"If that is what you think....."

"I can't grow any food in our yard, we have too much shade." If that is what you think, think again. These vegetables only need 4 hours a day of direct light.  28 veggies that grow in partial shade
"I can't grow any veggies or fruit, the deer and birds eat them all."  If that is what you think, then try covering them with recycled 'sheer curtains', easy to find at Thrift Shops.  It worked for me when I covered my bush beans one season. I left the sheers on and only pulled them back to harvest. The rain and sun went through and they gave me an abundant Harvest. The Curtains are easily held down by a rock or handful of straw at the corners which enables pollinators to enter in.  You can use them with hoops or stakes for taller plants as well. This works on any veggie or fruit that can be easily covered .... if you have Chickens, it will deter them from eating your tender seedlings.   Framed in Gardens work well too. 



"I don't like the idea of seeing curtains in my Gardens."  If that is you you think, dye them GREEN, not only will that make them less conspicuous but perhaps it will make it less obvious to other curious wildlife. Plus, you may only need to put them on one or two beds  This year we are planning on taking some of the Bamboo from our Garden (often people are willing to give it away for free), and using them as a well spaced out Fence.  We plan to tie clear fishing line around the stakes, as we were told the deer will feel it and not jump over. Otherwise a TALL or Electrical Fence is needed to keep them out. We will let you know how it works...
     


"We don't have enough land to grow any of our own Food."  If that is what you think, consider the fact that one bed is enough to grow some of your own food. Some Veggies and Herbs like Basil, Lettuce, Tomatoes or Peppers, grow well in Containers (add the inside of a baby diaper to absorb the moisture and keep the soil from drying out quickly). The containers do not need to be many or fancy, and whimsical can be fun. Let yourself be creative.   ***Micro Greens, which grow indoors all year. 




"I can't grow a Garden, I can't use a Tiller.", If that is what you think, try double digging or simply use Straw Bales for your Garden Beds. One bale works too. You can also use them in containers. They will decompose and become compost, which provides rich soil for the next season.  
                             
   

"We can't grow our food because we have too many weeds to deal with each year and we do not want to use chemicals." If that is what you think, try covering the area you want to grow, the previous year and leave it covered with heavy dark plastic or tarp till next Spring; it is called Soil Sterilization. The heat from the sun will kill weed seeds and the grass. IF there are any weeds seed left deep below, please note tilling may bring them to the surface, so if you can, till or double dig before covering, that works best. Also, some Weeds can be beneficial a weed is only a weed if you do not want it in your Garden and there are ways to keep them down, such as mulching with Newspaper and Cardboard covered with straw or leaves.  




"We can't grow a Garden due to Drought and our soil stays dry."  If that is what you think, try covering the area with Newspaper and Straw, (hay has seeds), leaves or other bedding material. Mulching also keeps weed down and the soil cooler.  Once you have a bed established you can just pull the straw back the next year and plant the plant and add additional Straw, as gradually that which is below will decompose and help create healthy soil; which means you will not need to Side Dress your new plantings year after year. 

"We can't grow in our area, the season is too short."  If that is what you think, try using plastic Row Covers, or make Cold Frames, they extend the Season. You simply need to open them up during the day when the weather is still cool out or cold in the evenings, so the heat does not build up during the day and close them again at night.
                         
If you want to know more about 'Winter Gardening', or 'Gardening all Year Long' you may want to begin by checking out this Book: Backyard Winter Gardening  I read Caleb Warnock's Book from the Library a while back, when we were wondering what we might be able to grow in our Greenhouse. 

Caleb Warnock also has a Facebook Page:  Facebook Page Blog  and Website where he sells rare seeds from around the world he has collected, which grow in a variety of Climates. 

He also has some Great Video's on Youtube. This is the first one I watched: Fantastic Winter Gardening Video



Do you have anymore reasons you think might be keeping you from growing some of your own food? Ask us, perhaps I or someone else will have a solution to share.... 

Do you have an obstacle you've overcome?  Please share your thought and solutions with us in a comment below....

