Herb's Organic Garden

The True Value up here in Boot**** also sells the stuff by the foot if you don't want a whole roll. I'm pretty sure you'll find something to use the rest of the roll for though.


Got the third planter done yesterday before the rain started. Now I just need some more compost to fill them with

 

Nice garden Herb,


I skimmed over all pages and love your land.


Nice raised beds. I was wondering and tried looking, but what did you use for screen on the 8'x24'x7'H enclosed garden hut? Is it fabric?


Do you think it would hold out minimal frost?


Thanks

 

Yes, it's a type of fabric. The same they use in most home garden centers to cover their outdoor nursery areas. It comes in several colors but I chose the tan since it's less stand-outish. It's basically a sun shade/screen material that blocks out the harshest rays while allowing 80% of the sunlight to come thru. We get some pretty intense sun here so it helps quite a bit. It also helps with the frost, yes. It gives you the same benefits as a green house but allows for air flow. I absolutely love the stuff as it's worked far beyond my expectations.

You just know I'll find a use for the extra wire. Oh...and ya better start talkin to the llama guy...you need more SHIT!

 

Joe ....sweet bucket planter you made bro. Diggin that idea and curious to how they grow in it. :thumbsup: Love the pics of your little girl helping daddy with gardening. Always followed my dad around when I was a kid and learned so much from helping. She will be a kick ass grower one day if not already!!!


Herbs, love what you have done with all that land! You need to post a before/after pic just to show how much work you have done my frd. You will be rolling in the $$$$ with all those eggs, fruit and veggies once you harvest. I have a local guy who has the same set up but because we are seasonal, he just opened up but his prices still are lower then the grocery store. Being I love fruit, I spend lots of money when one I like is not in season. Still stand by Jersey tomato's being the BEST and also our sweet corn>>yummy!!! Can not wait till the end of July/August when my tomato's are ripe for picking and then it will be canning all the extra one's for winter to make sauce or to use in soup. Thank goodness my g-ma taught me to can when I was a wee one and still have jars that are brand new from her basement for this winter. I make bread and butter pickles too from the cucumbers and this year gonna attempt to make "chow chow" which is a Amish yummy treat. Every penny counts so canning is the way to go with this recession and the price of food.


Good thing I am not your neighbor Herbs as I would be stealing fruit right off your trees in the middle of the night

 

Around here...that might get you shot.


Bread and butter pickles eh? Gonna have to teach me that one...I love those!

 

HERB......how self sufficent are you in total? with your garden as a food source

 

Well...at this point I'm getting it all set up so not very to be honest. That's why I have a stock of food to last for quite a while....until I'm at the point I want to be. What I've found is that it takes a big garden to actually have it feed you on a daily basis as well as have enough to store for the winter. That's why gardens are so damn big most of the time. It takes quite a bit to feed a family....I don't think people realize that.

 

Update:


Been working hard to get all the planter boxes built and in place for the upper garden section, but I still have five more to go. At least all the 3' x 6' planters are in now. The remaining five will be 1 1/2' x 6' and will go at the edges...where there's still room for them. After that's done I have two more 3' x 6' planters to build and set in place on a lower tier for my four grape vines. I'll split those in the middle and plant two vines per planter. Have to say my woman is VERY happy with her garden now and she has plenty of plants ready to go in when the time is right. She just planted some yellow wax peppers last night.:thumbsup:





Close up of the planters.....





Here's a greenhouse I'm currently building for my parents. They finally understand the need for one......better late than never I spose.





If you look to the right of the greenhouse in the next picture you'll see the composter I built them for Christmas. :laughing1:

 

Thanks man.....ya never know.....I may have to live in it some day myself.

 

Looking good...:thumbsup:


Are they going to keep it where you live then?? Looks like you been a busy beaver!!

 

...gettin' it done...


Well...it's obvious, Herb S., you got yer' boots on!


I'm speechless...but not textless...


You bring remarkable talent to the gardening table!


Keep plantin' the seeds of self-sufficency, it's seems to be grabbing hold!


I'm up to my neck in gardening activities myself...hundreds of tomatoes and pepper plants currently in veg indoors under flos waiting to be sold and planted outdoors. Onions planted, corn planted...radishes too. Just a few early spring veggies already under way.


I'm working very hard to earn and save money for my summer trip to Chicago in Sept. I am going to see the opening night (Sept. 12th)of the American leg of U2's 360 World Tour at Soldier Field.


I have contracted out my garden talents to a local organics restaurant who will be purchasing garden fresh veggies from me this summer. All proceeds from plants and actual food will go towards my getaway. It's all about work and one reward this summer.


Change starts at home as you and I know...if we want change...it must start within, and then branch out.


Plant the seed...


...DC...:XXsunsmile::new_scatter:

 

no joke, that is one of the dopest set ups ive ever seen. im pretty sure you are the envy of a lot of people on here. from your rooster and goat to the many huts and wide array of plants.


well done, and you look like an EXCELLENT builder!


thanks for lettin us view

 

Yo sparky! Haven't been here in a few months, wanted to pop by and say damn fine craftsmanship! Any garden is better than no garden I say and getting fresh food to eat is worth it- especially when you know where it came from and what it was fed with/ Kind of like smoking weed I suppose.


Major props on the hoop house (?) I guess its a shade house though. Up here the ground is too wet to plant outside, so we are still holding our starts in the GH. (I work on a veggie farm) About the only thing we've been able to eat so far is asparagus and some mustard greens we grew over the winter.


just one thing... goats for meat? dude get you some beef cows!


peace,


Smot

 

I appreciate the comments everyone. Hopefully I can give others some ideas of their own.


Kron...Smot.....Nice to see you two back with us. :thumbsup:


...no cows. We talked about it, but we just don't want the trouble. Goats, chickens, and (very soon) rabbits will do just fine.


Now for an update:


Got all the larger planters built and in place now except for one.....I'm going out to set and level that one soon as I log out of here. Yesterday I started the wonderful task of mixing the soil and filling the boxes so that the lil' woman could start planting her babies. She grows everything from seed in her bathroom which has a south facing wall of windows then brings them out to harden off under the canopy. I figured each planter box holds close to a yard of soil....that's a LOT of soil to move! It helps to have the quad and trailer but I still gotta shovel that shit.





Compost on the left....native soil on the right. I mix these two 50/50. Those are yellow wax peppers in the planter BTW. :thumbsup:





Now that the planters under the canopy are in place I was able to attach the screen to each box on the outsides and then made an entry way down the center.











Here's that potting table I made for the lil lady. She loves it too.





The new goat pen is right behind this potting table. The little brown goat in the foreground is pregnant....the other goat ya see is most likely the father.





A view from afar....notice I've gotten the weeds under control now. :icon_confused:





Next up I have five smaller boxes to build that will line the North and East perimeter of the compound. I'll also be working on a retaining wall made from railroad ties along the Eastern side.....it's still a work in progress with lots left to do.

 

Right, this is going to be a dumb arse question but i dont care.


Why do you build boxes to plant things in? Whats wrong with the ground?

 

In a word....Gophers





Those pesky little bastards can kill an entire garden in no time.


Every planter has gopher wire on the bottom, and sometimes the little fucks still find a way in :icon_scratch:

 

dont know if ive said this already but damn you have some great lookin property there!


i bet i could fit a tent somewhere in there. i could help ya with the gardening and feeding the goats! lol


i HATE city life