RE: Victory Gardens - Grow Your Own Food - Do Organic, Poison Free

[Mrs. Sharon B. Hodge]

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Victory Gardens Does Not Have to Symbolize New Age, Just Freedom Instead, And A Way Not To Eat Genetically Engineered Foods
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Natural News
Saturday, August 23, 2008
by: Barbara L Minton

http://www. naturalnews. com/023952. html

(NaturalNews) Victory gardens are popping up all over. Last seen during World War II, these gardens now represent our fight to regain control of our lives and our health.
They are the first battlefields against the increasing corporate tyranny, a battle that may end with us throwing off the philosophy of every man for himself and a realization that we are all together in this thing called life

World War II united people and allowed them to reach into the depths of themselves and pull up a resourcefulness they didn't know they had. During this time of horror and hope people realized that they were living out a great saga in their lives, and in this saga they all had a part to play. The world was a violent and dramatic place, yet also an awakening happened, a vision of unity and understanding.
The victory garden has come to symbolize this unity and vision

What's a victory garden?

It was emphasized to urban and suburban dwellers that the produce from their gardens would help provide the nutritious food needed by the soldiers to keep them fighting strong. It would also help keep the price of that food low, so the War Department would have more money to spend on other military needs. The victory garden would also help solve the shortages of labor and transportation that made it difficult to harvest and transport produce to market.
One poster from the mid 1940's reading, "Our food is fighting" portrayed the high sense of patriotism so characteristic of the time

The Department of Agriculture along with agribusiness corporations distributed booklets providing information about basic gardening techniques. In 1943, 20 million gardens were producing 8 million tons of food. Victory gardens were planted in backyards, apartment building roofs, vacant lots, backyards, and pretty much every available patch of dirt and container throughout the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.
Neighbors pooled their resources, planted different kinds of foods and formed cooperatives, doing whatever had to be done

Magazines printed stories about victory gardens, and women's magazines provided instructions on how to grow and preserve garden produce. Sales of pressure cookers to use in canning skyrocketed as families were encouraged to can their own vegetables. Home canners used non-toxic glass mason jars. The government as well as businesses urged families to make gardening a group effort. At the peak of the effort, 9-10 million tons of produce was produced, an amount equal to all commercial production.
Even children and teenagers willingly took part in the work of the garden

The victory garden was clearly a victory on many levels

Why victory gardens are back in style

Today we are again involved in fighting a battle, but this time the battle involves how to stay healthy and live genuine lives in a world where everything is increasing stacked against us

Today's commercially grown produce comes from soils depleted of the minerals and nutrients so necessary to keep us healthy in our polluted and stressful environment. Plants grown in depleted soils are less healthy and able to resist attack by pests, so the use of pesticides is more prevalent than ever. Much of our big agribusiness produce is now being grown in foreign countries not subject to highly controlled use of pesticide. Today's big food corporations choose the cheapest, most effective pesticides, not the ones that are least toxic to humans and other life forms.
Along with pesticide residues, our produce contains residual amounts of soil depleting synthetic chemical fertilizers which are toxic to our livers

Parabolic gas prices are estimated to increase wholesale food prices by 30 percent in the coming months. We wonder how we will be able to continue buying quality foods to keep us healthy. Fruits and vegetables are on the road for 1500 miles on average, before they reach the supermarkets. Produce is picked without having a chance to ripen so it can withstand the long trip to market. During this process, even more of the nutrients are lost.
When it finally reaches the supermarket, produce can sit in cold storage for a week before being put out for sale

We want to have access to health promoting fruits and vegetables during the winter months without them having to be flown in from other parts of the world. Asparagus from Argentina in January is a luxury few can afford.
Yet we are told that our commercially canned produce contains carcinogenic and toxic bisphenol-A

We're short on money to put gas into the SUV to drive our children around to their programmed activities. At the same time, we are realizing that our children are not really learning what is important in life.
We yearn for projects and activities that will bring our families together

We are stressed out and overworked trying to get the money to buy all the stuff that corporations have decided we must have. Our closets and homes are filled, but our bank accounts are empty. We are so busy that we seldom see our family as a whole or do activities in which the whole family participates. It's time to say 'no' to the big corporate food sellers and big oil. It's time to reach inside ourselves again and rediscover that kernel of resourcefulness.
It is still there

