7 ms·

Got a butternut squash in your pantry? Maybe a couple of tomatoes? Cook it up for dinner and save some seeds! Wash off the pulp and dry them out on a paper towe

Got a butternut squash in your pantry? Maybe a couple of tomatoes? Cook it up for dinner and save some seeds! Wash off the pulp and dry them out on a paper towel. It's not too late to start some seedlings, and it's a nice way to pass the time. I've also been experimenting with different dried beans that we stocked up on, and most of them have a pretty high germination rate. Roma beans are super tasty and high in protein, though you need a lot of space to get a good amount of them. Lentils are super easy to sprout too. Another great tip is that once you have a good sized tomato plant, it's super super easy to clone it. You just have to take a cutting at a node and let the stem soak in water. Rooting hormone helps speed it up, but it's possible to do it without. I've cloned about a dozen plants from a single tomato I accidentally started early. Needless to say I'm running out of window sills to stick them as it's still too cold to transplant them. Frankly I saw this coming in January and started hundreds of seedlings of different tomatoes, hot peppers, squash, pumpkins, cucumber, zucchini, lettuce, and chard to share with my neighbours. I'm a bit of a gardening nerd and had a big collection of unused seeds from prior seasons, but you'd be amazed at what you can grow that's already in your pantry or fridge. Potatoes are easy to get started but can be a little finicky with soil conditions. I'm thinking I'll have quite a bit of time to spend in the garden in the coming months. Hopefully I can make a small difference in my community.

