Heirloom seeds and backyard garden

[Ted S.]

It really is amazing how much better my heirloom seeds have done than the GMO crap. I was just thinking how nice it is that if i had to i could do everything i do now without any type of mechanical tool if necessary. Water is coming soon. i will probably start out with above ground barrels but eventually i want to put a couple of septic tanks in the ground and put the old-timey handpumps on top. 

 

I've been getting some good ideas from hippy/yuppie pioneering magazines, namely "Mother Earth News." Not a big fan of some of the opinions, but they have some really good material and ideas for self-supporting gardens and such.

 

One article I recall involved using buckets fixed to gutters, and at the base there was a valve for attaching a hose to distribute the water to a garden, and possibly even a soaker hose. The valve allows you to turn the water flow on and off. Cool idea that I'm looking to modify/play with this summer.

 

The underground pump idea is one that has crossed my mind, I've just yet to look into what it takes to get something like that going (labor/cost/practicality).

[Jamie Jackson]

Actually MEN has some good info in it, and it wasn't always so darned left leaning. :2cents:

 

We use rainwater catchment for our raised beds. It's amazing the difference in the plants growth and vitality using rainwater vs tap water.

 

The setup is affordable and simple.

 

I do need to add a few more barrels this spring. We've been having some long dry stretches the past few summers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 12, 2013 by prag

[KaNuckles]

That's pretty cool. Unfortunately my house is at a lower elevation than my garden so i would have to pump it. I can catch the water off my shed but I don't know how much I will get. I'm going to try and make it to Murfreesboro this weekend and pick up a few barrels. If you go with concrete an underground tank would probably cost between $1500-2000 for a 1000 gallon tank installed. Then you would need a pump. Not cheap but very permanent. You can daisy chain septic tanks together but each one would require it's own pump. You can set the tank with the top flush with th ground and mount one of those old timy handpumps right on top. You can also bucket the water out if something ever happened to one of the pumps. Plus the seals and diaphragm in those old pumps are leather so you can make replacements. Very SHTF friendly set up. Just expensive.

[Jamie Jackson]

I've seen photos of the type of setup you're describing KaNuckles.

 

They were using small solar panels and low volume, but low power intensive, pumps.

 

I can't recall if it was Geoff Lawton or Paul Wheaton, but I've read them discussing passive water systems on inclines.

Of course all would depend on your acreage and slope...and they were using daisy-chained ponds.

 

I'm stuck in suburbia and have to figure work-a-rounds for what I have. I do a lot of watering using 5 gallon buckets and water containers with spouts as our garden is uphill from our barrels.

But elevating the barrels on cinder blocks help.

 

I really like your ideas and think the system you describe would be very nice to have.

[KaNuckles]

I am going to have to look into some of those pumps. Might help my uphill problem. This got me thinking I could just move my beds down to the lower part of my yard. Don't know why I didn't think of that before. The pond thing is a great Idea. I'm a plumber so when thinking of water catchment my mind went straight to septic tanks. Plus if it were shtf and the barrels began to breakdown or piping/valves/seals started to leak you may be out of luck. I am going to use barrels but if I ever hit the lottery I will put tanks in the ground. The ponds would work nicely as well.

[Ted S.]

Actually MEN has some good info in it, and it wasn't always so darned left leaning. :2cents:

 

 

 

Truth*

 

That system is awesome. I just need to find something that is functionally similar but won't make anyone call the building and codes people, something that looks easy or can be hidden or disguised....

[Jamie Jackson]

Thanks Ted.

 

I can't take credit for anything...I doubt I've ever had an "original thought" in my life. :pleased:

 

We have shrubbery and plants, as well as raised beds around ours, and they really aren't that noticeable, especially from the street. At least the neighbors have never said anything...

 

People are pretty clever in hiding theirs and there are tons of You Tube vids on the subject.

 

Let us know what you come up with. I'm always looking to improve.

Edited February 13, 2013 by prag

[Guest USMC 2013]

Don't forget to mulch.  Hay straw, finely shredded leaf litter, finely shredded wood chips, saw dust and even shredded newsprint work well for mulch.  Mulching cuts down on weeds and greatly enhances water rentention in the soil.

 

Not sure if it was mentioned, but the best reason for using heirloom seeds is the ability to collect seeds after the growing season for further use.

 

Joe

[Dennis1209]

I'm no expert gardener by any means but, something I learned some years ago when I had a very small garden.

 

Having a very small area for a garden I naturally crammed as much as I could into it. I won't go into all the problems I encountered, but one really stood out. I managed to squeeze in two jalapeno plants and three bell green pepper plants after everything else was planted. Long story short, it's harvest time and I have a load of jalapeno peppers. Time to cut them up and can them in a few canning jars.

 

For some reason as I was cutting them I had an overwhelming urge to sample a bite of one of the jalapenos. Bite, crunch, crunch, bite, crunch crunch, big bite, crunch crunch... It tasted just like a bell green pepper, not hot what-so-ever. Only one in ten jalapeno peppers had any hot to it?

 

I had mentioned that to a guy much more knowledgeable than me in gardening, and the first thing he asked is "where I planted them"?

 

I told him at the end of the garden right next to the bell green peppers. He tells me that was the problem, I planted the two species to close to one another and the jalapenos got pollinated with bell pepper by the bee's?

 

Don't know if that's fact or fiction but, gave the two plenty of space from then on and had never had a problem again.

 

I also learned a lesson one year just planting a single short row of sweet corn that didn't work out. Lot's of little secrets to make a small garden productive.

[Guest USMC 2013]

Rural King in Clarksville already had some starts out.  3-4 varities of cabbage, brocoli, collards, onion starts and a couple variety of lettuces.

 

I have my starts planted at home and several have sprouted.  I don't plan on transplanting anything outside until March 1st.  That's only for frost tolerant stuff.

 

Tomatoes and other warm crops won't go into the ground until sometime around April 1st.

 

Joe