Victory gardens and the new age

A victory garden is a manifestation of new thinking, new vision and an explosion of new understanding. We not only live in this world but we help create it. We can choose to participate in unity and renewal, and to become part of the higher forms of consciousness.
We are at the point now where evolution can become conscious of itself

We can choose to participate in a new age of creative intelligence and love. This new age is like a rising tide which may wash away those who seek to go on working in accordance with that old law of every man for himself. It is a movement just beginning like the emergence of a tiny shoot in spring.
You can tear out that shoot or stomp on it, but there is no way that you can hold back the coming of spring

We have had enough of the old ways of thinking, and we are here to take back control of our lives, our health, our resources, and our futures. We are resisting the control of destructive governmental and corporate forces.
We are developing an energy and enthusiasm that characterizes new values, new ways of living, new survival techniques, and new experiences

A garden that symbolizes our part in this evolution is a challenge and a source of immense hope. If a family or group is able to achieve this, others will follow and the movement will grow. In a time of famine for many and threatened famine for many others, the victory garden is an indication of a new way the earth can be made more fruitful.
We must have a vision

We realize with horror what the human race in its greed and arrogance is doing to the earth, and the life forms on it. Our ignorance of the realities of nature has led us to follow all sorts of practices which hurt and alienate. We are at the juncture where we may either come to be parasites upon the planet, or we may come to a new enlightenment.
The choice is ours

A victory garden can be our symbol of the victory of the decision to be part of the new enlightenment. It can provide us with a way to re-establish a positive relationship with nature as we are called on to love life-giving plants, to cherish and nurture them, to talk to them, and thank them for all their work for us. When we have reached out to do this, we are breaking down barriers within our minds, and our resistance to this new age will dissolve.
We are readying ourselves to go forth openly toward nature with a loving attitude

Remember, this is not somebody's thought out plan. It is a phenomenon and an expression of the living energies for renewal that are sweeping through our society. This is a creative energy to renew in many facets, the garden being just one of them.
The garden is an expression of a community filled with energy, enthusiasm and love for all life

A garden teaches us the secrets of creation in various ways. Once we make the decision to pull back from the getting and spending lifestyle, we learn the power within us to create our world by the choices we make. We realize that we no longer have to be controlled by the power of events, but that by our power of thought, we control events.
We can bring about what is in our thoughts

When this is our direction we will have the confidence to succeed in the garden. Gardening is about the relationship we have with the plants. When we love and cherish them, they will return the favor. Plants are like our children. A child who is loved thrives no matter what the conditions are, but a child who has no love dies. Gardening is never about technique or the color of your thumb.
It is about what is in your heart and spirit




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You may also want to check out these blogs:
Living Green in the City Growing all your food in 4 hours a week

Edible Landscaping (videos, pictures, and resources)

Edible Landscaping for Apartment Dwellers

Sprout Survival Kit

Thank you! Love for the Earth
Date: 01 Jun 2008, 09:15 PM


RadicalJusticeMan
Lori
BOBBY ELECTRIC(ANTI-NWO-HIPHOP)



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Growing Organic Food Inside Your Home Year-Round
Windowsill Gardening
By Pauline Lloyd
Growing Green International 9, 2/22/2008
Straight to the Source


Don't worry if you haven't got a garden or allotment! For a surprising amount of food can be produced indoors, vegan organically, either on your windowsill or on a well-lit kitchen surface...

The following plants will all do well indoors:

Salad greens are easy to grow and can be produced all the year round indoors, ever so cheaply. So, the next time you buy fruit and vegetables, save any empty plastic punnets as these are ideal for this purpose. You will need to line the base of the punnet with several layers of paper kitchen towel and this should be dampened with water before sprinkling on the seeds. Try using rape, mustard or cress seeds which should all grow well..

After sowing the seeds, place the punnet in a brown paper bag and keep it in a dark cupboard, perhaps underneath the sink, until the seeds have germinated and the seedlings are an inch or so high. Then it can be brought out into the daylight and the bag removed. But don't place it on a very sunny windowsill, or the seedlings will dry out too rapidly and become stressed..

You should check the seedlings regularly to make sure that the paper is still damp and water or spray if necessary. When they are about 2-3 inches high, the seedlings can be cut off with scissors, rinsed and used as a tasty garnish for salads or sandwiches. Alternatively, buckwheat and sunflower greens make an excellent substitute for lettuce. These grow well in small plastic trays and the sorts of trays that can sometimes buy mushrooms in are ideal..

