Homesteaders

[OrganicFarmWife]

Looks good to me. Now I never thought of planting something new after pulling something out. Thanks for that.  

Can I plant greens around the base of my tomatoes?  

I don't do corn. What's the least amount of space I need?  I'd like to do Squash but the squirrels gave me a hard time last time.  I think I'd need a separate garden just for squash. That would mean making sure the chickens couldn't get to it. I did plant Butternut and the skin was so tough the chickens couldn't eat it, but we didn't like Butternut.  

Anyone got advice on growing squash?  

I was told to plant squash with marigolds. Apparently squash bugs avoid marigolds. I am going to give it a try next year, I had 12 good looking plants, zucchini, and butternut, this year and lost them all to squash bugs. Even broke down and tried seven powder.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

I usually state that no one idea works for everyone. So post your pics and ideas without fear.  I'm not a professional either but I do read a lot and buy a lot of magazines. 

I get books from the library and if I feel it's one I can use a lot I will buy it. Lord knows there are plenty of books on a lot of stuff. I may write my own someday.  

I will say this too, YOU NEED A TRUCK!  It's not a want it's a need when you're homesteading.  I hate to think of the number of times when I've seen things on the side of the road I could use. Mostly pallets, but other stuff too. Not to mention free stuff on CL.  

There is a Dr. office nearby with huge pumpkins they put out for Halloween and I'd like to stop and see if I could have them now that the season is passed.  

We currently have no truck of our own but have access to one at all times. I love free stuff to recycle into new stuff. Pallets make great garden fencing. Tires make good flower pots, for the non edibles. Old shelves make good planters or nesting boxes.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

I was told to plant squash with marigolds. Apparently squash bugs avoid marigolds. I am going to give it a try next year, I had 12 good looking plants, zucchini, and butternut, this year and lost them all to squash bugs. Even broke down and tried seven powder.

marigolds and anything in the mum family. As well as any plant that naturally produces peramethian (I spelled that wrong). Its a plant version of an insecticides.

 

[Loc20chick]

I was told to plant squash with marigolds. Apparently squash bugs avoid marigolds. I am going to give it a try next year, I had 12 good looking plants, zucchini, and butternut, this year and lost them all to squash bugs. Even broke down and tried seven powder.

marigolds and anything in the mum family. As well as any plant that naturally produces peramethian (I spelled that wrong). Its a plant version of an insecticides.

Great information, thanks for sharing, I had the same issue with zucchini last year so I didn't plant it this year. I'll trythis

 

[Chicken girl 15]

I was told to plant squash with marigolds. Apparently squash bugs avoid marigolds. I am going to give it a try next year, I had 12 good looking plants, zucchini, and butternut, this year and lost them all to squash bugs. Even broke down and tried seven powder.

marigolds nasturtium onion and garlic. Spread out 6 ft apart and the smells will deter most pests.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

SO I undug the books. The first one is the one I mentioned, A field guide to edible wild plants, by Lee Peterson. I find it very easy to use. It even has ways the author recommends you use the plant, be it salad, or cooked.

The second is Organic Orchard a Grove of trees to live in, by Gene Logsdon. He talks about building windbreaks, using your septic system to help fertilize your trees, splicing, triming, ect. He also has several yard plans, to show how you can use your space.

I found it to be an easy and interesting read.
Thanks for getting me to unbury these. Now I want to start making plans...

 

[Raech]

Looks good to me. Now I never thought of planting something new after pulling something out. Thanks for that.  

Can I plant greens around the base of my tomatoes?  

I don't do corn. What's the least amount of space I need?  I'd like to do Squash but the squirrels gave me a hard time last time.  I think I'd need a separate garden just for squash. That would mean making sure the chickens couldn't get to it. I did plant Butternut and the skin was so tough the chickens couldn't eat it, but we didn't like Butternut.  

Anyone got advice on growing squash?  

Try growing sunflowers with squash around the bottom, you can grow them around the chicken run, down the fence or along the side of the house. I tried basil at the base of my tomatoes and the tomatoes tipped and smothered the basil. If you have good towers or ties to hold the weight of the bush up it would work, I simply didn't and used the "tomato cages" that every store sells and didn't factor for wind and weight of the bush.

 

[rancher hicks]

I was told to plant squash with marigolds. Apparently squash bugs avoid marigolds. I am going to give it a try next year, I had 12 good looking plants, zucchini, and butternut, this year and lost them all to squash bugs. Even broke down and tried seven powder.

I do know about the Marigold thing but the slugs love Marigolds and ate them up. I do sprinkle DE on dry days. Some squash do better with the beatles than others. You have to protect the flowers early on. Spread some sheer fabric over your plants before they flower.

 

[rancher hicks]

marigolds and anything in the mum family. As well as any plant that naturally produces peramethian (I spelled that wrong). Its a plant version of an insecticides.

I wonder if you ground up Marigolds to make a spray if that would help?

 

[rancher hicks]

SO I undug the books. The first one is the one I mentioned, A field guide to edible wild plants, by Lee Peterson. I find it very easy to use. It even has ways the author recommends you use the plant, be it salad, or cooked.

The second is Organic Orchard a Grove of trees to live in, by Gene Logsdon. He talks about building windbreaks, using your septic system to help fertilize your trees, splicing, triming, ect. He also has several yard plans, to show how you can use your space.

I found it to be an easy and interesting read.
Thanks for getting me to unbury these. Now I want to start making plans...

Please keep them near your computer so you can find the answers to our questions.

I will try to find them at the Library. If not on line.

Now for why I dropped in. I have a seed catalog that has "perennial greens" seeds for them. Arugula, French Sorrel, Good King Henry and Minutina Staghorn.

Does anyone grow these, know anything about them or any other perennial greens?