General

[Schmitti]

[Listessa]

Oooo if you do grow potatoes, grow the good ones. Those purple ones, or fingerlings are wonderful.
There's a bag of potato seeds at work that one of the ladies has not yet taken home to plant. If I thought they would survive the shipping process they'd be yours. Nansi grows some fab stuff during the summers.

I'm not that great at growing anything. Somehow the green thumb gene skipped the generation with me- shocking since my mom loves gardening (flower and food) and my dad worked on a farm for most of his childhood and teenage years.

Can you guys find someone who has their own livestock? (even rabbits work to a degree) The best fertilizer is the fresh stuff. As much of a PITA it is to transport manure, it makes everything grow in the least likely of places. My mom's "secret" to some great sugar snap peas was a never ending supply of fresh rabbit fertilizer. She also grew some good squash (ick), and tomatoes (ick!!!), watermelon, cantaloupe, radishes, and many other things when I was little. It is a royal pain to keep up, especially if the growing season isn't over and you have to cover things for a late frost in the fall (or early one in the spring/summer).

[incynr8]

Originally Posted by Christian Nelson

The problem I always have wit potatos, is when I go to harvest them, the grocery stores all have 5lb bags of them for free with coupons and stuff, almost not worth the time.

true, but it's a self-sufficiency thing. I agree with Listessa, might as well be 'gourmet' ones then. Same thing with onion sets...Not much saved, but you did it without reliance.

[Schmitti]

Lis I believe they are the purple ones... no need to grow the standard reds or big old white potatoes that can be a buck a bag on sale.

E

[Azzy]

Originally Posted by Drum

Maybe you guys should get some of those upside tomato plants you see on TV all the time. You don't even need soil.

All you need is a 5gal bucket, soil, and a place that it can hang from (smaller bucket will work with strawberries)

Put a 2” or so hole in the bottom, cover with a few layers of coffee filter, taped in. fill the thing with topsoil, and put on a tight lid (with some holes as well for drainage at first, and watering later). Then, flip it over, plant whatever it is you want in there, let it take root for a week or so, and then hang but the bucket handle, high enough that animals wont eat (if you have that high).

We might be doing that this year, and I saw some things about planting tomatoes in hay bales, and I have one from last fall left over that I am going to try out, see how it works.

How do you guys do your watering? Sprinker? Drip/soaker hose? Supersoaker battles?

[Drum]

Originally Posted by incynr8

Not much saved, but you did it without reliance.

Clearly untrue, but you are starting to sound more and more like a "stock class farmer Al".

Where did you get the potato spores or onion seedlings? Did you rely on the sun and the weather and the past pesticide spraying by your neighbors?

You also rely upon your back to pick them and your house and your refrigerator to make use of them.

Every ten round tube made puts dioxins into our air and water.

Give me a friggin chicken mcnugget every time.

[incynr8]

chicken mc-nugget, that's mc-priceless!

[oldschool]

Butter Beans !!

[R.J.]

Check out Barefoot Farmer, of all the people that I meet when I was playing at farming, this guy can make it work.

Farming most expensive hobby that I have ever had.

[Drum]

Originally Posted by R.J.

Farming most expensive hobby that I have ever had.

Hanging with hookers has been MY most expensive hobby...