Soak the seeds (which should still have their shells on) in a jam jar for 12 hours, then drain off the water and leave the seeds to sprout for a day before sowing. To sow: Place a layer of soil (or potting compost) in the plastic tray and distribute the seeds evenly on the surface, covering them with a thin layer of soil. Dampen the soil daily. The greens should be ready for harvesting in about 7 days and are also easily harvested with scissors..

Wheatgrass also grows well in trays and can be grown either on soil or on dampened kitchen towels. However, wheatgrass is usually juiced in a special juicer, rather than eaten, although you can also chew it like gum! Wheatgrass juice has many amazing curative properties and it is full of vitamins, minerals and enzymes and of course chlorophyll. I would recommend that you read Ann Wigmore's book, The Wheatgrass Book, if you want to find out more about how to grow it and about its medicinal properties. Sprouts Many grains, pulses, nuts and seeds can be sprouted and are easily grown indoors on a windowsill, either in trays or in special sprouting jars. And sprouts are truly amazing! They are full of vitamins, enzymes and minerals and have many features, which make them far superior to other foods For example they are inexpensive to grow, need little preparation, can usually be eaten raw and some even have anti-cancer properties...

And what could be fresher, than a handful of sprouts removed from a jar in your kitchen, rinsed, then eaten straight away?

If you want quick results, then try sprouting some soaked, hulled, organic sunflower seeds. These can be ready in a day or two and green lentil sprouts also grow very quickly. Alfalfa is one of the most nutritious sprouts to grow and makes an excellent garnish, but I actually prefer the taste of red clover, which is supposed to be especially good if you are menopausal. I also really like the taste of broccoli sprouts, but these seeds are very expensive to buy and not always easy to find and so I usually grow my own..

If you would like to try this, then leave some purple sprouting broccoli to go seed in a corner of your garden. You need to leave at least two plants next to one another to be sure of producing seed and you may need to protect the ripening seedpods from birds. When the pods are dry shell out the seeds. It's fiddly, but well worth the effort, as you will save a fortune! Legumes are also worth sprouting. Try chick peas, peas and aduki beans. Wheat can also be sprouted and is used to make the refreshing drink known as Rejuvelac, which is supposed to be good for the intestinal flora. And of course wheat sprouts are also used to make sprouted wheat bread..

When growing sprouts, if you are short of space, then try one of the tiered tray systems such as the Beingfare Salad Sprouter, which allows you to grow several varieties of sprouts on top of one another. It is also possible to buy special sprouting jars with mesh lids, which allow easy rinsing and draining of your sprouts. Of course if you are hard up for cash you can simply use clean jam jars, covered with a piece of cheesecloth (muslin) and held in place with an elastic band. It is possible to buy nylon sprouting bags from the Fresh Network, which are more portable than most sprouting systems and are useful for taking on holiday. Herbs and Other Plants Many herbs will grow well on a windowsill and are useful for adding extra flavour to food. Parsley is rich in vitamins and will grow well in a pot or small trough indoors. I use the variety Champion Moss Curled and make sowings in March and August for an all year round supply...

Germination seems to be more reliable than from an outdoor sowing and it is especially useful to have a small pot of parsley growing indoors in the winter as it saves going out in the garden and getting the feet wet!

Bush Basil also grows well in containers and so does Winter Savoury and both of these can be sown indoors in April or May. Chives is also an excellent indoor container plant and so is Pennyroyal and you could even try growing your own Cayenne peppers on a sunny windowsill! Also watercress does not necessarily need running water...

The Organic Gardening Catalogue offers a type of watercress that does well in a well-watered pot and if you grow it indoors, you should hopefully escape the caterpillars which can quickly strip the plant bare!

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My indoor garden started with a Royal Flush: During a poker game with friends, I was halving an avocado for guacamole when I realized, to my complete shock, that I had a good hand. Instead of pausing the game to throw the pit in the trash, I poked a hole in the soil of the nearest houseplant, dropped in the pit and forgot about it. I was reminded a month later when the fast-growing avocado plant took over the pot. You, too, can grow an indoor garden with kitchen scraps usually thrown onto the compost heap...

Garlic: 1) Plant a few garlic cloves with pointed tip facing up in a pot with loamy organic soil..

2) Place the pot on a sunny windowsill and water regularly like a houseplant...

3) Green garlicky shoots emerge in a week or so. Harvest with a scissors to using in cooking or as a tasty garnish for soups, salads and baked potatoes...

