seeds..cheap

i have been extremely fortunate to have a garden for a long time and years ago i read about planting veggies and herbs in the forrest for later..i thought that was a good idea and have been doing it each year..

and some things i don't grow but would like to have access to i have put out there..mostly herbs...
so
i found this a while back and want to share it with you
seed paks for 35 cents..on line or snail mail
Le Jardin du Gourmet
vermont

https://www.artisticgardens.com/catalog/

wow s.o........that is a wonderful idea......the things that you are planting in the forest.....how do they do ??? i mean do animals eat them???and do they reseed themselves ???

this is a true servival garden......

hi Zuni

well as you can imagine some made it and some didn't...

after the first year or so i learnt that most veggies are annuals and don't reseed and they grew only that one year
but
some are really cool..i have a nice grove out there of jersalem archichokes..which is nice
cause in a garden space they are terribly invasive..
they are like a tall sunflower with a smaller flower and an eatable tuber

most of the herbs have made it..some get miniturized and some stay the same..
and i have taken things from the woods and then when i can't find it out there any more i have returned some

one example is the wild ginger..years ago i would make it my learning experience to find something i didn't know (most things) look it up and then move a piece to a spot at home...
well i found this strange interesting little plant by a creek and it was the wild ginger...
that year and the two following i saw it everywhere..then it dissappeared..so i took a few pieces back..

but onions, chives, leaks, broom corn are some that have made it...mostly things that humans have domesticated from the wild are the ones that will make it...but i think it's a good start anyway..

it's been lots of fun too

I never had a garden but bought good seeds long ago.
I can only grow things in pots on my deck. Do you have any suggestions on what I should try first. I am in San Diego. Thanks.

wow otter.....you are living my dream.......i wish i had a place to grow a huge garden......i would really love to grow fruit......i love fruit trees......in the summer i survive on fruit mostly with a few greens.......

i love growing plants......no matter where i live i always grow sprouts.......
so actually i never grow plants to full term.....i always give the starts away cause i do not have a place to plant them and i´m always moving.......i´m already germinating(in the kitchen ) some cherry tomatos......melons......chillis......peppers........and i´m trying to sprout some goji seeds that i took from some dried goji berries.....dont know how meny of thoes will sprout if any.......but i really want to create a goji forrest some where.....

i find your thread very refreshing......and you have touched on my passion......and given me some ideas to see what i can put in the forrest.......but i´m not sure cause of the wild pigs.......lol

will you please share more about your garden and what you are growing......i´d love to know what else you have tried in the forest also....

hi linda....there are meny things you could grow......and different techniques to maximize your space......

for instance you can you can grow herbs, greens, mint, basil, chillies, some veriety of cherry tomato, some verietiy of strawberrys you can even hang the strawberries and they´ll trail down so you can reach up and harvest them.......you can grow mellons up the side of your house .....also grow banannas in pots............. if you have even the smalest space of yard you could stick a fruit tree out there.......you can have a box for growing at each window of your house.....really you can put alot.......remember you can also grow passion fruit or any other kind of vine fruit up the side of your house or fence.......turn it into an eatible jungle !!!!

Thanks Zuni! I will give it a go and do some research on what I need to get started.

Hi Linda
boy that Zuni is a cheerleader, isn't she..lol..and a darn good one..great suggestions Zuni..your enthusiam makes me smile..thanks

Linda there are a lot of things that you can grow in containers..the first question to ask is ..what would you like to try?...and then a bit of research and go for it..do a general search on container gardening to start..it's a big deal now so you should be able to find a lot of stuff.
there are even some small trees you can grow in a container..and with the climate where you are wow you should have lots of choices..

then you can decide if you want to germinate the seeds yourself or just buy a small plant...

whatever you choose you need good dirt a small amount of fertilizer if the dirt isn't very organic...any fertilize is ok but keep the numbers low and all the same..like 5-5-5...
holes in the container for drainage then some rocks then a little dirt and a sprinkle of fertilizer and then more dirt and then your plant and more dirt
the very best is if you can compost and have some worms and it isn't that hard.. some coffee grinds mixed with those shreaded pieces of papper and a little dirt and veggie discards in a bucket will work..add water and mix every week and before long you have your own really good organic soil...go buy some nice fat fishin worms and toss em in the compost...the worms eat and what they pass is like growing gold..

ok.. getting carried away here you ask about what not how..

do you cook..how about herbs..they are pretty tough and a lot of them will give you seeds if they are annuals...and most have lovely flowers...
if your seeds are real old they probably have a lower percentage of germination so don't be discouraged if not a lot come up..

