The Community Garden Project - The Easy Garden Community WEIGHS In!

[vfem]

Fantastic, always room for more!

I have a bunch of starts getting their first true leaves, so I'm excited! Its getting closer to starting....

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

i have .47 of an acre here. last year i only got to plant mostly tomatoes, lots of peppers, summer squash, zucchini, cucumbers and some eggplant. with how much rain we got so early in the season and for a long time i never got any of my direct sowing seeds into the ground! the tomatoes looked like they were doing good through out it but once they started turning red they started to turn black on their ends.

this year i plan on doing watermelons and corn. and i'm hoping to add potatoes back. cucumbers and squashes seemed to do great in my back yard these past 2 years regardless of the unusual amounts of rain. my dh is a lover of hot peppers so i will stick with those for him to make his 'sweet hot fire' hot pepper jelly! i'll stick to my tomato varieties. i'm hoping to have beans, radishes, carrots and going to also try my hand at growing beets and spinach, and maybe onions too!

i always had lots of herbs when i lived with my parents, so i'll be adding those too for our own use and for selling extra plants.

once we have that big pile of leaves and a rotten tree burned that would help to expand to a newer growing area i want to start this year. (former owners used it as a garden a few years before we owned the house but it is in serious need of soil amendment!)

most of my seed starting supplies had been bought last year, so the only things i need to buy this year is soil and some seeds or plants. i think i've spent about $20 on seeds so far this year and i'm planning on using up old seeds as well. it probably costs me $50/mo to feed my chickens which i'll be using their manure and litter as fertilizer for the garden. and the birds themselves are my bug control.

 

[vfem]

i have .47 of an acre here. last year i only got to plant mostly tomatoes, lots of peppers, summer squash, zucchini, cucumbers and some eggplant. with how much rain we got so early in the season and for a long time i never got any of my direct sowing seeds into the ground! the tomatoes looked like they were doing good through out it but once they started turning red they started to turn black on their ends.

Sounds like blossom end rot. A good healthy dose of calcium does wonders. I add crushed egg shell to take care of mine.

Thanks so much for joining... looking forward to hearing how awesome this year turns out!!!

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

yeah. it was very common up in our area last year. one of the companies that produces and sells seedlings in our area had a recall because of it. you can't help it when you have nearly a month of rain and you only have room to grow in the ground and no greenhouse to protect and limit the amount of water they get.

i'll have to remember the calcium from now on. i never had this issue before so it threw me for a loop when it started showing signs.

 

[DawnSuiter]

I would like to join in.

I have 1.14 acres, maybe 40-50% of it on such a slope that it's not all that useful to us. My plan is to make this acre self sufficient for 2-4 people.. this year I am in HIGH gear to focus on food production. It's lofty especially because I have not in years past had the best luck.. but I feel lucky this year... I feel a whole renewed sense of understanding for my garden and I think that it will show in my bounty.

So I am keeping track and will of course check out your spreadsheet next.

So for 2010
For the garden:
$25 peat pots, grow lights, soil
$63 seeds & starter plants
Estimating a $20 truckload of top soil will also be incoming
Estimating a $60 tiller rental for the corn patch

Vegetables
FROM THIS.. I expect to produce a year's worth of sweet potatoes, green & red bell peppers, pickles -- 6 months worth of canned tomatoes & tomato sauces & corn
I will be producing a long season of fresh edibles, including tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, leeks & carrots

Things I hope turn out well but have not grown before w/success:
lettuces, spinach, spaghetti squash & watermelons

Already growing/planted: strawberries, blueberries, apples, raspberry

Meat
I am also growing an estimated 75lbs of chicken meat which I project will come to about $2.40/lb... so $180 for 75lbs of meat or so..

additional sources for outsourcing meat are being sought....

Eggs
I also have the egg chickens too... 30 dozen per month (give or take) for around $30 per month in feed.

Dairy, Rice, Potatoes, Butter, Flour, Sugar, Salt & most spices will still have to come from the store year round.. but I think I can live with that!!!

Next year we will work toward potatoes too along with a root cellar to store the booty

It's costly to get started... putting AWAY the produce is more costly than anything, unless you have to buy soil that is or do major landscaping to accommodate a garden. I guess this is more of my food plan for the year.. sorry to ramble.

I'll get on out there and measure my garden space... it's not very big mind you but one can do a lot in a small amount of space I think.

 

[vfem]

Oh wow! Mad info! you know your garden! LOL

Definitely measure everything you have time...close enough is also good, an educated guess.

I think I may need to re-load that sheet as well. I have lost my old site in replacement of a new site for my husband. Gotta cut corners, and I can't afford hosting for 2 websites, when one will due since I use Etsy and blogspot for the majority of my work these days.

 

[vfem]

Can anyone who downloaded a copy of my spread sheet please email me a copy?! I don't know how... but my copy is missing?! I think I accidently erased it?! Or I renamed it and don't remember where I put it?! LOL

just PM me for my email

 

[wifezilla]

I put mine on google docs so I wouldn't lose it

 

[vfem]

I put mine on google docs so I wouldn't lose it

Wanna point me in the right direction?!

 

[DawnSuiter]

hmmm.. what happened??

well..

I did get outside & got started outlining my plan.
I spent well over an hour making it into my TEG personal page and it failed.. I was heartbroken.

So .. I spent another hour doing it on my own web page then I had an idea so I could lay out each plant.. check it out here: http://www.dawnonthefarm.com/gardens.html

Scroll on down about halfway to see this years plan.