mft_ 7y ago
Thanks for this! Can you recommend some simple concise instructions on growing tomatoes? I’ve explored a little in the past, but always seemed to run into fairly impenetrable instructions. A basic list of what to buy (in non-gardeners’ terminology) and some simple instructions would be great.
- jagger27 7y ago
  I'd be happy to! Tomatoes are super forgiving and are a great place to start. The easiest thing is to pick up a seed packet at a garden supply store. I buy most of mine online or from Stokes. Drying out seeds is fairly easy, but seed packets are less work. For starting seedlings you only need a few simple supplies. Ideally you have very light, "airy", soil. This usually sold as "seed starter" mix. You can make do with normal potting soil, or even whatever you can scrounge up from outside, but the seedling has to push its way up to the surface. So if your soil is chunky, or has stuff like woodchips in it, a seedling might struggle to breach the surface. A cheap way to make seed sprouting mix is to pass dry soil through a sifter. You can dry soil in the oven at a low temperature, but it's a bit stinky. You should plant each seed around a 1/4 to a 1/2 inch deep in the soil. I usually lightly poke the soil with my pinky, drop one seed in the hole, and brush some surrounding soil over top. The important thing here is to leave the soil as loose as possible, so don't compact the soil at all if you can help it. Like I mentioned above, the sprout has to poke its way out all on its own, and it's not very strong. You can plant it deeper, but it'll take longer to reach the surface, or may not at all. The ideal place to plant seedlings is in a covered seed tray, though any type of pot will do. If you have a bigger pot, you can plant a bunch of seeds in the same pot. You'd be surprised how big a plant can get in a tiny pot (maybe 2 cubic inches) before running out of space to spread its roots. If you have a good liquid fertilizer (I have a big jug from a hydroponic supply store that I've been going through for two years now) you can basically grow it anything. Some people use clay pellets or rockwool. A plant needs something to hold onto as it grows. Soil is convenient in that it provides both structure and nutrients, and it's what you already have outside. Keep your seedlings in a warm place and never let them dry out. I like using a spray bottle to avoid disturbing the soil when things are just getting started. A covered seed tray keeps the moisture and heat in. Plastic wrap, or some other clear cover works fine in a pinch. Once the plants start getting their "true leaves", i.e. the second set of leaves that look different from the initial seedling leaves, you can remove the cover to give it space to reach up. Most tomatoes need staking (one wooden stake is ideal, bamboo is great, metal cages are common but I find them annoying) to keep them upright once they start getting flowers. Loosely tie the plant to the stake with yarn or twine. If you intend on keep your tomatoes in a pot instead of the ground or some sort of raised bed, make sure the pot is fairly large and either has a drainage hole or some rocks at the bottom of it for water to pool. You never want the soil to be soupy. ---- Edit: not super concise, sorry about that :) Feel free to ask any questions you might have. Also, don't be afraid to experiment. I was lucky enough to have a mother who grew up on a farm teach me most of what I know, but it really just boils down to: light + nutrients + water + heat = food The art is knowing how much of each.
  - gdubs 7y ago
    Do you have a blog? I love your writing style. These are great tips. This year I also started some seedlings early — I used some left over egg cartons as containers, and put them on top of my clothes dryer which is next a window and often warm. My sugar snap peas shot up the fastest so those are already in the ground. Thinking of putting the rest of my seedlings in the ground this weekend and starting some more sprouts in egg cartons.
    - jagger27 7y ago
      Thanks for the kind words! I do, jcdl.net. Only one post on there ranting about ThinkPads though. I never thought to use egg cartons, what a good idea.
  - mft_ 7y ago
    Thanks for the additional detail! :)
- sdoering 7y ago
  Growing tomatoes depends a lot on the climate you are living in. Tomatoes grow and ripen ideally above 20°celsius. You can do this also in your flat. Or on a balcony. Get 1 bucket (volume 10 L) per plant if you do it on a balcony. or on patio next to you southern wall. never water them from above. tomatoes do not like wet leaves. if you can get a 2m stick as a support for the plant. have the plants at least 50cm from each other. to get them to grow, get some seeds from ideally some heirloom variety. if not that's fine. just do not use seeds from supermarket tomatoes as they tend to produce wildly different offsprings (read about F1 hybrids if interested). get small 8 - 10cm grow pots and put in growing soil. put 1 - 3 seeds on he soil and make it slightly wet. keep it damp, but not wet. when it is too big for the growing pot move it to the 10l pot (don't forget to ensure holes in the bottom). it might help if you use a little bit of tomato fertilizer. hope this helps.
- pvaldes 7y ago
  > Can you recommend some simple concise instructions on growing tomatoes? Simple and concise: Don't start with those. Tomato is not the more easy crop to grow. I would suggest to start with Cucurbitaceae like Cucumber or Zucchini, much more easier as long as they have lots of nitrogen. If you provide some support to climb, Cucumbers can be raised even next to a window. The other need much more space. You pick them continuously when they are still small and non bitter. You could even raise lattice and harvest it (one leaf at a time) before the end of the quarantine. Fast growing creature. Their only problem is that they are mostly water. If you absolutely want to try tomato and your climate is correct the easier are the cherry tomato. They give less food par plant but can still produce lots of tiny tomatoes in a continous harvest. Is much more fungus resistant than the other varieties and very ornamental.
