Gardening to Eat - What Do You Grow?

[The Curt Jester]

I have a problem in that our soil is TOO fertile which means the weeds are difficult to control.  Before our yard was a yard, it was a deciduous forest, so it keeps trying to become a forest again.  One year, I planted tomatoes, carrots, green beans, and zucchini, and the weeds took over pretty quickly (we have a big Japanese knotweed problem)

Use grass clipping spread thickly to keep the weeds down.  It works very well.

[Obrien]

Curt, I grow exactly what's needed to make my salsa, which is my base for chili and a few other soups. Saves time by not having to cut up vegetables. Then what I need for pickles. I grow lettuce for my table and beets for pickling, if I plant enough. We grow alphalfa, clover, Timothy grass for our sheep and geese. Makes both meats tender and no rude smell or taste.

How much land do you have?

[Prayerful]

Just tomatoes, and not great this year, but alright.

[GeorgeT]

All of my gardens failed this year. Beware of dollar store heirloom seeds. They are too good to be true. But when a crop fails, I turn to my trusty weeds. Dandelion, plantain, the elusive perslane, Canada thistle and pigweed. I use them in soups, and they are highly nutritious.

[Carleendiane]

Heirloom tomato and pepper seeds produced the stongest, most prolific plants I have ever seen.

[Maximilian]

pigweed. I use them in soups, and they are highly nutritious.

[drummerboy]

My garden completely failed this year.  The soil is just too wet, and the constant rain doesn't help.  The only space I have available is at the bottom of a slope and the water just sits.  Next year will be raised mounds, and I'm going to do tomatoes (for sauce), cukes, squash, carrots, onions, beets, turnips, cabbage and broccoli, maybe some radishes too and I can make my own frozen stir fry mix.  I live in an area of WI with lots of potato farms and I can't even grow my own cheaper, 10# bags for $2 is normal.  I already have a raspberry bed started, as well as 2 dwarf apple trees.  Even though I live in the city (thankfully on the edge though), you can tell I'm from a farm family because as soon as I get land and a house I laid tile line and planted a garden 

[Carleendiane]

My garden completely failed this year.  The soil is just too wet, and the constant rain doesn't help.  The only space I have available is at the bottom of a slope and the water just sits.  Next year will be raised mounds, and I'm going to do tomatoes (for sauce), cukes, squash, carrots, onions, beets, turnips, cabbage and broccoli, maybe some radishes too and I can make my own frozen stir fry mix.  I live in an area of WI with lots of potato farms and I can't even grow my own cheaper, 10# bags for $2 is normal.  I already have a raspberry bed started, as well as 2 dwarf apple trees.  Even though I live in the city (thankfully on the edge though), you can tell I'm from a farm family because as soon as I get land and a house I laid tile line and planted a garden 

Drummerboy, we use a lot of straw, out of our stalls, on our gardens. Straw absorbs a lot of the extra water. We till it in and then lay a heavy amount between the rows. It works three ways in our favor. One...it keeps weeds down, two ...it absorbs extra water, and three...it holds in moisture so plants do not dry out and soil retains moisture. As it sucks moisture up, so plants are not over wet, it also does not allow them to dry out. Win, win. Of course the straw from stalls also contains sheep manure, which is not a hot manure, not too strong to apply directly to planted area. That's our story and sticking to it.

[kayla_veronica]

This past year was my first year gardening. Kale and Zuchinni were so easy and I got soooo much. I have tons in my freezer. Next year I will NOT grow lettuce again. I got way more than I needed and it was super bitter. Most of my tomatoes got gobbled by critters before I could pick them. I got about 10 cabbages that I made sauerkraut with, but the rest got infested with moths. Green beans turned out treaty well, too. I got some brocolli but didn't plant enough.

Has anyone invested in survival garden seeds? When I have my own house and garden I was thinking about getting a set.

[red solo cup]

This past year was my first year gardening. Kale and Zuchinni were so easy and I got soooo much. I have tons in my freezer. Next year I will NOT grow lettuce again. I got way more than I needed and it was super bitter. Most of my tomatoes got gobbled by critters before I could pick them. I got about 10 cabbages that I made sauerkraut with, but the rest got infested with moths. Green beans turned out treaty well, too. I got some brocolli but didn't plant enough.

