tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post5734787603904876126..comments2023-10-21T16:38:35.007-05:00Comments on Thoughts from Frank and Fern: Good Advice from the Plant LadyFrank and Fernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15570058990887565563noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-56054694332700236912015-12-09T10:59:56.056-06:002015-12-09T10:59:56.056-06:00And thank you, very much.
Reading Carol Deppe'...And thank you, very much.<br />Reading Carol Deppe's book "The Resilient Gardener" gave me a whole new outlook on gardening for hard times. How to grow the most nutrient dense foods in the least space, that are easy to store without modern refrigeration or canning. Will be growing a lot more potatoes, corn, dry beans, squash and eggs next year. Already have the garlic planted - should get around 400 heads next summer...love garlic!<br />PlantLady Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-14140701569973263822015-12-09T10:53:44.571-06:002015-12-09T10:53:44.571-06:00Tennessean:
I am only about halfway to having as m...Tennessean:<br />I am only about halfway to having as much ground under cultivation as what we will need...but I am only two years into "big" gardening. Didn't want to take on more than I could handle to start with. This year doubled the garden size, and will more than double it next year. Will have about 45,000 sq. ft. under cultivation within a year or two (God willing)...not counting the orchard areas of 50 or so fruit trees. Planting resistant to disease fruit trees is very important - we are organic and don't spray anything.<br />I agree, Carol Deppe's book is a treasure - really made me rethink things in terms of most calories and balanced diet grown in the least space possible...because when the hard times are here, we won't be able to devote all our time to the garden...there will be laundry done by hand, cooking, preserving, firewood harvest and processing, guard duty, etc.<br />PlantLady Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-18000335280178289092015-12-09T08:02:13.764-06:002015-12-09T08:02:13.764-06:00GREAT POST - Thank you Plant Lady and Frank and Fe...GREAT POST - Thank you Plant Lady and Frank and Fern! A good place to start learning and continue growing would be calorie dense foods...I quote...<br /><br />“Calorie” refers to the energy that is found in food we eat. Calories are essential for human life and are in all food to some degree. Calorie farming produces a complete diet in the smallest space possible by focusing on special root crops that are calorie-dense and yield well in a small area. These specific crops are: potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, leeks, garlic, Jerusalem artichoke, and salsify. A farm with 30% of its area in special root crops maximizes its area-efficient production of calories and can grow a complete diet in the smallest space possible. ~~from Ecology in Action Grow biointensive website<br /><br />Potatoes are easy grow in a pot just about anywhere, then branch out from there. ~Sassafras<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-3779046042390392672015-12-05T12:59:10.276-06:002015-12-05T12:59:10.276-06:00B.B. - whoever you are - bless you! You made my ye...B.B. - whoever you are - bless you! You made my year by sending a link to this unintended post to SurvivalBlog...and they used it! I am just walking on air. I was just thrilled that Frank and Fern thought enough of it to post it here, but for SurvivalBlog to also think it was worthy enough to link to...Oh, my. So pleased that someone is willing to listen...<br />PlantLadyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-74297713333704240902015-12-05T10:14:23.897-06:002015-12-05T10:14:23.897-06:00We have about 20,000 sq ft of veggie plots. One n...We have about 20,000 sq ft of veggie plots. One needs 8000 sq ft to feed one person for one year. I suggest a Jang Clean Seeder as a wise investment. Only one that really works. I suggest growing green and shelly dry beans on horse fences. We keep careful records on yields and do our own field trials of cultivars. The best book out there is "The Resilient Gardener" by Carol Deppe. We have a root cellar, mostly used to store seeds and dehydrated tomatoes and peppers. One of my goals is to have extra seed to share with neighbors when the time comes. We have a 24 hp Kubota with all the implements. I now subsoil the plots instead of plowing them, to break up the hard pan. Only plant resistant apple trees, like "Freedom" and "Liberty." In our neck of the woods cedar apple rust and fire bight are major issues.<br /><br />TennesseanTennesseanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18198427203574405841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-58928872258039100772015-12-04T02:00:45.475-06:002015-12-04T02:00:45.475-06:00Dr. Mom: So happy to hear you have land - sure hop...Dr. Mom: So happy to hear you have land - sure hope you can start living on it real soon. Will make it so much easier for you to survive and even thrive what is coming. It really takes a long time to get things set up so that you can thrive, so the sooner you can make the move, the better. I have been pretty worried for a while now that something bad was going to happen...but now it seems like we are right on the cusp of everything bad happening. The world economy is in a death spiral, wars popping up everywhere, violence rising and even worse - giving the powers that be the excuse they are looking for to de-arm us before everything really falls apart, honeybees - a main pollinator, dying off, avian flus killing off flocks of millions, PEDV wiping out swine, serious prolonged droughts in major food growing regions, wild weather swings...even here last Nov was the coldest and had the most snow on record while this Nov was the second warmest ever with the least snow. I gotta go plant more food!