  - tjr225 7y ago
    I have had a garden for 4 out of the past six years and tomatoes have always been the easiest plant for me to grow an abundance of. That was in Michigan, Missouri, and Seattle too so it was pretty easy across the entire continent. The concise method is, start them indoors in a starter kit in the window(right now is the time to do this), move them to a raised bed in the sun after they’ve sprouted and are healthy with roots, and make sure they get a lot of water. That’s it. Always had way too many tomatoes.
  - Digit-Al 7y ago
    This is not a criticism, nobody knows until they are taught, just trying to help you improve your use of English (which is otherwise excellent). The phrase "much more easier" is incorrect. The word "easier" loosely means "more easy" so "more easier" would loosely mean "more more easy" which sounds wrong :-) Correct usages are "easy", "much easier", and "even easier". In your case above you can lose the "more" and just use "much easier". If you were to add another suggestion that you thought was easier than cucumber or zucchini then you would describe that third set of options as "even easier". (Yes, I am stuck home alone; and yes, I do have too much time on my hands lol)
    - pvaldes 7y ago
- hn23 7y ago
  You do not need much. A pot and a shovel will do for the starter. Try potatoes or carrots. Potatoes sprout anyway if you do not put them cold and dark so there is not so much to do. If you buy "earth" make sure it is clean (i.e. sieve it or search with hands)! Here it often contains stuff like cockchafer grubs. We us some old cheap wax cloth like this: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B079SHYV6S/ref=psdc_12964001_t1_B0796SG3LV https://www.amazon.de/dp/B079SHYV6S/ref=psdc_12964001_t1_B07... So we do not have the dirt on the floor when planting. BTW: Carrots can be stored for very long. Here is a video how carrots are stored usually in winter time at industry scale. But you can do this at home as well: https://youtu.be/tZu_e4OkZ6A?t=153 https://youtu.be/tZu_e4OkZ6A?t=153
- HeyLaughingBoy 7y ago
  Simple? Live in the US? Go to Home Depot and buy a tomato plant: cost about $4. While you're there get a 5 gallon bucket and a bag of topsoil. Go home, transplant the plant into the bucket of soil and water it. Put it in a place with lots of sunlight and water it periodically. You'll have tomatoes in about 3 months. Yeah, you can start from seed, but without experience that can be tedious and it requires far more care and attention. Also, end of March is about as late as I'd want to be starting tomato seeds.
tomp 7y ago
Is there any simple way to speed up / increase chances of germination (of tomatoes, beans, peas, lentils, pumpkins)? E.g. by covering the soil (where the seeds are) with paper / plastic / cloth (as a makeshift greenhouse, to increase temperature and/or humidity), or something similar?
- jagger27 7y ago
  Heat and consistent moisture. I keep some of my seedlings under grow lights in my furnace room beside my servers. Plastic seed trays with clear tops are excellent to reduce evaporation. Electric heat mats are awesome to stick under seed trays in the sprouting stage. In my experience, heat is the most significant accelerator for germination. You also want very loose and light soil to help the seeds poke out as easily as possible. "Seed starter" mix is ideal, see my other comment in this subthread for more on that.
- xtacy 7y ago
  Try the paper towel trick: wrap the seeds in a moist paper towel (not too wet, or it will encourage fungus growth). Then, keep them inside a ziplock bag in a warm place for a couple of days, checking on them every day. I keep them on top of the refridgerator where it's nice and warm. Beans sprout super fast! For very dry seeds (lentils, beans, peas, edamamme) you could soak them in water overnight and just use the seeds that settle down after they've absorbed some moisture.
  - jdmichal 7y ago
    Ditto. The only downside to this method is having to transplant twice: once to soil pots after sprouting, then to the ground.
    - prawn 7y ago
      If the seeds are in paper towel, wouldn't you just plant it as is and let it decompose?
      - 7y ago
booi 7y ago
"Potatoes are easy to get started but can be a little finicky with soil conditions." mm have you tried fertilizing with poop?
- bluGill 7y ago
  That might make things worse, you can have too much fertility. Depending... Potatoes like sand soil. Beyond that I'm not a potato growing expert.
  - yiyus 7y ago
    I guess this was not a serious suggestion, unless you're in Mars.
    - 6510 7y ago
      There is very little written on the use of vegan poop. One argument against human poop is that it can transfer disease. If it is your own that doesn't seem all that harmful. It might even help convince other humans not to eat your crops.
      - samus 7y ago
        There are a lot of bacteria in the colon, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's safe to have them everywhere, even if they are your own. It would be necessary to store poop dry, separate from urine, and to compost it to make it somewhat safe. Usually, a dry toilet is used for this. However, it might be difficult to install and operate the whole process if you're not living in the countryside.
