Getting Slightly Serious About Gardening

[Maura]

We used to have some nice garden beds, including a small greenhouse and some tubs. When I got divorced I did very little to no gardening because I put the house up for sale.

This year, I'm starting some seedlings. I picked up a bag of potting soil, some peat pots, and a full spectrum light bulb.  I have 5 kinds of tomatoes, two kinds of dry beans (and some in the kitchen cupboard and I may plant those as well), green beans, and flowers. Gonna have me a garden.

[michigander]

I used to garden as a hobby, after retiring it was more for supplementing my meager income, now with rising prices it's a matter of survival, may the God of grace and mercy bless every garden and harvest

[countrymom22]

I know what you mean michigander. I was going to schedule my next knee replacement surgery for over the summer. But with the cost of food, as well as a few other considerations, hubby and I decided that I can't take a year off from my gardening, so the surgery will wait until next January.

[mogal]

Yep, anybody who can garden this year really ought to do so.

Michigander, our tiller is the same model as yours. It was built in '88 and we bought it used from an auction in '93.

[solargeek]

When we moved to Central Wisconsin about 10 years ago, I decided to start gardening as rooftop gardening in Chicago was all I could do before.

I now have 29 -4 x 8 or 4 x 12 -raised beds and plenty of inground beds. You may remember my tomato adventures with 400 plants two years ago and 200 plants last year.

Because I had bumper crops both years I’ll be cutting back this year as I have plenty of tomato product on the shelves canned and in the freezers. However I agree with all of you this is the year for bumper crops. Plant everything you can. I plan to share with all my neighbors and the Parish people I see each day.

[michigander]

I see a lot of determination in these posts- the kind of determination that made our country great!

[Maura]

Solargeek, how about selling tomatoes at the local stands/shows/fairs, whatever you have. I cannot buy a tomato from an in ground plant. They are all greenhouse and you can taste the difference. I am growing my own this year again because they are always better (and only steps away).

[bowdonkey]

Mar 17, 2022 21:13:14 GMT countrymom22 said:

I know what you mean michigander . I was going to schedule my next knee replacement surgery for over the summer. But with the cost of food, as well as a few other considerations, hubby and I decided that I can't take a year off from my gardening, so the surgery will wait until next January.

If it's a routine knee replacement, do it now. You'll be healed by January. Do what the therapist says afterward. My brother and Dad both had knees replaced, both said it was a good decision. Many where I work have had this operation. The only ones who didn't do well were those who didn't follow all the rehabilitation afterward. But the ones who did are all fine. They do have some negatives in common, like a built in weather station!   Also real cold weather hurts when they're not dressed warmly. The ones who recovered first and best were the athletes,  the slowest to recover were those overweight. But they recovered. If for some reason you can't get the operation in January gardening will be the least of your problems. Just saying, I'm not telling you how to live. 

[solargeek]

Mar 18, 2022 16:36:01 GMT Maura said:

Solargeek, how about selling tomatoes at the local stands/shows/fairs, whatever you have. I cannot buy a tomato from an in ground plant. They are all greenhouse and you can taste the difference. I am growing my own this year again because they are always better (and only steps away).

Maura, wish you lived close by!

We don't need the $$ so I give them away. But we are 2000 feet from closest neighbor and 1/2 acre from the next.

So, For ex: Our USPS lady is raising her grandkids while working full time. Found that out chatting over package deliveries. So, I asked if she cooked. Then another time (all before harvest) asked if the kids liked spaghetti or lasagna, then it turned out she has to cook from scratch as money is tight. Didn't ask, she offered.

So now we have a system where I leave a note in the mailbox with the flag up with her name on it and "pole barn". (800 ft from our house and not visible from the street) Then she knows I have produce for her in trays where no one else can see. She drives up and it I am home we chat; but she gets full trays of tomatoes, squash, cukes - anything she has said she likes.

I regularly take full trays of mixed tomatoes to daily Mass for the group to share. Also any other abundant produce. Most neighbors have gardens but I trade FOR zucchini and give tomatoes to a retiree. Yes I love zukes and use them in everything once shredded - even sandwich bread!

At church I am setting up some of the elderly with "container gardens" in trays. I bought so many bushes, plants, etc in those black nursery containers and they came with the 6 pack holders! Perfect for them to plant with a pepper plaint in each, or spinach or lettuce of onions (plenty deep and they don't tip over due to weight. I am delivering those next week with some seeds that would work.

