This thread is an outgrowth of one I did earlier on generators you can find it here. Maybe I should call this number 2 in my survival series. A bunch of good ideas were shared there. Hopefully, this one will also bear fruit.
I own a 160 acre farm. Besides using it for a rifle range, I also farm on it. We have always farmed. I am a product of farmers. My idea of farming used to be tractors, acres of rows of produce, lots of fertilizer, lots of water, pesticides, and lots of dirt. But, I'm changing my mind about this. At least, for some crops. And, this is something you can do in the city in your own back yard! This year, we started using raised beds, and I can hardly believe how well they are working. We are using 4x8 raised beds. In single individual beds, we raised:
100 yellow and purple onions, averaged baseball size
About 100 garlic plants
Over three bushels of spinach
Over a bushel of carrots (and still producing)
Fifty pounds of tomatoes from six plants, and they're just getting started
We are also doing mammoth jalapenos, yellow bell peppers, strawberries, and banana peppers in raised beds. And, they are going crazy. I'm also experimenting with growing potatoes in 5 gallon buckets, and having impressive results. I'm about to start the sweet potatoes in another raised bed.
It's all starting to make sense. In those 4x8 raised beds, you can better control the water, fertilizer, pests, and soil quality. And, because of this, it takes less water, fertilizer, and pesticides. I also put down hardware cloth under the raised beds to keep out the gophers and moles. We are still using open ground farming for things like peas, beans, corn and melons.
The internet is a great source for raised bed gardening. But, be careful. What works for fertilizer and soil prep in Ohio likely won't work for your garden in Texas. Call your county ag agent for advice. Check your soil PH. You can send soil samples to Texas A&M for soil analysis, recommended soil prep, and crop recommendations. I think the last time I did this it was $25.
I started doing this because I think something bad is coming, and I wanted to get the best yield possible out of the smallest space. I wanted to make sure we could eat. And, this is something you can do in your own back yard! The first pic is 6 tomato plants, 24" apart in a 4x8 raised bed. The second pic is 6 mammoth jalapenos 24" apart.
I own a 160 acre farm. Besides using it for a rifle range, I also farm on it. We have always farmed. I am a product of farmers. My idea of farming used to be tractors, acres of rows of produce, lots of fertilizer, lots of water, pesticides, and lots of dirt. But, I'm changing my mind about this. At least, for some crops. And, this is something you can do in the city in your own back yard! This year, we started using raised beds, and I can hardly believe how well they are working. We are using 4x8 raised beds. In single individual beds, we raised:
100 yellow and purple onions, averaged baseball size
About 100 garlic plants
Over three bushels of spinach
Over a bushel of carrots (and still producing)
Fifty pounds of tomatoes from six plants, and they're just getting started
We are also doing mammoth jalapenos, yellow bell peppers, strawberries, and banana peppers in raised beds. And, they are going crazy. I'm also experimenting with growing potatoes in 5 gallon buckets, and having impressive results. I'm about to start the sweet potatoes in another raised bed.
It's all starting to make sense. In those 4x8 raised beds, you can better control the water, fertilizer, pests, and soil quality. And, because of this, it takes less water, fertilizer, and pesticides. I also put down hardware cloth under the raised beds to keep out the gophers and moles. We are still using open ground farming for things like peas, beans, corn and melons.
The internet is a great source for raised bed gardening. But, be careful. What works for fertilizer and soil prep in Ohio likely won't work for your garden in Texas. Call your county ag agent for advice. Check your soil PH. You can send soil samples to Texas A&M for soil analysis, recommended soil prep, and crop recommendations. I think the last time I did this it was $25.
I started doing this because I think something bad is coming, and I wanted to get the best yield possible out of the smallest space. I wanted to make sure we could eat. And, this is something you can do in your own back yard! The first pic is 6 tomato plants, 24" apart in a 4x8 raised bed. The second pic is 6 mammoth jalapenos 24" apart.
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