Our homesteading To-Dos are what we have on our list of , need to be done, in the 2011 year.
Our list is as of follows:
1. finish greenhouse
2. get wood stove for greenhouse
3. plow another garden space (as the kids are growing)
4. raise veggie plants for family members as well as for us.
5. get calf and 2 dairy goats
6. reduce grocery store dependency by 5%
Showing posts with label garden ideas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label garden ideas. Show all posts
Monday, January 31, 2011
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Slugs and bugs - eeekks
As i was walking through the garden I discovered that it was time to run in the house and search the web for ways to get rid of potato bugs and cabbage worms.
After weeks of tiring to tempt anyone to pluck the little non beneficial bugs for a penny a piece, i still have had no takers. I'm sure the only reason no one wants the job is because they have watched me sit there for hours plucking the little boogers off the plants. After spending much of my time trying to displace them I am hoping to find a earth friendly- non abrasive- gentle to other beneficial bugs remedy. Thus I found if you sprinkle flour on the cabbage the worms then eat it and POOF. We shall see....
As for the potato bugs it took more then a few minutes to find something that might repel the bugs from eating the leaves off the plants. Which brings me to the hot pepper spray. A few hot peppers in some water. Let cool. Mix more water with the hot pepper juice ( so to speak). Spray the plants when cool. Done... Does it work who knows. Its not supposed to kill them just repel them. I am hoping it works. It would be really nice if it did. Not to mention this is easier on the pocket book.
After weeks of tiring to tempt anyone to pluck the little non beneficial bugs for a penny a piece, i still have had no takers. I'm sure the only reason no one wants the job is because they have watched me sit there for hours plucking the little boogers off the plants. After spending much of my time trying to displace them I am hoping to find a earth friendly- non abrasive- gentle to other beneficial bugs remedy. Thus I found if you sprinkle flour on the cabbage the worms then eat it and POOF. We shall see....
As for the potato bugs it took more then a few minutes to find something that might repel the bugs from eating the leaves off the plants. Which brings me to the hot pepper spray. A few hot peppers in some water. Let cool. Mix more water with the hot pepper juice ( so to speak). Spray the plants when cool. Done... Does it work who knows. Its not supposed to kill them just repel them. I am hoping it works. It would be really nice if it did. Not to mention this is easier on the pocket book.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Garden in May
Our garden is really full. Some would say too full but nah we don't think that. With the recent rains( every day for 4 days) its very hard to get into the garden to pull weeds but I will post the garden pics anyway. So here you go.
In the photo on the top the veggies are 8 zucchini, 83 tomato plants, 10 rows of corn, then the potatoes. The picture to the right of the page is from the other side of the garden. First this way is the dreaded weeds that are growing everywhere in the garden, sunflowers the kids planted (heavy), 2 rows of onions ( 2 different kinds), melons, cucumbers, peppers, then the potatoes.
The potato box in the right is on its 3rd run. It is really growing well. I am excited to see how many spuds are In there. If they do well I am wanting to make an extended box to fit the garden better. A lot of people who have used the potato boxes say they grow a lot of potatoes in them so I am waiting to see how many more the box has then just the ones in the garden.
In the photo on the top the veggies are 8 zucchini, 83 tomato plants, 10 rows of corn, then the potatoes. The picture to the right of the page is from the other side of the garden. First this way is the dreaded weeds that are growing everywhere in the garden, sunflowers the kids planted (heavy), 2 rows of onions ( 2 different kinds), melons, cucumbers, peppers, then the potatoes.
The potato box in the right is on its 3rd run. It is really growing well. I am excited to see how many spuds are In there. If they do well I am wanting to make an extended box to fit the garden better. A lot of people who have used the potato boxes say they grow a lot of potatoes in them so I am waiting to see how many more the box has then just the ones in the garden.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Ideas of my own
My biggest pet peeve in gardening is myself. I don't trust myself enough. i doubt myself more then I should. I think of a plan, I start to do it then BOOM I start thinking well maybe it won't work then I end up doing more then I should because I don't try the simpler easier plan first. I make it into this big complicated, highly involved, process that really is not necessary.
When I was younger I would help out in the garden and remember a basement full of canned goods at all times. As I grew I held on to those same traditions. When I first got married we owned chickens, goats, and rabbits. But didn't have room for the garden. When we moved to a much larger plot of land we somehow got away from the animals and concentrated more on the gardening aspect. We started with a garden area which over the years has grown into a larger garden plot and 12 raised beds. But all along the way of this I would constantly ask someone else "what should I do?" "Can you grow this here?"
After many years of not getting the answers I wanted I have decided this year to take back my garden and just do it. If I think it will work I will try it. If it works, Great. If not then I will jot it down in my gardening journal and try a different approach next year.
I know we can get more then one cucumber harvest here in our growing season. I know to make the tomato plants stronger to plant them side ways. I know to get better tomatoes and tomatoes through out the season to remove the suckers that grow between the branches. I have learned allot through the years from others and I really enjoy talking to others about there experiences. I am however going to trust my ideas also. I will try my ideas without doubting myself, more.
When I was younger I would help out in the garden and remember a basement full of canned goods at all times. As I grew I held on to those same traditions. When I first got married we owned chickens, goats, and rabbits. But didn't have room for the garden. When we moved to a much larger plot of land we somehow got away from the animals and concentrated more on the gardening aspect. We started with a garden area which over the years has grown into a larger garden plot and 12 raised beds. But all along the way of this I would constantly ask someone else "what should I do?" "Can you grow this here?"
After many years of not getting the answers I wanted I have decided this year to take back my garden and just do it. If I think it will work I will try it. If it works, Great. If not then I will jot it down in my gardening journal and try a different approach next year.
I know we can get more then one cucumber harvest here in our growing season. I know to make the tomato plants stronger to plant them side ways. I know to get better tomatoes and tomatoes through out the season to remove the suckers that grow between the branches. I have learned allot through the years from others and I really enjoy talking to others about there experiences. I am however going to trust my ideas also. I will try my ideas without doubting myself, more.
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