

I have lots of big trees and virtually no full sun in my yard. It ranges from full shade to part shade to the occasional part sun. I'd love to grow some foodstuffs but am not sure what/how/where.

My deck is one of the few places that gets something approaching full sun -- it also dries out fast though.

Also, we have assorted vermin that troupe through, especially a brazen woodchuck who decimated my potato vine last year while gazing at me through the window with a "whatcha gonna do about it, hmmm??" look and eventually ambled off when I chased him.

Any recommendations? (Besides offing the woodchuck... that's being plotted.)

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@sozobe,

Buy this book:

http://homeharvest.com/homeharvest2000pics/IncredibleVegetablesbook225.jpg

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Great thread idea.

I’ll look for tips.

I had a patch of rhubarb that I kept for my Dad, who loved it, but dug it out a few years before he died because it just got too woody. The previous owners must have planted it many years earlier. Don’t know much about it.

I had some success with tomatoes, peppers, and herbs for several years but the yard got too shady and I gave it up. But, we’ve lost several trees in the crazy windstorms of these past few years and had to remove a few others last fall for safety reasons, so I’ll be looking to see what kind of sunshine we get.

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using ollas
http://urbanhomestead.org/journal/2008/03/24/using-ollas/

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wow, I take my hat off to you GW, thats a beauteeful raised bed garden you have there. Ive used some raised beds for strawberries and basils in among the flowering plants . That one is outstanding. Looks like theres hardly a cm of wasted space.

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@farmerman,

I wish it was mine. I'm more of a traditional potager/cottage garden girl and my gardens look it. The garden in the picture belongs to the people in the site both Dys and I posted. The family has recently received a lot of press and there is now a movie about them.

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@sozobe,

soz. Trees are a huge problem because they compete with other plants that try to grow beneath the drip line. Trees will suck up the water and nutrients . To cover the ground with mulch will only stimulate more tree roots or , if it gets too deep, kill the tree by smothering the roots. I dont plant things beneath trees other than pachysandra or ground covers with shallow roots and commensal spirits.

You can play with areas that are in shade biut not in the root zones by expwerimenting with shade loving leafs like mesclun or some herbs. Other than that, you are a candidate for PATIO gardening. I keep a patio tomato planted in a big pot and keep it in the line of traffic so people can just pick and eat. Also, using deep enough crates you can grow all sorts of veggies > However, you must pay attention to their watering needs when you go away for a few days. (Invest in a timer spray unit that will rain on your plants whether youre there or not.

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@Green Witch,

Either way, thats one impressive raised bed garden. (Ive got a great tiller so, raised beds are sort of an area ornament for us. I till like the looks of them and the discipline it takes to work the little plots. However for bigger yields , I use standard mixed rows for stuff like beans,peas, potatoes, and tomatoes.
Ispend a lot of time busting up big bales of hay between my rows and these become next years mulch and this years walking path.
A Tiller is a must for a working garden.

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@farmerman,

I will be doing container gardening again this year. I am in a rental, and finances / common sense dictate not digging up and working a section of the yard.

I have used 5 gallon white buckets set on pavers with holes drilled in the bottoms previously. Anyone know of a better low buck solution?

(aesthetics are not really important, it's Kansas)

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@Rockhead,

Potatoes do great in garbage cans:

http://www.hostmoon.net/~bumblebe/storage/garbage%20can%20potatoes%20june%203%202007.jpg?pictureId=696059&asGalleryImage=true&__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1180908516537

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Ive never tried potatoes in the containers, but it looks great. Ive always planted potatoes two ways.

1Deeply in trenches so that I have a large single harvest of big taters

2 Shallow, where I lay the eyes on top of a tilled soil area. Then I mulch the tater eyes with about 6" of mulch STRAW (not hay because hay will sprout into seedlings by mid summer). In these rows I pick potatoes after July and they give us scads of "new" potatoes tht are small and very tender(perfect for doing harcoal grilled packets of chicken, taters and some other veggie in luminum foil)

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@farmerman,

I bought a nice pcket of "Ground cherries" a very sweet tomato that has a sweet citrusy taste. I was eating them at a community garden show last summer in Lewes Delaware. They were really good and there were recipes for jellies, pies, etc. I suggest that, if you can find em, try them out and youll see.

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@farmerman,

Do you mean tomatillos? The traditional salsa ingredient?

http://www.panix.com/~clay/cookbook/images/tomatillo2.jpg

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I have nasty city dirt, and I wouldn't want to eat anything that grew out of it. Also we have lots of shade. I have three large-ish pots that I plant every year. I used to plant all flowers, then two flowers and one herbs, then two and one the other way. This year I'm thinking of planting all herbs and maybe some other greens (spinach?) The herbs I grow are parsley, basil and chives. I'll skip the chives and plant oregano or sage this year.

Can anyone tell me other vegies I could grow out of pots in light shade?

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KITCHEN GARDENS

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