Gardening

[mosquito]

Like you we have bought 5 acres and a homestead and plan over the next 5 yrs to turn it into a market garden. Been doing lots of container gardens over the last 5 yrs and using what space we had in townhome to grow as much as we can. Lots of learning and failures.

The biggest successes have been early seed starts under grow lights which have increased our yields, plus learning the nutrient cycles of plant grow. Having a good seed start indoors has been the biggest improvement yet with understanding nutrient cycles.

I had grandiose plans for 2 acres this summer of veg, but realistically it will more of a 100 X 100 foot space we grow this year. This year we will grow for us only and share any excess. I started seed saving heirloom mixes 4 yrs ago and have had great success and will see how that goes as we scale up. Cherry tomatoes and a few beefsteak varieties will be going in, as well as peppers, snow peas, bush beans and pole beans. lots of salad greens and spinach (family cant enough of spinach) We are going to try a new method for squash, ground cover growers, zucchini, cucumbers and watermelons by clearing out 4 X 4 patches (12 ft apart) amending the soil and growing in these boxed areas for the space it will create for leaf growth and spread. This will allow for maximum space usage in proper garden rows.

The focus this year will be fresh greens and root vegetables for our family. I will start the asparagus patch this year as well. 3 to 6 Apple, pear, peach trees (still not totally set on which yet) are going on front of property as well. A big potatoes patch will be going in as FIL is planting his there as well

We cleared 4 of the 5 acres last year of the 19 yrs of fallowed overgrown land, and have lots soil amending to do to restore the organic matter. The local beef famer will give me all the cow manure/straw I can take, so I will also be starting a good compost pile or just adding to tilled (but unplanted areas), to let the manure mature over this growing season, with a couple of good tillings to mix.

Our goal is to be viable for sales in 3 to 5 yrs, and, the site plan is laid out for new building/barns/coops and goat pen...just have to build it all now. Eventually the home will be off grid as much as possible. First building going up this year is future steel bldg., which was supposed to be up last fall, but shipping delays never seen it come until late Sept. Next will be 16 X 40 open post and beam (style) open barn, 12 X 18 Amish shed (coming in May), then new road surfaces to these bldgs. (tractor and cars).

Eventually the farm layout will have wheat and corn in front half with fruit trees, a berry patch, strawberry, raspberries, blueberry, a small solar power store front near road with parking. Up to 4 beehives in back of property (2-3 yrs).

That's the plan - now to make it happen...

Sounds like a plan... hope it goes better than the plan!

For the apple are you going to go with one species, a mix or get some of the grafted ones with multiple types each tree?

IF you are cutting down some hardwoods (or softwoods - Phoenix Oysters) then a project that would take a day then forget until harvest is Shiitake mushrooms (or others as per preference). I used a big branch off a pine tree that I had to trim off for the Phoenix Oysters (Turkey tail and P.O. grow on softwoods others don't do well) and got a couple tiny ones in the fall and am hoping to see better ones in the spring but I know the branch was too small according to what they say.
Tree reference
https://northspore.com/blogs/the-black-trumpet/tree
https://i.shgcdn.com/817b6587-41ff-4...ality/lighter/

[greatwhite]

This year my Garden will be like this.

[410001661]

Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Kale
Lettuce
Potatoes
Green Onions
Variety of herbs

150 square feet just for hot peppers (Jalapeno, Scotch Bonnet, Banana, Ghost, Chilli)

[WillieBeno]

Mine is chipmunks. They devoured all my outdoor beans and snap peas last season, some peppers. And no chicken wire defeats them.

A mouse trap wired to something and a little peanut butter takes care of them pretty quick.

[line052]

Haven't decided yet on fruit trees, apples no problems - but the other we need to do more research if they will grow in zone. I have found living plumb/pear trees on crownland land in this area, so I know those can grow, peaches is another.

Sounds like a plan... hope it goes better than the plan!

For the apple are you going to go with one species, a mix or get some of the grafted ones with multiple types each tree?

IF you are cutting down some hardwoods (or softwoods - Phoenix Oysters) then a project that would take a day then forget until harvest is Shiitake mushrooms (or others as per preference). I used a big branch off a pine tree that I had to trim off for the Phoenix Oysters (Turkey tail and P.O. grow on softwoods others don't do well) and got a couple tiny ones in the fall and am hoping to see better ones in the spring but I know the branch was too small according to what they say.
Tree reference
https://northspore.com/blogs/the-black-trumpet/tree
https://i.shgcdn.com/817b6587-41ff-4...ality/lighter/

[smitty55]

In regard to apple trees, unless there are multiple varieties on the same root stock you really need to have different trees to ensure pollination. In my case it was close to 20 years back and I planted a golden delicious, a royal gala and a dolgo crab which is the crab to use for jelly. I don't have the most amount of sun on my acre but it still takes many years before harvesting a decent crop, in the early years you are actually better off removing most of the apples that start to promote tree growth as well as years where the crop is crazy heavy and younger branches are in danger of breaking. The main goal is to get that best crotch angle of around 45° for branches. Last year was by far my best gala harvest and they were fantastic tasting. There is yearly maintenance required like specific pruning techniques as the tree grows, as well as yearly spraying with a bordeaux mix after pruning in late winter as well as a dormant oil spray once temps are steady above zero but before bud swell.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edi...nformation.htm
https://www.nature-and-garden.com/ga...x-mixture.html
https://modernfarmer.com/2015/02/right-cut/?
pruning fruit tree.jpg

[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!!!

[MikePal]

[

a bordeaux mix after pruning in late winter as well as a dormant oil spray once temps are steady above zero but before bud swell.

Thanks for the reminder Smitty....needs to be done this later this week...

[smitty55]

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!!!

If they are spindly it's because they are too far from a light source and are reaching for light. When I have mine under lights I'm generally within 4" and they never get spindly. So far as side branches go, I only grow indeterminate heirloom tomatoes and I pinch off ever sucker as I only want tomatoes growing on the main stem and not on side shoots. Too bushy of a plant is just asking for problems like blight due to lack of air flow and light penetration.
The best thing you can do for your seedlings is to strip of most of the lower branches and plant it as deep as you can which will develop roots along the whole planted stem part to feed your plant that much better.

[MikePal]

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!!!

According to my wife....you have to plant the root ball of the started plant down deep, like 5"-6 ". Trim off the bottom leaves.

It also helps if there is a frost, the deep root stock will come back.

edit add: sorry Smitty didn't see you had posted the same advice before I posted