Victory garden

[bornhunter04]

Who else is getting thier victory garden for '21 ready?

Im adding 3 more raised beds, rebuilding 1, just added a small polytunnel amd a second compost bin. Need to refence amd put the hog panel trellises in.

Ordered seeds a few weeks ago, the seed companies are getting hammered this year.

Looking to build a cold frame using polycarbonate roof panels, anyone done this? Tips?

 

[MtnCreek]

Have soil tests from last two yrs, so not testing this yr. would ruin ground if a plow was put in it now. Still early for starting plants.

 

[armorpl8chikn]

I planted my victory garden back in late October.
My lettuce has looked great all winter, but never gets over 3 inches tall.
My wife planted broadbeans and they shot right up about 6 inches and just don't get any taller.
The little garden has strange cloven hooved tracks in it all the time....strange.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

I planted my victory garden back in late October.
My lettuce has looked great all winter, but never gets over 3 inches tall.
My wife planted broadbeans and they shot right up about 6 inches and just don't get any taller.
The little garden has strange cloven hooved tracks in it all the time....strange.

Which is the point of growing vegetables — to attract meat.

Sirhr

 

[nikonNUT]

Working on a different kind of victory garden. BTW, anybody know where I can get cuttings of a Sandbox Tree (Dynamite Tree), a Machineel Tree (Tree of Death), and a Gimpy Gimpy Bush (Suicide Bush)? Asking for a friend...

 

[armorpl8chikn]

Which is the point of growing vegetables — to attract meat.

Sirhr

Yes, but the meat requires more light.......
I pulled my game cam card today. Ten days, numerous pics for 9 days, early morning, late evening, some around midnight, two bucks, numerous different doe units. Exactly one daylight pic.

 

[bluegrasspicker]

On the topic of OP's cold frames, I built a couple. Here's my first round of what I'd do differently.

1. Reinforce glued butt joints (cedar) with screws. Being out in the weather or under snow adds a lot of stress to the frame.
2. Let the caulking dry around the polycarbonate. Mine is corrugated. The caulking ran down into the tunnels when it got wet.
3. Think the hinge out better than I did. I put an extension off the back to hold a dowel rod that extended through extensions on the lid. I'm using the past tense here because they snapped off (along the grain of the wood) immediately when I maxxed out the motion of the lid and created a lever. So make sure that you can prop the lid open somehow when you're rummaging around in the cold frame.

With all that said, I still have kale even though it's been pretty cold this winter!

And I have a great attitude for my next attempt!

 

[BullGear]

Just bought my seeds today and will be setting up the indoor seedling garden this week.

 

[supercorndogs]

-7 yesterday morning. We are in the dead of winter. Middle of February I will trim fruit trees {minus plums and cherries}, brambles, and grape vines. I did get my summer seed order in, minus seed potatoes, summer cover crop seeds, and sweet potato slips.

 

[MarinePMI]

Yes, but the meat requires more light.......
I pulled my game cam card today. Ten days, numerous pics for 9 days, early morning, late evening, some around midnight, two bucks, numerous different doe units. Exactly one daylight pic.

Answer: Thermal scope.

 

[johnnycat]

Wow Baker Creek has so many orders they shut down their website for a few days.

Daughter and I were planning on putting in some raised beds this year. So is everyone else it seems.

 

[MarinePMI]

Well, with all this civil war/pandemic/economic crisis talk, it comes as no surprise folks are planting some insurance for some food stuffs in the event there are disruptions to the food supply.

Seems prudent to me, that if you have space, this would be a good time to put it to use. Worst case, you get a little dirty and have some seasonal veg. Best case, you don't starve.

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

Buy heirloom seeds. Then you aren't depending on someone else.

Last year I went to a home to do a repair. They started their tomatoes in five gallon buckets in their sun room. These already had tomatoes on them and it was before Memorial Day.

 

[bornhunter04]

On the topic of OP's cold frames, I built a couple. Here's my first round of what I'd do differently.

1. Reinforce glued butt joints (cedar) with screws. Being out in the weather or under snow adds a lot of stress to the frame.
2. Let the caulking dry around the polycarbonate. Mine is corrugated. The caulking ran down into the tunnels when it got wet.
3. Think the hinge out better than I did. I put an extension off the back to hold a dowel rod that extended through extensions on the lid. I'm using the past tense here because they snapped off (along the grain of the wood) immediately when I maxxed out the motion of the lid and created a lever. So make sure that you can prop the lid open somehow when you're rummaging around in the cold frame.

