Homesteaders

[PhoredaBurds]

That is so funny, I think all of you people on heavy soil are so lucky!

I need to water daily,  I have to try and build the soil up with manures and compost. It is a never ending task. I cannot grow anything well the soil is so poor. I tried to raise a half acre of corn last year and grew the best crop of tumbleweeds and ragweed in recorded history (granted the weeds got a real head start when I had to go to Florida for business for 6 weeks.)

I would like to plant Russian olives BUT the DNR would go ape poopy if I did. I know they are invasive, but they seem to grow on my soil. Oh well, I will find something. I can grow great jalapenos, but how many can you eat in a year?    I can raise decent potatoes. 

Between short growing season and poor soil gardening is a pain.     I planted 30 cabbage last year to kraut, I did not get one head to mature.... I know I should stop gardening.... I just wish I had heavy soil and a rock, any rock,  I do not have little rocks let alone a nice big beautiful rock!



Does anyone need any sandbur seeds?

I'd be happy to send u a box of rocks. If it fits it ships, right? And we certainly have plenty.

 

[Loc20chick]

So I looked up Grazon and it's very poisonous I don't even know how it can be used on hay. It is harmful to animals too. This PDF file shows what it contains, it even states its harmful to food crops and lists them. The application process is even more alarming how one has to be dressed to handle it.http://msdssearch.dow.com/Published...h=nz/pdfs/noreg/012-00019.pdf&fromPage=GetDoc

Most herbicides are harmful but this is very toxic hopefully it's not sold in stores.

 

[duluthralphie]

Did you see that great idea of growing potatoes in 5 gallon buckets? I am tempted to give that a try this year just for fun.

I am actually going to be making a box this year with boards I can take off and reach in and pick potatoes without digging the potatoes up.

I have heard of people doing it. Using a mixture of straw and dirt in the box.

I know it is hard to explain. BUT

I will plant the potato and when as it grows add more dirt over it and add boards as needed to the side. Forcing it to grow ever taller and making more tubers.

I will just take a board off dig in grab a few tators and push dirt back and put the board back. With just my wife and I we really do not need to be taking up rows in the garden with potatoes.


I have no seen the 5 gallon bucket thing, I have seen the old tires used to grow them in.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Did you see that great idea of growing potatoes in 5 gallon buckets? I am tempted to give that a try this year just for fun.

IT WORKS!!!! I am doing my root garden in the big black tubs from Lowe's with the yellow lids. Should work great they are deep and wide.

 

[rancher hicks]

Nearly every place has soil that needs to be amended. These days folks just bring stuff in and dump it. You never know what's under the top soil.

 

[duluthralphie]

Nearly every place has soil that needs to be amended. These days folks just bring stuff in and dump it. You never know what's under the top soil.

Unfortunately I know what is under the top soil. The place I live has been my families farm for over 100 years. Sad to say, but true. In the "good" ol days lots of stuff was just buried. Out of sight out of mind.

I am not talking hazardous stuff, but junk, old building, tires equipment etc. We are removing stuff as we can afford too. But at some point we will have to stop. My garden sits over what was cow yard and pig yard for 70 years. Should be good, but fill was brought in in the early 70's to cover the "poop" and level it for grain bins and grain dryers. I would have to remove 2-3 feet of fill to get to the good stuff... Some day I just might too!

 

[Ameraucanas]

Unfortunately I know what is under the top soil. The place I live has been my families farm for over 100 years. Sad to say, but true. In the "good" ol days lots of stuff was just buried. Out of sight out of mind.

I am not talking hazardous stuff, but junk, old building, tires equipment etc. We are removing stuff as we can afford too. But at some point we will have to stop. My garden sits over what was cow yard and pig yard for 70 years. Should be good, but fill was brought in in the early 70's to cover the "poop" and level it for grain bins and grain dryers. I would have to remove 2-3 feet of fill to get to the good stuff... Some day I just might too!

That sucks.

 

[BBQJOE]

Every time the wife went to town this year, the car would come squatting ferociously laden with soil, steer manure, and mulch.

We also took the pickup truck to a very local cattle pen and loaded it up with manure. I guess the people who operate it (on public lands) didn't like it so much. (OMG! someone is stealing our cow poo!) They put a lock on the pen.


ps. There isn't much of any lock you can keep me from opening.
.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

I am fairly excited. I told my husband that my goal was to get to the point where we would produce 70% of our own food in 3 years. Not only did he not tell me I was crazy, he said he thought it was doable and told me if I wanted we could get a couple pigs to fatten come spring . I am planning on raising 50 meat chickens over the summer. If we do all that that gives us about 100% of our meat being homegrown, we raise cattle.
I cannot wait for spring!

 

[henless]

Did you see that great idea of growing potatoes in 5 gallon buckets? I am tempted to give that a try this year just for fun.

I'm doing this! I planted 5 buckets a couple of days ago. One I filled all the way up with dirt/cow manure. Two I put dirt/cow manure in the bottom and will fill up with dirt as/if the potatoes grow. The last two I put dirt/cow manure in the bottom covering the potato and filled the rest up with pine straw and leaves. I want to see which one works better.

@rancher hicks ~ I don't think it's your computer. I'm having a heck of time trying to type this up. It's like I'm typing on delay or something?