Quarantine Vegetable Gardens

[CeeCeeCat]

you have a good climate for lemon trees?

Nobody is more surprised than me that it’s grown at all! It’s less a tree, more a lemon shrub right now - I planted it in August last year and, so far so good. I’m not expecting to get fruit for a very long time, if at all - it’s just lovely to see something unexpectedly thrive.

 

[LadyL]

Nobody is more surprised than me that it’s grown at all! It’s less a tree, more a lemon shrub right now - I planted it in August last year and, so far so good. I’m not expecting to get fruit for a very long time, if at all - it’s just lovely to see something unexpectedly thrive.

that's really cool ... wouldn't expect it to thrive there

 

[Darling136]

by salad, do you mean lettuce?

it is including lettuce, yes, there are also some wild things etc here is an example

Salad Leaves 'Nice 'n' Spicy' Mixed seeds | Thompson & Morgan

 

[MimosaMornings]

I’ve had good luck with buttercrunch lettuce and radishes using a seed tape.


Seed Tape - Vegetable Seed Tape - Seed Tape Roll

 

[Gardenista]

I’ve had good luck with buttercrunch lettuce and radishes using a seed tape.


Seed Tape - Vegetable Seed Tape - Seed Tape Roll

I've used this before and it works great. I've also made my own seed tape using very thin TP and paste made out of flour and water which was kind of a pain.

 

[Darling136]

i like seed tapes and i can recommend them also for beginners

 

[Auntie Cipation]

I posted these thoughts on the main thread but it more appropriately goes here:

For those who are seriously worried about a breakdown in the food production/distribution chain and who are looking to home gardens, may I respectfully suggest that one think about prioritizing calorie-heavy staple foods.

Not saying don't grow tomatoes and peppers if you like 'em, but if our food supply is seriously disrupted, we're going to want our gardens to be full of squash, potatoes, turnips, cabbage, fresh greens. Chickens/eggs. Nut trees will be an especially valuable source of natural fat. Got local dairy? Local honey? Local pork? Who grows sugar cane near you?

 

[IceIce9]

I want to get some chickens! I love eggs and they are difficult to find now, and the free-range ones are very expensive.

Unfortunately my HOA would probably object.

 

[Tillicum]

If anyone has room for zucchini they are fabulous IMO. Bake, broil, fry or even eat raw. They grow and produce like crazy and they're gorgeous with long vines and big flowers. On our keto diet we can't eat any pasta but I make spaghetti and vermicelli from zucchini with a spiralizer. Sliced longways about 1/4 inch thick they make a great lasagna noodle substitute.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I want to get some chickens! I love eggs and they are difficult to find now, and the free-range ones are very expensive.

Unfortunately my HOA would probably object.

Besides wildlife issues, this is among reasons that we can't have a garden in our neighborhood. No fences unless you have an inground pool, and it has to be a certain type of black iron fence w/gate that surrounds only the pool/deck. Some years ago, an older couple (both now deceased) planted tomato vines alongside their home with chicken wire to keep the critters out. They were asked to move the plants to their backyard so they couldn't be seen by neighbors or visitors

 

[bowler]

I want to get some chickens! I love eggs and they are difficult to find now, and the free-range ones are very expensive.

Unfortunately, my HOA would probably object.

IF they allow fowl/bird pets, you should be good to go, eggs are just a by-product of owning them no roosters tho

 

[MimosaMornings]

Some places have a community garden - I just found one near me. They limit 2 people at a time and it’s $20 a year for a plot.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

I want to get some chickens! I love eggs and they are difficult to find now, and the free-range ones are very expensive.

Unfortunately my HOA would probably object.

Besides wildlife issues, this is among reasons that we can't have a garden in our neighborhood. No fences unless you have an inground pool, and it has to be a certain type of black iron fence w/gate that surrounds only the pool/deck. Some years ago, an older couple (both now deceased) planted tomato vines alongside their home with chicken wire to keep the critters out. They were asked to move the plants to their backyard so they couldn't be seen by neighbors or visitors

Some ideas:

Co-ownership of chickens with friends who live where they are permitted.

Support CSAs, farmer's markets etc so you get to eat local food even if you can't grow it.