With all that said, I still have kale even though it's been pretty cold this winter!

And I have a great attitude for my next attempt!

How big is your frame? Did you use the spacers on the ends for the corrugation?

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

Solar lights and archery equipment.

Yes, but the meat requires more light.......
I pulled my game cam card today. Ten days, numerous pics for 9 days, early morning, late evening, some around midnight, two bucks, numerous different doe units. Exactly one daylight pic.

The rabbits provide a nice addition to the dinner table and a snack for the dog.

 

[MarinePMI]

Solar lights and archery equipment.

The rabbits provide a nice addition to the dinner table and a snack for the dog.

Rabbit: the original fast food.

As long as you don't have to live on them, they're fine. There's a reason a common phrase used by early settlers of the US, was so common: "Starving on rabbits". They're too lean to live completely (or even partially) on.

But if you want to lose weight/body fat? Eating a lot of rabbit will definitely get you there.

 

[BullGear]

Buy heirloom seeds. Then you aren't depending on someone else.

Last year I went to a home to do a repair. They started their tomatoes in five gallon buckets in their sun room. These already had tomatoes on them and it was before Memorial Day.

I start my broccoli indoors and replant outside at the end of March. They don't like hot weather so you need to harvest before the daytime temps average 80.

I do bush beans and bush cucumbers because I do raised beds. Seems to me I can get more yield that way than those that grow on a vine.

 

[BullGear]

Solar lights and archery equipment.

The rabbits provide a nice addition to the dinner table and a snack for the dog.

Rabbit is good. We have tons of them in my yard. As a matter of fact they have burrows under my front steps and porch. Wife asked me to get rid of them. I said no way. If need be, they will be some good eating meals. All I have to do is set traps and I won't be picking #8 shot out of my meal.

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

Last year's project for the woman to get her plants going.
It's still waiting for some paint and caulking that I didn't have time for last year. It was 70 degrees in there the other day when it was 32 outside but the sun was shining.

 

[MarinePMI]

Last year's project for the woman to get her plants going.
It's still waiting for some paint and caulking that I didn't have time for last year. It was 70 degrees in there the other day when it was 32 outside but the sun was shining.
View attachment 7542732

Do you find that you have to heat it sometimes?

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

22 subs

Rabbit is good. We have tons of them in my yard. As a matter of fact they have burrows under my front steps and porch. Wife asked me to get rid of them. I said no way. If need be, they will be some good eating meals. All I have to do is set traps and I won't be picking #8 shot out of my meal.

Mmmm fried rabbit.

 

[BullGear]

Folks, don't forget about the free veggies that are all around you. Find a good book or web page and look for the wild plants that are good to eat. We're talking mostly greens, but some are really good. Also you have the wild berries that you can harvest in the spring to early summer. Bag them and freeze them for year round enjoyment.

The dandelion can be eaten or made into a decent tea. Some of the greens, if you don't catch them early, have to be boiled but are very passible for food if you ever need it in a pinch.

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

Yes, I have a portable propane heater for it. It's a 20K BTU unit and it kept the temp to 60 degrees in overnight temps in the 30's in the fall.

Do you find that you have to heat it sometimes?

I guess that'll be good for the spring when she gets her plants started.

 

[riverside jeep]

Got the garlic planted last month, added the amendments to the raised beds, just got my new compost container moved out to the garden area, started pruning on the fruit trees, dropped of a bag of artichoke seed to a neighbor kid that's getting into gardening, cleaned out the Bines from the hop area, cut all the raspberries down and soon start on the strawberry beds. Need to get some seeds started soon.

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

It's almost time to get started looking for mushrooms. Morel mushrooms are usually pretty good when turkey season opens. Winter oyster mushrooms are out now.

Folks, don't forget about the free veggies that are all around you. Find a good book or web page and look for the wild plants that are good to eat. We're talking mostly greens, but some are really good. Also you have the wild berries that you can harvest in the spring to early summer. Bag them and freeze them for year round enjoyment.

The dandelion can be eaten or made into a decent tea. Some of the greens, if you don't catch them early, have to be boiled but are very passible for food if you ever need it in a pinch.