<br />"I like diversity because you never know what will really work." Exactly! That is why I stock such a variety of seeds, grow more than one variety of each crop, plant them at different times in different places, have three varieties of chickens, 50+ assorted fruit trees and many different varieties of each type of berry. Gives us a much better chance that something will do well.<br />I have also gotten "seed" from the grocery store - and for those less prepared (without good stocks of seed) that would be a good last minute buy on that last trip ever to the store. I got my first blue potatoes that way...and discovered that blue potatoes can be somewhat perennial here. They kept going reliably for 5 years - had no idea that was even possible. So that was really nice to learn. Also got my first garlic sets at the grocery - about $1.50 for 2 lbs. The next year I bought some "official" organic award-winning seed garlic at $16 for 1 lb...and we can't tell the difference between them.<br />Trying to decide when something is at the peak of ripeness is a real trick. It took us two years of keeping track of which apple tree we picked when to realize that we were picking two trees too early. They tasted good, the seeds were dark...sure seemed ripe. Then the third year we picked them two weeks later - and they were absolutely spectacular. Tree #1 when fully ripe tastes like it has been double dipped in caramel and Tree #2 tastes like cinnamon has been added. So now I don't harvest all of anything I think might be ripe...I harvest some, wait a day or two and harvest some more, and continue til they are gone. <br />PlantLady Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-5239669099548161972015-12-04T01:04:10.065-06:002015-12-04T01:04:10.065-06:00Ilene: We really like garbanzos and lentils...but ...Ilene: We really like garbanzos and lentils...but in the bean form (hehe). Going to try growing those this coming year, along with more varieties of dry beans.<br />Fern's greenhouse is spectacular, isn't it? <br />PlantLadyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-76804409824620418282015-12-03T12:56:59.738-06:002015-12-03T12:56:59.738-06:00https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_NiBU5sdTPEhttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_NiBU5sdTPEAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-21273121745358295372015-12-03T10:44:33.201-06:002015-12-03T10:44:33.201-06:00Oops, forgot to mention I don't have a blog or...Oops, forgot to mention I don't have a blog or any online presence except for here...just no time. I am quite certain Frank and Fern must be Superman and Wonderwoman in disguise to be able to find time, with all they accomplish, to provide us with this wonderful resource.<br />PlantLady Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-71816315390280262942015-12-03T10:37:57.545-06:002015-12-03T10:37:57.545-06:00kymber: Sprouts can be a great idea...but I got re...kymber: Sprouts can be a great idea...but I got really, really sick from "store-bought" sprouts one time, so I just cant eat those anymore. And I would rather let that tiny sprout grow up into a real plant to produce a hundred-to-thousand fold increase in the amount of nutrition produced.<br />You can grow a lot of food in the north - I am in the far north (only western Canada, Maine and Carl in the UP are further north) and have been growing various lettuces, greens, chives, green onions, kale, beets, etc. under unheated low hoops all winter for ten years now. Check out Eliot Coleman's great must-have books "The Winter Harvest Handbook" and "The Four Season Garden".<br />Sprouts are a possibility to help with nutrition in a dire situation, but would hate to have to rely on them for a major food source. I would rather plan and practice growing food I prefer, so that I can instead rely on bacon, eggs, poached pears and toast for breakfast; salad, spaghetti, applesauce and garlic toast for lunch; salad, roast chicken, corn, baked potatoes, cornbread and strawberry shortcake for supper. Like I have mentioned, I am planning to thrive rather than just survive. That is why I am so passionate about growing my own food...the better I get at it, the better chance of thriving and helping those around me to also thrive. And I won't end up eating insects...nothing like the thought of eating insects for your main protein source to inspire all-out, full-bore gardening efforts! (hehe)<br />PlantLady Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-32304054160695014982015-12-03T10:05:55.364-06:002015-12-03T10:05:55.364-06:00Junebug: Have been reading Jackie for years...she ...Junebug: Have been reading Jackie for years...she knows her stuff and is living the life rather than dabbling around the edges. That is what we need to do so we truly know what we need to be doing - and when.<br />PlantLadyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-90882234255919096962015-12-02T22:12:24.438-06:002015-12-02T22:12:24.438-06:00Great post! Some things I am doing well and others...Great post! Some things I am doing well and others I really need to tackle. I have been gardening for three years. It's small but a great learning experience. Just learning to recognize what a plant looks like through the entire process and when it is ripe has been a major hurdle. I try new things each year and keep track of the items that are successful in my area, particularly the plants that bugs seem to leave alone. I am an avid seed saver and have a ton of seeds. I occasionally like to go to the pricey grocery store to look at and buy unusual vegetables just to save their seeds. I like diversity because you never know what will really work. We own some property but don't live on it yet. We are in the process of trying to change that. I just hope things don't fall apart too soon.Dr. Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06762890987425770251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-78026686569694167462015-12-02T20:47:35.364-06:002015-12-02T20:47:35.364-06:00Oh, Debra, go play (work, I mean work) in your new...Oh, Debra, go play (work, I mean work) in your new greenhouse - how could you possibly resist? (hehe) I am so envious of those with greenhouses...and big barns. Oh, man, I have a serious case of barn envy. And I am putting up a cattle panel tall hoophouse for a greenhouse for next spring...almost like a real greenhouse (sigh). Far better than what I have now, tho'!<br />I usually save the paperwork for evenings, after I am too tired to do anything but hold a pen and its too dark to work outside.<br />PlantLady Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-46522226150625727692015-12-02T20:34:41.717-06:002015-12-02T20:34:41.717-06:00Nurse Claudia: You have the desire to keep a journ...Nurse Claudia: You have the desire to keep a journal - that is the important first step. Just a little notebook with random notes to start with, and it will grow and organize itself as you find more things you want and need to know from year to year.<br />And I am so glad you plan to get some hybrid seeds...I run into a lot of resistance from most preppers on that point. And then their eyes glaze over when I try to explain why...I have to work up a better explanation. <br />PlantLady Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-7005674178796928382015-12-02T20:24:28.231-06:002015-12-02T20:24:28.231-06:00Jan: Awesome that you already have 3 years of expe...Jan: Awesome that you already have 3 years of experience toward feeding yourself! You can't buy that sort of hands-on experience and it will stand you in good stead no matter what may come while providing monetary, health and flavor benefits now. <br />There never seems to be enough time when you have a big garden that produces most of the time. We had one of the warmest autumns on record here, giving me an extra 2.5 months of decent work-outside weather...and I am still not done with everything I want to get done before the snow is thigh-deep. I keep joking that I need about 8 clones - two for the garden/herbs/flowers, one for the forest, one for the orchard and berries, one for the hop yard and vineyard, one for the goats and chickens, one for food preservation and one as a housekeeper. I really need a housekeeper - really. <br />This reinforces the point that just a couple people will not be able to do everything needed to thrive during hard times. It will take a fairly large group - the equivalent of the old-time large extended families - all living together and working together to make a good go of it. Sure would like to see more people making arrangements now to do so, while you have time to find out all you can about folks. I personally want to intimately know, like and respect the folks I will be trusting with my life through the apocalypse, rather than relying on whoever may show up! And yes, this will bring up some hard decisions...doesn't matter if you want your very best friend on hand, if she has a whiny boy lazy husband and nightmarish children. <br />I gave up trying to maintain a semblance of a "normal" house. The only folks I have time to see nowdays all know what I am doing here, so they aren't surprised to see pails of apples, totes of tomatoes and paper plates full of drying seeds everywhere. Or having to move trays of drying peppers, bowls of berries and bowls of dry beans out of the way so we can have a cup of coffee. The former master bedroom is now my pantry. The dining room wall is two big stainless shelf units stacked with canners, 8 gal. stainless brew kettles, 8 gal. cheese pots, large stainless pots and roasters, grain mill, pasta machine, squeezo strainers, sausage grinder, dehydrator, scales, churns, 3 gal pails of rice, blue corn and walnuts. And the goats and chickens live in the front yard during the winter. Hey, its how we live...and it works for us. Although it would work much better if it was the size of a warehouse (hehe).<br />PlantLadyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-45904191937540108442015-12-02T13:50:24.955-06:002015-12-02T13:50:24.955-06:00An awesome post from both Fern and PlantLady. We&...An awesome post from both Fern and PlantLady. We've downsized our garden and gone to raised beds 4' x 4' x 4' and have been narrowing down (and keeping track) of our succession plantings over the years. As far as seed saving goes, that's a given. Last year, because I knew our mail carrier gardens and cans, too, I gave him an assortment of my heirloom, non-GMO seeds for his garden. He said it was the best gift that anyone had ever given him. :-) Keep up the good work, Fern & Frank, and to Carl in 'da U.P, a: "Yah, you betcha, eh?" from Melissa in MI (Yooper at heart, always) Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-3615237199211023032015-12-02T10:24:18.676-06:002015-12-02T10:24:18.676-06:00Hi Sandy, nice to meet you, also. Excellent that y...Hi Sandy, nice to meet you, also. Excellent that you are gathering the equipment you will need now, while it is still available and affordable. I get most of mine from Amish auctions, normal auctions and yard sales - far more affordable and if you look for the real old stuff, far better built.