Has anyone invested in survival garden seeds? When I have my own house and garden I was thinking about getting a set.

I'm curious. Were you able to freeze zuccini? I always assumed it would get mushy.

[The Curt Jester]

This past year was my first year gardening. Kale and Zuchinni were so easy and I got soooo much. I have tons in my freezer. Next year I will NOT grow lettuce again. I got way more than I needed and it was super bitter. Most of my tomatoes got gobbled by critters before I could pick them. I got about 10 cabbages that I made sauerkraut with, but the rest got infested with moths. Green beans turned out treaty well, too. I got some brocolli but didn't plant enough.

Has anyone invested in survival garden seeds? When I have my own house and garden I was thinking about getting a set.

I'm curious. Were you able to freeze zuccini? I always assumed it would get mushy.

Grate it, freeze it, use it for baking.

[MundaCorMeum]

This past year was my first year gardening. Kale and Zuchinni were so easy and I got soooo much. I have tons in my freezer. Next year I will NOT grow lettuce again. I got way more than I needed and it was super bitter. Most of my tomatoes got gobbled by critters before I could pick them. I got about 10 cabbages that I made sauerkraut with, but the rest got infested with moths. Green beans turned out treaty well, too. I got some brocolli but didn't plant enough.

Has anyone invested in survival garden seeds? When I have my own house and garden I was thinking about getting a set.

I'm curious. Were you able to freeze zuccini? I always assumed it would get mushy.

Grate it, freeze it, use it for baking.

good idea! 

When I freeze it, I cut it into cubes, blanche, then freeze.  It turns out great for soups or casseroles.  If you don't mind that softer texture, it's also good sautéed in some butter, along with fresh, thin sliced onions. 

[Lynne]

My garden completely failed this year.  The soil is just too wet, and the constant rain doesn't help.  The only space I have available is at the bottom of a slope and the water just sits.  Next year will be raised mounds, and I'm going to do tomatoes (for sauce), cukes, squash, carrots, onions, beets, turnips, cabbage and broccoli, maybe some radishes too and I can make my own frozen stir fry mix.  I live in an area of WI with lots of potato farms and I can't even grow my own cheaper, 10# bags for $2 is normal.  I already have a raspberry bed started, as well as 2 dwarf apple trees.  Even though I live in the city (thankfully on the edge though), you can tell I'm from a farm family because as soon as I get land and a house I laid tile line and planted a garden 

Drummerboy, we use a lot of straw, out of our stalls, on our gardens. Straw absorbs a lot of the extra water. We till it in and then lay a heavy amount between the rows. It works three ways in our favor. One...it keeps weeds down, two ...it absorbs extra water, and three...it holds in moisture so plants do not dry out and soil retains moisture. As it sucks moisture up, so plants are not over wet, it also does not allow them to dry out. Win, win. Of course the straw from stalls also contains sheep manure, which is not a hot manure, not too strong to apply directly to planted area. That's our story and sticking to it.

We have a bunny, well, really a poop machine, and I don't believe that his is a hot manure either. I've been throwing it on the grass in our backyard. I really need to start composting...

[kayla_veronica]

This past year was my first year gardening. Kale and Zuchinni were so easy and I got soooo much. I have tons in my freezer. Next year I will NOT grow lettuce again. I got way more than I needed and it was super bitter. Most of my tomatoes got gobbled by critters before I could pick them. I got about 10 cabbages that I made sauerkraut with, but the rest got infested with moths. Green beans turned out treaty well, too. I got some brocolli but didn't plant enough.

Has anyone invested in survival garden seeds? When I have my own house and garden I was thinking about getting a set.

I'm curious. Were you able to freeze zuccini? I always assumed it would get mushy.

Yep, I grated most of it.

[GeorgeT]

pigweed. I use them in soups, and they are highly nutritious.

That was a great song. And now I know of Mulligan stew. Crazy to read about what hobos ate and drank.

Bitter lettuce is also good in soups. Cooking it kills the bitterness.