We hope you have enjoyed all of the "growing" and plant spacing articles so far. We are frugal people and I love a good DIY project in the garden that doesn't require spending a bunch of money. A few examples from previous articles include Start A Bucket Garden or our videos about Using Manure in the Garden and Composting Basics with Mary.
So how do we Grow MORE and Spend Less?
As we mentioned above, recycling in the garden is a GREAT place to start.
-Food scraps and yard "waste" can be composted to use as "free" nutrients for your plants
-Recycled containers can be used for seed starting and growing
-If you have livestock or know someone with animals (rabbit, chicken, goat, cow, pig, horse, alpaca) then you might ask them for their manure. Rabbit manure can be used immediately but the rest should be composted for 3-12 months depending on the animal.
-Collect & save water. Rain water, grey water systems and "shower buckets" are great ways to save
99 Cent Seed packs to help you grow more!
Our unique selection of sale seeds and every-day 99 cent packs are another great way to grow more and save. Some of these varieties will grow large, delicious veggies.
We don't always let them grow this large but these were great as zoodles. Some of these are over 14 inches long
From a single seed we grew several Hubbard Blue Squash. This one was 16 1/2 pounds
This truly lives up to it's name as a giant mustard green. It's a bit spicy but delicious!
The smaller beet on the left is an early Wonder heirloom beet and on the right is Red Mammoth Mangel beet. The Red Mammoth Mangel Beet is known as a "fodder beet" and was picked small at only 3 1/8 lb
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Fodder beets have been around since the 1400s if not earlier. These beets were prized as nutritious animal feed that was easy to store. Fodder beets are hardy, adaptable and palatable. They are ideal for planting in late summer for use as a winter and spring crop.
Red Mammoth Mangel Beets produce an incredible mass of edible beet leaves and a large root up to 20 pounds or more in size
NJ Wakefield Cabbage is another great option as each pack contains 200 seeds for only 99 Cents!
The outer leaves of the Swiss Chard can be harvested as needed and it will continue to produce. We have had plants that lasted for a year so you can see why Swiss Chard made the list
Homegrown heirloom tomatoes are so flavorful. There are so many unique varieties to choose from that you cannot purchase from the store
These are just a few example of how to grow more & spend less.
HELPFUL LINKS
Square Foot Garden Plant Spacing Chart
USING COCONUT COIR FOR SEED STARTING
USING COFFEE GROUNDS IN THE GARDEN
DIY Organic Liquid Fertilizer recipe
Organic Pest Control Series
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