My Husband Tilled!

Why Till Now?

We live inside the city limits located on nearly an acre (including the land that our home sits on).  We usually plant a garden on approximately 1/5th of our back yard.   This last garden season we had a huge problem with squash bugs and bean beetles so we decided to till now to expose any little buggers and their larvae to the cold temps.  We also wanted aerate the soil prior to a big snow.  I am so excited because we have nearly a third of our back yard tilled!  This really expands the possibility of what we will be able to grow this year.

Bringing Out the Big Guns
We have a smaller engine powered rototiller but my husband decided it would be good to rent a larger tractor with a tiller attachment this year.  We rented it for about $300 for the entire weekend, expecting the tilling job to take a while.  We were so surprised when he was able to make 4, count 'em, 4 passes in less than 3 hours time.  We could have tilled several more gardens over the weekend!

Our Garden Facing West

Garden Facing South

Money Saving Idea

Next year, we thought it might be a great idea to pool together with several other likeminded families and share the cost of the tractor rental.  We could easily till 4 or 5 large gardens over a weekend.  This might be something to consider if you are wanting to do some major tilling but don't want to spend major bucks to do so!  You would of course want to make sure that you are the one operating the tractor if you are the signing responsible party for the rental of the machine.  You could ask the other families to share more of the burden of the cost if you are the person doing the work.

Panoramic View of Our Garden

Rototilling Tips

Some things to keep in mind when tilling,

1. Remember to till no deeper than your topsoil depth.  I believe this would be a maximum of a foot deep in most areas. 
2. Also make sure you are not tilling when the soil is too damp. The idea is to loosen your soil, not compact it further.  Tilling your garden when it is too wet will create a hardened mess, nearly impossible to plant in.  Even walking on freshly tilled soil can make it compacted,  rendering your hard work useless.
3. Even if you till on a large scale prior to planting, you may find that you want to lightly till again one or more times in the spring, prior to planting to kill the baby weeds and grass seedling emerging.  I have found that lightly tilling or hoeing several times at 7 to 10 day intervals in the spring GREATLY reduces the weed yanking I must perform later in the garden season.  (Grass is my most hated "weed") as it seems to reproduce faster than rabbits! 
4. I've met a few people that say they don't till and have no issues but I'm unsure that this would be a possibility in my yard.  I just have so much grass that migrates into my garden plot!  I'd be interested in hearing from folks who don't till their garden. I'm all about less work and more harvest!

One more thought on the tractor rental, $300 may seem like a big expense but the time savings was so profound it is well worth it.  We generally consider purchasing an item preferrable over renting but in this case, my husband figured out that we could rent a tractor twice a year and still come out ahead over purchasing one of that size.    And if we are able to connect with other families and share the cost as I mentioned above, then the rental is even more economical. 

 Feel free to share photos of your garden in progress!  I'd love to see them!

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Encouragement to Grow a Garden, No Matter the Size of Your Yard

I would like to give some heartfelt words of encouragement to those of you considering growing a garden again, or for the first time.  Growing a garden will feed your family and feed your soul.  I am not a religious person but I feel close to God when I am out in the garden.  I feel like I am an active part of life when I grow my garden, not just someone who pays her way through life.



Panoramic View of Our Garden 2010



I love knowing that my babies won't be eating pesticides or chemical fertilizers.  I love knowing that the food we are putting into our bodies is life giving and whole. 


A Garden is a Teacher

I think growing a garden is good for my children too.  My kids complain about picking green beans in the heat of July, but they really love eating them!  I hope that the gardening process will teach them about self sufficiency and give them a sense of community or team spirit.  



My youngest son running through the garden

  I pray that their involvement in growing our garden will teach them about life.  Nature has so much to teach us about life.   We just have to be willing to listen. 

Gardening in Any Space

It's easy to think that we can't grow a garden unless we have a lot of land.  But I firmly believe we can garden even in the smallest of spaces.  It just takes a little planning and creativity.   Don't be afraid to improvise or try new ways to grow your garden. 