NOTE ... the highlighted words above or in my other posts are either Links, Articles or Video's which may help you further. Enjoy!

***Micro Green (How To Article in a previous post on this blog)    
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Growing Micro Greens Indoors All Year



Some of you may be interested in this Quote from a Facebook Page written by The Seed Guy:The Seed Guy

"NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO GROW SOME MICRO-GREENS

Good Morning from The Seed Guy. It's Springtime, and many of you have started your planting already, but while you are waiting on your Veggies to grow to harvest, you might want to try your hand at growing some Micro-greens. They can be grown year round in your home, and they pack a punch in the nutrient department.

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the University of Maryland found that leaves from Micro-greens actually have actually more nutrients than the full sized plants.

Micro-greens are the first true leaves produced from a seedling, often under 14 days, and usually about 1-3 inches in height.

They are considered the perfect toppers to your meals and will add nutritional value and taste. Nutrients vary by plant but most include large amounts of vitamins C and E and beta carotene. Researchers found that Cabbage contains the highest amount of vitamin C, Radish Micro-greens the most vitamin E, and Cilantro or Coriander Micro-greens contain three times more beta-carotene than mature plants. Overall, the more colorful the Veggie, the more nutrients it contains.

TOP MICRO-GREENS:
Arugula
Basil
Beet Greens
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cilantro
Collard Greens
Kale
Lettuce
Peas
Radish greens
Spinach
Swiss Chard
Watercress

You can buy a Micro-greens kit, or can start from scratch and do yourself. If you choose to do it yourself, you will need reusable or disposable plastic food containers. You can use your Tupperware containers, containers that blueberries or strawberries are sold in, or you can buy plastic grow containers from one of the Home Garden stores.

Next--Create drainage holes, fill with Seed-starting mix, and then your choice of Heirloom Seeds. (THE SEED GUY has a great 64 Variety Spring Garden Heirloom Seed package listed below with all the top Micro-green varieties, plus many more Seed varieties for your Garden). Sprinkle an additional layer of mix over the seeds, and mist with a spray bottle. You’ll want to water whenever the soil looks dry (at least daily) and provide sunlight.

Micro-greens can also be grown in your outdoor garden. Just be sure your garden soil is loose and weed-free prior to planting. Water when the soil is dry, but do your best to create a gentle stream so as to not bury the seeds deeper in soil. Seeds should be planted ⅛ to ¼ of an inch apart. They don’t need to be spaced farther apart, since you will harvest early.

Micro-greens are meant to be harvested when small, about 1-3 inches tall. You’ll want to harvest when you see a second set of leaves appear. Just snip with scissors above the soil level, or you can pull up entire clumps of greens (you cannot harvest more than once). If you want to grow more, then leave the old roots in place and scatter additional seeds.

At THE SEED GUY, we have a great 64 Variety Heirloom Seed Pkg Special that contains 40,000 Heirloom Seeds, Non GMO, Hand Counted and Packaged for Quality Control, and all varieties are individually packaged and then put in a 10 x 14 silver mylar bag. All Seeds are Small Farm Grown, Fresh from the 2015 harvest, and priced very reasonably at $59 -- so more Families, Like Yours, can afford to grow their own Healthy gardens. You will get 50 Veggie Seed varieties, and then 14 Herb Seed varieties as our Bonus to you. Every one of the Top Micro-greens are included in this Seed package.

You can go to our website to see Seed varieties included, and to ORDER at https://theseedguy.com/85-spring-garden-64-variety-heirloom… You can also call us 7 days a week for questions or to order by phone, and you will always talk to a Live Person. 918-906-7381

If you LIKE US on our Facebook page, you will be able to see more of our Great Gardening Articles, Heirloom Seed Offers, and Healthy Juice Recipes. https://www.facebook.com/theseedguy Thank You, and God Bless You and Your Family."


