Gardening

Potatoes and Tomatoes are easy, just plant the seeds out of a ripe tomato and cut a potato into a few pieces.

You can likely get these plants locally but they had the Goji berries and hardy kiwi that are hard to get so I will reference their web page.

In the raspberries, I am actually weeding them out in favour of the golden raspberries, they are ever bearing and real good. They came back from the rabbit devastation and with screening have done good last year and the screens do slow down the raccoons but not the squirrels by much so you have to stake the plants up firmly otherwise the weight of the squirrels breaks the branches and you end up with dead plants broken off near the ground.
https://bambooplants.ca/product/yell...s-idaeus-anne/

If you can put down some straw bed for the strawberries you can grow the everbearing (not as big and they seem to not last as long in the fridge (pick and eat)
https://bambooplants.ca/product/ever...mara-des-bois/

I plan on mixing this into the strawberry bed this year and around some of the plants I want to put hardwood mulch down around. ** MUST be hardwood and not treated! IF you have fresh hardwood logs Oyster and Shiitake mushrooms are good to grow, mushrooms usually only grow best on certain types of logs. Way too much to post here and I have used the grow at home kits for Oyster and Lions mane mushrooms from here and got good flushes.
https://shop.fungiakuafo.com/collect...kg-plastic-bag



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TERv85b9krI


If you have room for some of the dwarf apple trees you can get the ones that have 3 or 4 species grafted together and it is amazing how many apples you can get, but you must use the dormant spray in the spring and squirrels can be a big issue and crop reducer.

Disasters for me have been the hardy kiwi, yellow plum, grapes, corn, nectarines and peas the last couple years, the squirrels, raccoons and rabbits are fat though! The blueberries (rest their souls) got ate to the ground by the rabbits and never came back even with screens around them..


Morels can be grown but the success rate is less than 50% and often 2 or 3 years before they grow. If you already pick them in the spring using some of the old ones or pieces and making a "morel slurry" can work with the same odds it seems but would be free for the pickers.
https://www.mushroomkit.ca/product/morel-mushroom-kit/

or the slurry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmlmq7CamLY

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mosquito

Potatoes and Tomatoes are easy, just plant the seeds out of a ripe tomato and cut a potato into a few pieces.

You can likely get these plants locally but they had the Goji berries and hardy kiwi that are hard to get so I will reference their web page.

In the raspberries, I am actually weeding them out in favour of the golden raspberries, they are ever bearing and real good. They came back from the rabbit devastation and with screening have done good last year and the screens do slow down the raccoons but not the squirrels by much so you have to stake the plants up firmly otherwise the weight of the squirrels breaks the branches and you end up with dead plants broken off near the ground.
https://bambooplants.ca/product/yell...s-idaeus-anne/

If you can put down some straw bed for the strawberries you can grow the everbearing (not as big and they seem to not last as long in the fridge (pick and eat)
https://bambooplants.ca/product/ever...mara-des-bois/

I plan on mixing this into the strawberry bed this year and around some of the plants I want to put hardwood mulch down around.
https://shop.fungiakuafo.com/collect...kg-plastic-bag

If you have room for some of the dwarf apple trees you can get the ones that have 3 or 4 species grafted together and it is amazing how many apples you can get, but you must use the dormant spray in the spring and squirrels can be a big issue and crop reducer.

Disasters for me have been the hardy kiwi, yellow plum, grapes, corn, nectarines and peas the last couple years, the squirrels, raccoons and rabbits are fat though! The blueberries (rest their souls) got ate to the ground by the rabbits and never came back even with screens around them..

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my grandmother has the same issue haha. she has grapes as well but has given up the last few years on them, doesnt matter what she does the rabbits squirrels and racoons seem to get to most of them, she actually asked to shoot them with a pelet gun but shes in city limits lol

We will have a few different types of lettuce , some zucchini ,spinach , cherry tomatoes beefsteak and some earlygirl tomatoes. Some beans green and yellow might do potatoes onions see what happens with the asparagus I planted last year might add onto. Also do a few different spices chives , thyme rosemary and what ever else the better half wants .