I've seen people use fences and nets to train vining crops such as cucumbers, beans, squash and melons.   I've had much success with the "French Intensive" method.  We've grown enough on a 5th of an acre to feed our entire family plus the children in my daycare for a year.  It is possible to make a huge dent in your grocery budget even in a small space.  Even a sunny porch can be a great place for a garden in pots!

This is the perfect time to decide to grow a garden for your family!  I promise you will gain so much from it!

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Easy Composting

Still in the garden mode!  Composting can seem intimidating at times.  There are many methods but the process is really the same each time.  This article on Ehow http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4914189_what-happens-compost-heap.html
has some good information for those of you who like to understand how things work. 

Being the lazy woman that I am, I have perfected the art of a simplified compost.  It's really simple to make one. 

1. Save all of your kitchen scraps, except for meat and grease.  The latter two items can make your compost pile yucky and attract critters.   Coffee grounds, egg shells, vegetable and fruit peelings, grains and even paper towels are great! 
2. Find a spot in your yard that is somewhat shaded and remote, unless you don't mind your neighbors complaining about the pile. 
3. Layer your kitchen scraps with grass clippings, leaves, and any other natural plant materials. 
4. Also consider any other paper products you might have to add to the pile such as newspapers, school papers, cardboard boxes.
5. Other excellent items to add to your pile are dryer lint (if the fibers are natural), chicken poop, straw, hay, and Comfrey plant (it is a wonderful activator).
6. Sprinkle the pile with water.
7. Add more scraps as you accumulate them.
8. Stir the pile a little with a pitchfork, shovel or stick if you feel like it from time to time. 
9. Sprinkle a little water on your compost pile periodically.  If it rains or snows, don't bother.
10. Keep adding daily until you feel like the pile will not be manageable any longer when you stir it.  I usually begin a new compost pile after 2 or 3 months.  But that varies depending on the season.  Winter piles don't accumulate as quickly as summer compost does. 
11. The goal is to to not have too wet of a compost nor too dry.  The materials need moisture and oxygen to break down.  Think "loose and slightly damp". 
12. Don't be alarmed if your compost becomes steamy.  That is a good sign that it's breaking down at a nice rate.  Also don't be concerned if it has a whitish substance on the decomposing materials.
13. When your compost is a nice black color and has broken down to small pieces, it is ready to be added to your garden as a mulch or to be turned into the top soil.   The best way I can describe well rotted compost is to compare it to soil in a forest floor.  Dark and earthy smelling.  Beautiful life giving food for your garden!  

An informative article that you may also wish to read is at http://eartheasy.com/grow_compost.html .  I appreciated the layout of the article and would find it very helpful if I'd not composted before. 

Like Companion Planting, Composting is a wonderful method that can be used in Organic Gardening.  Composting also really helps reduce the amount of trash we send to the landfill each week.

Happy composting!

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2012 January Haul~

Mood: 

*Post Title says it all~*
HAH YES, it's HAUL againnn~! This is my first haul for 2012 .aka. January Haul~ wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee~
It's a little early to write the "JANUARY HAUL" post...but I believe I won't be making a purchase until next month because I'm seriously broke...(ㅠ_ㅠ) LOL.

....moving on~.... [...]
so, these are what I've bought.........:

Etude House AC Clinic Acne Foam Cleanser

Etude House AC Clinic Pink Powder Spot + extreme

I didn't know that the Pink Powder Spot comes in a 'kit' with a small jar of AC Clinic Red Spot Balm + Whitening and a packet of cotton buds. Was extremely happy when I saw that the Red Spot Balm was included in the kit. I intend to buy the balm during my next purchase if the Pink Powder Spot and Cleanser work great. But since I have it now, I should try it out first to see if it works... Anyways, I will definitely repurchase if it works. :)

Repurchased these items again~ same products as listed in my previous entry:

Skinfood Tomato Whitening Spot Serum 

Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Cleansing Foam 

Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Clay Mask 

These are really GREAT stuff! Will do a review on these stuff soon. By the way, the cleansing foam belongs to my brother. He tried mine and he likes it a lot so I helped him to get one~

