My Garden Plan

[Gazrok]

I'd researched it for months, and finally came up with the veggies my family would eat, (as well as horses and bunnies), and when to grow what (I'm in Central FL, Zone 9A). I'm basically doing 3 raised beds. We plan to start this early next month if all goes well. (I'll post pics of progress). I'm a total noob at this, so didn't want to go into it without a lot of research.

Each bed should be about 4' wide, 2 will be about 30' long, and the other about 25' long (so this isn't exactly to scale). I may just extend it the last 5' and not worry about a gate there (expanding the potatoes section).

The right-most column gets shade, where the other two are pretty much full sun.

Any helpful tips/tricks on these particular plants? The good thing is that things grow here pretty well (we're the strawberry capitol of the world).

We'll be planting fruit trees soon too, and doing a medicinal/culinary herb garden around a small pond/fountain in the front entryway.

 

[Hockie]

for shtf, I am interested in sprouting, because it's great return on your effort/risk, very swiftly. But not for the first year of the "trouble" and only in small, scattered, hidden plots, subsurface, in the middle of thickets, at nearly the top of a hill, so they'll be hard to spot. Sprouting gives you edible, replacable food in a mere week. Not months and months of waiting/exposure, as with mature plants. Fire/wind/hail, drought/flooding/bugs/disease are little or no threat to small sprout plots, cause they can be moved/protected in a big hurry.

 

[Gazrok]

for shtf, I am interested in sprouting, because it's great return on your effort/risk, very swiftly. But not for the first year of the "trouble" and only in small, scattered, hidden plots, subsurface, in the middle of thickets, at nearly the top of a hill, so they'll be hard to spot. Sprouting gives you edible, replacable food in a mere week. Not months and months of waiting/exposure, as with mature plants. Fire/wind/hail, drought/flooding/bugs/disease are little or no threat to small sprout plots, cause they can be moved/protected in a big hurry.

Not a bad idea, and no reason both can't be done, in a SHTF situation. Our garden wouldn't be visible from the road...in fact, you'd have to be pretty much past the house to even see it.

 

[Danil54grl]

I love the idea of 4 ft wide beds. I have been doing these raised bed for years now since they offer a great return with little effort, but you may want to rethink the area for watermelons. I dedicate 1 whole 8 ft x 25 ft for them for themselves along with Cantaloupe and pumpkins. You can plant 4 lettuce in a 1-ft section. Have you checked into the "square foot" gardening? It pack as much as you can in a little space. You wont believe how many carrots, green onions, and radishes you can pack into that area.

 

[Gazrok]

I've checked into it, (square foot gardening), but really just want to get started first, then add more techniques as we go (it sounds like something I'd want to do though). We're all pretty new at it here, but things take almost no effort to grow here it seems. The watermelons are kind of an add on that we may or may not do, subbing in more of something else...so shouldn't need a lot.

 

[Ally Oakley]

I built 2 raised beds and got a bunch of 5 gallon buckets for extra tomatoes and cucumbers. The only thing that thrived was the arugula. I am going to try again and keep trying until I figure it out. I might try the square foot garden next and see how that goes.

 

[Ally Oakley]

I've checked into it, (square foot gardening), but really just want to get started first, then add more techniques as we go (it sounds like something I'd want to do though). We're all pretty new at it here, but things take almost no effort to grow here it seems. The watermelons are kind of an add on that we may or may not do, subbing in more of something else...so shouldn't need a lot.

Can you plant a bumper root crop where you have asparagus? I was thinking it would screw up the asparagus' root system since they are not something that you pull up each season. They stay dormant in the ground. I could be totally wrong about it though since I totally suck at gardening.

 

[Gazrok]

Can you plant a bumper root crop where you have asparagus? I was thinking it would screw up the asparagus' root system since they are not something that you pull up each season

That's a good point. Asparagus is really dicey here anyhow though. It's more of a wish crop and trial, than anything else.

 

[Ally Oakley]

Can I also suggest that you plant some arugula, kale and spinach if it will grow well in your area? The nutritional value of those things are off the chart. Lettuce, on the other hand, really doesn't have much nutritional value. Just a thought.

 

[Gazrok]

Yeah, just a matter of what my family already eats. I will definitely have lots of stored heirloom seeds too, and for things I don't necessarily plan on growing right out of the gate.

 

[Ally Oakley]

Yeah, just a matter of what my family already eats. I will definitely have lots of stored heirloom seeds too, and for things I don't necessarily plan on growing right out of the gate.

Yeah, just a matter of what my family already eats. I will definitely have lots of stored heirloom seeds too, and for things I don't necessarily plan on growing right out of the gate.

Try just mixing in one or all of those greens with your regular salad lettuce and I bet they will hardly notice. Well, expect for the arugula. Arugula is very spicy. We love it though. Can you grow citrus or avocados in your area? Those are both essential to your diet and would make a great addition. I wish we could grown them here.

 

[Gazrok]

Yep, we already have a tangerine tree, but our plans are to add an avocado tree, orange tree, some apple trees (yes, there are some that can actually grow in FL), and a pear tree. Likely a banana one too...but I hear it dies and you have to start all over after.

 

[Brent S]

for shtf, I am interested in sprouting, because it's great return on your effort/risk, very swiftly. But not for the first year of the "trouble" and only in small, scattered, hidden plots, subsurface, in the middle of thickets, at nearly the top of a hill, so they'll be hard to spot. Sprouting gives you edible, replacable food in a mere week. Not months and months of waiting/exposure, as with mature plants. Fire/wind/hail, drought/flooding/bugs/disease are little or no threat to small sprout plots, cause they can be moved/protected in a big hurry.

I've never thought of sprouts, neat idea. What kind do you grow or like? I saw an episode of doomsday castle where they had very natural camouflodged gardens, kind of in a circle radius. It definitely makes less of a target for hungry marauders.

 

[Brent S]

Yep, we already have a tangerine tree, but our plans are to add an avocado tree, orange tree, some apple trees (yes, there are some that can actually grow in FL), and a pear tree. Likely a banana one too...but I hear it dies and you have to start all over after.

I lived in deland fla 8 yr ago, at my last house I had about 15 citrus trees, all different, and at appx. 4yrs they were producing well. Anyways, the schmuck that bought the place cut them all down and put in some azaleas! I'm now in n ga. And really wish I could get fresh oranges!