  - Melting_Harps 7y ago
    > That might make things worse, you can have too much fertility. Depending... Potatoes like sand soil. Beyond that I'm not a potato growing expert. Potatoes are super forgiving, I've grown nice sized potatoes and carrots in very heavily compacted clay soil before (it was the farm's 2nd season amending the soil with sand but it was pretty bad) however, potatoes can be grown in many other growing mediums, straw or hay can be prepared if you don't want to go with a soil based system: https://www.bettervegetablegardening.com/growing-potatoes-in-straw.html https://www.bettervegetablegardening.com/growing-potatoes-in... The best part is its a closed loop growing system, as after harvest you can use it to add to the compost or even as mulch. I personally prefer soil gardening, and believe it determines taste enough to not want to do it, but if I would do it if I was first starting out.
ipython 7y ago
Thank you for both having the foresight to plan(t) as well as the willingness to help those around you. Otherwise you could end up like my neighbor with a strategic reserve level of toilet paper, proud to hoard yet share with no one even when the stores are empty.
- hn23 7y ago
  I really do not understand this toilet paper thing. I mean as long as there is water, why people do not wash their asses. It is cleaner anyway... When I was young and we visited grandparents, we used newspaper.
  - Ruthalas 7y ago
    Not to detract from your overall point, but it's not like most people have newspaper these days.
    - littlestymaar 7y ago
      Your comment immediately reminded me this commercial : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbMOLg-2SFw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbMOLg-2SFw
  - Jorge1o1 7y ago
    That’s what I’ve always said. If you smeared a bit of poop on your face or arm, you wouldn’t be content with just wiping it down with a thin piece of toilet paper. You’d probably shower! So why should your ass be any different?
    - tompagenet2 7y ago
      I use my face and my arm to engage with people, and prepare and eat food. I don't generally use my arse for these activities.
      - collyw 7y ago
ogn3rd 7y ago
Start with greens, many only take 4-8 weeks before their ready. Some radishes are ready in 30 days. The rest you mention outside of Chard take 90 days or so.
- jagger27 7y ago
  Yes, I'll also be directly sowing radishes, beets, and climbing green beans. I hoping for multiple crops of greens throughout the year. I will say though that my peppers and tomatoes were probably started a little early for my zone. Some are already bearing fruit in my brighter areas.
threwre234234 7y ago
The 'preppers' have amassed quite a bit of info on preparing for just such an outcome; I'd definitely recommend hearing them out. The govt. IMO really can't be trusted at a time like this. Reporting from here in India, the overreaction of the state has thrown a wrench into the workings of an, admittedly broken, food supply system.
ornornor 7y ago
To add, if like me you don’t have a “green thumb”, know that it’s not a terminal condition. I found the book by Kevin Espiritu to be pretty good at giving a crash course and practical advice on how to grow edibles. And it doesn’t take much: 5 gallon buckets, perlite, compost, loam, and you’re in business.
Melting_Harps 7y ago
I like your initiative, the attention and how you've acted to the what I think has proven to be a DIRE logistical and production problem since at least 2008. But, I noticed this part: > Got a butternut squash in your pantry? Maybe a couple of tomatoes? Both of those are out of season, the Butternut squash has decent shelf life, so could have been harvested and stored back in the Fall. However, most of the store stuff you get as a perennial, especially those tomatoes, are going to be hybrids that have sterile seeds. I really do hope that this Outbreak is what makes Backyard and Community Gardens come back in a way not seen outside of Europe since WWII. I agree that making clones is an awesome way to increase yield and maintain good genetic lines, this is actually how most MJ/Hemp people got their early genetic lessons--grandmothers and mothers who had spent time with them in the Garden telling them how to preserve desirable genetics. And it paid off really well for those who could provide a steady and stable genetic line, I met a few of them. I agree that potatoes are the best intro to gardening as its by far the easiest and if planned correctly can yield quite a lot of harvest for the limited space (think vertical planters). Maybe its because I had to do this at large scale that my brain has shifted to outsourcing anything not deemed super valuable (fruit tree clones or High CBD experiments) to have in a Nursery, but I really am a fan of these guys: https://www.rareseeds.com/ https://www.rareseeds.com/ I was hoping to get the Catalog this year to share with others as the Gardening Season is coming up, so if anyone is interested in doing that I can buy/send you the money via BTC if you have the hardware to do that as its total Gardening-pr0n! https://www.rareseeds.com/store/whole-seed-catalog/2020-whole-seed-catalog-usa-canada-and-mexico https://www.rareseeds.com/store/whole-seed-catalog/2020-whol... > I'm thinking I'll have quite a bit of time to spend in the garden in the coming months. Hopefully I can make a small difference in my community. So rad, I'll keep an eye on your posts this season! others as the Gardening Season progresses.
- jagger27 7y ago
  I’m a big fan of Rare Seeds as well. I got a big order from them early this year.
- koheripbal 7y ago
  Don't forget that it takes a full acre of land to produce enough food for one person.