I will be handing out heirloom tomato seeds next week at daily Mass also for the big families and elderly.

These are some ways I can give back and they like the stuff Can't feed them all but I am trying.

So although not 400 or even 300 tomatoes, but still will grow tons. Also squash was in high demand by the big families last year so i will double down on those.

[susannah]

solargeek , I love the spirit of giving that you share! What a wonderful way to share your garden bounty. Thank you for what you're doing!

[farmerjack]

The local veterans have a small office here. Not sure how they are connected to everything else. Found out that they have a small store in the building. Started taking extra garden items to them. They are always happy to take it off my hands. Apparently they see that it goes to those that are in need the most.

[susannah]

farmerjack , thank you for your generosity as well! Sharing like that must brighten a lot of peoples' days.

[Jolly]

I do a row crop garden and some raised beds. In the big garden, I have fourteen 120' rows. I work it with a 40hp tractor, a rear tine tiller and a Mantis. Love my Mantis! I plant corn, purple hulls, snap beans and okra in that garden. And fight deer.

In the raised beds, it's tomatoes, squash, eggplant and peppers. Out by the tractor shed, I've got some wire trellis for cucumbers. I need to build some more raised beds...Lot easier to work as you get older.

[Maura]

Solargeek, good way to give a hand kindly. We used to give away eggs when we had chickens. DH took them to work (a county office) and they would always disappear

[countrymom22]

Mar 18, 2022 19:04:39 GMT bowdonkey said:

Mar 17, 2022 21:13:14 GMT countrymom22 said:

I know what you mean michigander . I was going to schedule my next knee replacement surgery for over the summer. But with the cost of food, as well as a few other considerations, hubby and I decided that I can't take a year off from my gardening, so the surgery will wait until next January.

If it's a routine knee replacement, do it now. You'll be healed by January. Do what the therapist says afterward. My brother and Dad both had knees replaced, both said it was a good decision. Many where I work have had this operation. The only ones who didn't do well were those who didn't follow all the rehabilitation afterward. But the ones who did are all fine. They do have some negatives in common, like a built in weather station!   Also real cold weather hurts when they're not dressed warmly. The ones who recovered first and best were the athletes,  the slowest to recover were those overweight. But they recovered. If for some reason you can't get the operation in January gardening will be the least of your problems. Just saying, I'm not telling you how to live. 

Thanks for the response bowdonkey.  I just had my left knee replaced this January and the recovery went great!  We decided to put off the right knee as there is too much work for one person to do during the growing season with all the mowing, weeding and gardening.  And with the economy the way it is we just can't do without my gardens.  Plus, hubby travels a lot for work during the warmer months for days at a time, so he wouldn't be here to take me to PT.  And when I have my right knee done the surgeon told me that I wouldn't be allowed to drive for at least 6 weeks, so it just won't work.  And for my grooming business, January and February are the slowest months so I will be inconveniencing the least number of my clients, although everyone has been super supportive and understanding.  I can deal with the pain with steroid shots for the next 9 months.  After living with this for over 20 years, 9 months is nothing!  And I'm using the next 9 months to strengthen  the surgical leg, since I haven't used it normally in 15 years, it will be a slow process.  And building up the left leg to be my dominate leg after my next surgery.

[smokey]

We're adding to the garden quite a bit this year out of self defense against grocery prices.

My wife and I planted 50 sweet onion starts today along with Yukon gold potatoes. I have cabbage and broccoli seedlings I wanted to get planted but I ran out of steam before I got to them. Ahh, The joys of getting old.

We have a lot more seedlings started this year than we have in the past but a lot of them are a couple of weeks away from being planted until our last frost date is past.

We have a strawberry bed that we neglected last year and the plants put most of their energy into sending out runners and making new plants so my wife has been working on reclaiming it.

She's been digging out plants and repotting them to be given away to anyone who needs or wants them.

Once the strawberries are evicted we plan to use the bed for beans,squash or okra.

Anyway, We're basically doubling the amount of vegetables we're planting this year compared to years past.

[countrymom22]

I think we're all thinking the same thing smokey. I've got hubby welding up some additional raised beds and I'm planning on raising additional pumpkins to feed to the chickens over the winter. And I'll be planting things even closer together to maximize production in the beds that I already have.