Back to Eden Gardening and Hugelkulture and other non-conventional garden methods

[lazy gardener]

The more we plan our landscaping and garden for next spring, the more it seems like a combination of HK and BTE will work best for us. I know for sure we will be doing strawberries in a Hugel bed. I plan to grow my squash and cucumbers vertically. I'd like to make an arch...we will see if it happens lol. Potatoes will be grown in towers. Then we plan to do a BTE garden just for beans (mainly pinto), and another for the rest.

I like the variety of techniques and levels of growth. I also like that I will have very little weeding to do this way. Anyone else do any vertical gardening?

I assume you have chickens? Are you doing a DL in their run? I'm loving the deep compost they are making for me. I planted some cukes, borage, day lilies, zucchini on the skirt outside their run, after raking some old litter over the area. Those plants are growing VERY well. I've also gotten some wonderful leaf compost from our town dump.

You might consider using cattle panels for your vertical fencing. They are totally indestructible. And they are self supporting. Only require staking to keep them in position. I think brucehaha used a CP to make an arbor. They also make great green houses. An other awesome indestructible vertical support is an old metal child's swing set. I now have 2 in the garden, with a piece of electrical conduit connecting the two of them to add an other 8'. Those swing sets will out last me. For string in the garden, I always use jute or sisal. These compost. Important to me when it comes time for fall clean up. No worries about lost twine to become a tangle nuisance.

My carrots got their final weeding last weekend. The top growth is now full enough that the ground is well shaded: no more weeds. Now, it's just a matter of thinning them and enjoying those tender little spears! Had my first one today.

 

[Greenthumb83]

It was pretty good. I baked it at 400 degrees for an hour with butter and brown sugar per a recipe I found on pioneer woman. I'm not a fan of overly sweet things, things like butternut squash and sweet potatoes are perfectly and deliciously sweet as they are so I never add sugar BUT the mister puts sugar and butter on everything, then some more LOL! He actually said he would enjoy eating it again. Next time though, I plan to either sautée or roast mine with butternut squash,red onions, garlic and top it with Parmesan cheese. That's really yummy. And sometimes I sprinkle mine with Italian seasonings I wish I would have planted herbs this year, I bet that would be good with all the squash we have.
Thanks again for your help yesterday. I love spaghetti squash and BN squash but had only ever had the acorn the one time.

That sounds yummy! Tempting me to try growing acorn squash next year.

I used this recipe for a July 4th potluck last week. (Red onion makes it much prettier.)

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/zucchini-onion-pie

It was a huge hit! I could see swapping out for winter squash also, as long as its sliced accordingly. It's definitely a new zucchini favorite though.

 

[Greenthumb83]

I assume you have chickens? Are you doing a DL in their run? I'm loving the deep compost they are making for me. I planted some cukes, borage, day lilies, zucchini on the skirt outside their run, after raking some old litter over the area. Those plants are growing VERY well. I've also gotten some wonderful leaf compost from our town dump.

You might consider using cattle panels for your vertical fencing. They are totally indestructible. And they are self supporting. Only require staking to keep them in position. I think brucehaha used a CP to make an arbor. They also make great green houses. An other awesome indestructible vertical support is an old metal child's swing set. I now have 2 in the garden, with a piece of electrical conduit connecting the two of them to add an other 8'. Those swing sets will out last me. For string in the garden, I always use jute or sisal. These compost. Important to me when it comes time for fall clean up. No worries about lost twine to become a tangle nuisance.

My carrots got their final weeding last weekend. The top growth is now full enough that the ground is well shaded: no more weeds. Now, it's just a matter of thinning them and enjoying those tender little spears! Had my first one today.

Yes, we have chickens and are doing deep litter in the run.

We just started chickens this spring and they have only been in the run for a few months, so it's not that deep yet. The run is 480 sq ft, aside from the 120 sq ft under the coop. it is taking a while to get it built up. We have a nice few inches, but it's slow going. I need to get a truck load of wood chips to get a better start I think. I'm looking forward to fall so I can have the leaves! I put rose bushes outside the run, but hadn't thought of putting some veggies there.

I plan to use cattle panels, but I had never thought of the swing sets! I'll be on the lookout for old ones now...

 

[Jntnrmn]

That sounds yummy! Tempting me to try growing acorn squash next year.

I used this recipe for a July 4th potluck last week. (Red onion makes it much prettier.)

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/zucchini-onion-pie

It was a huge hit! I could see swapping out for winter squash also, as long as its sliced accordingly. It's definitely a new zucchini favorite though.

mm this sounds yummy! I think I will type it indeed. Thanks for the recipe share. I absolutely LOVE recipes!

 

[Jntnrmn]

@lazy gardener and @Greenthumb83
I have only been gardening for a few years so each year I find that I am learning so many new things. I am very curious about this vertical gardening, I struggle so much with weeding around plants because the cukes, squash and tomatoes take up so much room.do you by chance have a picture of your swing set set up? I think I will Google vertical gardening and see what I find.
I just love this website, I feel like I am learning more from it this summer about chickens and gardens than I have learned in the few years I have been reading everything I can find elsewhere

 

[Greenthumb83]

@lazy gardener and @Greenthumb83
I have only been gardening for a few years so each year I find that I am learning so many new things. I am very curious about this vertical gardening, I struggle so much with weeding around plants because the cukes, squash and tomatoes take up so much room.do you by chance have a picture of your swing set set up? I think I will Google vertical gardening and see what I find.
I just love this website, I feel like I am learning more from it this summer about chickens and gardens than I have learned in the few years I have been reading everything I can find elsewhere

I have always gardened. I started helping my Mom when I was growing up, including the canning. Then I just kept doing it as an adult. But I have missed several years because of moving around. I always did what my parents did though, even grew mostly the same things. This is the first year we are really going out of the (our) box and trying new veggies and new gardening styles. My garden has been evolving as the season goes on and there will be major changes for next season. It's so exciting! It is never too late to learn more! I agree about BYC. This place is my cup of tea!

