Comments on: Garden Idea http://www.homesteaderlife.christianagrarian.com/2005/02/06/garden-idea/ Christian Agrarian Counterculture Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:26:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Jeff http://www.homesteaderlife.christianagrarian.com/2005/02/06/garden-idea/#comment-52 Jeff Sat, 19 Mar 2005 20:50:00 +0000 http://www.homesteaderlife.christianagrarian.com/2005/02/06/garden-idea/#comment-52 Personally, I think that the best all around method out there is the double digging, biointensive method as is expounded by John Jeavons. I recommend his book <a HREF="http://www.bountifulgardens.org/shop/growbiointensive-books.html#1" rel="nofollow">How to Grow More Vegetables</A> I further recommend the seeds sold by <a HREF="http://www.bountifulgardens.org/catalog.html" rel="nofollow">Bountiful Gardens</A>.The prices are very reasonable for open pollinated, organic seeds and I have had good success with their seeds here in Kentucky. Jeff Personally, I think that the best all around method out there is the double digging, biointensive method as is expounded by John Jeavons.

I recommend his book How to Grow More Vegetables

I further recommend the seeds sold by Bountiful Gardens.The prices are very reasonable for open pollinated, organic seeds and I have had good success with their seeds here in Kentucky.

Jeff

]]> By: The BadgerMum http://www.homesteaderlife.christianagrarian.com/2005/02/06/garden-idea/#comment-51 The BadgerMum Wed, 09 Mar 2005 23:07:00 +0000 http://www.homesteaderlife.christianagrarian.com/2005/02/06/garden-idea/#comment-51 The best result we had was when we layered it in the fall and then planted in the spring. We've also gotten decent results with planting right after building the bed, and of course, the more finished compost we put into it the better it turns out. I've always used raised beds because circumstances required it. When we lived in military housing, we had to plant our veggies so that appeared to be ornamental, so I put plenty of marigolds around the tomato beds, for instance. Here in Texas, our soil is really heavy clay and doesn't drain well. Another method we've used is French intensive gardening. I think there's a book called <I>Square Foot Gardening</I> that explains this method. The idea is to plant things very close together to shade out weeds, and to use companion planting (putting plants that work well together, like the corn-beans-squash combo the native americans used, in the same bed) to discourage problems. The best result we had was when we layered it in the fall and then planted in the spring. We’ve also gotten decent results with planting right after building the bed, and of course, the more finished compost we put into it the better it turns out.

I’ve always used raised beds because circumstances required it. When we lived in military housing, we had to plant our veggies so that appeared to be ornamental, so I put plenty of marigolds around the tomato beds, for instance. Here in Texas, our soil is really heavy clay and doesn’t drain well.

Another method we’ve used is French intensive gardening. I think there’s a book called Square Foot Gardening that explains this method. The idea is to plant things very close together to shade out weeds, and to use companion planting (putting plants that work well together, like the corn-beans-squash combo the native americans used, in the same bed) to discourage problems.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.homesteaderlife.christianagrarian.com/2005/02/06/garden-idea/#comment-50 Anonymous Wed, 09 Mar 2005 17:03:00 +0000 http://www.homesteaderlife.christianagrarian.com/2005/02/06/garden-idea/#comment-50 The technique that you describe is well established and was originally popularized by <a HREF="http://www.motherearthnews.com/arc/6826/" rel="nofollow">Ruth Stout.</A>Jeff The technique that you describe is well established and was originally popularized by Ruth Stout.Jeff

]]> By: evermoor http://www.homesteaderlife.christianagrarian.com/2005/02/06/garden-idea/#comment-49 evermoor Mon, 07 Mar 2005 21:00:00 +0000 http://www.homesteaderlife.christianagrarian.com/2005/02/06/garden-idea/#comment-49 I strarted a modified system like this, since the deep Iowa black gold is to good to bury under moldy hay. I was to cheap to rent a tiller so I hand dug the hole for veggies and the mulched the heck out of it with that stemmy hay the cows don't eat and old bedding. For once You could actually tell it was a garden and not a weed plot, and it took less water. The next year I threw out some potatoes and rake the old straw mix over them and repeated last years. Potatoes yield well, minus the cows kept tromping over the garden, other stuff did OK. MOre bugs and a couple big old snakes made it home. Did keep the weeds down minus that bale of foxtail seed I "planted" I strarted a modified system like this, since the deep Iowa black gold is to good to bury under moldy hay. I was to cheap to rent a tiller so I hand dug the hole for veggies and the mulched the heck out of it with that stemmy hay the cows don’t eat and old bedding. For once You could actually tell it was a garden and not a weed plot, and it took less water. The next year I threw out some potatoes and rake the old straw mix over them and repeated last years. Potatoes yield well, minus the cows kept tromping over the garden, other stuff did OK. MOre bugs and a couple big old snakes made it home. Did keep the weeds down minus that bale of foxtail seed I “planted”

]]> By: reformed farmer http://www.homesteaderlife.christianagrarian.com/2005/02/06/garden-idea/#comment-48 reformed farmer Fri, 04 Mar 2005 11:47:00 +0000 http://www.homesteaderlife.christianagrarian.com/2005/02/06/garden-idea/#comment-48 Mrs. Cumbee Thanks for the input. How soon did you plant on that layered garden? Scott Mrs. Cumbee

Thanks for the input. How soon did you plant on that layered garden?

