Rising Food Costs Mean there’s Gold in your Garden

The How Do Gardener ^ | May 5, 2011 | Rick Bickling

[orsonwb]

Unless you haven’t eaten in the past several months, or you already grow all of your own produce, you’ve probably noticed that food prices have been rising dramatically. According to the USDA, the average cost to the U.S. consumer of Lettuce is up 4.5%, and fresh Tomatoes are up 4.7% from the same time last year. The recently released U.S. Labor Department consumer price index survey reports that the price of grains such as corn, wheat and soybeans has roughly doubled since last summer...

[TASMANIANRED]

Shade it and you can keep it going a bit longer.

[fanfan]

Thanks for the ping RD.

Thanks for the proto-ping AFTR.

[Racehorse]

Plant some heat tolerant tomatoes, if you can keep them watered, more bang for the buck and more ways to use tomatoes.

Very heat tolerant they will need to be. :-)

Right now, in San Antonio, the temp is 97 degrees with an overnight low of 73 forecasted. Tomorrow we expect to hit 98 degrees.

Forecast for the next ten day is . . . depressing. The local organic gardening guru seems to think we might catch a break in June. Sure hope his crystal ball is crystal clear!

[Texas Fossil]

Found this today and it seems relevant here.

“Talks on Manures” by Joseph Harris

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/19448

Pretty lengthy discussion on natural fertilizer from the 1919 era.

Did not read it all yet, but am will. Pretty sensible discussion.

[popdonnelly]

Don’t think I’m going to plant much corn, wheat, and soybeans in my backyard.

I long for a government that actually does something to help the American public.

[Terry Mross]

Already tired of eating the raddishes I grew. Got squash coming out my ears. About to start freezing some. Green beans, okra and corn are blooming. Purple hull peas looking good. Tomato plants are loaded down with green tomatoes.

When I started this garden I figured I was doing it for a hobby. But with food prices going through the roof it looks like I’m actually saving money.

[Terry Mross]

I have a sprinkler system. I’ll water the garden and let the grass die. I’m not paying over a hundred a month for water so my lawn will look pretty.

For tomatoes try molding some wet newspaper over the top of the racks, if you use racks. If not, put up some chicken wire. It’ll keep the birds from eating them. Then put wet newspaper over the top and “mold” it to fit. It’ll stay on and shade the plant during the middle of the day.

[ApplegateRanch]

No gold until Fall; right now it is just full of green $prouts.

[ApplegateRanch]

For those with limited space; consider Earth Boxes, global buckets, smart pots

Or, for those with less money, and more creativity, try the "found items" equivalents.

[sneakers]

We cut into the hillside behind our house and put in 7 - soon 8 raised beds. We’ve got the cooler-weather veggies in and they are coming up. I paid $1.78 for one lone red pepper yesterday! It’s being split between two different recipes.

I’ve got about 20 pepper plants started. I hope to have fresh peppers and later, a bunch in the freezer.

[Texas Mulerider]

I’m in East Texas, too (Gregg County) and we’re already having to supplement with hay for the horses.

[agrace]

And there is no comparison between store bought and home grown tomatoes.

[agrace]

Those little things are one of the highest priced foodstuffs in the grocery store.

You got that right. It's amazing what our local chain wants for a little container of herbs. Thankfully I have two extremely healthy chive bunches, beautiful oregano in 3 spots, parsley returning from last year, and 10 separate basil sprout squares sunning in my daughter's room. I'll get cilantro and dill in a few weeks for pots on the deck.

Fresh herbs are stupid expensive in the store, but are the easiest thing in the world to grow. Just stick chives and oregano in with your flower beds and enjoy them forever. There's nothing like fresh picked oregano, basil and chives, and if you want to cook with them all year, throw them in the food processor with a little olive oil, separate by tablespoon onto plastic wrap, twist tie them up individually, ziploc them by type and store them in the freezer.

[redhead]

Living in a place like Alaska has its own set of problems. Our short growing season and summer climate preclude growing much of anything beyond leafy and root vegetables and berries for fruit. Anything else we manage to wrench from the ground usually is the result of greenhouse growing or the incredibly resourceful tendency for Alaskans to specialize in "Experimental" gardening. Containers help, as does finding the "mini-climates" around the house.

But, by and large, everything else is shipped in, even more so from September through June.

[algernonpj]

Before I can get gold out of my potential garden, I have to get the poison hemlock out.

Try Bonide Vine and Stump Killer.

I used it in the fall; applied directly to fresh stump/cut or even a leaf. It is very targeted - absorbed down to the roots, but leaves nearby by plants alone.