We hand package our NON-GMO Heirloom seeds in 2 x 3 see-thru ziplocks and place them in a 10 x 14 silver Mylar bag. Includes 4 pages of Planting/Growing/Seed Saving info. 

For those of you who like to stock up, since they are packed in a Mylar Bag, you may want to purchase them and save them unopened in the Freezer, as a part of your Emergency Seed Collection.

I have not bought seeds from this Gentleman. I have read if any seeds for that season are not Viable, he will replace them and your Orders will take a while before they arrive. With that in mind you may want to call him first.

 
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A Cheap, Easy, Clean and Efficient way of cooking and heating
Understanding the practical Concept behind Rocket Stoves can spawn ingenious ideas for someone with an Off the Grid, Green Living or 'Oh My God, What are we going to do now?' perspective. Rocket Stoves can be made a variety of thrifty ways with easy to find material or they can be bought premade
StoveTec Wood-Charcoal Stove
Rocket Stoves can be made out of a Coffee Can if someone is without power... be it practical camping in the backyard for fun or in an emergency. So finding out how to make one 'just in case' seems like knowledge worth considering.
If you want to know more about Rocket Stoves and Efficient ways of Heating you can do so by following the Links from these and other Bio Mass Fuel Useage YouTube Videos:
liner being covered with clay and sand. It is packed on and left to dry hard like an adobe.
The StoveTec One Door Stove burns wood or agricultural waste like palm fronds more efficiently than does an open fire. But some organizations prefer or need to make stoves locally rather than buying one ready made. This is especially true in refugee situations. One option is to use a StoveTec combustion chamber in a "mud" stove that CAN be made locally. Dean Still demonstrates how to make an Aprovecho Rocket Lorena Refugee Stove from a StoveTec combustion chamber and Lorena (a mixture of clay and sand) that performs like a StoveTec One Door Stove. Dean is CEO of Aprovecho Research Center in Cottage Grove, Oregon. Aprovecho designed the rocket stoves sold by StoveTec, which are manufactured in large quantities in China. See www.stovetec.net for the whole story of these stoves.




sbhministry@yahoo.com Video shows two cement stoves and a camping stove from cans. This rocket stove has been modified using cement, rebar, airholes and a way to cook a pot of beans or fry a pan of bacon. It uses very little firewood to keep a pot cooking. The wood can be placed in on two sides.

StoveTec Wood-Charcoal Stove
"3 Billion people need a clean burning stove. Lets work together to make a difference! We want to deliver clean and efficient cook stoves to people that need them. StoveTec doesn’t need patents, or other funky protection for our products. The Aprovecho Research Center is open source to help the 3 billion people cooking on an open fire, and to reduce the number of people that die every year from breathing smoke. Mother Nature needs a lot of help right now to reduce global warming, ill health and deforestation" www.stovetec.net

click: Demonstrating the Use of a StoveTec Rocket Stove
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A UK Homestead 'City' Community Video Venture
Hugh brings River Cottage to the City.
Segment 1 of 5 - the start.
From "River Cottage Spring" Series 1 broadcast June 2008 on Channel 4 (UK).
Hubby came across this Green, eco friendly YouTube Video Series about being connected to the land whether your in the country or city... about a Community of several Families growing their own food and live stock on a small plot of land via a UK Project last evening ... thought it might be timely having just posted regarding the Movie 'Our Daily Bread".  It seems to fit in... and some of you might find this Video Venture interesting and informative as well as inspiring ... especially if your seeking to live off the Grid as much as possible. 


By the way... in some parts of the world, this is the perfect time of the year to start your food seeds indoors. Typically that would be cool weather plants like Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts and plants that take a while to grow before producing fruit, such as Peppers, Tomatoes and Melons. You don't have to have a Green House for starting your own plants from seeds.  A warm sunny window or two will work too,  Whether your interested in having a few plants on your Patio or if you want to avoid the cost of buying prestarted Veggies Plants for a larger growing area, getting a early start on the home front is usually economical in the long run.  More on this topic and other Frugal Gardening Tips coming soon.


Enjoy!



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