Tony Moly Shiny Peeling Liquid

Tony Moly Maxi Power Peeling Liquid

Dad absolutely loves these! He used the Shiny Peeling Liquid once and he fell in love with it! According to what he said, this works pretty well to get rid of the dead skin cells on his foot so he repurchased it. This time round, he wants to try the Maxi version, which I believe it's more powerful than the Shiny Foot, so he grabbed one of each type~

By the way, I got this mini kit for free~(^^)v:

Etude House
Precious Mineral All Day Strong BB Cream

Nymph Aura Volumer

Nymph Aura Dear Darling Roll Roll Gloss

Nymph Aura Jelly Tint Blusher

I love the color of the gloss~(♥_♥)

Alright, that's all for my mini Jan haul. :)

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What Will Be Growing in My Garden 2012

We have time tested favorites that always have a place in our garden, but we also enjoy trying new varieties. 

This year we will be growing -

• Winter Squash -  Butternut (Waltham), Australian Butter, Vegetable Spaghetti, Sucrine Du Berry, Batopilas
• Summer Squash - Zucchini (Black Beauty),  Lebanese White Bush Marrow, Early Prolific Straightneck
• Dried Beans (also can be used as green beans if picked early) - Pinto, Hutterite Soup, Cherokee Trail of Tears, Great Northern
• Green Beans - Contender, Kentucky Wonder, Blue Lake Bush 274, Soldier Bush Bean, Rattlesnake Pole
• Cucumbers - Marketmore 76, A&C Pickling
• Tomatoes - Roma,  Brandywine, Pink Ponderosa, Amish Paste
• Swiss Chard
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Corn - Thompson Prolific, Country Gentleman
• Okra - Clemson Spineless
• Lettuce - Red Romaine, Oak Leaf
• Watermelon - Chelsea, Crimson Sweet
• Cantaloupe - Hale's Best Jumbo
• Jalapeno Peppers
• California Wonder Bell Pepper
• Carrots - Danvers Half Long

I'm sure we'll find some more varieties that we want to add to our garden family before planting season arrives but for now, these are the chosen plants for 2012!

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Why It Makes Sense to Plant Heirloom Seeds

There is no denying that growing a vegetable garden can be satisfying on many levels.  For our family, it's hard to decide which aspect of gardening is our favorite.  We love the extra fresh taste of our home grown veggies and the knowledge that we are not putting dangerous pesticides or chemical fertilizers on our food and into our bodies.  But with a family as large as ours, the money savings is a hands down, no-brainer reason to grow a garden! 

Early in my gardening years, I went to the store each year to purchase seeds and plants in preparation for the garden.  And although the expense was nothing compared to the savings generated by the garden, we still were spending money.  Most of what we planted was hybridized seeds and plants.   (To the best of my understanding, if you were to save seeds from a hybrid plant, you would not likely get the same type of plant when you sow those saved seeds the next year.)

Going To The Next Level!

I wanted to find a way to save even more money in our quest for self-sufficiency. To be able to save seeds to plant for future gardens just made so much sense.   Heirloom seeds were the answer!  With heirloom seeds you can plant some of the saved seeds from your harvested crop the succeeding year and they will reproduce true to their parent plant.  Over time, the expense of gardening becomes less and eventually becomes a gain!   For more details on how to save seeds, you can read this guide.


How Do You Find Heirloom Seeds?
There are multiple companies that sell heirloom seeds.   You can also find heirloom varieties in the nursery or store.  Just do a little research of the particular breed to find out if it is hybrid or heirloom prior to purchasing. 

One company that we've been very happy with over the last few years is the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds company.  They put out a book that you can find here. They are located in Mansfield, Missouri and their website is www.rareseeds.com.  They also put out a beautiful annual catalog that is a real work of art.  I'm so surprised in these times to receive this gorgeous catalog in the mail each year!   There is my uncompensated and unsolicited endorsement for you guys at Baker Creek! 