mft_ 7y ago

Thanks for this! Can you recommend some simple concise instructions on growing tomatoes? I’ve explored a little in the past, but always seemed to run into fairly impenetrable instructions. A basic list of what to buy (in non-gardeners’ terminology) and some simple instructions would be great.

jagger27 7y ago
I'd be happy to! Tomatoes are super forgiving and are a great place to start. The easiest thing is to pick up a seed packet at a garden supply store. I buy most of mine online or from Stokes. Drying out seeds is fairly easy, but seed packets are less work. For starting seedlings you only need a few simple supplies. Ideally you have very light, "airy", soil. This usually sold as "seed starter" mix. You can make do with normal potting soil, or even whatever you can scrounge up from outside, but the seedling has to push its way up to the surface. So if your soil is chunky, or has stuff like woodchips in it, a seedling might struggle to breach the surface. A cheap way to make seed sprouting mix is to pass dry soil through a sifter. You can dry soil in the oven at a low temperature, but it's a bit stinky. You should plant each seed around a 1/4 to a 1/2 inch deep in the soil. I usually lightly poke the soil with my pinky, drop one seed in the hole, and brush some surrounding soil over top. The important thing here is to leave the soil as loose as possible, so don't compact the soil at all if you can help it. Like I mentioned above, the sprout has to poke its way out all on its own, and it's not very strong. You can plant it deeper, but it'll take longer to reach the surface, or may not at all. The ideal place to plant seedlings is in a covered seed tray, though any type of pot will do. If you have a bigger pot, you can plant a bunch of seeds in the same pot. You'd be surprised how big a plant can get in a tiny pot (maybe 2 cubic inches) before running out of space to spread its roots. If you have a good liquid fertilizer (I have a big jug from a hydroponic supply store that I've been going through for two years now) you can basically grow it anything. Some people use clay pellets or rockwool. A plant needs something to hold onto as it grows. Soil is convenient in that it provides both structure and nutrients, and it's what you already have outside. Keep your seedlings in a warm place and never let them dry out. I like using a spray bottle to avoid disturbing the soil when things are just getting started. A covered seed tray keeps the moisture and heat in. Plastic wrap, or some other clear cover works fine in a pinch. Once the plants start getting their "true leaves", i.e. the second set of leaves that look different from the initial seedling leaves, you can remove the cover to give it space to reach up. Most tomatoes need staking (one wooden stake is ideal, bamboo is great, metal cages are common but I find them annoying) to keep them upright once they start getting flowers. Loosely tie the plant to the stake with yarn or twine. If you intend on keep your tomatoes in a pot instead of the ground or some sort of raised bed, make sure the pot is fairly large and either has a drainage hole or some rocks at the bottom of it for water to pool. You never want the soil to be soupy. ---- Edit: not super concise, sorry about that :) Feel free to ask any questions you might have. Also, don't be afraid to experiment. I was lucky enough to have a mother who grew up on a farm teach me most of what I know, but it really just boils down to: light + nutrients + water + heat = food The art is knowing how much of each.
- gdubs 7y ago
  Do you have a blog? I love your writing style. These are great tips. This year I also started some seedlings early — I used some left over egg cartons as containers, and put them on top of my clothes dryer which is next a window and often warm. My sugar snap peas shot up the fastest so those are already in the ground. Thinking of putting the rest of my seedlings in the ground this weekend and starting some more sprouts in egg cartons.
  - jagger27 7y ago
    Thanks for the kind words! I do, jcdl.net. Only one post on there ranting about ThinkPads though. I never thought to use egg cartons, what a good idea.
- mft_ 7y ago
  Thanks for the additional detail! :)
sdoering 7y ago
