Everyone has to start somewhere -- what are some of your favorite gardening tools or ideas have you found that works for you?
During our last growing season, the wife and I decided to make our own collapsable trellises using cattle panel and zip ties. Works really well in our open garden. We had previously tried standing and supporting trellises vertically with angled supports, but we almost always ran into trouble when severe weather came along.
By making an A-frame structure out of the panels (securing at the top), it made it really easy to set up and never had an issue with the wind (though we did use a few stakes to hold it down just in case).
Yeah, you got it covered right there. If you're going to expand, I would suggest raised beds. The weeds have a harder time of infesting your beds. I have trellises and a fenced in garden, Fruit trees including apple, pear , peach and plum. Asparagus beds, rhubarb, pine berry, strawberry, hazelnut, hickory nut, butternut, black walnut. I planned, and planned well. I just turned my shed into a chicken coop for eggs and I decided to go with rabbit for meat. I was torn between duck and meat chickens, that's why I went with rabbit. Sorry I'm rambling, my 2 year old granddaughter is here and the little shit is wide awake. I keep coming back and typing more. lol
[ - ] veo [op] 1 point 4.1 yearsMar 30, 2021 23:43:19 ago (+1/-0)
No worries about rambling, always happy to have an extra voice in the sub :)
Raised beds are on our to-do list for root vegetables, they just sound so much easier for harvesting. Weed control around crops last year was pretty decent with the cloth we used. we're going to take a different approach with our walk paths and unused areas so they don't grow over so bad where nothing is planted.
I need the bee part, if you're going to do the bees, plant clover too as well as the trees. The harvest is much bigger with honey. If your into harvesting your own animals the clover will pull them in. And alfalfa. I eat a lot of wild game and I get my chickens and beef from local farmers. This year, hopefully, I can barter. we'll see. Meat chicks are different to eggs layers. When you get your rooster, treat him like you would a pet. I don't have one anymore, but I had one that would lie in my arms like a baby and if you tried to touch me or him, your were fucked up by the time you got your hand back. I was young and an asshole and my friends would ask to pet him. Yep sure, give it a shot, he might warm up to you if you pet him. lol Man, I wish we had today's tech back then. GET YOUR CHICKEN OFF ME, MAN!!! lol
Wife and I actually want to plant the front 10 acres in lavender as a farm crop. Still in early planning stages with that though.. have 15 test starts coming in soon, going to figure out best practices before we grow anything substantial.
I've thought about egg layers. Don't know if I have the time/desire to harvest wild game. If it came down to it, I'd probably be happy just eating eggs, lol.
The weed preventing cloth is a sham. You get the same benefits for similar cost by mulching heavily. You get an endless array of benefits as the mulch breaks down as well as the immediate benefits like water retention, cooler root zones, etc.
As for best gardening tool/idea... mulch, 3+ inches for first year, repeat every few years or top up yearly. No till is best.
This is the best greenhouse I've come across. The one pictured is built like shit, but it's easy to do a better job yourself. Mine has been tested with 3-4 feet of snow no problems at all. I got my plastic from a nearby nursery with giant greenhouses for free. It was their left over trimmings from their big greenhouses.
I saw someone said mulch and wood chips to assist in water retention and cooler root systems but I think some people overlook the benefits of using fresh cut grass for essentially the same thing. As well you promote aeration when the worms come up through the soil to eat the decomposing grass
Great idea about the A frames! I've used cattle panel before just as an upright trellis. Good stuff.
Our gardens are all in raised beds, out of necessity... Too much red clay and pine tree roots to compete with in the yard. Nothing fancy, just four sides! I've found that covering the ground with pea gravel and then putting the soil on top of that is ideal.
Let's see, coolest tool I've gotten recently was a Japanese knife (a "hori hori knife")... Go look them up if you haven't heard of them! Very useful! Though nothing really beats a hand trowel and an old fork for digging around the plants!
[ + ] fightknightHERO
[ - ] fightknightHERO 3 points 4.1 yearsMar 30, 2021 23:58:19 ago (+3/-0)
by having the soil covered, only the plants you plant can take root
[ + ] ItsOk2bArian
[ - ] ItsOk2bArian 1 point 4.1 yearsMar 31, 2021 07:40:07 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] veo
[ - ] veo [op] 0 points 4.1 yearsMar 31, 2021 11:55:43 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] ItsOk2bArian
[ - ] ItsOk2bArian 0 points 4 yearsApr 13, 2021 09:24:24 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] JudyStroyer
[ - ] JudyStroyer 1 point 4.1 yearsMar 31, 2021 17:46:48 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] OoklaTheMok
[ - ] OoklaTheMok 2 points 4.1 yearsMar 30, 2021 23:36:11 ago (+2/-0)
[ + ] veo
[ - ] veo [op] 1 point 4.1 yearsMar 30, 2021 23:43:19 ago (+1/-0)
Raised beds are on our to-do list for root vegetables, they just sound so much easier for harvesting. Weed control around crops last year was pretty decent with the cloth we used. we're going to take a different approach with our walk paths and unused areas so they don't grow over so bad where nothing is planted.
Trees and bees are my next big projects!
[ + ] OoklaTheMok
[ - ] OoklaTheMok 1 point 4.1 yearsMar 30, 2021 23:57:14 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] veo
[ - ] veo [op] 0 points 4.1 yearsMar 31, 2021 00:23:41 ago (+0/-0)
I've thought about egg layers. Don't know if I have the time/desire to harvest wild game. If it came down to it, I'd probably be happy just eating eggs, lol.
[ + ] dabz
[ - ] dabz 0 points 4.1 yearsMar 31, 2021 02:39:46 ago (+0/-0)
As for best gardening tool/idea... mulch, 3+ inches for first year, repeat every few years or top up yearly. No till is best.
[ + ] bosunmoon
[ - ] bosunmoon 0 points 4.1 yearsMar 31, 2021 16:00:25 ago (+0/-0)*
This is the best greenhouse I've come across. The one pictured is built like shit, but it's easy to do a better job yourself.
Mine has been tested with 3-4 feet of snow no problems at all. I got my plastic from a nearby nursery with giant greenhouses for free. It was their left over trimmings from their big greenhouses.
this is a better example, but mine is more of a semi circle. https://www.gardensall.com/cattle-panel-greenhouse/
[ + ] L1gjt3rUp
[ - ] L1gjt3rUp 0 points 4.1 yearsMar 31, 2021 06:51:23 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] Jiggggg
[ - ] Jiggggg 0 points 4.1 yearsMar 31, 2021 02:26:55 ago (+0/-0)
Our gardens are all in raised beds, out of necessity... Too much red clay and pine tree roots to compete with in the yard. Nothing fancy, just four sides! I've found that covering the ground with pea gravel and then putting the soil on top of that is ideal.
Let's see, coolest tool I've gotten recently was a Japanese knife (a "hori hori knife")... Go look them up if you haven't heard of them! Very useful! Though nothing really beats a hand trowel and an old fork for digging around the plants!
[ + ] diggernicks
[ - ] diggernicks -1 points 4.1 yearsMar 30, 2021 23:48:18 ago (+2/-3)
Grow it faggot
[ + ] veo
[ - ] veo [op] 0 points 4.1 yearsMar 31, 2021 00:19:52 ago (+0/-0)