Scott

]]> By: The BadgerMum http://www.homesteaderlife.christianagrarian.com/2005/02/06/garden-idea/#comment-47 The BadgerMum Sun, 27 Feb 2005 04:15:00 +0000 http://www.homesteaderlife.christianagrarian.com/2005/02/06/garden-idea/#comment-47 I just found your blog through a link at Polemics, and I'm really enjoying reading it. We are a military family and will be retiring soon and moving back to my father-in-law's land in Alabama, but we've had a vegetable garden everywhere we've lived for the last 10 years. In spite of the ten years, I'm still a beginning gardener since we've never had a garden at the same home more than two years in a row, so I'm always starting over and never feel like I'm learning from my mistakes! We've always gardened organicly and first used the layering method you mention two seasons ago with great results so far. We're moving again this spring, so I'll be beginning a garden for the fifth time! I just found your blog through a link at Polemics, and I’m really enjoying reading it. We are a military family and will be retiring soon and moving back to my father-in-law’s land in Alabama, but we’ve had a vegetable garden everywhere we’ve lived for the last 10 years.

In spite of the ten years, I’m still a beginning gardener since we’ve never had a garden at the same home more than two years in a row, so I’m always starting over and never feel like I’m learning from my mistakes!

We’ve always gardened organicly and first used the layering method you mention two seasons ago with great results so far. We’re moving again this spring, so I’ll be beginning a garden for the fifth time!

]]> By: Chuck http://www.homesteaderlife.christianagrarian.com/2005/02/06/garden-idea/#comment-46 Chuck Tue, 15 Feb 2005 23:06:00 +0000 http://www.homesteaderlife.christianagrarian.com/2005/02/06/garden-idea/#comment-46 Scott, Keep us up dated on how your garden goes this summer it sound interesting. It might be what we need at our place where the top is pretty thin. Scott,
Keep us up dated on how your garden goes this summer it sound interesting. It might be what we need at our place where the top is pretty thin.

]]> By: reformed farmer http://www.homesteaderlife.christianagrarian.com/2005/02/06/garden-idea/#comment-45 reformed farmer Tue, 15 Feb 2005 01:04:00 +0000 http://www.homesteaderlife.christianagrarian.com/2005/02/06/garden-idea/#comment-45 Todd I hope you find some reformed homebrewers soon! We are gonna start cooking up a new batch tuesday. I just had a fine beer from Germany the other day. It was brewed by monks. It was one of the best beers a have ever had. Some one gave it to me for my birthday. They had been in Germany visiting family, saw beer and thought of me. If the Owens have figured out who it was.....don't tell you know who, the person wants to remain in good standing in their baptist world. I hope you find yourself back out here sometime Todd. We would love to have you out to the ranch for Beer and such. Todd

I hope you find some reformed homebrewers soon! We are gonna start cooking up a new batch tuesday. I just had a fine beer from Germany the other day. It was brewed by monks. It was one of the best beers a have ever had. Some one gave it to me for my birthday. They had been in Germany visiting family, saw beer and thought of me. If the Owens have figured out who it was…..don’t tell you know who, the person wants to remain in good standing in their baptist world. I hope you find yourself back out here sometime Todd. We would love to have you out to the ranch for Beer and such.

]]> By: Todd http://www.homesteaderlife.christianagrarian.com/2005/02/06/garden-idea/#comment-44 Todd Sat, 12 Feb 2005 21:35:00 +0000 http://www.homesteaderlife.christianagrarian.com/2005/02/06/garden-idea/#comment-44 Hey Scott - Man, you guys keep talking about your beer, and you'll tempt me right into some 10th commandment violations! There is literally nobody in the area around here who home-brews (and I haven't done it since grad school 10 years ago) and certainly no Reformed home-brewers! Ugh. Oh, by the way - I just noticed that you have Seed Savers on your sidebar... that's a riot! They're just up the road, and I know a couple of the folks there... :) Hey Scott -

Man, you guys keep talking about your beer, and you’ll tempt me right into some 10th commandment violations! There is literally nobody in the area around here who home-brews (and I haven’t done it since grad school 10 years ago) and certainly no Reformed home-brewers! Ugh.

Oh, by the way - I just noticed that you have Seed Savers on your sidebar… that’s a riot! They’re just up the road, and I know a couple of the folks there… :)

]]> By: reformed farmer http://www.homesteaderlife.christianagrarian.com/2005/02/06/garden-idea/#comment-43 reformed farmer Wed, 09 Feb 2005 12:58:00 +0000 http://www.homesteaderlife.christianagrarian.com/2005/02/06/garden-idea/#comment-43 Chad We tasted the beer in its 'green' state before we bottled it. It was great! We still have to wait a bit before we can open the bottles. The secret was......organic Irish moss, just a dab will do it. We were gonna start a batch last night, but we ended up putting foam insulation under the new place to keep pipes thawed. We were under there till midnight! I should have the water hooked up this week. Chad

We tasted the beer in its ‘green’ state before we bottled it. It was great! We still have to wait a bit before we can open the bottles. The secret was……organic Irish moss, just a dab will do it. We were gonna start a batch last night, but we ended up putting foam insulation under the new place to keep pipes thawed. We were under there till midnight! I should have the water hooked up this week.

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