Gardening

We put just under 60 pounds of Venison in the freezer this fall. Ground beef on the low end around $4/pd, roast steak and chops? I est a rough average of about $9-10/pound for beef.
60 x $9.50?

Loblaws prices
Bell Pepper $2 each
Tomato $1.53 each
Cucumber $1.70 each

I'd guess pepper we harvested last season 1-2 doz . From my basement easily 3 dozen but wont count these. Tomato at a really rough guess last year 2 dozen (not counting roma for sauce). Cuks atleast a dozen if not two. If I average everything at 1.70 and just roughly guessing 4 dozen maybe $100 worth if not more. Pretty sure the seeds cost far less than that. for healthier, tastier stuff.

https://www.loblaws.ca/Food/Fruits-%...menttiles_1_hp

It's not about the money, but the journey. But given the cost of produce........it ain't so bad. And it taste far better and you know what addititives there.

Our aspargus patch will be 3 yrs this year and ready to harvest. I wish I could do an acre of that. We each a bunch every week at $5..

Livebates
Yes, my cuc's did well this season - I added chicken manure before I planted. I planted 4 plants across the back of the garden and have several 1x1x10' long spaced every 6" for about 4" high to get them off the ground.

My potatoes are in the garbage cans on the side of the garden, and my peppers did very well. My ghost pepper plant produced very late in the season but kept kicking out peppers until October - probably harvested 30 peppers off the one plant. I also planted jalapeno, habanero, red chilli, green chilli and thai hot peppers. I had very little luck with sweet peppers, beets and carrots. I tried growing in pots but found the heat kicked the crap out of them and they did not do well so I now plant them in the pots then and take them to the front garden and set them in with the Hosta's and other annuals as I have irrigation in the front of my house and they are not in direct sun.

Tomatoes were insane last season, as was lettuce and kale.

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Originally Posted by fishfood

Sounds like you do a fair size potato plot . I tried a small area it was ok got a few meals out of it. Have been thinking about doing a 45 gallon barrel to save the space and trying it that way. You can apparently get some decent yields from the space used .

I tried 3 or 4 year's for a corn plot finally got it and the corn sucked lol. Always trying to figure out what goes best where and what does well.


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Yeh a pretty big plot I generally get 400-500lbs, but you would be surprised how fast you can give them away. LOL

The potato beetle are a real pest and are the most work, I have a big pile of manure to put down this spring so expect a good crop, after harvest I seed the same area with turnip seed and they have enough time to get up and running for the deer to hit them..

Got some fav for the garden. Nothing like spring onion and asparagus to start the season. Like broccoli as if you tend them like roses can crop them till deep freeze. Love fennel as store bought never the same.
Disinvited crops corn and potatoes as can't beat the price for store bought and takes up space, recently put bell peppers on the list as since can't buy a decent pesticide they become impossible to grow as they get a grub inside that rots them from the inside out.

I’m planning on getting the early season veggies in this weekend. Peas, cabbage, beets, broccoli, kale and potatoes. Hopefully that’s it for the negative temps.

Long leggy plant starts for tomatoes are what I used to experience as well, and they didn't hold up well when hardening off. What I learned is, from seed to about 3" tall, I was top watering under grow lights (early indoor planting), when I switched to bottom water trays that held 50 seeds, it caused the roots to reach down and develop root growth instead of leaf growth, so bottom water source is very critical after sprouting to encourage root. Also, with grow lights if I found the plants getting leggy, I reduce the amount of light they get. Research each plants growth cycle, seed to sprout - when to switch to root fertilization (such as onions), green plant growth is and root development are two critical feeding times. Peppers, like root after seeding and sprouting, and then like leaf growth again during stalk building. I fertilize root veg different from vine or stalk growing veg.

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Originally Posted by Bo D

Ok, got a question for you garden gurus? Every year I start beefsteak tomatoes indoors and haven't had any problems with the exception of the plants growing very spindly and not producing any offshoot branches until they are 14 to 16 inches tall. Yet when you go to buy them they're filled with these offshoot branches when only 10 to 12 inches high... What am I doing wrong. Was hoping to start them this week or next... Help!!!

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I got the LOEPP grow light from Amazon, they worked so good I ordered another this winter.

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Originally Posted by Bo D

Thanks for the response guys, much appreciated... Lesson learned, first thing will be to acquire some growing lights. I don't have an area i.e. windows with a west, south exposure... The place where I've been starting the plants has an easterly facing window... Morning sun only...

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Anyone use pressure treated lumber for raised beds - my one son replaced a large wooden patio deck that was built from pressure treated lumber - I took the lumber and stacked it in my yard - thought of using it for raised beds in the garden but found out it has arsenic in it - now I am wondering if I should forget about using it in the garden - it is a shame because there is a lot of lumber -

Put a liner in it.

My grow light set. They were outside during the day for a week. But have been inside since last thursdayAttachment 41678Attachment 41678