Green Onions: 1) Use green onions with healthy, white roots attached to the bulb. Snip off green tops for cooking with a scissors. Leave a little green top on the onion bulb..

2) Plant the entire onion while leaving the short top above ground in a small pot filled with a loamy, organic potting soil. Make sure your container has drainage holes. Put in a sunny windowsill and water once a week or when soil feels dry to the touch..

3) Harvest new green shoots with scissors to use for cooking or as a tasty garnish. Continue to leave the onion in the soil. With each new growth the onion will taste more potent. After each harvest of onion tops, dress the topsoil with organic compost...

Enjoy green onion tops in stir-fries, omelets, and in sandwiches all winter long

Pineapple: 1) Indoor pineapple plants rarely produce flowers and fruit, but their striking foliage adds a touch of exotic to any houseplant collection. All you need to grow one is the green top you cut off when you eat the pineapple. For best results, use a pineapple that has fresh center leaves at the crown. Lob off the top, right where the crown meets the fruit. Peel off the bottom leaves and clean off the leftover fruit. Let the top rest a day before planting..

2) Fill a shallow pot with rich, loamy organic soil mixed with a few tablespoons of well-rinsed coffee grounds. Pineapple grows best in an acidic soil. Plant the pineapple top so the soil is even with the bottom of the crown..

3) Water well and mist the leaves and crown with a diluted, organic liquid fertilizer. As a member of the Bromeliaceae family, which also includes air plants, pineapple plants take much of their nourishment not from the soil but from nutrients in the moist air..

Avocado: 1) For best results use only a ripe avocado. Carefully halve the fruit and rinse the pit. Pat dry and let sit overnight in a warm, dry spot. The next day, peel off any of the parchment-like skin from the pit...

2) Place the pit with the base (the wider end) toward the bottom in a 7-inch pot full of loamy, rich organic soil. Make sure the tip is above the soil, exposed to light for proper germination. Water thoroughly...

3) If your apartment is dry, place a clear plastic cup over the exposed seed tip to serve as a mini-greenhouse. Though the plant does not need direct light to germinate, placing the pot on a sunny windowsill will speed growth..

4) Continue to water every week and make sure the soil doesn't dry out completely. The pit may take over a month to germinate so be patient..

5) When the sprout emerges and grows to about 4 inches, add another layer of organic soil to cover the pit completely. This not only protects the seed, but also any roots that may poke through the soil in search of nourishment..

6) Once the plant starts growing, it may remind you of the story "Jack and the Beanstalk." You can watch the plant grow tall for a year (supported with a wooden rod) and let it branch on its own, or make a decision to prune it and force it to branch, making a sturdier plant. If you choose to prune, it's best to trim with a diagonal cut 2 inches from the top. Be careful as you prune not to cut the main stem more than 1/3 of its height..

7) Continue to add organic compost to fertilize the soil with each pruning and water as you would a houseplant. Only repot the fast-growing plant when it is 6 times taller than the diameter of the pot..

8) Though avocado plants do not bear fruit if grown indoors, you can plant multiple avocado pits at various times in the same pot for a more interesting arrangement..

Further Reading:

The Sprouter's Handbook by Edward Cairney (Argyll Publishing, 1997)..

Sprout For the Love of Everybody by Viktoras Kulvinskas...

The Sproutman's Kitchen Garden Cookbook by Steve Meyerowitz..

The Wheatgrass Book by Ann Wigmore..

Sprouting by Pauline Lloyd.. (A copy of this article can be downloaded from my web site at: http://www. btinternet. com/~bury_rd/sprout. htm)...

Seed Suppliers:

The Organic Gardening Catalogue, Riverdene Business Park, Molesey Rd, Hersham, Surrey. KT12 4RG. (Tel: [phone].) Sells a good selection of seeds for sprouting and also stocks the Beingfare Salad Sprouter, sprouting jars, a manual wheatgrass juicer and books...

John Chambers, 15 Westleigh Rd, Barton Seagrave, Kettering, Northants, NN15 5AJ. (Tel: [phone].) Offers a selection of seeds for sprouting...

The FRESH Network, PO Box 71, Ely. Cambs. CB7 4GU. (Tel: [phone]). Sells sprouting jars and nylon sprouting bags, plus a number of books on sprouting...

