Garden

[40 Cal Al]

Looking to start a garden but know VERY little. Please help!

 

[eireguy]

http://www.youtube.com/user/growingyourgreens this guy is great

 

[40 Cal Al]

http://www.youtube.com/user/growingyourgreens this guy is great

Really good information, thank you!

 

[Gazrok]

For myself, these were the questions I considered....

1. What grows in my area (zone)?
2. What will my family and I actually eat of that?
3. What kind of area do I have available for it? (sun, size, etc.)
4. What kind of time can we all devote to it?
5. Cost of materials?
6. How to keep animals out?
7. What to do with excess? (sell/can, etc.)
8. How to have water handy for it? (run a line, etc.)
9. What crops to grow during which seasons? (have to look at zone, growing times, etc., rotate it)
10. Heirloom or Hybrid seeds/plants, etc. (and whether starting from seed or saplings, etc.)

 

[40 Cal Al]

What does your garden look like?

 

[jimLE]

I've gotten serious about gardening and canning.so I've bought seeds of foods we'll eat.and started buying canning supplies and recipes for when i start canning.here's the seeds I've bought
golden bantam corn,national pickling cucumber,emerald okra,early summer crookneck squash,tender sweet carrot,Rutgers tomato,Black Eyed Pea,Lincoln Shell Sweet Pea ,Habenero Hot Pepper..the peppers will be for pepper spray only seeing how i wont dare eat them

 

[40 Cal Al]

Do you Have a "recipe" to make the pepper spray? I've never considered making it myself. I'm very interested

 

[Gazrok]

Ours is planned for Feb., just took a bit of research first. We're prepping the area in January, to plant in Feb. I have a good diagram on one of these threads, so I'll have to dig for it. (changed computers since that was posted).

Basics include: Green Bell Pepper, Onion, Celery, Carrots, Green Beans, Garlic, and others. We'll also have an area for Strawberries as well (as our area is kind of known for it).

We're also putting in an herb garden around that time, along with a Koi Pond in the front entryway area. Basically cooking and medicinal herbs, especially those that flower, along with some other flowering plants (this is so it appears that it is there for beauty, when really more about function).

Our garden area isn't visible from the road, or even most places on the property.

Next year, we'll also start planting some fruit trees (apples (yes, some can grow in Fl), pears, and oranges), but these will take a few years to fruit.

 

[Brent S]

Looking to start a garden but know VERY little. Please help!

One of the first questions should be what do you like to eat? You can learn specifics about each plant and how/where to grow them. I think gardening should be just like storing food in your pantry, you should buy what you eat and eat what you buy. (Rotating of course!)

 

[Brent S]

Ours is planned for Feb., just took a bit of research first. We're prepping the area in January, to plant in Feb. I have a good diagram on one of these threads, so I'll have to dig for it. (changed computers since that was posted).

Basics include: Green Bell Pepper, Onion, Celery, Carrots, Green Beans, Garlic, and others. We'll also have an area for Strawberries as well (as our area is kind of known for it).

We're also putting in an herb garden around that time, along with a Koi Pond in the front entryway area. Basically cooking and medicinal herbs, especially those that flower, along with some other flowering plants (this is so it appears that it is there for beauty, when really more about function).

Our garden area isn't visible from the road, or even most places on the property.

Next year, we'll also start planting some fruit trees (apples (yes, some can grow in Fl), pears, and oranges), but these will take a few years to fruit.

I just heard about an elderly woman in s.fla that had been growing vegetables in her front yard for 17 years. The city commission sued her for code violation, saying no vegetables could be grown in front yards. Happily, there are groups all over the country jumping in to her defense, and I was pretty pleased to hear that the people on the board are getting death threats. What kind of assholes would go after an old lady instead of dealing with real problems of running a city.

 

[Brent S]

I'm still picking my first carrots that I planted this fall. Was my first effort at any winter plant. They aren't as big as the ones in grocery stores, but have a great taste and I'm dammed proud of em! My new greenhouse has about 1/4 of it tilled and planted right now. I put in peas, broccoli, celery, onions, cabbage, spinach,and lettuce. So far all have sprouted and look ok. It gets down to just below freezing inside the house at night, and so far all the plants are still alive. I'm keeping records of all so I can repeat my successes down the road.

 

[jimLE]

Do you Have a "recipe" to make the pepper spray? I've never considered making it myself. I'm very interested

of course the peppers first...now im thinking a jar of real lemon juice.maybe a large onion..put the peppers in the ninja food juicer.grand them up.then add the lemon juice.and onion..i've put oranges lemons and onion into the ninja before.and the blades in it goes to town with what i put into it..i've even ground up gram crackers for pie crust in it..

 

[Danil54grl]

For plants, take some tobacco and soak it in some water, spray on plants.

 

[Gazrok]

I can concur with the tobacco trick, I've heard that from a lot of farmers in the area.

As for the lady with the city, city codes are what they are...sucks, but those vary all over the place. I agree there are likely other things to tackle, but chances are, she'll likely have to remove it.

Hopefully she has room in the back to redo it.

 

[jimLE]

just came across this recipe for pepper spray.​

Ingredients and Equipment
The two primary ingredients used to make hot pepper spray are garlic and cayenne pepper. You'll need two medium sized bulbs of garlic and four large cayenne peppers, either fresh or dried. Mineral oil, hot water and natural liquid soap are also required. Mineral oil can be found in your local drug store or hardware store, and natural liquid soap can be found in natural health stores. Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap is one such brand, but any type available may be used.
You'll also need some common kitchen equipment , including a blender, cheesecloth, rubber gloves, a pint-sized canning jar with lid for storage and a spray bottle for application. It's best to use a blender that will not be used for food preparation. However, if you don't have a spare blender, make sure to wash thoroughly to remove any mineral oil residue before using again. If cheesecloth is not available, you can use nylon pantyhose to strain the liquid.
Making Hot Pepper Spray
Coarsely chop the four garlic cloves, leaving the peel intact. Place them in a blender with the cayenne peppers. Add 2 tbsp. of mineral oil, 2 cups hot water and 3 tsp. of natural liquid soap. Place the lid on the blender and process on high speed for two to three minutes, or until pureed. Allow the hot pepper spray mixture to stand overnight, which will increase the heat and effectiveness of the solution.
In the morning, put on a pair of rubber gloves to protect your hands. This mixture can irritate the skin, so be careful while handling. Strain the liquid through a piece of cheesecloth (or nylon pantyhose) into a glass pint-sized canning jar. Secure the lid tightly and store in a cool, dry place for up to 90 days.
Using Hot Pepper Spray
To use, measure 1/4 cup of the mixture and transfer to a clean spray bottle. Add about 5 cups of water and shake well to combine. Spray directly onto plants as necessary, being careful not to get any of the liquid on your skin. It's a good idea to wear gloves any time you are handling the hot pepper spray. You can make a larger batch to use in a garden sprayer for larger pest problems. Just stick to the formula above of 1/4 cup of solution to every five cups of water.