Grow Your Own?

General Cooking your catch
1

Anybody else growing their own veggies this year?

I’ve grown my own vegetables in my back yard for the past five years. I always have way more than I need and share them with my family, friends, and neighbors.

I have two 8’ long, 2’ deep, and 1 1/2’ tall boxes and will probably build another box this year since I never have enough room to grow everything I want. This year I’m growing cherry and big hybrid tomatoes, zucchini and yellow squash, banana peppers, black beauty eggplant, carrots, cucumbers, green beans, and a couple different lettuces.

Each dimple in the dirt is a carrot seed:

The tomatoes and such:

Both boxes take up pretty minimal space on the side of the yard:

The first year I built and planted a box, I put it on the north-facing side of a 6’ privacy fence. That’s fine if you’re only growing from May through August, and then your plants are in the shade. Don’t make that mistake!

Some day I’ll move us out in the country and get a bigger garden, some fruit trees, and a cow. For now my backyard veggies and chickens will have to do in North Charleston.

The suburban chicken coop:

Semper Fi
18’ Sterling
115 Yamaha
Big Ugly Homemade Blue Push Pole

2

nice…i tried last year but not a whole ton of luck since some fort of critter kept biting off all the tomato blooms although the plants themselves grew up just fine. never found tomato worms so im guessing squirrels. i just bought a trinidad scorpion pepper plant and will probably try a few cheaper plants just for thee fun of it. dont have a whole ton of room here but i definately grew a decent plot at home with more tomatoes than i knew what to do with.

3

that’s a great looking garden! I don’t have much room here either, so I have to limit what I can grow to pots. Most important to me is a caribbean scotch bonnet pepper plant that made it through the winter and a few hierloom tomatoes. Now if we can make it hurry the hell up and get warm we can go fishing AND garden.

4

I’ve always been a fan of grow my own :smiley: We live in the country with plenty of space and we used to grow almost everything we ate. We’ve scaled back a lot but still grow a lot of our vegetables, and trade with neighbors for what they grow and we don’t. I’ve learned that some things you can grow cheaper than you can buy them, and some things you can’t, on a small scale.

We also have blueberries, blackberries, peaches, pears, figs, grapes, and no telling what else my wife has planted out there :smiley: 10 kinds of lettuce, 20 kinds of herbs, squash, zucchini, 5 kinds of peppers, collards, broccoli… our yard is usually better than the produce section of the grocery store :smiley:

We used to raise a lot of chickens, but don’t any more. I can buy eggs cheaper than chicken feed, and they always attracted rats, snakes, coyote, fox and bobcats into the yard. I had to go out and shoot something almost every day and night with those chickens around. It got to be too much trouble. We’ve also raised pigs, goats and a couple of cows. There again, if you have to buy feed it cost more to raise the animals than you can buy the meat at the store. But you know where it comes from anyway.

I’m a firm believer in self sufficiency. Even if you don’t have to, it’s good to know how and have the means. There is only about a 4 day supply of food on the grocery store shelves at any time. It would not take much of a crisis before most people would be hungry.

Edit: That’s a good looking hen in the picture :sunglasses: Buff Orpington? They are great egg layers, you can count on almost one per day.

Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
Small craft surveying and repair

5
quote:
Originally posted by Cracker Larry

I’ve always been a fan of grow my own :smiley: We live in the country with plenty of space and we used to grow almost everything we ate. We’ve scaled back a lot but still grow a lot of our vegetables, and trade with neighbors for what they grow and we don’t. I’ve learned that some things you can grow cheaper than you can buy them, and some things you can’t, on a small scale.

We also have blueberries, blackberries, peaches, pears, figs, grapes, and no telling what else my wife has planted out there :smiley: 10 kinds of lettuce, 20 kinds of herbs, squash, zucchini, 5 kinds of peppers, collards, broccoli… our yard is usually better than the produce section of the grocery store :smiley:

We used to raise a lot of chickens, but don’t any more. I can buy eggs cheaper than chicken feed, and they always attracted rats, snakes, coyote, fox and bobcats into the yard. I had to go out and shoot something almost every day and night with those chickens around. It got to be too much trouble. We’ve also raised pigs, goats and a couple of cows. There again, if you have to buy feed it cost more to raise the animals than you can buy the meat at the store. But you know where it comes from anyway.

I’m a firm believer in self sufficiency. Even if you don’t have to, it’s good to know how and have the means. There is only about a 4 day supply of food on the grocery store shelves at any time. It would not take much of a crisis before most people would be hungry.

Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
Small craft surveying and repair

Well said. Sometimes gardening these days is more of a hobby. It’s cheaper most of the time to buy a few tomatoes and other veggies from the grocery store. Hell, we end up giving most away or it rots in the kitchen… It’s still som

6

I’ve been a yard junkie the last few years. No gardens. Just taking care of the yard ad keeping my Bermuda flawless. It doesn’t produce an edible source of food… But it’s fun seeing the results of the hard work.

7

I’ve tried raised beds and have had mixed results. Last year I made a bed similar to hoof, but put it in the ground and had much better results. Had fresh tomatoes in December.

“Those who have the ability to make a difference have the responsibility to do so.” Thomas Jefferson

8

The blonde chicken is some sort of mutt. She was sold to me as an Easter egger, but she laid brown eggs at first. Now her eggs are pink. I think she’s Easter egger mixed with buff Orpington. We also have two barred rocks. All of them put out an egg a day. They slowed down a little during December and January, but now they’re back to full production.
The blonde hen’s name is Daisy, and the barred rocks are named Emily and Scrambles.

