Homesteaders

[Raech]

Hello everybody! I've been lurking in the shadows for a while and just finally caught up on the thread.

I'm an aspiring homesteader waiting patiently for my place in the country. But for now I'm in a small rental duplex with my gf and three young sons. Being as it's a rental in town all we have right now is a little garden in my "table beds". Started two years ago trying to grow all sorts of things but, the only stuff I can grow well so far is peppers and radishes. Oh and carrots that my boys were super excited about that were stolen. This year I'm going to build some new planters and focus on just a few veggies so maybe I'll do a little better. Also thinking about some dwarf fruit trees in big planters. Any suggestions?

You and me are in the same boat!! I have done peppers, garlic, and herbs in pots, but as for a dwarf tree, from what my nursery tells me, you would want a really big pot like 3 feet wide to accommodate the roots growing, other wise they will break your pot. My tomatoes didn't do too well in a pot, but I think a lot of it was under watered and too hot, because they did really good in the ground. A lot of my garden is in the flower beds around my apartment. You can also do blueberries as long as you make sure that there are holes in the bottom, I forgot to check my pot and wasted $30 of blueberry bushes due to root rot. Strawberries do wonderful in containers, I don't get any but my son does, and they are going nuts, and you can just keep winding the runners inside the pot and it will keep making new starts. I have heard that lettuce does really good in containers, and you can use the little window box planters for them, and I think they have some if you have a railing that you can hang off of the railing. You might be able to do potatoes in a food grade 5 gallon bucket too.

 

[rancher hicks]

Hello everybody! I've been lurking in the shadows for a while and just finally caught up on the thread.

I'm an aspiring homesteader waiting patiently for my place in the country. But for now I'm in a small rental duplex with my gf and three young sons. Being as it's a rental in town all we have right now is a little garden in my "table beds". Started two years ago trying to grow all sorts of things but, the only stuff I can grow well so far is peppers and radishes. Oh and carrots that my boys were super excited about that were stolen. This year I'm going to build some new planters and focus on just a few veggies so maybe I'll do a little better. Also thinking about some dwarf fruit trees in big planters. Any suggestions?

when I was in Greece I was impressed at how much they grew on their balconies. In your case have you considered using "pallet boxes". Check out Pinterest for some really cool planter ideas.

I bet if you grow some indeterminate tomatoes you'd get quite a few.

I'm not sure where you're from but you may very well qualify for a mortgage. If you have good credit. Check it out, you might be surprised.

 

[mara1]

Hi everyone, I've been following just not posting so many things going on.
Itching for spring!!!!
For fellow city folks, you would be surprised what will do well in a container. Tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, lettuce,herbs basically anything. I use peat/top mix/vermiculite/perlite/compost mixed with miracle grow pellets. Water, water, water, water and fertilize frequently( the pots lose nutrients quickly) . I keep the soil lite so I can rotate the pots around. If its real hot I will soak them in water trays. I've even grown potatoes in pots or those black grow bags you can get at the hydroponics store. Plan on utilizing more rain barrels this year and will have chick and rabbit tea.






The front one is a whopper aka Fred last pot is a roma

 

[boskelli1571]

Good looking garden there mara1!
OK - it's official - I've gone over the edge! My better half was watching me have a full conversation with 'the girls' today. They were so happy to be outside the barn they were chirping, cheeping and singing! I know they were chatting to me so I joined in. We discussed the weather, upcoming garden plans etc........they promised to help with weeding the veggie beds...

.....is it just me???? Sue

 

[Penton]

Hello onthe9s,
I too, homesteaded long before I move to the country. I started with a small patio garden, composting, And berry bushes in containers. I had friends and experienced people teach me about sprouting, soap making, and cheese making. It was a good start, but of course when I moved on to the 80 acre farm, there was so much more to learn. Fortunately, country folk are extremely willing to share their knowledge if you are willing to learn.

 

[MoonShadows]

Hi mara1,

Great looking deck garden! It looks very similar to the one we had before we bought our little piece of heaven almost 20 years ago. Sometimes I miss it! I hope you are using the organic miracle grow. I shudder when I think of the chemicals in their original product line.

 

[rancher hicks]

There are many books on "square foot" gardening. Some might be surprised at how much food you can grow in a small space. For a small family and proper storage I think you could cut your food bill by half at least.

Especially if you landscape with food plants and trees. With organic fertilizer you can plant right among your ornamental plants.

I'm hoping to create a hedge of Josta Berries and Currants. The extra can be sold. Considering what I've seen at the berry farm a 4 - 6 plant row will yield more than we need. Heck one good bush will yield plenty. I take my recipe list, scale and measuring cup to the farm and just pick what I need for the recipes I plan to make for the year.

 

[mara1]

anybody know about Goji berries my daughter wants some and I'm not how easy they are to take care of

 

[MoonShadows]

anybody know about Goji berries my daughter wants some and I'm not how easy they are to take care of

Found this:

Quote: Give your goji berry full sun. Goji need lots of sunlight as young transplants as well as when they are mature. Watch your goji for the first six months, the most critical time in getting it established. Give it plenty of water, and use organic mulch to limit weeds and retain soil moisture. Use light organic fertilizer or compost every three to four weeks.

Give your Goji plant plenty of room for its extensive root system. Plant goji away from drain lines and underground utilities and plumbing. Goji's well-developed root system is one reason it grows and produces so well. When goji roots hit the bottom of a pot, the plant stops growing. You can grow goji in containers, but they will not produce many berries when their roots are restricted.

Prune your established goji berry plant to keep it a manageable size for harvesting the fruits. Mature goji shrubs grow to 8 to 10 feet high and can have viney branches 12 feet or more in length. Trim them back to keep dead or damaged branches out of the plant, and to encourage blooming and fruiting on new growth.

Watch for tomato hornworms, and remove them by hand or use biological controls like trichogamma wasps which feed on them. Wild animals like birds, rabbits, squirrels, and deer eat the leaves and berries. Control animal pests by covering the goji plants with netting.
Hope this helps.

Jim

 

[newbie32]

Jim could you send that info to me via private message? That sounds like something I have been looking for-ie drought tolerant, grows anywhere, continuously produces!