On the vertical gardening: This year, our squash and melons cover about 500 sq ft of garden space and that is with them running together and still growing! I sure wish I had mulched around them before hand. I'm stuck with a ton of weed pulling. I still put down hay, but that only helped me so much. If I can get the winter squash and pumpkins vertical, my garden will be much smaller and more manageable. I will be anxious to see how your learning and planning works for your garden next year.

Btw, while you are googling, look up the Back to Eden and Hugelkultur.

 

[lazy gardener]

@lazy gardener and @Greenthumb83
I have only been gardening for a few years so each year I find that I am learning so many new things. I am very curious about this vertical gardening, I struggle so much with weeding around plants because the cukes, squash and tomatoes take up so much room.do you by chance have a picture of your swing set set up? I think I will Google vertical gardening and see what I find.
I just love this website, I feel like I am learning more from it this summer about chickens and gardens than I have learned in the few years I have been reading everything I can find elsewhere

I'm a techno idiot, so it's very hard for me to get pics posted. But, I just set the swing set in the garden. At the bottom, I tie a piece of wired clothes line (or something similar) between the ends on either side. Then, I use the hooks at the top, and the wires at the bottom to run my jute or sisal twine from top to bottom on both sides, so the twine is set 6 - 12" apart. The veggies grow up the twine.

I have always gardened. I started helping my Mom when I was growing up, including the canning. Then I just kept doing it as an adult. But I have missed several years because of moving around. I always did what my parents did though, even grew mostly the same things. This is the first year we are really going out of the (our) box and trying new veggies and new gardening styles. My garden has been evolving as the season goes on and there will be major changes for next season. It's so exciting! It is never too late to learn more! I agree about BYC. This place is my cup of tea!

On the vertical gardening: This year, our squash and melons cover about 500 sq ft of garden space and that is with them running together and still growing! I sure wish I had mulched around them before hand. I'm stuck with a ton of weed pulling. I still put down hay, but that only helped me so much. If I can get the winter squash and pumpkins vertical, my garden will be much smaller and more manageable. I will be anxious to see how your learning and planning works for your garden next year.

Btw, while you are googling, look up the Back to Eden and Hugelkultur.

An other google you might enjoy is: hay bale or straw bale gardening.

GT, your coop and run are about the same size as mine. I got 3 loads of wood chips delivered last summer. Hope to get an other delivery before snow falls. The larger size aggregate of the chips helps to make a better compost in the run, and helps things to dry out faster in wet weather. If I was not always researching and learning re: poultry and gardening, I don't think that either hobby would hold my interest.

 

[Greenthumb83]

I'm a techno idiot, so it's very hard for me to get pics posted.  But, I just set the swing set in the garden.  At the bottom, I tie a piece of wired clothes line (or something similar) between the ends on either side.  Then, I use the hooks at the top, and the wires at the bottom to run my jute or sisal twine from top to bottom on both sides, so the twine is set 6 - 12" apart.  The veggies grow up the twine.  

An other google you might enjoy is:  hay bale or straw bale gardening.  

GT, your coop and run are about the same size as mine.  I got 3 loads of wood chips delivered last summer.  Hope to get an other delivery before snow falls.  The larger size aggregate of the chips helps to make a better compost in the run, and helps things to dry out faster in wet weather.  If I was not always researching and learning re: poultry and gardening, I don't think that either hobby would hold my interest.

I picked up some pine bark nuggets last night for the time being. I was desperate! We had flash flooding yesterday. We have been putting a lot of work into the run and it still turned into chicken stink soup. It's just so wet. I wanted to at least give them something. I will call our local saw mill and see what they've got.

 

[Greenthumb83]

So...this year I tried adding lots of flowers and ground covers in my garden to help detour the weeds. They are laughing at me I'm sure, because it did not work that well. Looking forward to mulching...One plant though has done some great "covering" and is starting to take over space for my butternut. I've been wondering what it was. I seed scattered so I couldn't be sure...until today. It bloomed and I did NOT plant it. I now have morning glory all over my garden! I can't believe I didn't recognize it sooner! It had to have been a mistake by the seed company because it is all over where I scattered seeds. That are was supposed to have nasturtiums and forget me not....I think they put the wrong blue flowers in the packet. I have to pull all that out today.

 

[TerryH]

I picked up some pine bark nuggets last night for the time being. I was desperate! We had flash flooding yesterday. We have been putting a lot of work into the run and it still turned into chicken stink soup. It's just so wet. I wanted to at least give them something. I will call our local saw mill and see what they've got.

You should call your local tree service instead of the saw mill. The ground up trees, bark, leaves and all are a much better choice in the run that saw dust from the saw mill would be. Pretty sure that's what the other poster was referring to.