Rodale has spend years doing research into organics and is a great source of all kinds of info
and
the library might surprize you for out of print old books that are basic and great info

i guess you can tell growing things is one of my passions so ask away if i have any info i will be glad to share

wavin
D

hi Zuni
yep i think we are both passionate about growing stuff...i knew a long time ago that whatever happened i would basically be in the same spot..unless i got run off..so i have tried to get it to where i wanted it...

i have also found that almost any gardener is a generous person with their time and extra plants..and you just play it forward by continuing with that..i have gotten some really nice things by exchanging

i also luv those trees and years ago decided there wasn't any better insurance than trees that grew food..i started with nut trees
someone gave me a couple of black walnuts and thur the years i have put black wanuts just about everywhere around here..lol
and the last few years i have some nice chestnuts also.. every now and then when he has been out in the woods my husband will say..i see where you've been..hahahahah
also some butternuts and some carpathian walnuts....
butternuts, hazelnuts,hickory all grow wild and when i gather them in the fall i always try to put some where they will grow..
so we have lots of happy squirrels around

i have surrounded the garden with edible fencing...elderberries, gooseberries two kinds, thornless tall cane blackberries and raspberries and one side with tall flowers enchaineasia, sunflowers, hollyhocks, cleomes, iris, shasta daisies, and others.. i started them all from one pack of seed each
and collect the seed each year and keep on tossing it..and traded it for other stuff.

this year the garden will be smaller cause i have done a number on my knee and it will be harder to do the up and down for too much
but the list goes like this
onions two kinds using and keeping for storage, garlic, cabbage, brussels, broccolli, celery, cukes, tomatos, green peppers, zuchini yellow and green, corn, squash..this years test veggie is a pink banana squash which is an heirloom and supposed to grow to 30 pounds..hahahahahahah i have no idea what i will do if i get one that big..

the kitchen garden beside the porch will be spinach, green onion, lettuce, radishes, parsley, kale,and that kind of stuff..

it sounds like a lot but it has taken years and lots of trial and errorr..but i don't think i could give it up..

ok.. just ask me..i could go on and on..hahahahahahah

ok i am on a roll and reunite and whitecrow and dd are all to be blamed for my posting of pics everywhere..

but i wanted to share a larger view of the pic i am using as an avatar.. it is of some of our bees getting a drink
in the bird bath in my herb garden...poor birds weren't too happy

but watching those bees is so cool..hope you like it

Wow, sky otter, you sure gave me a lot of great advice and I really appreciate it.

Yes, zuni is such a doll...wish I could give her a hug.

I will have to print out this page and then get my supplies. I have never grown anything, so I will have to start out with some simple things.

I think I might like to start with tomatoes and herbs first.
Thanks for much...and I am sure I will be needing your advice soon...

Linda

check this out..hahahah tons of choices and some interesting info
and
hey any time..i would be honored to share any info on growing tomatoes..

and if the pot is big enough you can have basil or sage right with the tomatoe
good luck

http://www.totallytomato.com/

linda, dig around on this site for some inspiration. its specifically geared toward small planting areas:

http://www.squarefootgardening.com/



this earthbox design is easily built by yourself for a lot less money. if youre limited to a concrete patio, this could be the way to go:

http://www.earthbox.com/

Thanks a million bilderburger w/cheese!
I really appreciate all the help I can get because I am a real beginner.

youre welcome, linda.

i´m very excited about all the baby plants i started.........i love planting ........

i had saved a few seeds from some cherry tomatos that i had eaten but the seeds were no good cause the plans got a disease and i had to get rid of them...........lol.....i had noticed some strange spots on the leaves ....then they got more so i had to pull them......21 in all but i didn´t want them to effect the others.........

so instead i have started some heirloom red current tomatos........

it´s the tiniest but tastiest tomato on the planet.......i used to eat them in maui where they were growing wild...........

i have started like 13 verieties of tomato / melon/ berry.........and i don´t know where i´ll put them........i have no space where i stay........but something will come up........anyway i can´t wait to taste their fruits !!!!!

feardia got me thinkin today..........
how to get seed for nothing..........
and i had an idea .......to obtain seeds you could go to a small local farmer or ask around at your local farmers market
if you could barder some seeds.......you could ask for some hairloom seeds that they save and that you will replace them at the end of the season..........

and for fertilizer you can walk in the forest and look for worm poop........or if you live near the beach you can collect seagul poop.......or if you live near a cave you could collect bat poop......

all are super nutrious for your plants ...........

******** WARNING if use chicken shit or other animal shit make sure that it´s theroly composted.......or it will burn your plants plus you never know what the animals were fedd......*********

but i would suggest using it as a last resort......
hummas form the forrest floor is also good......

got to be careful about the humus on the forest floor...

1. the decaying leaves are usually sapped of nutrients-- as soon as the minerals are freed from the detritus, the trees gobble it up.

2. if the leaves arent fully decayed and you plant them in your bedding, they can actually absorb nitrogen, causing more harm than good.

start a compost pile away from trees to be sure. ive got 3 going. keep in mind, it could take up to 12 months to start seeing the final product, so start ASAP.

yeah it´s true about the humus.....thanks for pointing that out.......

composting is the baest way to go but i was thinking if you didn´t have a compost some ideas of what could be used ???

are you firmilure with the victor schauberger compost design ????
it´s realy intresting and seems logical but i´ve never seen or heard of anyone doing it.........i just looked for the design to show you but i didn´t find it....i´ll have another look tomorrow.......