Suffolk Herbs, Monks Farm, Coggeshall Road, Kelvedon, Essex CO5 9PG. (Tel: [phone].) Sells seeds for sprouting, sprouting equipment and books on herbs...

Note: all of the seeds mentioned in this article can be obtained from The Organic Gardening Catalogue...

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Thank you
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i will repost my blog Edible Landscaping for Apartment Dwellers next



Thank you to http://www. myspace. com/consciousconsuming blogs for this video

Urban Farming

Ads are everywhere, but after this short one is a cool clip about urban farming (it's the Wall Street Journal's video) Food doesn't get more local than your own front or backyard, as Kip Nash of Community Roots in Boulder, CO explains:

..

From my old blog: Edible Landscaping (videos, pictures, and resources)

My friend Emily"endorses Dennis4President. com" (who has a great radio program on sustainability) posted a bulletin by our mutual friend Organic Lawns for America

"Make it your New Years Resolution to cancel your chemical lawn care service… Just by doing this there will be fewer dead birds from pesticide exposure"

And i agree if you are going to have a lawn do not use chemicals on it… Many people will chose to grow a lawn, but actually why not try an alternative?

Did you know that lawns originally became popular by the newly emerging middle class copying wealthy European estates who had the money and rainfall to support all that green?

Why not save water, mowing time, and petrochemicals used for that mower (of course we do have a push mower to loan to our neighbors)

Edible Landscaping

http://www. youtube. com/watch?v=q7JgenD4fdw

One of my favorite sights is always a front yard entirely planted with vegetables, fruits, flowers, and herbs… When we bought our first home we got rid of our lawn and planeted strawberries… Why not? The lawn wasn't doing anyone any good!

Why not use vegetables and herbs interplanted with some of the more common bedding plants? Most vegetables are actually very attractive plants which produce flowers before fruiting… Fruit trees can be espanade to grow compactly against or as a fence… Rosalind Creasy's excellent book on edible landscaping even has a picture of a fruit salad tree which you can graft to grow several varieties of fruit (my cherry tree has three varieties)







The herbs all smell wonderful I pick them and fruit while enjoying time in the garden… You maximize your growing area by planting vertically, on the top of fences, some people even have green roofs! (see video, reference, and pictures below) There are many climbing vegetable and fruits, some good ones are cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, pole beans, scarlet runner beans, edible pod peas, or hardy kiwi

Some of Terry L Yockey's (and my) favorite plants for your edible landscape are:

• Chamomile--A small daisy-like flower… The German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) is the one that you dry for chamomile tea… It isn't a perennial, but always self sows in my garden…The Roman chamomile ( (Chamaemelum nobile) ( is considered a perennial (but isn't here in Minnesota!), and has a wonderful fragrance but isn't as good in tea

• Swiss Chard--The variety 'Bright Lights' has plants in a variety of beautiful colors that will make a statement in any garden… The sun shining through the leaves looks just like stained glass… Good raw in summer salads (It grows like a weed and my rescued pet chickens "Thanks" and "Giving" love it!)

• Chives--Many people call this onion grass and it's one of the easiest herbs to grow… Its good with dips… I think it makes a nice tidy border for the perennial garden… When it gets too tall and starts to flop over, just cut it down to the ground and it will come back bigger and better
• Cucumbers--I can never resist planting these somewhere… I never get that many cukes, but I like to watch them grow and their yellow flowers are beautiful

• Basils--There are purple varieties ('Dark Opal' and 'Purple Ruffles'), lemon ('Sweet Dani') and cinnamon flavored varieties and basils with extremely large leaves such as the AAS winner 'Thai Siam Queen' or the old favorite 'Lettuce Leaf' All are worthy of a place in your yard, gardens and containers

• Monarda (Bee Balm) --My favorite flower… I grow it everywhere because of the vibrant red flowers… The leaves have a minty fragrance and can be used in your herb teas… In fact, it is said that that is what the settlers drank after the "Boston Tea Party"

• Oregano--The common oregano is a hardy ground cover that you can use for all your Italian dishes… It has pretty pink flowers that the bees love

• Parsley--Use this biennial between all your flowers in your pots… It has healthy green foliage all summer long that makes any flower next to them look even better

• Rhubarb--It's a lovely plant which doesn't deserve the soldiers-all-in-a row treatment it gets in many yards!