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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bowjob

my grandmother has the same issue haha. she has grapes as well but has given up the last few years on them, doesnt matter what she does the rabbits squirrels and racoons seem to get to most of them, she actually asked to shoot them with a pelet gun but shes in city limits lol

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I was going to try some gain with the motion sensor sprayers.
https://themecountry.com/reviews/bes...or-sprinklers/

Lee Valley had one but I don't see it now, maybe later, the owl looks interesting though.
https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/sear...erOfResults=24

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mosquito

I was going to try some gain with the motion sensor sprayers.
https://themecountry.com/reviews/bes...or-sprinklers/

Lee Valley had one but I don't see it now, maybe later, the owl looks interesting though.
https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/sear...erOfResults=24

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hmm those sprinklers are interesting but pretty expensive, epically to hook her garden up. one of my uncles has that owl actually, not to sure about how successful that is though

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bowjob

hmm those sprinklers are interesting but pretty expensive, epically to hook her garden up. one of my uncles has that owl actually, not to sure about how successful that is though

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Someone I knew had one that covered most of the yard, it would shoot where ever the motion was detected. Knowing him it probably was expensive and I saw the Lee Valley that just shoots one area for $70 so two or three were probably cheaper than that one.

Let us know if the owl work for rabbits and squirrels ... or is just an expensive crow decoy.

Need it closed off to keep the rabbit's out.




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Mosquito
I recall another thread where you gave us pointers for Morels. I wish I could get them going.

2,years ago I planted corn. It did well but tasted like crap :(

Blueberries.
Haven’t done well. Suspect it’s my soil. Sometimes I’m tempted to have my soils PH tested.

Anyone tried worm farming?
Basically another way to compost.

On the expense side.
We do know all of us have hunting/fishing gear? That cost waaaaay more :)

[QUOTE=MikePal;1150074]After the kids left we eventually ended up just growing raised bed tomatoes and peppers. You can't buy them cheaper than growing those yourself. /QUOTE]

Not 100% sure on the tomatoe? When the good sales are on, we buy tomatoes for .88 cents/can. Wife and I do grow a few plants each year, mostly for the nice juicy fresh taste right off the vine, however, the work and cost in time to jar up enough tomatoes for the year, just doesn't add up the same as buying a can? Granted, the quality may not be the same, but they're used in sauce, soups and chili for the most part and I don't think the taste difference is measurable?

So for a few years I’ve been following a YouTuber that goes by Migardener. He can get a tad annoying and the videos are sometimes a bit lengthy for the information provided but it’s great info. Also worth checking out is an Australian guy on YouTube that goes by self-sufficient me. Great advice there.

Because of the smaller garden at our old place we practiced high density gardening. It worked out well enough. We had high yields for the limited space and not much weeding was needed. Also tried hugelkuktur. I can’t really say if it was better or not because we only ran 2 raised beds like this for two years and didn’t notice much difference.

I think I will continue the raised beds. I found it easier on the back for cleaning up, weeding and amending. I also like the ability to rotate beds and amend them to the needs of next years crops. It also looks nice and neat.

I’ve never tried growing mushrooms. I’ve had luck at picking morels in the spring and various varieties in the fall.

Things that have worked for me in the past are:
1. tomatoes (beefsteak, Roma’s/san Marranos, rapunzels)
2. English cucumbers and pickling ones too
3. Peppers (Thai chilli, poblano, jalapeño, red bells, admiral bells, Shepherd peppers)
4. Eggplant
5. Carrots (various varieties)
6. Peas (kids love peas)
7. Bush beans (yellow and green)
8. Onions (red and white)
9. Garlic
10. Asparagus
11. Zucchini (green and yellow)
12. Beets
13. Herbs (basil, oregano, thyme)
14. Horseradish

Things that haven’t worked:

1. Corn (either gets ravaged by squirrels or doesn’t like my soil)
2. Parsnips
3. Potatoes (never get big yields or any size to them)
4. Cherry trees (destroyed by ants and aphids)
5. Raspberry bushes (destroyed by an infestation of Japanese beetles)
6. Blue berries (very picky plants)

For pest control I fenced off my old garden. This prevented the rabbits and groundhogs. The squirrels, chipmunks and possums get in still. A rat trap helps with the squirrels and chipmunks. I’ve never tried a crow or owl decoy, I figured they would get comfortable with it and eventually ignore it.

I like the idea of an apiary. It would be beneficial with a bigger garden. I will look into it. I’m not sure I need another hobby though.

All great info everyone, thanks.