Petition HOA for change of rules given the current situation.

Google "guerrilla gardening". There are ways to disguise your food garden as flowers (within reason), grow in a community garden plot, or on otherwise "unused" land that isn't your yard.

 

[Gardener1850]

I posted these thoughts on the main thread but it more appropriately goes here:

For those who are seriously worried about a breakdown in the food production/distribution chain and who are looking to home gardens, may I respectfully suggest that one think about prioritizing calorie-heavy staple foods.

Not saying don't grow tomatoes and peppers if you like 'em, but if our food supply is seriously disrupted, we're going to want our gardens to be full of squash, potatoes, turnips, cabbage, fresh greens. Chickens/eggs. Nut trees will be an especially valuable source of natural fat. Got local dairy? Local honey? Local pork? Who grows sugar cane near you?

Since you replied to my post in the other thread I wanted to clarify that I always grow squash, greens, beans, radishes, etc as well but I don't usually plant these ahead of time inside. You can do that, but I've found those items don't transplant well for me and my climate. I'd rather start them right in the garden bed after last frost. Radishes, greens and beans grow quickly. As soon as it's safe temperature wise I will put those in the garden bed. The plants I'm growing inside-- peppers, eggplant and tomatoes take a long time to grow from seed (about 150 days) and transplant fairly well. Squash and pumpkins take a long time to grow too (50 to 100 days) but whenever I have tried transplanting them I have plant failure. So I grow those directly in the garden bed and wait. It might be my climate which is the really hot and humid Southeast. Cole vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, kale, turnips etc) won't grow well if it's too hot and need to be grown in the cooler time of spring and fall where I live. I'm toying with the idea of trying these inside this year. Some with cooler climates might be able to grow cole crops year round: Cole Crop Plants – When To Plant Cole Crops

Everyone needs to check their plant hardiness zone for best dates on when to plant and what you can grow in your climate: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

Also, here's good guide on what will transplant well and what should be sown directly in the garden:
Planting Vegetables from Seed and Seedling - dummies

Few people will be able to survive on their gardens alone if the food supply totally breaks down. I'm anticipating that my garden will be more for the luxury of fresh produce that might be in short supply and the luxury of not having to risk a trip to the store. I am trying to find a way to grow extra this year and if I produce extra I will share with my neighbors.

 

[mickey2942]

There are hydroponic gardens available online at Costco. I was surprised that Costco carried so many varieties.

I joined the community CSA. And will do some herb containers.

Not gardening, but if needed, we could probably get a couple of deer tags for hunting season. Fishing is always good in the Summer.

 

[IceIce9]

I have been attempting grow avocado plants from seeds this winter but not one has grown

It looks foolproof on Pinterest but hasn’t worked for me

 

[Gardenista]

I have been attempting grow avocado plants from seeds this winter but not one has grown

It looks foolproof on Pinterest but hasn’t worked for me

Hmm.... Are you sure you are putting the right side up?

 

[IceIce9]

Some ideas:

Co-ownership of chickens with friends who live where they are permitted.

Support CSAs, farmer's markets etc so you get to eat local food even if you can't grow it.

Petition HOA for change of rules given the current situation.

Google "guerrilla gardening". There are ways to disguise your food garden as flowers (within reason), grow in a community garden plot, or on otherwise "unused" land that isn't your yard.

A friend of mine has always wanted to live in the country, she and her husband finally were able to realize their dream, buying a home with a couple of acres and leaving HOA life behind.

The first thing she did was order a custom built chicken coop from an Amish builder. It is absolutely beautiful, practically a work of art. My first apartment wasn’t as nice

Then she bought six baby chicks. Next she hired someone to build a chicken “run” with a cover so they would be safe from hawks but able to get exercise.

Those chickens have just started laying. And her husband jokes about their “hundred dollar eggs” because they have had around 2 dozen eggs so far for breakfast and her investment in the coop, run, and feed was $2,500.

 

[IceIce9]

Hmm.... Are you sure you are putting the right side up?

Pointy side up, just like the pictures I was following

 

[Gardenista]

Pointy side up, just like the pictures I was following

Well don't feel too bad. I've grown many over the years and never once got anything but a kind of scraggly looking tree with no fruit