Saving Your Seeds

Seeds are easy to save, with some small variance of method.  Generally, you wait until a healthy vegetable has ripened and dry the seeds at room temperature until no moisture is evident.  The seeds can be stored in airtight containers until the next season.  It isn't difficult to do.  I will plan to walk you through the process a little later in the season with specifics for each type of plant.  At this point however, you can focus on making sure the seeds you plant are not hybrids.  It is one more step you can take to live independently and frugally.

Heirloom Bean Seeds Saved From Our Garden
Pretty, aren't they?

Planting Grocery Store Dried Beans

One last thought....



Most dried beans that you purchase at your grocery store can be planted and will grow.   They will have the same growing requirements as any variety of green bean.  Just for fun, we planted garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas), Pinto beans and Great Northern beans last year which we purchased at our local grocery store.  They almost all (over 95%)  germinated and produced fine plants.   We allowed the Pinto beans to fully mature for use as a dried soup bean and the Great Northern beans we picked at a young tender stage and ate as a green bean.   We were so pleased with the results that we will try other varieties this next year.  I'd love to see how Black beans will produce.   At any rate, this could be a very economical source of seed for home gardeners.  I think we paid around $1.19 for 2 lbs of dried beans from the grocery store. The last time we purchased bean seeds from a seed company we spent approximately $2.00 for just a few ounces.

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Companion Planting in Your Vegetable Garden

Veggies need companionship too!

It may be chilly outside but now is the perfect time to plan your garden!   With just a little careful thought, you can ensure that you have a successful organic garden this spring, summer and fall.  One of the methods we've found indispensable in organic gardening is known as companion planting. 

When done correctly, companion planting can help repel pests without harmful chemicals and fortify the soil naturally.  This sounds great, right?  You may think that companion planting sounds like a lot of work.   In truth, companion planting is easy to do and the rewards are well worth the small amount of time it takes to plan. 

Companion Planting Guide

There are many resources both in the library and online that you can utilize when companion planting but for your convenience,  I've included a basic list of what to and what NOT to plant together in your garden.

Vegetable            Likes                          Doesn't Do Well With  
Asparagus         Parsley, Tomatoes                  -------

Beans (Bush)    Beets, Carrots,           Fennel, Garlic, Onions
                       Cucumbers,Marigolds,                
                       Potatoes
 
Beans (Pole)     Marigolds, Radishes         Garlic, Onions

Cabbage Family  Beets, Celery, Corn, Dill ,    Fennel, Pole Beans,
                       Onions,Sage, Sunflowers    Tomatoes

Cantaloupe        Corn, Sunflowers                  Potatoes

Carrots            Lettuce (Leaf), Parsley,           Dill
                        Tomatoes

Corn               Beans, Cucumbers, Peas,     ------
                     Potatoes, Pumpkins,
                     Squash

Cucumbers     Beans, Cabbage, Corn,     Potatoes
                      Peas,Radishes

Eggplant          Beans                                  Potatoes

Lettuce           Carrots, Cucumbers,         -------
                     Onions,Radishes

Onions            Beats, Cabbage, Lettuce,    ------
                      Tomatoes

Peas                 Beans, Carrots, Corn,      Garlic, Onions
                      Cucumbers, Potatoes,
                      Radishes, Turnips

Potatoes            Beans, Cabbage,           Sunflowers
                      Corn, Marigolds,Peas

Pumpkins         Corn                              Potatoes

Radishes          Beets, Carrots, Spinach     -------

Turnips             Peas                                 --------

Squash             Radishes                         --------

Tomatoes         Asparagus, Basil,         Cabbage, Fennel,
                       Garlic,Marigolds,              Potatoes
                       Parsley

In no way is this list complete.  I'm sure there are many more plants that can be beneficial to each other but I believe it will give you a good start with common vegetables you can grow in your home garden. 

Companion plants can be often grown intertwined in the same beds for maximum benefit.   For example, we have grown carrots in the "wasted" empty space around our tomato plants.  Just take a little time to think about the space that you have and the light needs your plants will have.    Sun loving plants such as tomatoes can often shelter plants that need a little more shade. 

Much like people, plants sharing a small space can bring out the best or the worst in each other.  So choose your plants "roommates" wisely.  They will be happier and healthier for it!

Happy planning!

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