Gardening

[Zombie Response K9 Unit]

I have a terrible habit of killing anything green that enters my life. What are some easy veggies that are durable and, well, harder to kill?
I would like to start a small garden now so when SHTF I at least semi know what I'm doing haha

 

[jayjay]

I've been gardening a while, and I have found the following the easiest to grow;

Lettuce, beans, cabbage, tomatoes, radish & pumpkin.

A lot also depends on the soil, temperatures etc. I would speak to a local nursery or garden centre and they will have the best advice for your area.
I also keep seeds from each crop to use for the next season - saves money on seeds, and I know what I am growing.

I need to get into preserving next, but I only have a small garden. Good luck, and I also find gardening very relaxing and a good stress relief.

 

[AmyReisch]

I always read about gardening and growing. Now that you have an easy to spot food source, how are you going to protect it from marauders and midnight raids in a SHTF scenario? You won't be able to stand guard over it 24 hours a day so how do you make it less conspicuous?

 

[jayjay]

Tall fences, some patches visible from the house, and, growing some vegetales, ie tomatoes & zuchini in amongst established rose bushes. All you can see is roses unless you know where to look.

 

[AmyReisch]

Wouldn't tall fences just give them a reason to want to know what you were hiding?
The rose idea sounds great!

 

[old_anorak]

We've got 3 garden plots and a few raised beds. All are fenced and in our backyard which is also fenced and holds very large, cranky dogs. I've had problems in the past with a woman that used to live up the road, she seemed to think that my garden and chicken house was a public food distribution point. Caught her leaving my chicken house one day carrying a dozen eggs, and she couldn't understand why I was angry. We extended our yard fencing to encompass the chickens and gardens and she didn't come back because she didn't like the dogs that would stop her. She had the gall to complain at the little general store about me, said I wasn't neighborly since she couldn't go get what she wanted whenever she wanted to, the people there told her that she was lucky to not have a backside filled with rock salt.

As to easy vegetables to grow. Try summer squash, I think that stuff would make it through a nuclear holocaust.

 

[jayjay]

Forgot to mention zuchini-easiest vegetable to grow.
As for the fences, we are also at the end of a cul-de-sac, so we only have two neighbouring fences. They are standard height for our neighborhood,6 ft high, colourbond steel, so not suspicious at all. One neighbour has noisy dogs, so we have an early warning system that someone else is paying to feed.

 

[Danil54grl]

Easiest things around here to grow in lettuce, green beans, crowder peas, squash, zuchinni, radish

 

[rudyc]

I have a terrible habit of killing anything green that enters my life. What are some easy veggies that are durable and, well, harder to kill?
I would like to start a small garden now so when SHTF I at least semi know what I'm doing haha

sucks to be the hulk.

but i have a big enough back yard to grow some stuff. would like to try peppers, orange tree, lemon tree, lettuce, beans...

 

[BillyJack]

New to the forum, just wanted to add 2 cents. I have some guerilla grow advice, for some crops 2.5 gal paint buckets spray painted camo, hung on tree limbs. Buckets provide mobility and properly fed soil can prodvide bountiful results. Either ground or elevated away from animals it offers more flexibilty to certain plants to be grown. Perfect are those new upside down tomato contraptions are sold at the dollar store, and you can grow up to 3 different plants in one container to maximize water usage. Just something to snag next time you are out. Throw in some superthrive plant food(a few drops per gallon) and you are set for basics.

 

[Allen]

Im new to farming and i live in northwest fl where it gets hot and the soil is more sand than anything else.I tried to grow corn and cucumber and tomatoes a couple times and i didnt get that great of a turn out im thinking of trying a raised bed this time around any type of veggies i should try for my area any opinion would be helpful thanks

 

[BillyJack]

Sandy soil washes out nutrients rapidly, you can mix in ground coconut coir or premade soil ammenders to help hold moisture and nutrients. I push superthrive for all plants to feed. 7$ a bottle, literally 2-3 drops per gallon is a complete feed and is easier to make and measure versus powder. I have never killed a plant using it...ever. One bottle will last years, and treat thousands of gallons. A few mods to your soil alone will make you grow like a champ alone. Sandy soil isnt a bad thing, just keeping the plant fed will make you a success. As far as easy starter stuff to build confidence...I say radishes, beets, carrots, squash, and beans greens(lettuce,collards,romaine) all are heat ,pest and frost tolerant, and are hardy for dryer conditions. Tomatoes I advise a bucket type of system, they respond faster to nutrients in the container, and can be moved to light sources. Strawberries can be done the same way, and its a superfruit for survivalists out there.