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

Where are you at? That's a lot for this time of year in my climate

Got the garlic planted last month, added the amendments to the raised beds, just got my new compost container moved out to the garden area, started pruning on the fruit trees, dropped of a bag of artichoke seed to a neighbor kid that's getting into gardening, cleaned out the Bines from the hop area, cut all the raspberries down and soon start on the strawberry beds. Need to get some seeds started soon.

 

[BullGear]

It's almost time to get started looking for mushrooms. Morel mushrooms are usually pretty good when turkey season opens. Winter oyster mushrooms are out now.

When I was out in the woods with the dog last week, I was starting to see a few mushrooms. It won't be long now.

 

[MrSmith]

Ramps. But get a few extra, when one person eats Ramps, everybody needs to eat Ramps.

Thank you,
MrSmith

 

[Sean the Nailer]

You guys.... you're killing me!

-8 here right now, with the wind it's -14. Thursday it's going down to -30 again, not including the wind. Yeah, we have a foot of snow on the ground.

And ya'll are talking about planting, and mushrooms, and such?

Arrg.

 

[supercorndogs]

Do you find that you have to heat it sometimes?

Without some sort if heat, the over night low in a greenhouse is the same as outside.

 

[Choid]

Without some sort if heat, the over night low in a greenhouse is the same as outside.

We looked at doing this and have all the plans. It seems very doable, but we realized that that kind of excavation in the middle of the Rockies was going to be a bit of a pain in the ass, so we pun in about 1500 square feet of greenhouse over the summer. It isn't perfect, because in our climate it does require a good bit of propane use, but it is pretty good, and if we grow with the seasons, as opposed to year round, it is excellent.

 

[MarinePMI]

Ironically, I was just looking at geothermal for our retirement home, workshop and green house...Montana gets a bit chilly.

 

[Choid]

Ironically, I was just looking at geothermal for our retirement home, workshop and green house...Montana gets a bit chilly.

Are you retiring here? If so, we have a "neighbor" who is putting in geothermal right now on a pretty good sized project. I am happy to ask them about it.

 

[BullGear]

You guys.... you're killing me!

-8 here right now, with the wind it's -14. Thursday it's going down to -30 again, not including the wind. Yeah, we have a foot of snow on the ground.

And ya'll are talking about planting, and mushrooms, and such?

Arrg.

If you've got a basement and a $30 growing light, you can start growing your crops now and transplant them once it warms up.

But it does sound like you live in an area where you don't usually plant crops until June. I'm harvesting broccoli by then.

I've got an aunt who grows crops all year long in her basement. She has vine ripened tomatoes all year long as well as bush beans.

 

[supercorndogs]

We looked at doing this and have all the plans. It seems very doable, but we realized that that kind of excavation in the middle of the Rockies was going to be a bit of a pain in the ass, so we pun in about 1500 square feet of greenhouse over the summer. It isn't perfect, because in our climate it does require a good bit of propane use, but it is pretty good, and if we grow with the seasons, as opposed to year round, it is excellent.

have you considered insulation and heating with grow lights? Some 1000e HPS and bubble rap. I don't know what you pay propane vs electric. A big problem here in CO in the winter is not getting enough sunlight for stuff to grow. I have lettuce outside that has grown since Nov. It under snow for the real cold weather so it will probably truck along some more. Maybe make it all the way to spring. I have some snap dragons acting like they will do the same. Odd, as they are not really ver cold hardy.

We bought the property next us, it has a deep old foundation for a building, and a small one bedroom house. We have mulled the idea of doing it in the old foundation. We could could dig the lines for it between the foundation and our house, so we could could hook up geothermal lines to our house also.

Looking at a home garden people are going to take in more food in the long run with less work looking at perineal food crops. Nut trees, fruit trees, berry plants, fruiting ground cover. All of these can be worked easily into a no till vegetable garden. They will also help the mycorrhizal fungi active, which will help the annual vegetable crops.

 

[Choid]

have you considered insulation and heating with grow lights? Some 1000e HPS and bubble rap. I don't know what you pay propane vs electric. A big problem here in CO in the winter is not getting enough sunlight for stuff to grow. I have lettuce outside that has grown since Nov. It under snow for the real cold weather so it will probably truck along some more. Maybe make it all the way to spring. I have some snap dragons acting like they will do the same. Odd, as they are not really ver cold hardy.

We bought the property next us, it has a deep old foundation for a building, and a small one bedroom house. We have mulled the idea of doing it in the old foundation. We could could dig the lines for it between the foundation and our house, so we could could hook up geothermal lines to our house also.

