Victory Gardens Spring 2018

[PirateGirl]

Victory Gardens were initially proposed and promoted by the government in times of war as a way for families to aid the war efforts and become more self-sufficient. These were in a way the first urban gardens and community gardens. There were advised crops as well as outlines of efficient garden layouts and rotations to maximize production in a small space.

Here is a little background on the history.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_garden

This article contains a great image that shows the concept of how to plant a victory garden.
https://thehomesteadsurvival.com/victory-garden-family/

This topic came up recently in conjunction with another gardening topic and @lazy gardener and I thought it could use a little more attention and discussion of its own.

Spring is now around the corner and it's time to start planning for the garden. Personally I like to view the garden as a way to feed my household fresh, healthy food. Victory Gardens seem to be a natural starting point for me with only a small plot of a a few raised beds.

Please share your experience with this type of gardening below. Please be sure to include your geographic information and/or climate zone number. What works in one part of the world may not be possible in another.

What has worked for you?
What hasn't?
What crops do you like to rotate?
What crops do you like to grow side by side?
What do you plant in spring?
Then do you have a second planting later in the year?
How big is your garden plot?
How much can you produce in it?
Do you have a great book or website that has helped you plan your garden?
Anything else?

This is about small scale gardening, not acres of crops or entire orchards or fields. This is about gardening for food, not landscaping. Composting, irrigation, and pest control are separate topics as well. I understand that all of this is part of gardening, but let's stay somewhat focused and let the garden planning begin!

 

[PirateGirl]

So it's snowing outside, but I've still got my garden on my mind. Where to begin?

 

[lazy gardener]

I'm in process of setting up grow lights in my office. The shelving unit will hold 8 flats of seedlings, with (4) x 4' shop lights.

 

[PirateGirl]

I'm in process of setting up grow lights in my office. The shelving unit will hold 8 flats of seedlings, with (4) x 4' shop lights.

I've had a really hard time with starting seeds inside. I can get them started, but then lose them in the transition to outside. I'm not sure if they aren't big enough or the weather is too harsh or what. All my houseplants do great, I just fail with the outdoor stuff!

Share a picture when you get it going!

 

[lazy gardener]

Seedlings must be babied along, and when you are transitioning them to outdoors, it's imperative that they never get dry, that they never get chilled (initially), that they never get buffeted by the wind, and they need initial sun exposure of only 10 - 15 minutes the first day, with gradual increase of sun exposure. They are more fragile than a new born baby.

 

[PirateGirl]

Seedlings must be babied along, and when you are transitioning them to outdoors, it's imperative that they never get dry, that they never get chilled (initially), that they never get buffeted by the wind, and they need initial sun exposure of only 10 - 15 minutes the first day, with gradual increase of sun exposure. They are more fragile than a new born baby.

I sometimes wonder if I should just start my seeds in the ground and let them grow when they are good and ready. I may try the same plants both ways this year and see which fares better.

 

[lazy gardener]

Have you seen the method of planting seeds under milk jugs? I believe the seeds are planted in the fall, so the milk jug keeps a little micro climate protected, and the seeds do just that: they sprout when they are good and ready, and grow like mad b/c they are protected, their roots aren't cramped and they don't suffer transplant shock, nor do they need to be hardened off.

 

[PirateGirl]

Have you seen the method of planting seeds under milk jugs? I believe the seeds are planted in the fall, so the milk jug keeps a little micro climate protected, and the seeds do just that: they sprout when they are good and ready, and grow like mad b/c they are protected, their roots aren't cramped and they don't suffer transplant shock, nor do they need to be hardened off.

I have not seen this, but I like this idea as I generally have to cover my plants with plastic much of the time anyway. This might be better than my large tarp flapping in the wind!

 

[PirateGirl]

So in terms of plants, I have found strawberries thrive here, so my next question is what grows well with/next to/between strawberries?

 

[lazy gardener]

Onions, garlic. You can also grow your strawberries next to corn. You plant a bed of strawberries. The second year, you plant corn adjacent to the strawberries. By the time the strawberries are harvested, the corn is hilled up (if you grow corn in the typical fashion). You let the strawberries send runners into the corn. At the end of the growing season, you till under the first bed of strawberries, (or bury them under a deep mulch to kill them) clip the corn stalks close to the ground, and mulch the new strawberry bed well.