The difficulties of gardening..

[omarick1948]

Fallow year??????
:idunno:

 

[tenngun]

I always followed a 1:4 of my garden space. I raised rabbits commercially, and chickens for me. I used that manure in that found and most of my green manure on that plot. Next year was table peas then beans, next year my cabbages then tomatoes and peppers, finely corn, then back to fallow.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

I make no pretense. Gardening is ok. When there were kids to feed. it saved money. But spending time, money and effort to grow a few veggies for the two of us is just a waste of effort. Makes no sense to spend the hours and money digging a spot, fertilizing, money for plants, then watering and weeding just to get $3.00 worth of tomatoes. Now we do plant sun sugar cherry tomatoes and husk cherries just because we can't buy them. But even at that 4 plants of each gives the two of us more than we can eat. OTH, blueberries are easy. plant the bush, water during a drought. No spray, no weeding, no bugs, just pick every July.

One year Mrs. insisted on making 20 qts of spaghetti sauce. Cost of jars and lids, pressure cooker, fuel for stove, labor planting a garden of plum tomatoes, picking peeling milling out seeds, cooking, etc. Figure it cost about $400 to make $40.00 worth of crappy spaghetti sauce. Pasta sauce is one of the cheapest foods in the grocery store. In addition, there are literally hundreds of kinds and varieties to try. Why bother? It is like people growing their own wheat to make noodles. So cheap in the store that almost no one in the US bothers to make their own from planting wheat, grinding flour etc.

If I am going to plant something, it will be something I can get so much cheaper than in the store, that it is worth the hassle. Husk cherries for instance. Minimal care, plant once, they come up every year thereafter, no spraying, no weeding, etc. Just pick seasonally.

I have at least 50 black walnut trees. In fact in the sheep pasture, they fall off and roll down hill to the bottom of the hill. I could have 4 or 5 bushels just by picking up those. The work to husk them, dry the nuts, then crack them and pick out the meats simply isn't worth the hassle when I can buy black walnut meats for $8.00 a pound. I only use about a pound a year and it would take me 3 or 4 hours effort to get that pound of black walnut meats the old fashioned way. Simply isn't worth it.

 

[Billnpatti]

I hear you, Zimmer. When we lived in the country in Indiana, we used to plant a pretty big garden and it was fun to grow our own stuff. Now, my body is suffering the ravages of time and my wife has passed away and I live alone in an age restricted community in Texas. I don't think the HOA would allow me to put a garden in my yard even if I wanted to. Now, I do my "gardening" in the produce department of my local super market. Admittedly, the produce from a super market will never taste as good as what you grow in your own garden but, you can make a turd out of it. :haha:

 

[tenngun]

That's a trueism I had nearly an acre of garden, I still had to buy sugar ,flour beef ,and pork, cheese, raised most of what I ate. Had a 8x8 storage well insulated shed full of canned and dryed food, root and hard veggies mostly squash. Then it just stopped being worth the work, I was gone a lot with my work and my days off were gardening.
Now I live in town and it's just not worth the time. Although I do miss fresh tomatoes, peppers and herbs so I have been thinks about a little garden.
Funny thing for me was a garden was a job, work put in to get a return not a labor of love.... but now I kinda miss it, go figure

 

[zimmerstutzen]

my herb garden consistes of three flower pots on the porch. Basil, Oregano and rosemary. All I need and produces all year long if I remember to bring the plants in come October.

 

[Black Hand]

My urge to garden is satisfied by going to the Farmer's market. Someone else has already done the tedious work and I get to enjoy the cooking & eating...

 

[coloradoclyde]

my herb garden consistes of three flower pots on the porch. Basil, Oregano and rosemary

Why?...Don't you have enough thyme?..... :wink:

 

[tenngun]

:thumbsup: :haha:

 

[tenngun]

:rotf: