31 December, 2008

Garden plans

The seed catalogs are beginning to trickle in. I flipped through the Burpee one and still can't figure out why anyone would want a seedless tomato? How are you going to grow more?

I am thinking that we are going to plant, lettuce-Romain, potatoes-red skin, and these really fun purple ones that Richard picked up in TX, tomatoes, green peas, green beans, collards, zucchini, yellow squash, okra, corn, pumpkins, garlic, carrots, green peppers, purple hull peas, spinach, cucumbers for salad and pickles, and probably more but I can't think of what.

I was also looking at the fruit trees and berries. I would like to get apple trees, peaches, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries. Maybe try a few plums, pears. I've also thought about grapes but I am still not sure.

Our Co-Op manager had said that the fruit trees would be in around Christmas, but they still haven't come in. Hopefully soon, but now that I think about it I don't think that even Wal-mart has their trees in yet.

So we need to get the ground ready, we have a very large garden space, thanks to a neighbor. He turned over a plot 165'x65'. But sadly we still do not have a tiller or tractor, I am praying that we will be able to get one this year. My FIL did come over last year and gave us hand, with his tiller, but I think that it was too late in the season so the weeds and grass took over.

My garden goal for this year is to put up as much as possible. I do need to get a pressure canner, lots of jars, figure out the pantry space to store all of the jars once they are full. And pray that we don't break to many jars during the canning process. We've been using our jars for other things and many are getting broken. Time to go back to plastic cups again.

The boys and I also need to sit down and draw out the garden so that we can plan out we are going to plant everything.

We need to get the chicken coop cleaned out, the rabbits poo is also really good to use, the pigs are swimming in mud that can also be used, and when I want the cow manure I can go to Dad's and he will fill the pick up. So we are not short on the fertilizer, but we might need top soil or something. I know that stuff will grow out there, besides the weeds, I just need to be a lot more dilligent aobut getting out there everyday. Trying not to waste our money on buying plants before I have anywhere to put them.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

LOL...folks are predominately lazy by nature :o) They don't want to save seeds, so they buy GMO and otherwise altered seeds instead of heirloom varieties.
So far we don't have but 2 seed catalogs and both are basically useless, having nothing much but modified seeds in them :o(

Ang sent a list of several cataolds she uses over at Bama -- check there and send for those. We are making out our list of what to grow here as well. Tomatoes and green peppers, carrots, and english peas are the largest crops we'll do. Then corn, squash and maybe some sweet potatoes.

I'm hoping to have the garden in the back here, then I'll do a strip along side of that, if I get that blasted pear tree gone. If I get some fencing up temporarily, I'll do Chris' clearing in corn, squash and pumpkins to keep them out of the way.

I'd like to get some herbs started again this year so in a few years we can start harvesting for teas and salves and the like. I need to decided what we will use and will want on hand.

Deanna