Growing tomatoes depends a lot on the climate you are living in. Tomatoes grow and ripen ideally above 20°celsius. You can do this also in your flat. Or on a balcony. Get 1 bucket (volume 10 L) per plant if you do it on a balcony. or on patio next to you southern wall. never water them from above. tomatoes do not like wet leaves. if you can get a 2m stick as a support for the plant. have the plants at least 50cm from each other. to get them to grow, get some seeds from ideally some heirloom variety. if not that's fine. just do not use seeds from supermarket tomatoes as they tend to produce wildly different offsprings (read about F1 hybrids if interested). get small 8 - 10cm grow pots and put in growing soil. put 1 - 3 seeds on he soil and make it slightly wet. keep it damp, but not wet. when it is too big for the growing pot move it to the 10l pot (don't forget to ensure holes in the bottom). it might help if you use a little bit of tomato fertilizer. hope this helps.
pvaldes 7y ago
> Can you recommend some simple concise instructions on growing tomatoes? Simple and concise: Don't start with those. Tomato is not the more easy crop to grow. I would suggest to start with Cucurbitaceae like Cucumber or Zucchini, much more easier as long as they have lots of nitrogen. If you provide some support to climb, Cucumbers can be raised even next to a window. The other need much more space. You pick them continuously when they are still small and non bitter. You could even raise lattice and harvest it (one leaf at a time) before the end of the quarantine. Fast growing creature. Their only problem is that they are mostly water. If you absolutely want to try tomato and your climate is correct the easier are the cherry tomato. They give less food par plant but can still produce lots of tiny tomatoes in a continous harvest. Is much more fungus resistant than the other varieties and very ornamental.
- tjr225 7y ago
  I have had a garden for 4 out of the past six years and tomatoes have always been the easiest plant for me to grow an abundance of. That was in Michigan, Missouri, and Seattle too so it was pretty easy across the entire continent. The concise method is, start them indoors in a starter kit in the window(right now is the time to do this), move them to a raised bed in the sun after they’ve sprouted and are healthy with roots, and make sure they get a lot of water. That’s it. Always had way too many tomatoes.
- Digit-Al 7y ago
  This is not a criticism, nobody knows until they are taught, just trying to help you improve your use of English (which is otherwise excellent). The phrase "much more easier" is incorrect. The word "easier" loosely means "more easy" so "more easier" would loosely mean "more more easy" which sounds wrong :-) Correct usages are "easy", "much easier", and "even easier". In your case above you can lose the "more" and just use "much easier". If you were to add another suggestion that you thought was easier than cucumber or zucchini then you would describe that third set of options as "even easier". (Yes, I am stuck home alone; and yes, I do have too much time on my hands lol)
  - pvaldes 7y ago
hn23 7y ago
You do not need much. A pot and a shovel will do for the starter. Try potatoes or carrots. Potatoes sprout anyway if you do not put them cold and dark so there is not so much to do. If you buy "earth" make sure it is clean (i.e. sieve it or search with hands)! Here it often contains stuff like cockchafer grubs. We us some old cheap wax cloth like this: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B079SHYV6S/ref=psdc_12964001_t1_B0796SG3LV https://www.amazon.de/dp/B079SHYV6S/ref=psdc_12964001_t1_B07... So we do not have the dirt on the floor when planting. BTW: Carrots can be stored for very long. Here is a video how carrots are stored usually in winter time at industry scale. But you can do this at home as well: https://youtu.be/tZu_e4OkZ6A?t=153 https://youtu.be/tZu_e4OkZ6A?t=153
HeyLaughingBoy 7y ago
Simple? Live in the US? Go to Home Depot and buy a tomato plant: cost about $4. While you're there get a 5 gallon bucket and a bag of topsoil. Go home, transplant the plant into the bucket of soil and water it. Put it in a place with lots of sunlight and water it periodically. You'll have tomatoes in about 3 months. Yeah, you can start from seed, but without experience that can be tedious and it requires far more care and attention. Also, end of March is about as late as I'd want to be starting tomato seeds.