Looking at a home garden people are going to take in more food in the long run with less work looking at perineal food crops. Nut trees, fruit trees, berry plants, fruiting ground cover. All of these can be worked easily into a no till vegetable garden. They will also help the mycorrhizal fungi active, which will help the annual vegetable crops.

We are using an all of the above approach. Where we are we have enough light to grow in winter, but just barely, and things do really slow down, but more urgently, we get down to -15 or so where the greenhouse is, and that is a big pull using only lights to heat everything. We have trees etc, so there is a lot of volume to heat. It has been a trial and error kind of thing so far, with a good deal of error. My wife tells me it will get better.

 

[MarinePMI]

Are you retiring here? If so, we have a "neighbor" who is putting in geothermal right now on a pretty good sized project. I am happy to ask them about it.

Yes, that's the plan, and so I'm beginning the research now, before we buy a place. Been looking around Big Timber and Absarokee...

I'd be curious what you find out.

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

A few years back I did some geothermal and a couple water source HVAC systems. East TN is not near the climate of that area but they are some very efficient systems. The initial cost to payback is something that you need to balance against monthly operation costs for ten years down the road when your income may not cover the cost of conventional equipment.

Ironically, I was just looking at geothermal for our retirement home, workshop and green house...Montana gets a bit chilly.

 

[bluegrasspicker]

How big is your frame? Did you use the spacers on the ends for the corrugation?

The one in my garden is about 7' by 3'. I knew it would be awkward to move, so I made it as big as I could "easily" move it. Bigger would be better to help offset temperature swings, but then it's more of a chore to move it around.

I'm not sure what you mean by "spacers on the ends." Please let me know!

My method of routing a groove in the cedar lid and recessing the polycarbonate with caulking leaves a little to be desired. If these spacers would help I'm all ears.

The next one will be based on using an integer number of 2' widths of polycarbonate cut to length. So it'll probably be just a hair over 6' long, with the "hair" accounting for supports between the panels.

 

[MtnCreek]

Ramps. But get a few extra, when one person eats Ramps, everybody needs to eat Ramps.

Thank you,
MrSmith

Had a great uncle that would eat ramps and drink shine, all day... He had an aroma.

 

[Maggot]

Working on a different kind of victory garden. BTW, anybody know where I can get cuttings of a Sandbox Tree (Dynamite Tree), a Machineel Tree (Tree of Death), and a Gimpy Gimpy Bush (Suicide Tree)? Asking for a friend...

If you find either of the last two Id be interested in cuttings or seeds. Im not kidding on that. I think coating something in the sap of the Machineel and leaving it where a thief could steal it would be terribly soothing to my soul, or whats left of it.

 

[BullGear]

If you find either of the last two Id be interested in cuttings or seeds. Im not kidding on that. I think coating something in the sap of the Machineel and leaving it where a thief could steal it would be terribly soothing to my soul, or whats left of it.

You have a very dark soul......

 

[Maggot]

You have a very dark soul......

At times, when people fuck with me, yes I do. Bringing that up, you seem to have a personal desire to throw attacks at me, I recall the one in the prayer thread that was so rude to the OP, I had to correct.

What does it say for a soul, meaning yours and a few others around here, that they devote so much time to minding and messing in other people's business, rather than tending to the log in their own eye? I'd say it makes them on the low end of the evolutionary spectrum...wouldnt you agree?

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

Says the clown that started a thread bashing the transgender health secretary.
Un Freaking Believable

At times, when people fuck with me, yes I do. Bringing that up, you seem to have a personal desire to throw attacks at me, I recall the one in the prayer thread that was so rude to the OP, I had to correct.

What does it say for a soul, meaning yours and a few others around here, that they devote so much time to minding and messing in other people's business, rather than tending to the log in their own eye? I'd say it makes them on the low end of the evolutionary spectrum...wouldnt you agree?

 

[BullGear]

At times, when people fuck with me, yes I do. Bringing that up, you seem to have a personal desire to throw attacks at me, I recall the one in the prayer thread that was so rude to the OP, I had to correct.

What does it say for a soul, meaning yours and a few others around here, that they devote so much time to minding and messing in other people's business, rather than tending to the log in their own eye? I'd say it makes them on the low end of the evolutionary spectrum...wouldnt you agree?