 

[UrbanArchR]

I'll be trying my hand at another garden this year, as well. But, as with Allen (Hi Allen! I'm in Navarre! Hit me up sometime!) NW Florida has sandy soil; and on top of that, there seems to be something in this soil that downright prevents tomato plants from doing anything but rotting... So this year, after several other attempts, I'll definitely be going the topsy-turvy route. Plant basil and thyme with them. I'd like to try a couple rows of corn, just to see what happens. Lettuce is something that I'd like to start growing and cultivating year-round. I saw a garden just a couple of days ago, here locally, that already had what looks like green beans, broccoli, and several other things coming up nicely. I was thinking I should wait a little longer, but apparently I should have already started. I've got a lot of research to do -- I'm used to being in colder weather than this.

 

[bill harrell]

I'll be trying my hand at another garden this year, as well. But, as with Allen (Hi Allen! I'm in Navarre! Hit me up sometime!) NW Florida has sandy soil; and on top of that, there seems to be something in this soil that downright prevents tomato plants from doing anything but rotting... So this year, after several other attempts, I'll definitely be going the topsy-turvy route. Plant basil and thyme with them. I'd like to try a couple rows of corn, just to see what happens. Lettuce is something that I'd like to start growing and cultivating year-round. I saw a garden just a couple of days ago, here locally, that already had what looks like green beans, broccoli, and several other things coming up nicely. I was thinking I should wait a little longer, but apparently I should have already started. I've got a lot of research to do -- I'm used to being in colder weather than this.

try planting the tomatoes earlier ,mid march, feed them often to get their size up and roots down before the hot weather. We call it blight, but I dont know what it is. you may have to cover them if a frost is coming.

 

[Bravery]

try planting the tomatoes earlier ,mid march, feed them often to get their size up and roots down before the hot weather. We call it blight, but I dont know what it is. you may have to cover them if a frost is coming.

I'm in Jacksonville, FL... while I haven't really tried to grow anything just yet. My cousin told me that the way he grows tomatoes is to get a bag of Black Kow manure, poke holes in one side, then turn the bag over, cut the holes in the bag, and plant the tomato plants there (right in the Black Kow manure). He swears by it. Worth a try... so that's what I'm going to do ... at least to try it out.

He swears by it.

 

[Jessica Ann]

I'm in Jacksonville, FL... while I haven't really tried to grow anything just yet. My cousin told me that the way he grows tomatoes is to get a bag of Black Kow manure, poke holes in one side, then turn the bag over, cut the holes in the bag, and plant the tomato plants there (right in the Black Kow manure). He swears by it. Worth a try... so that's what I'm going to do ... at least to try it out.

He swears by it.

My mom does something similar.She buys the bags of compost from a garden center & cots a big x across the whole bag and plants herbs directly into the bag.The roots will eventually grow through the bag.

 

[Bravery]

Hey, I was doing research on this topic and I found this!!
http://www.blackkow.com/_html/plantingtomatoes.htm
Pretty cool!!!

 

[Danil54grl]

Started my garden with herbs (thyme, rosematy, cilantro, Italian parsley, and dill) along with garlic, sweet and red onions, leeks, broccoli, cabbage, snap peas, brussel sprouts, potatoes (both russet and red )and lettuce

 

[old_anorak]

I'm looking to start my beets and a few other cool weather crops next month if it stays as mild as it has been. Mercy I hope we have rain this year.

 

[Danil54grl]

Sorry, but yes I started beets too. Hubby maybe not too happy on that one! So far we have had pleny of rain this year, unlike last year thankfully. .