• Sage--It's not always reliably hardy here, but is worth replanting if necessary… A lovely silver accent in the garden which can be used often in the kitchen

• Salad Burnet ((Poterium sanguisorba) --This is a perennial that is easily grown outdoors from seed It looks like miniature ferns and tastes and smells just like a cucumber… Great for salads and for those who can't eat real cukes

• Eggplant--I grew mine in a pot this year so I could enjoy the beautiful blue flowers and purple fruits up close

Edible landscaping is a wonderful way for all of us to have productive yards (no matter how small the gardening space!)

Edible Estates: Attack on the Front Lawn,
A Project

by Fritz Haeg
Manifesto callout, special treatment: Edible Estates is an attack on the front lawn and everything it has come to represent!
Edible Estates is an ongoing series of projects to replace the front lawn with edible garden landscapes responsive to culture, climate, context and people!
Edible Estates reconciles issues of global food production and urbanized land use with the modest gesture of a small domestic garden!
Edible Estates is a practical food-producing initiative, a place-responsive landscape design proposal, a scientific horticultural experiment, a conceptual land-art project, a defiant political statement, a community out-reach program and an act of radical gardening!
Edible Estates is nothing new; growing our own food is the first thing we did when we stopped being nomadic and started being "civilized"!
The Edible Estates project proposes the replacement of the domestic front lawn with a highly productive edible landscape… It was initiated by architect and artist Fritz Haeg on Independence Day, 2005, with the planting of the first regional prototype garden in the geographic center of the United States, Salina, Kansas













Since then three more prototype gardens have been created, in Lakewood, California; Maplewood, New Jersey and London, England… Edible Estates regional prototype gardens will ultimately be established in nine cities across the United States
Edible Estates: Attack on the Front Lawn documents the first four gardens with personal accounts written by the owners, garden plans and photographs illustrating the creation of the gardens--from ripping up the grass to harvesting a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs… Essays by Haeg,landscape architect Diana Balmori, garden and food writer Rosalind Creasy, author Michael Pollan and artist and writer Lesley Stern set the Edible Estates project in the context of larger issues concerning the environment, global food production and the imperative to generate a sense of community in our urban and suburban neighborhoods… This smart, affordable and well-designed book also includes reports and photographs from the owners of other edible front yards around the country, as well as helpful resources to guide you in making your own Edible Estate

See Urban Alliance for Sustainablitly

The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping: Home Landscaping with Food-Bearing Plants and Resource-Saving Techniques

Rosalind Creasy
A comprehensive, feature-packed book by Rosalind Creasy, a landscape designer and leading authority on edible landscaping… This book shows how you can create more beauty around your home, grow delicious healthful produce, and save money and natural resources all at the same time - by landscaping with edible plants… It includes a 160-page "Encyclopedia of Edibles" with detailed horticultural information, landscaping and culinary uses, seed sources, and recipes, as well as an abundance of how-to illustrations and landscape diagrams… This guide incorporates energy-, water-, and soil-saving techniques with specific designs for all geographic/climatic regions of the country





Learn more about sustainable gardening

www. permaculture. com

Permaculture Part 2

PERMACULTURE-Permanent Agriculture Part 1

Permaculture Part 3

PERMACULTURE AND HARVESTING RAIN WATER VIDEOS

The Permaculture Concept Videos Parts 1-6 featuring Bill Mollison

Growing Food When The Oil Runs out


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For those who do not know i usually do environmental and nutritional education work through Kindness of Strangers a project of the 501 (c) 3 non-profit International Humanities Center

Add my myspace site at Kindness of Strangers~Greenliving saves Wildlife

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From: Eddie NWO Censored





Mel Bartholomew, Originator and Author of Square Foot Garden

Square Foot Gardening - Mel Bartholomew's Official Site


What is Square Foot Gardening?


Square foot gardening Intro


Square foot gardening - picking plants


Square foot gardening - Less weeding


Square foot gardening - what materials are needed


Square foot gardening - How to assemble pt 1


Square foot gardening - How to assemble pt 2


Square foot gardening - Layout Tips


Square foot gardening - How to Make Grids for Square Foot Gardens


Square foot gardening - What soil to use


Square foot gardening - How to layer soil


Square foot gardening - How to Add Compost to Square Foot Gardens


********************************
Build a Square Foot Garden
********************************

Wired
5-20-08

http://howto. wired. com/wiki/Build_a_Square_Foot_Garden

When you think of growing your own food, you probably think of endless rows of corn, the middle of nowhere, people in overalls and dial-up internet You're also probably thinking about hours spent planting seeds, mulching leaves and plowing soil


