Grow Your Own
By Loren on Oct 8, 2008 in Uncategorized
It’s painfully obvious our 401K savings will not be growing anytime soon, and for many of us holding on to every spare penny seems like a darned good idea right now, so saving money wherever we can is essential. One good idea is to reuse things we’ve too often thrown out. For example, now is the time to start a compost heap. If you can no longer afford the gym membership, then turning the compost once a week is a good way to do some of your resistance training for free in the back yard.
At our home, every thing from soggy cereal, to coffee grounds and egg shells; all our kitchen waste goes to the chickens, not the garbage disposal. Of course I understand that most people live in neighborhoods with cc&rs or city ordinances that make chickens a serious offense. Still that same kitchen waste can go into a compost bin or earthworm bin nearly anywhere.
That compost can be used to grow your family’s food or at least some of it. There is a real chance that farmers will have trouble getting loans to plant winter and spring crops. I have not read anyone who suggests food shortages are coming, but why not insulate your family from food expense and shortages by growing more of your own.
At this time of year we are busy planting our cool season garden which includes some of the most nutrient-rich vegetables. The easiest method is to buy young plants at your local nursery and plant them in the sunniest spot in your yard. The most important rule I can offer is that the better the soil, the better the outcome, so please add lots and lots of compost and mix it in well. Remove any weeds which will compete with your veggies for nutrients and keep them cleared out during the growing season. There are now very good all-purpose organic fertilizers. Use them generously to feed the soil which will feed your plants. Do not be generous with chemical fertilizers since they cause harmful runoff.
Here are a few veggies for the cool season: broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, beets, potatoes, artichokes, asparagus, brussel sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, garlic, kale, onions, peas, spinach, chard, turnips and a few I’m sure I’m missing.
This is a good opportunity to share the gardening techniques that work well for you. Let’s work together to teach one another the best way to grow part of the food we need so we can all stretch our family budgets during these difficult times.
What’s your favorite composting secrets? Which veggies grow best here in San Diego? If you have hints please share them.
Thanks for tuning in, logging on and speaking up.
I have to say, I’m very impressed with the analysis that this “weather guy” brings to the big issues facing us today. The pattern of anti-knowledge based decisions that have driven too many of our governments policies - foreign, domestic and scientific - has led us to our this perfect wave of disaster. It is a bit ironic that the most succinct insight that is provided in our local journalism comes from our weatherman, but then again, foretelling the weather has been critically important to the development of our civilization, so maybe it makes sense that this person should be the harbinger of our society. But how does that explain the kUUUUUUUUUsi guy? - with the chip on his shoulder for losing the weather channel and disavowal of climate change and evolution?
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Sheldon | Oct 9, 2008
Wow Sheldon, I’m touched by your post. I appreciate you adding your thoughts to the blog, even when you think I’m a raging nut, which is sure to happen eventually. I have teenagers at home, so when writing and parenting mix, my perspective can be misguided. Thanks again for your kind remarks.
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loren nancarrow | Oct 9, 2008
Hey this is a great blog and great idea. I would love to grow a garden here in San Diego this fall. Anybody have any ideas of some good resources to learn the details of how to do this? I’m thinking links or even books if you know of any good ones. Trouble is they all focus on other climates where you have to plant in spring. I really want to focus on VEGGIES also (as opposed to flowers etc.) I heard there is something called a “winter zuccini” and a cold season tomato. could I find and grow them here in the Fall or can I just use regular zuccini and tomatos since it doesn’t get too cold here? Thanks for any tips or info!
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Becky | Oct 10, 2008
Oops one more question: do you need a lot of space for a compost heap and will it draw flies? Thanks, Becky
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Becky | Oct 10, 2008
Thanks Loren for suggesting some good food ideas for this time of year. Somewhat related to this is a way I have begun to use kitchen vegetable waste. I use a bottomless lidded container (donut shop frosting containers will work - cut out the bottom with a utility knife) which I place in my garden area. The base needs to be down about an inch in the soil. I place peelings, coffee grounds etc. in the container a few weeks before I wish to plant such things as beans or tomatoes. By planting close to the base and watering though the resulting compost, the plants get a constant supplement of compost “tea”. It seems to do well with flowers as well. So far I have tried lizianthus and nasturtiums. We are going to try sweet peas as well. I am a potter and actually make bottomless lidded jars in red clay surfaced with an iron wash so that the jars look like cast iron and blend into the garden in a more aesthetic way than the plastic frosting containers. I started some with established compost containing worms before adding fresh kitchen waste. It turns out to be a convenient way to “take out the garbage” when the composters are small and close to the house. Even with 100+ deg. days recently there has been no odor or fly problems. I suspect we will continue doing this more as the results of our experiment seem positive. Thanks for all of the good ideas and pleasant presentation of weather info…Mike Sisson
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Mike Sisson | Oct 10, 2008
Two thoughts, if you have difficulty turing the mulch bid, if it is on the ground or you have added worms, it simply becomes a worm pile, also with great results. Second, using this and soil in small containers you can raise something as simple as a lettuce garden and have th best salad you have ever tasted, with other additions as needed.
Love Loren’s comments on recycle everything organic. The soils need to be fed too. He has the advantage on most of us of having chickens who turn everything into food or fertilizer, and hourses who produce really useful by products for gardening.
Loren: Nastirtium seeds on the way. . .
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Newcomb, Ron | Oct 13, 2008
Great way to introduce organic gardening to the people, Loren. Home Depot use to sell plastic containers that were designed specifically for composting. We have been using ours for years (10+). It’s true anything can go in the compost except meat products. My husband loves to garden and I love to cook so it’s a perfect marriage (if there is ever one!). We have just planted our winter garden of broccoli, cabbage, swiss chard, basil, elephant garlic, and lettuce. We still have growing oregano, sage, thyme, peppers, eggplant, arugala, all of which we will use for the upcoming holiday season!
Place crushed eggshells around the base of the tender plants to prevent pill bugs and others munchers from munching on your lettuce and other leaves. Whole egg shells in the compose are used by worms for their babies.
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Debra Copp | Oct 13, 2008