tomp 7y ago

Is there any simple way to speed up / increase chances of germination (of tomatoes, beans, peas, lentils, pumpkins)? E.g. by covering the soil (where the seeds are) with paper / plastic / cloth (as a makeshift greenhouse, to increase temperature and/or humidity), or something similar?

jagger27 7y ago
Heat and consistent moisture. I keep some of my seedlings under grow lights in my furnace room beside my servers. Plastic seed trays with clear tops are excellent to reduce evaporation. Electric heat mats are awesome to stick under seed trays in the sprouting stage. In my experience, heat is the most significant accelerator for germination. You also want very loose and light soil to help the seeds poke out as easily as possible. "Seed starter" mix is ideal, see my other comment in this subthread for more on that.
xtacy 7y ago
Try the paper towel trick: wrap the seeds in a moist paper towel (not too wet, or it will encourage fungus growth). Then, keep them inside a ziplock bag in a warm place for a couple of days, checking on them every day. I keep them on top of the refridgerator where it's nice and warm. Beans sprout super fast! For very dry seeds (lentils, beans, peas, edamamme) you could soak them in water overnight and just use the seeds that settle down after they've absorbed some moisture.
- jdmichal 7y ago
  Ditto. The only downside to this method is having to transplant twice: once to soil pots after sprouting, then to the ground.
  - prawn 7y ago
    If the seeds are in paper towel, wouldn't you just plant it as is and let it decompose?
    - 7y ago

booi 7y ago

"Potatoes are easy to get started but can be a little finicky with soil conditions." mm have you tried fertilizing with poop?

bluGill 7y ago
That might make things worse, you can have too much fertility. Depending... Potatoes like sand soil. Beyond that I'm not a potato growing expert.
- yiyus 7y ago
  I guess this was not a serious suggestion, unless you're in Mars.
  - 6510 7y ago
    There is very little written on the use of vegan poop. One argument against human poop is that it can transfer disease. If it is your own that doesn't seem all that harmful. It might even help convince other humans not to eat your crops.
    - samus 7y ago
      There are a lot of bacteria in the colon, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's safe to have them everywhere, even if they are your own. It would be necessary to store poop dry, separate from urine, and to compost it to make it somewhat safe. Usually, a dry toilet is used for this. However, it might be difficult to install and operate the whole process if you're not living in the countryside.
- Melting_Harps 7y ago
  > That might make things worse, you can have too much fertility. Depending... Potatoes like sand soil. Beyond that I'm not a potato growing expert. Potatoes are super forgiving, I've grown nice sized potatoes and carrots in very heavily compacted clay soil before (it was the farm's 2nd season amending the soil with sand but it was pretty bad) however, potatoes can be grown in many other growing mediums, straw or hay can be prepared if you don't want to go with a soil based system: https://www.bettervegetablegardening.com/growing-potatoes-in-straw.html https://www.bettervegetablegardening.com/growing-potatoes-in... The best part is its a closed loop growing system, as after harvest you can use it to add to the compost or even as mulch. I personally prefer soil gardening, and believe it determines taste enough to not want to do it, but if I would do it if I was first starting out.

ipython 7y ago

Thank you for both having the foresight to plan(t) as well as the willingness to help those around you. Otherwise you could end up like my neighbor with a strategic reserve level of toilet paper, proud to hoard yet share with no one even when the stores are empty.