But there's a better way to harvest your own crops that works especially well for those of use living in urban areas (with high-speed internet and no room to drive a tractor) It's known as square foot gardening


Square foot gardening is a variation on what's known as the French Intensive or Biointensive method of farming Mel Bartholomew helped popularize the "square foot" name and even has a book on the subject


The concept is pretty simple, and you don't need a book or a change of national status to get a highly productive garden going We'll walk you through the basic steps to getting started on your own tiny plot of land



1 - Square Foot Gardening in a Nutshell
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The square foot concept is simple. First we'll build a raised bed.
That way there's no need to worry about poor soil (or total lack of soil -- you can even build a raised bed atop a concrete patio) We'll use our own soil mixture


Next, you divide your bed into sections of one square foot each -- hence the name -- and then plant vegetables in just the amount of space they need For instance, while you might only be able to fit one tomato plant in a square, it isn't hard to stuff in a whole bunch of carrots, onions or other smaller vegetables


The main advantages of the square foot system are less watering (great for drought areas), easier weeding (no long rows to wander down), and a greatly reduced workload


On the downside, you won't be able to create a corn maze come October
But with a little work, you should have fresh veggies on the table well through the end of summer

2 - How to Proceed
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The first step is to pick a decent section of your yard for gardening Look for an area that gets enough sunlight for all the plants you'd like to grow


Once you've selected an area you can dig down for an added bit of depth if you like (you can even double dig the soil if you're looking for a workout)
You can achieve a perfectly healthy garden without digging



3 - Get Your Wood
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The next thing to do is construct your beds. You can make the beds whatever size you'd like, but for beginner we recommend a 4' x 4' plot.
It's small enough that you won't feel overwhelmed and big enough to yield a decent crop It also just so happens that most lumber comes in 8' lengths, so you only need to buy two boards and have your local hardware shop saw them in half for you


Tip: Since your garden will be out in the elements all summer, you might think about getting pressure treated wood which is better at repelling water -- You may want reconsider.
Not only is pressure treated wood much more expensive, it has a number of chemicals in it that can leech into your soil It is possible that a small quantity can leach into your vegetables (see this study for more information)


Make sure you get something thick enough A couple of 10 x 2 x 8' boards should do the trick


TIP You can buy a small roll of strap metal that is about 1/2" wide with holes in it (to nail through).
Nail about a 1' section around each corner of your box This is what holds my garden box together after several years' of heavy use



4 - Put It Together
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Screw your boards together and build the box. You'll just need a drill and some good size screws.
Sink at least three screws at each end When soil gets wet, it's quite heavy and you don't want your garden to burst at the seams


Next, fill your new box with soil. Mel Bartholomew sells a special mix of soil tailored to square foot gardening. His mixture is 1/3 blended compost, 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 coarse vermiculite.
With the exception of vermiculite, it's pretty easy get the other ingredients on your own In fact, even regular old potting soil will work though you may need to fertilize a bit more


Tip: Many organic markets like Earth Fare compost their leftover and unsold vegetables.
Try asking your local market if they have some compost you could buy on the cheap Or start your own compost


The next step is to mark off your grid. You might be able to find a wooden grid at the lumbar yard, or you can make your own.
If you're lazy, you can use string, which works just as well Just make some marks at one-foot intervals along each side of the garden
Then use either some small screws or nails to hold your string in place and stretch them across your garden, creating one foot squares


5 - Planting
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Now the fun part.
If you're starting from seed, make sure you start early enough -- just after the last frost Check with your local nursery if you're unsure when to plant in your area


Planting a square foot garden properly depends on what you're planting. Consult the directions on your seed packets to see how far apart the plants need to be in order to thrive.
Generally you should plant in a grid of either 1, 4, 9, or 16 plants per square foot If you feel like you've packed the plants too close, you can always thin them as they grow


As for what you should grow, that's up to you Plant things you like and don't limit yourself just the vegetables -- herbs and flowers will work as well


Then just sit back and wait for nature to take it's course.
Water your garden by hand with a watering can You probably won't need to fertilize since we used such rich soil to begin with


When you harvest a particular crop, go ahead and dig out that square foot and replenish the soil
Plant again if there's still time left in your growing season.

[James (yaakov)]

I really like this info...too bad it is so late in the season, but look out next year when we try our "green" thumbs...hehehehe