You take too much into a post. Just because someone disagrees with you doesn't mean they hate you.

I know you aren't religious but you have a propensity of injecting that perspective into threads that are of a religious nature. Trust me, I've not attacked you. If I had, I would be spending a few weeks at Banned Camp.

It's all good. A little extra skin may be needed.

 

[Threadcutter308]

At times, when people fuck with me, yes I do. Bringing that up, you seem to have a personal desire to throw attacks at me, I recall the one in the prayer thread that was so rude to the OP, I had to correct.

What does it say for a soul, meaning yours and a few others around here, that they devote so much time to minding and messing in other people's business, rather than tending to the log in their own eye? I'd say it makes them on the low end of the evolutionary spectrum...wouldnt you agree?

Proselytizing to the un-washed masses again I see......

Care to reverse yourself on your "I hate Chinks"/"Kill all the Chinks" comments in the "Collapse of Three Gorges Dam" thread ?

Or, for everyone's viewing pleasure, your comment about "firing up the backhoes on the border" in response to the illegal immigrant Honduran/Central American caravan heading to our Southern border.

I don't (and I don't think many people here) actually hate you. For one thing, it takes too much time/energy. For another, I don't care enough.

I just think you're a fucking hypocrite. You prove it time and time again. But then again, what would I know, I'm a "coward"....

 

[Choid]

Everybody here is a fucking asshole. It is the internet. No whining.

 

[Maggot]

Proselytizing to the un-washed masses again I see......

Care to reverse yourself on your "I hate Chinks"/"Kill all the Chinks" comments in the "Collapse of Three Gorges Dam" thread ?

Or, for everyone's viewing pleasure, your comment about "firing up the backhoes on the border" in response to the illegal immigrant Honduran/Central American caravan heading to our Southern border.

I don't (and I don't think many people here) actually hate you. For one thing, it takes too much time/energy. For another, I don't care enough.

I just think you're a fucking hypocrite. You prove it time and time again. But then again, what would I know, I'm a "coward"....

"Care to reverse yourself on your "I hate Chinks"/"Kill all the Chinks" comments in the "Collapse of Three Gorges Dam" thread ?

Or, for everyone's viewing pleasure, your comment about "firing up the backhoes on the border" in response to the illegal immigrant Honduran/Central American caravan heading to our Southern border."

Youre not incorrect in that I typed those things...in disgust over whats being thrown in my face by the media and

=======================================
"I don't (and I don't think many people here) actually hate you. For one thing, it takes too much time/energy. For another, I don't care enough."

Yet you took the time to tell me how fucked up I am. Whats that about 'hypocrite'? do you really think I care what a bunch of fingers hitting keyboards think of me" Really?

===================================================

"But then again, what would I know, I'm a "coward"...."

If you say so. My point in that statement lended more towards a lot of piling on. But who really care, eh?

 

[BullGear]

"Care to reverse yourself on your "I hate Chinks"/"Kill all the Chinks" comments in the "Collapse of Three Gorges Dam" thread ?

Or, for everyone's viewing pleasure, your comment about "firing up the backhoes on the border" in response to the illegal immigrant Honduran/Central American caravan heading to our Southern border."

Youre not incorrect in that I typed those things...in disgust over whats being thrown in my face by the media and

=======================================
"I don't (and I don't think many people here) actually hate you. For one thing, it takes too much time/energy. For another, I don't care enough."

Yet you took the time to tell me how fucked up I am. Whats that about 'hypocrite'? do you really think I care what a bunch of fingers hitting keyboards think of me" Really?

===================================================

"But then again, what would I know, I'm a "coward"...."

If you say so. My point in that statement lended more towards a lot of piling on. But who really care, eh?

Look, I don't know you but you need to get some thicker skin. People can disagree with you, people can have completely different views than you, people can say mean things about you and to you. Suck it up.

Just because people disagree with you doesn't mean they hate you. Stop with the self pity thing you do. You throw jabs at people and then when they come back at you, you come up with this innocent as a new born dove crap.

Grow up, get a life and stop thinking people hate you. You're not worth people's time.

 

[Epsilon]

So are you all just gonna keep feeding mr thinskin or get back on topic?

Been meaning to get started on a garden here but there is a high likelihood we'll be moving in the next few months so I don't want to invest in a bunch of raised beds before then. Maybe something we could move or maybe one of the 55 gallon potato grows.