You are a Renaissance man Bill. I've said for years if the whole thing blows up, go to Amish country, they will be ok. We drive through on the way to visit our daughter and the Amish still live in the 1870's for the most part and pretty much self sufficient. It sounds like you have a good thing going there. Peace
Nice, Bill! A lot better than we can do in our condo at the Jersey shore, but my wife does manage to harvest a few tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and herbs.
We are also in a condo. But our town has three locations for "Community Gardens". Ours is less than a mile away. Our benevolent town installed a well just for us - 50 organic plots. During last years drought, this saved the crops. And...a riding stable from across town donates horse compost which we use as an amendment every year. The soil is now dark and rich.
Thanks, Barb. Get the garlic soon before they start to split.
Squash is easy and fun. But they need a lot of room. I actually fence them in. But the winter squash (which we love) have long vines. Our garden is beginning to look like a sci-fi movie. "The Squash that Ate the World!" :)
My garden buddy brought some garlic to the garden a few years ago. Turns out the garlic was from the throw away table- brought some kind of fungus to the garden. Each year since the garlic is struggling with lots of punky cloves. I am going to start in a new location this year. Any thoughts on what I can put in that bed to treat (we are organic only).
I am not aware of anything we can do to the soil to treat garlic maladies. I replant only from this year's healthiest bulbs. Proper curing in a cool dry dark space is key...as well as crop rotation, of course.
I suggest selecting a new location as far from the current one as possible. And purchase new bulbs from a reputable source like Johnny's of Maine.
Here is a great assessment of garlic diseases. I have been lucky. In all my decades of growing garlic, no issues.
Thanks for the link Stewart. I agree that our food systems are a fundamental reason for several of our problems. I recently read about alfalfa - a crop that can be produced several times a year and requires a lot of water. So we grow something that is a water hog to feed animals that fart and emit methane which is a big Climate Warming problem. The same land could be producing human food. And the animals? Most of us have read about the kids being employed in the slaughter houses. So less meat and more veggies for sure.
Then there is the enormous use of fertilizers that run off and end up in the Gulf of Mexico - polluting along the way. And don't get me started with our corporate insistence on mono culture cropping. We are one pest away from disaster.
I am really disgusted with our national approach to feeding our citizens. We feed our folks junk that makes them obese which feeds the monsters in the health insurance business providing a never ending stream of revenue. Private enterprise at its worst.
OK, I'll stop. I could rant about this for hours. And you know all this anyway. I am venting.
I applaud a shift to organic vegetables and grains. But I am also an omnivore and we enjoy a varied diet - extremely so. Very driven by the seasons. I guess I would put myself in the Julia Child category. She once said: "Eat everything! But just a little bit."
Right! Eat a little. Roy Walford called his approach to longevity and health "undernutrition without malnutrition." That would be a good start to the food revolution we need in this country. Thanks for the reply. I didn't know about alfalfa!
You are a Renaissance man Bill. I've said for years if the whole thing blows up, go to Amish country, they will be ok. We drive through on the way to visit our daughter and the Amish still live in the 1870's for the most part and pretty much self sufficient. It sounds like you have a good thing going there. Peace
Well Written!!
Thank you Rob. There will be tomatoes for you :)
Nice, Bill! A lot better than we can do in our condo at the Jersey shore, but my wife does manage to harvest a few tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and herbs.
Kudos to your wife!
We are also in a condo. But our town has three locations for "Community Gardens". Ours is less than a mile away. Our benevolent town installed a well just for us - 50 organic plots. During last years drought, this saved the crops. And...a riding stable from across town donates horse compost which we use as an amendment every year. The soil is now dark and rich.
Your crops are definitely enviable. Tried garlic this year. I haven’t harvested yet. That’s next week’s chore.
I haven’t done squashes yet, maybe ne t year.
Thanks, Barb. Get the garlic soon before they start to split.
Squash is easy and fun. But they need a lot of room. I actually fence them in. But the winter squash (which we love) have long vines. Our garden is beginning to look like a sci-fi movie. "The Squash that Ate the World!" :)
This year was a first for me. The garden box is thriving. Next season I plan to try garlic. Thanks for sharing.
Good to hear. Every year, we have successes and failures. But mostly, plenty to eat and share.
My garden buddy brought some garlic to the garden a few years ago. Turns out the garlic was from the throw away table- brought some kind of fungus to the garden. Each year since the garlic is struggling with lots of punky cloves. I am going to start in a new location this year. Any thoughts on what I can put in that bed to treat (we are organic only).
I am not aware of anything we can do to the soil to treat garlic maladies. I replant only from this year's healthiest bulbs. Proper curing in a cool dry dark space is key...as well as crop rotation, of course.
I suggest selecting a new location as far from the current one as possible. And purchase new bulbs from a reputable source like Johnny's of Maine.
Here is a great assessment of garlic diseases. I have been lucky. In all my decades of growing garlic, no issues.
https://extension.umaine.edu/agriculture/garlic/maine-garlic-pest-field-notebook/#:~:text=Botrytis%20porri%20is%20the%20fungal,limited%20to%20the%20Allium%20family.
Thanks Bill,
I too have been lucky-never an issue but when Richard brought that garlic and threw it in with the others for growing… bam. I’ll check out your link…
For more great guidance on diet and the importance of eating your veggies, check out Michael Gregor, MD at nutritionfacts.org
I have a feeling you'd like this guy. A huge part of saving the planet involves changing the way we eat.
Thanks for the link Stewart. I agree that our food systems are a fundamental reason for several of our problems. I recently read about alfalfa - a crop that can be produced several times a year and requires a lot of water. So we grow something that is a water hog to feed animals that fart and emit methane which is a big Climate Warming problem. The same land could be producing human food. And the animals? Most of us have read about the kids being employed in the slaughter houses. So less meat and more veggies for sure.
Then there is the enormous use of fertilizers that run off and end up in the Gulf of Mexico - polluting along the way. And don't get me started with our corporate insistence on mono culture cropping. We are one pest away from disaster.
I am really disgusted with our national approach to feeding our citizens. We feed our folks junk that makes them obese which feeds the monsters in the health insurance business providing a never ending stream of revenue. Private enterprise at its worst.
OK, I'll stop. I could rant about this for hours. And you know all this anyway. I am venting.
I applaud a shift to organic vegetables and grains. But I am also an omnivore and we enjoy a varied diet - extremely so. Very driven by the seasons. I guess I would put myself in the Julia Child category. She once said: "Eat everything! But just a little bit."
Right! Eat a little. Roy Walford called his approach to longevity and health "undernutrition without malnutrition." That would be a good start to the food revolution we need in this country. Thanks for the reply. I didn't know about alfalfa!