I think my husband is finally serious about being more self sufficient with food. He was looking at my new seed catalogues and asked me what I thought we would need to grow alot of the types of produce we consume.

So today I am giving this a much harder thought after doing some research to see just how self sustaining we could be in the yard and house we have.

How did you decide exactly what to plant and how much.

I have spent the last 3-4 years seriously re-doing our landscaping.  We planted a garden when we bought this home, & some fruit trees as well.  Some are doing well, others not so much, & the steers over the back fence have taken out a few. It's more a journey than a one year project, butit saves more money every year you do it.  When I started, I guessed howmany onion to plant ( 1 bag of starts - now I do 2), how many tomato plants ( 2 - not enough), and I planted 5 bags of green beans ( too many - 2 bags is plenty).  Time will tell. 

Last summer I enlarged the strawberry bed & used the runners (pinned into starter pots & watered) to plant the extension.

I just purchased 2 more of 4 blueberry plants for this year, of 3 varieties.  Last year I planted these 3 varieties after studying the amount of acidity needed in the soil (we have very alkaline soil) & trying to acidify the soil, & all three grew decently.  Since they grew, I prepped a "blueberry bed" along part of the perimeter fence, & that is where the new plants will go this year. I collected spent Christmas trees from the curb & cut them up to acidify the soil in the bed.  It was free & worked great.

I have been watching what we use from the garden, & making sure I have sufficient jars & freezer containers to utilize the "fruits of our labors". Green beans & tomato sauce are big at our house & get used a lot.  Bottled carrots are nice in stew, & I also bottle a summer squash mix in tomato sauce, with a few onions that bakes nicely over chicken or pork chops in the oven. The garden isn't large enough to do potatoes, but onions go nicely in between a lot of other things, & what we don't use fresh, I dehydrate or bottle.  We use a lot of onions in stews, eggs, chili, etc. 

I put herbs in the flower beds.  They look nice there & it saves room in the garden.

One of the things I like best about growing our own food is the absence of recalls - we know what went into the food, & how it was handled. 

Since DH is celiac, and must eat gluten-free, along with one daughter & one granddaughter, and another grandchild is violently allergic to peanuts, soy & tree nuts, and yet another is allergic only to the tree nuts, it is very helpful to be able to create meals without any of those additives.  It seems like they put soy lecithin in almost everything these days.

zohnerfarms:

I put herbs in the flower beds.

I have a flower bed that runs around the house. Only wild things grow in it now. They look nice but I was thinking herbs might be a better plant for it.

Brandy, do you have somnewhere that you can call to discuss what grows sucessful in your area.  We have a Vt. University Extention person that we can call. Sometimes, they will even come and look at your land and help you plan. Another would be a local Master Gardener, they have to do volunteer work to keep their title as a Master Gardener.  I would ask or call around......if you are serious about gardening, you dont want to waste money on plants that wont grow in your yard. They can test your soil , lots of other advice. Babs

babs:

you have somnewhere that you can call to discuss what grows sucessful in your area. 

I know of some things and I am sure I can reach someone at the USDA or the like. I don't know of any master gardeners around here but a few of my homeschooling friends and my husband's customers have mini homesteads. I think I can gather up some info and support there.

I have stuck with easy things over the years and I am so much better at killing plants than anything else. My husband can maintain them but has had very little interest in the past and left it to me to slay em.

Keep us posted on what you plan.  I have seen some online pictures of people that buy a bag of garden soil, split the bag and plant in it. The soil has plant food already in it. Looks like an easy start for a new garden. Then in the fall you can empty the bag and start a raised bed. Babs

babs:

Keep us posted on what you plan.

The house came with japanese plum trees, kumquat trees and mint in the flower bed. I have done herbs and tried potatoes and tomatoes before.

We want to build off what is here and I am comfortable with starting with things I have actually gotten to grow before or at least tried.

I find green beans are an easy veggie to grow.  I think one of the important things for you is when you plant. I know when we were in NC everything went in the ground so much earlier than here. Yours must be very early. Do people plant fall gardens there? I remember my Dad would plant potatoes end of Feb, peas soon after that. Babs

the seed catalog are already arriving  we planning stage  only rule is no peppers  none no ..  I want a some new heirloom tomatoes and  some really good tasting cabbage .

one tomato I really want to plant it Gurney 's Mortgage Lifter  "mild, 4 Pounder  big low - acid .  it a realy pretty pink .

Any one with information .??