hn23 7y ago
I really do not understand this toilet paper thing. I mean as long as there is water, why people do not wash their asses. It is cleaner anyway... When I was young and we visited grandparents, we used newspaper.
- Ruthalas 7y ago
  Not to detract from your overall point, but it's not like most people have newspaper these days.
  - littlestymaar 7y ago
    Your comment immediately reminded me this commercial : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbMOLg-2SFw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbMOLg-2SFw
- Jorge1o1 7y ago
  That’s what I’ve always said. If you smeared a bit of poop on your face or arm, you wouldn’t be content with just wiping it down with a thin piece of toilet paper. You’d probably shower! So why should your ass be any different?
  - tompagenet2 7y ago
    I use my face and my arm to engage with people, and prepare and eat food. I don't generally use my arse for these activities.
    - collyw 7y ago

ogn3rd 7y ago

Start with greens, many only take 4-8 weeks before their ready. Some radishes are ready in 30 days. The rest you mention outside of Chard take 90 days or so.

jagger27 7y ago
Yes, I'll also be directly sowing radishes, beets, and climbing green beans. I hoping for multiple crops of greens throughout the year. I will say though that my peppers and tomatoes were probably started a little early for my zone. Some are already bearing fruit in my brighter areas.

threwre234234 7y ago

The 'preppers' have amassed quite a bit of info on preparing for just such an outcome; I'd definitely recommend hearing them out. The govt. IMO really can't be trusted at a time like this. Reporting from here in India, the overreaction of the state has thrown a wrench into the workings of an, admittedly broken, food supply system.

ornornor 7y ago

To add, if like me you don’t have a “green thumb”, know that it’s not a terminal condition. I found the book by Kevin Espiritu to be pretty good at giving a crash course and practical advice on how to grow edibles. And it doesn’t take much: 5 gallon buckets, perlite, compost, loam, and you’re in business.

Melting_Harps 7y ago

I like your initiative, the attention and how you've acted to the what I think has proven to be a DIRE logistical and production problem since at least 2008. But, I noticed this part: > Got a butternut squash in your pantry? Maybe a couple of tomatoes? Both of those are out of season, the Butternut squash has decent shelf life, so could have been harvested and stored back in the Fall. However, most of the store stuff you get as a perennial, especially those tomatoes, are going to be hybrids that have sterile seeds. I really do hope that this Outbreak is what makes Backyard and Community Gardens come back in a way not seen outside of Europe since WWII. I agree that making clones is an awesome way to increase yield and maintain good genetic lines, this is actually how most MJ/Hemp people got their early genetic lessons--grandmothers and mothers who had spent time with them in the Garden telling them how to preserve desirable genetics. And it paid off really well for those who could provide a steady and stable genetic line, I met a few of them. I agree that potatoes are the best intro to gardening as its by far the easiest and if planned correctly can yield quite a lot of harvest for the limited space (think vertical planters). Maybe its because I had to do this at large scale that my brain has shifted to outsourcing anything not deemed super valuable (fruit tree clones or High CBD experiments) to have in a Nursery, but I really am a fan of these guys: https://www.rareseeds.com/ https://www.rareseeds.com/ I was hoping to get the Catalog this year to share with others as the Gardening Season is coming up, so if anyone is interested in doing that I can buy/send you the money via BTC if you have the hardware to do that as its total Gardening-pr0n! https://www.rareseeds.com/store/whole-seed-catalog/2020-whole-seed-catalog-usa-canada-and-mexico https://www.rareseeds.com/store/whole-seed-catalog/2020-whol... > I'm thinking I'll have quite a bit of time to spend in the garden in the coming months. Hopefully I can make a small difference in my community. So rad, I'll keep an eye on your posts this season! others as the Gardening Season progresses.

jagger27 7y ago
I’m a big fan of Rare Seeds as well. I got a big order from them early this year.
koheripbal 7y ago
Don't forget that it takes a full acre of land to produce enough food for one person.