How much do you plant?
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Forum Name: Gardening
Forum Description: Are you a Green Thumb (or not)? Share you tips and ask your questions here.
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40655
Printed Date: 03 May 2024 at 10:38am
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Topic: How much do you plant?
Posted By: blessedmama
Subject: How much do you plant?
Date Posted: 01 October 2011 at 10:07am
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I'm reading a really inspiring book at the moment called 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle' by Barbara Kingsolver. I picked it up randomly and it's taking my addled brain a long time but it's a really interesting read. It's about her family's move to the country and their aim to grow or locally purchase everything they ate for a year. It's got my thinking about my own gardening...which is pretty pathetic in comparison. I have dreams of managing to at least grow all the veges and most of the fruit that we eat.
So my question is, how do you decide how many plants of each thing to put in? Do you calculate it based on family members? Do you think about storing things in some form over winter or do you just eat what you pick at the time? Hmmm, more than one question...sorry. |
Replies:
Posted By: Nothing
Date Posted: 01 October 2011 at 11:45am
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It depends on what plants you want. The trick is to do succesive sowing, so plant half a dozen each week, that way they are staggered in their growth, and you dont get heaps of one sort at one time.
Only grow what you actually eat, dont grow anything you only occasionally eat or use as it often just goes to waste. I used to plant lettuces but I dont now cause I just never eat them and they go to seed or rot away. Its all a bit of trial and error the first few years till you work out what works best. Start with simple easy to grow things like peas, carrots, tomatoes, beans. If you want to grow straight from seed rather than buying seedlings then you have to plan more in advance for what you want to grow. I currently have peas, beetroot and tomatoes in seedling trays. I will be planting beans, carrots, silverbeet, peppers, cucumber and loads of strawberries once I move house this weekend. ------------- 
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Posted By: blessedmama
Date Posted: 01 October 2011 at 11:56am
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I need to get better at using seeds. I did alright last year with a few things but ran out of space for them really. I'm also not good at successive planting - I need to be more organised I think.
I already have strawberries, blueberries, peaches, cape gooseberries, broad beans, lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli and cabbage in. I'm also putting in potatoes (for the first time), pumpkin, zucchini and cucumber. My gardening is total trial and error but I'm really enjoying being able to eat things straight from the garden! |
Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 01 October 2011 at 12:45pm
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I used to grow from seeds but the last couple of years, I've opted for the lazy option of seedlings just cos I'm a little time-poor! One thing that's been good is to share with my family who live nearby, so that we get successive plantings that way - we swap seedlings; my bro buys the first lot usually, cos he's more organised, then I buy the next lot a few weeks later. I also start eating things nice and early if I've got lots coming in rather than waiting till I've got way too many ripe all at once. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: SMoody
Date Posted: 01 October 2011 at 10:15pm
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I do my seeds in groups of 4 different varieties of veg. Then do that twice a week. So say I do lettuce, spinach beans and peas and I plant a punnet of each
Then 3 days later I do another 4 veg Then week 2 I do 4 more of different things. And do that in cycles for the successive gorwing things. However things like my zuchini (that just came up), tomatoes and other things I dont do successive sowing. I do it all in one go but if it gets time consuming then I just do a couple of punnets a day. Kids help out (although I must say this year Andrew is a lot better, last year he would throw the sand out to get to the seeds to give it back to me). Once certain things get bigger I transplant them. (like the peppers, tomatoes and chillies). Just transplanted 58 of quite a huge variety of tomatoes. (decided this year I aint planting more. I was aiming for a hundred. but the raised gardens is not all gonna be ready in time). Last year we had 16 or so of just hybrid ones and I just made 6 batches of tomatoe sauce extra the rest was consume during the summer. So want to bottle everything extra this year so I dont have to buy through the year. Cant stand the taste of the store bought things now. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: _SMS_
Date Posted: 04 October 2011 at 12:53pm
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If its stuff i can freeze ill plant a bit. Things like lettuce ill only buy one lot of seedlings at a time.
I also dont deal with seeds often. Just dont have the room. -------------  
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Posted By: blessedmama
Date Posted: 04 October 2011 at 7:55pm
| What things do you choose do freeze SMS? I froze spinach, tomatoes and a tomato sauce to use with pasta etc last year. I guess this year I could freeze broad beans and hopefully runner beans if I have enough though both are a bit of an experiment! |
Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 04 October 2011 at 8:18pm
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I freeze carrots, peas, beans, corn... can't think what else - but pretty much anything you can buy frozen you can freeze, right? For most veges, you just blanch them, then freeze them on trays before transferring to bags so they are free-flow.
I've bottled tomatoes (also frozen those too), and want to try sundrying some this year. I also freeze lots of berries - including some I buy at the fruit stall when they are really cheap in peak season. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: _SMS_
Date Posted: 04 October 2011 at 9:07pm
Pretty much what T Rex said 
I also pureed fruits and freeze and add to muffins etc or even into DDs breakfast. -------------
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Posted By: alphabetart
Date Posted: 22 October 2011 at 8:53pm
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I highly recommend the http://www.fishpond.co.nz/Books/Tui-NZ-Vegetable-Garden-Sally-Cameron/9780143202288 - Tui NZ Vegetable Garden Book it not only tells you when to sow what specific to our needs here in NZ, but it also lets you know how much to plant to get your desired yeild and how to identify pests and diseases. If you are genuinely interested in growing all your own fruit and vege, it takes a lot of planning and understanding of what pests and diseases you'll be up against. There are some great Companion Planting books out there that will supplement the Tui book and give you heaps of advice.
Head to your local market next September and buy your fruit trees. It is too late this year to plant fruit trees, but maybe you can make friends with some neighbours and talk to them about what works in your area. This is also a great way to swap seedlings, seeds and and suckers (like raspberries- yum!) Egmont Seeds ships nationwide and has a fantastic variety of seeds and advice, too. Have fun! |