Semper Fi
18’ Sterling
115 Yamaha
Big Ugly Homemade Blue Push Pole

9

This is the old garden. I took this picture early spring a few years ago. Last year took out the garden and now there is a slide and swing set in this spot. Moved to the center of the yard and planted beets and turnips. The turnips are about 4 in. tall and beets are a little behind. Will post picks when I have time.

I have literally been playing/ working in backyard gardens my whole life. First helping grandparents then taking care of my parents tomatoes and roses. It really is a great hobby plus I like food.

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Karma is 360 degrees

Some got to win, some got to lose…

10

the blue tick doesn’t like turnips? :))

The Morris Island Lighthouse www.savethelight.org

11
quote:
Originally posted by stunter
quote:
Originally posted by Cracker Larry

I’ve always been a fan of grow my own :smiley: We live in the country with plenty of space and we used to grow almost everything we ate. We’ve scaled back a lot but still grow a lot of our vegetables, and trade with neighbors for what they grow and we don’t. I’ve learned that some things you can grow cheaper than you can buy them, and some things you can’t, on a small scale.

We also have blueberries, blackberries, peaches, pears, figs, grapes, and no telling what else my wife has planted out there :smiley: 10 kinds of lettuce, 20 kinds of herbs, squash, zucchini, 5 kinds of peppers, collards, broccoli… our yard is usually better than the produce section of the grocery store :smiley:

We used to raise a lot of chickens, but don’t any more. I can buy eggs cheaper than chicken feed, and they always attracted rats, snakes, coyote, fox and bobcats into the yard. I had to go out and shoot something almost every day and night with those chickens around. It got to be too much trouble. We’ve also raised pigs, goats and a couple of cows. There again, if you have to buy feed it cost more to raise the animals than you can buy the meat at the store. But you know where it comes from anyway.

I’m a firm believer in self sufficiency. Even if you don’t have to, it’s good to know how and have the means. There is only about a 4 day supply of food on the grocery store shelves at any time. It would not take much of a crisis before most people would be hungry.

Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
Small craft surveying and repair

Well said. Sometimes gardening these days is more of a hobby. It’s ch

12

We grow most of our veggies. It can be a pain but at least we know where they came from and what’s in them. With all the chemicals and GMO we chose to go the healthy route for a change. We also have chickens but ours free range and cost us next to nothing. Venison makes up our red meat. The only meat we need to buy is pork. Hopefully I can get the boat running and start back on seafood this year.That is one thing I really miss since we moved here.

Ken

13
quote:
Originally posted by cappy46

We grow most of our veggies. It can be a pain but at least we know where they came from and what’s in them. With all the chemicals and GMO we chose to go the healthy route for a change. We also have chickens but ours free range and cost us next to nothing. Venison makes up our red meat. The only meat we need to buy is pork. Hopefully I can get the boat running and start back on seafood this year.That is one thing I really miss since we moved here.

Ken

If the rain keeps up and the Edisto stays full, you might have some good fishing very close to you this fall.

< Evil is simply the absence of God >

14

You’re right Fred. I thought I was going to have to launch in the yard the other day even though we are in a high area. The garden was under water for 2 days before it all soaked in. At least I don’t have to water it for awhile. In the 7 years I’ve lived here I never saw the river so high. I just hope it stays up this year.

Ken

15

i grew my own a bunch of years ago but the authorities took my plants and destroyed them. they sort of looked like tomato plants for a while.

16

Oh yeah?

You gotta mix 'em in with your herbs and keep quiet about it. :wink:

Semper Fi
18’ Sterling
115 Yamaha
Big Ugly Homemade Blue Push Pole

17
quote:
Originally posted by COOLBREEZE

i grew my own a bunch of years ago but the authorities took my plants and destroyed them. they sort of looked like tomato plants for a while.

Don’t let your “tomato” plants grow up. Take some panty hose and as it grows up stake it parallel to the ground and provide a brace every couple of feet. Or so I’ve run across in a couple of corn fields.

< Evil is simply the absence of God >

18

My bucket garden on my back porch in the Keys. I’ve got okra, cherry tomatoes and peppers that I started from seed and basil that I got at the flea market. I tried to grow a much wider variety the past couple years but all that really grew well were the four plants I’ve got this year.

I set this up for my parents today as they’ve just let it sit for the past two years.

yellow squash, cucumber, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, beefsteak tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, okra, some sort of lettuce, unknown species of peppers, basil, cilantro, oregano, and I’m going to put a little red potato in the dirt and see what happens.

19

4 rows totaling 600 feet sweet corn, 150 foot row yellow squash,35 tomatoes,12 eggplants, 120ft. Row watermelons, 450ft of row of pinkeye crowder peas, so far. Still have to plant sweet potatoes, peanuts and okra. Will plant more peas an butter beans later in the summer for fall harvest.

20

The last frost we got the week after I planted everything killed 3 of 8 squash plants and also got my cucumbers.

Everything else is doing very well. My salad mix and carrots from seed are all coming up nicely. It’s a little confusing weeding out stuff that’s popping up vs the salad mix. A lot of it looks like common yard weeds like dandelions. I also have lots of rogue tomato plants coming up from errant seeds that ended up in the dirt last year.

After taking pictures, I put up some cages and supports. I’ve already got my first blooms on my tomato plants, so I’m looking forward to some salad and BLTs soon!

I’ll be replanting cucumbers this weekend.

Semper Fi
18’ Sterling
115 Yamaha
Big Ugly Homemade Blue Push Pole