Nearly free food

massive · Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 4:51 pm Post subject: Nearly free food

So we planted a garden today, well not so much a garden as a collection of heat loving plants that can grow in unforgiving soil. Being just down the road from hell, we can only grow shit that likes 100% heat and can take almost no humidity: Corn, watermelon, and cantaloupes should be ready for feasting in ~75 days...as long as we don't skip a day of irrigating.
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Vlad Piranha wrote:

I'm offended that a zombie holocaust isn't on the list. It would be terrifying, sure, but it would be pretty sweet if you think about it.

Erwin Rommel · Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 9:26 pm Post subject:

Awesome.

I've got butternut squash, lemon cucumbers, kiwanos, chile peppers, tomatoes, and tomatillos out back, myself.

We'll see how many of them actually bear fruit.
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Brutus · Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 10:21 pm Post subject:

You should be able to grow green beans. They come from Hell directly.

Dingle berries (for mechanics etc.) is about the only fruit i grow. Razz

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massive · Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 9:10 pm Post subject:

Erwin Rommel wrote:

I've got butternut squash, lemon cucumbers, kiwanos, chile peppers, tomatoes, and tomatillos out back, myself.

Nice. I grow tomatoes, peppers, onion, cilantro, and garlic during the fall/winter here. It never occurred to me to try tomatillos, but I love em and will probably try this fall.

Brutus wrote:

You should be able to grow green beans. They come from Hell directly.

LOL. We had thought about growing green beans as part of the 3 sisters (Corn, Beans, and Squash) as we had in the past, but we decided on a dense patch of corn this year.

I think the Native Americans started the 3 sisters thing and it makes alot of sense in the heat of summer. Corn provides the beans something to climb, squash leaves shade the soil to help it hold moisture, and i think the beans are bitches that don't really provide any benefit to the other 2 (or maybe they help put back nitrogen which the corn really needs.)

Erwin, did you ever test your soil to get the pH and such?
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Vlad Piranha wrote:

I'm offended that a zombie holocaust isn't on the list. It would be terrifying, sure, but it would be pretty sweet if you think about it.

Wang Chung · Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 10:00 pm Post subject:

I walk to the Kroger and benefit from labor specialization, capitalism, and trade infrastructure. I don't have any land and even if I did I wouldn't waste my time growing food on it.

However, to be fair, I do need more vegetables in my diet.
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Erwin Rommel · Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 10:30 pm Post subject:

Vegetables from the store are just not the same. Take tomatoes, for example. Breeding for efficiency in storing and shipping does not make a tasty fruit, and it shows. Tomatoes are also often picked green and ripened artificially off of the vine. Those are at least some of the reasons why they taste like your shirt when you buy them from the store.

Plus, I like heirloom varieties. You won't be able to pick up lemon cucumbers at most grocery stores, for instance. And kiwanos? Good luck finding those for <$4.

As far as I see it, growing your own food is:

1) an interesting hobby
2) a nice nutritional and culinary suppliment to what you can get at the store.
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massive · Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 1:24 am Post subject:

Erwin Rommel wrote:

Those are at least some of the reasons why they taste like your shirt when you buy them from the store.

hahaha

And Wang you have to realize that being green is hot and to some chicks even sexy Wink

Your colon will thank you later for eating more fruits and vegetables at a young age!
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Vlad Piranha wrote:

I'm offended that a zombie holocaust isn't on the list. It would be terrifying, sure, but it would be pretty sweet if you think about it.

Wang Chung · Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 5:55 am Post subject:

I eat shredded wheat, my colon is pretty happy because of that.
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2shoes · Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 5:55 am Post subject:

Erwin Rommel wrote:

Plus, I like heirloom varieties.

mr stripey tomatoes FTW
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Special Jimmy wrote:

This mod is rightfully ours, and fuck everyone that stands in our way.

fair winds and following seas, lil shoes 8/3/94-6/23/09

RK-Mara · Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 7:56 am Post subject:

Erwin Rommel wrote:

Vegetables from the store are just not the same. Take tomatoes, for example. Breeding for efficiency in storing and shipping does not make a tasty fruit, and it shows. Tomatoes are also often picked green and ripened artificially off of the vine. Those are at least some of the reasons why they taste like your shirt when you buy them from the store.

I can only speak from a Finnish perspective but I have to say that local organic vegetables taste excellent most of the time. It's worth investing in them even if the crappy Spanish alternative is considerably cheaper.

And the climate is too cold and summer too short here for some vegetables such tomatoes to be grown in your backyard. We do grow our own carrots, peas, salads, herbs, apples, tomatillos (can be easily transported indoors in pots if needed) and plums though.
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Erwin Rommel · Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 1:08 pm Post subject:

I also grew up with a grandfather that grew tons of stuff in our (suburban) backyard, so it's kind of a habit to grow my own stuff, I guess.
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Erwin Rommel · Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 2:20 am Post subject:

I was testing a camera out today, so I took a close up picture of a tomatillo flower. It turned out pretty well, so I thought I'd post it here. Click to enlarge.

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Vlad Piranha · Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 11:51 pm Post subject:

You could always grow asparagus. People like growing that stuff up where I live because it more or less takes care of itself like a weed. It grows alongside railroad tracks in some parts of my county.

Erwin Rommel · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 12:41 am Post subject:

Actually my mother and grandfather planted some asparagus this season. Apparently, you aren't supposed to cut it in the first season, though.
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massive · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 1:43 am Post subject:

I'm laying about 1200' of sod tomorrow. It will give some humidity relief as it is near the new garden.

We grew asparagus as a kid, but in a hot dry climate it's no good. Ya it does take several seasons to 'mature'

95% of my corn sprouted, 1/2 of the watermelon, and only a handful of the cantaloupes
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Vlad Piranha wrote:

I'm offended that a zombie holocaust isn't on the list. It would be terrifying, sure, but it would be pretty sweet if you think about it.