I was able to remove an aggressive wild vine type rose that the birds gifted right next to a heritage lilac and a huge thistle with a deep tap root right in the midst of a flower garden successfully. The lilac and rest of the flower garden were untouched. Also used on small trees and uninvited aggressive honeysuckle. Personally I would not spray for fear of unintended consequences.

[KosmicKitty]

Thanks, I’ll give that a try.

[Mrs. Don-o]

FREE SEED EXCHANGE

Thrifty? Gifty? Curious? Generous? Spare seeds? Rare seeds? For a tiny plot? Or a flower- pot?

Send seeds? Befriend seeds? Just want 10 seeds?

If you have garden seeds you can offer other FReepers for free, for a SASE, and/or in exchange for other seeds, please send me your info. (Private Message Mrs. Don-o) and I will add you to this list, which I will post on the garden thread from time to time. Please also Private Message me to be removed when you no longer have the seeds to offer. FReepo-seedoholics can contact each other by Private Message to arrange any transactions.

Remember that old seeds may have reduced germination. (Although I’ve had great luck with them. And for free, you can't lose...) If possible, list year and variety.

Mrs. Don-o

I CAN OFFER a few of these seeds (say, 10) for free to anybody who wants to send me a SASE:
Basil (“Genovese” 2010)
Beans (“Jackson Wonder Butterbean “2011)
Beans (“Southern Zipper Cream” – actually a Cowpea)
Broccoli (“Bonanza” 2011) Chard (“Bright Lights” 2010)
Fennel (“Florence” 2011)
Kale (“Redbor Hybrid” 2010)
Squash (“Acorn 2009”… and I had really good germination with it, this year!)
Squash “(Georgia Candy Roaster” 2011.. a terrific winter squash!)
Tomato (“Brandy Boy” 2011)

INTERESTED IN
Seeds for Fall, e.g. Japanese radish
Anything (surprise me!)

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I HAVE HEIRLOOM TOMATO SEEDS (FREEPER TDSCPA) from about 75 popular, open-pollinated heirloom varieties. Tell me via PM what varieties you’re interested in, and if I have them I could send you a few seeds (10?) if you will send me a SASE.

Don’t know what variety to grow? I can make suggestions, if you want to grow plants from seed. Contact Tdscpa

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If anyone needs or wants okra seeds (says JustaDumbBlonde)… please let me know. I saved a ridiculous amount in the fall of 2010. Two different varieties, Clemson and Jade, are both are heirloom variety so that you will be able to save seeds from your plants. Both are spineless and heavy producers. Jade is a bit darker green than Clemson and the pods are a bit shorter and fatter. Both are good for frying, soups, freezing, dehydrating or canning. Don’t be shy, l have more than plenty to share! Tip for planting okra: soak your seeds for 24 hours before planting. Okra seeds are hard like peppercorns and soaking will assist in quicker germination. Contact JustaDumbBlonde

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I have some black-seeded Simpson lettuce seeds and some Buttercrunch lettuce seeds if anyone’s interested. (says Oberon), And... anybody have any Gold Nugget yellow cherry tomato seeds? I’m interested. Contact Oberon

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I have about 100 Canna seeds that I would be glad to share (says Dacula), These plants are tropical and last up to the first frost. I live north of Atlanta and my cannas grow up to 6 feet and have beautiful flowers. I leave them in the ground over winter, but you can take the bulbs and over winter them. . In order to get the seeds to germinate, you have to lightly sand the outside of the seed and soak them overnight. Contact Dacula

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Free Winter Squash or Stevia seeds or Heirloom Tomato/Pepper Seeds (says Black Agnes) The 'Patio Marconi' seeds are container peppers that are sweet and good for salads, sandwiches or frying. Open pollinated if that interests you. Cilantro seeds too. It's good used fresh to detox heavy metals. Contact Black Agnes

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[tillacum]

I have a whole bunch of cukes the size of my ring finger, the tomatoes have blooms, the pepper is still standing there, and it looks like it’s trying to bloom. The mixed salad is coming along just fine and I’m putting more seed in another “swimming pool” for more salad greens. We just keep snipping and the greens keep growing. The onions are just the right size, but we’re leaving some in the ground so see how big they’ll get.

[tillacum]

We trapped a racoon in the corn garden, the rascal pulled up two corn stalks and took one very small acorn squash from the plant. He was taken about 10 miles from here and released.

[Bigg Red]

It was buying culinary herbs that got me started last year on my first vegetable patch ever. I was totally blown away when I tasted my home grown basil for the first time. Hooked now.