<br />PlantLadyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-31751178184655153252015-12-02T10:19:25.450-06:002015-12-02T10:19:25.450-06:00Bellen: Indeed, even when you have had a tradition...Bellen: Indeed, even when you have had a traditional garden for years, figuring out how to provide all your own food is a whole different thing. And I had a similar problem this year - I have had a winter salad garden for about 10 years now. Always seed in a shaded bed in late July to mid-Aug then the plants are at the perfect size before winter sets in. So hot here this year the greens I seeded just would not come up. So I tried again inside, but no luck there, just too darn hot. Thank heavens the speckled romaine I was letting seed was ripe far earlier than I thought and gave me 83 volunteer seedlings. A big part of gardening is learning how to roll with the punches and improvise!<br />PlantLadyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-89685046576365685352015-12-02T10:12:23.305-06:002015-12-02T10:12:23.305-06:00Calidore: Thank you. Everyone who gardens has chal...Calidore: Thank you. Everyone who gardens has challenges - its just part of the whole. Even when you have been gardening for decades, Mother Nature seems to delight in tossing something completely different at you. That is why it is best not to plant all of something at the same time or in the same place...betters your odds of something working.<br />PlantLadyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-75934105722848797002015-12-02T10:04:36.853-06:002015-12-02T10:04:36.853-06:00hey yooper...troll here...well, a northern troll (...hey yooper...troll here...well, a northern troll (hehe). I am full of admiration that you even attempt to grow food there - that would be a real challenge!<br />PlantLadyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-28595487997892246902015-12-02T05:51:25.898-06:002015-12-02T05:51:25.898-06:00Great post! And Kymber has a good point about spr...Great post! And Kymber has a good point about sprouts. I make my sprouts in a glass canning jar. Right now I have a blend of adzuki, garbanzo and lentil in the works. <br /><br />I love the looks of your greenhouse. Hugs, IleneRockWhispererhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04204125716550161500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-29075833747641763402015-12-02T03:25:12.041-06:002015-12-02T03:25:12.041-06:00Fern - another great article and thank you for sha...Fern - another great article and thank you for sharing The Plantlady's great advice! she knows her stuff and like you say, it is always great to share and learn from each other.<br /><br />but one thing that i feel gets overlooked in the preparedness/survival community is sprouts!!! sprouts are incredibly nutritious and very easy to grow in any circumstances and in any situation. you can save your radish seeds, and better yet, amaranth seeds and then sprout them during the winter for incredible nutrition and food value! from everything i've read - you can pretty much sprout any kind of seed except for nightshades and kidney beans.<br /><br />we save as many seeds as possible, not just for planting the following year but for sprouting throughout the winter.<br /><br />here is a post that i did about sprouts: http://framboisemanor.blogspot.ca/2012/03/sprouts-sprouts-everywhere.html<br /><br />we have a sprouting machine but in the above article i include links to people who sprout seeds using the mason jar method - it always blows my mind when diy'ers find ways of doing things themselves.<br /><br />but sprouts are really full of nutrition and if you don't have land or if you live in the far north, and are unable to grow food for several months due to lack of sunlight and cold - you can still grow sprouts. just something to think about. <br /><br />say hi to frank! your friend,<br />kymberkymberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02607117635648274823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-78602212022707527192015-12-01T21:27:48.793-06:002015-12-01T21:27:48.793-06:00Thanks for another great column. If you are serio...Thanks for another great column. If you are serious about learning to save seeds, you should go to Jackie Clay's website. You can find her through "Backwoods Home". She is a no-nonsense lady who does it all! She has lessons in saving seeds. She and her husband actually have a small home business due to her success in seed saving. Check her out. I think you will like her. I tell my husband "Jackie Clay knows everything!Junebughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02751077790160210403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-17420616237703016052015-12-01T15:01:47.320-06:002015-12-01T15:01:47.320-06:00Fern, this was an amazing article. Our thanks for...Fern, this was an amazing article. Our thanks for sharing the Plantlady with us. I was going to go get started in my new greenhouse today, but first I will start organizing a garden notebook with all the information from this article to begin using now. I, too, tried saving seed from the garden last year; and it wasn't a total success. There is a learning curve here also. I lost some to molds, and some were either under or over ripe. I pray next year is better. <br /><br />Blessings, DebraAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-49029923449370209182015-12-01T14:14:35.100-06:002015-12-01T14:14:35.100-06:00Super post-every year I tell myself to start a gar...Super post-every year I tell myself to start a garden journal. I don,t . This year will be different. The multitude of seeds that I've saved are labeled/dated but no variety listed. Yes you guessed it- no record of when, where, or what. Johnny seed charts are a good tip-heck the whole post was eye opening! Will add a few hybrids this year too! <br />Thanks again for all the time you spend sharing.nurse claudiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07685063638296199915noreply@blogger.com