Growing Your Own Food

[All Seeing Eye]

I've decided to start growing my own food.

I've bought some tubs and some compost and some seeds for growing Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Peas, Carrots and Sprouts.

I have a little extension on the back of my house similar to a conservatory which acts somewhat like a Greenhouse so I'll be growing them in there.

I figured it could save me some money on groceries now and again and also help in case of any global or national food crisis.

Just wondering if anyone else around here grows their own food? and if they have any tips?

 

[sbk1234]

Just wondering, how do you grow Chicken McNuggets and Hostess Twinkies?

 

[Trekker4747]

I believe, that with the time, equipment and stuff one has to buy growing one's own vegetables is more expensive than simply buying it. Farmers and growers who mass-produce this stuff grow it by the tons and tons and can afford to buy compost, insecticides, seeds and such in massive bulk, and thus get discounts for that.

If you're only growing a few tomatoes at once, rather than whole field of them, you're likely paying more "per tomato" than you would just going to the store and buying one for fifty cents.

 

[Kestra]

I'd like to grow my own herbs, so that I could have them fresh without having to run to the store to get a mass of them that would go mostly unused.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

^ Same here. I'm browsing aeroponic garden sets, and will probably blow the cash on this sort of experiment. I think it might be cheapr in the long run to grow my own herbs. I cannot see however, myself growing enough lettuce and tomatoes to satisfy daily needs.

 

[Kestra]

Experiment and then tell me the results! I won't be growing any herbs for a long time because we're moving to a small place in the city, but it's something I could see myself doing eventually.

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

My dad has his own garden out in the back yard. Chili's, squash, figs, guavas, tomatoes, and the like. And we have a big orange tree that was here before we moved in.

 

[Trekker4747]

He grows Chili's what? Impressive that they call for him to grow food for them! Or he's somehow growing a spicy Texmex stew.

I make good chili, grow my own chilies for it in my mom's garden.

 

[KimMH]

I've decided to start growing my own food.

I've bought some tubs and some compost and some seeds for growing Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Peas, Carrots and Sprouts.

I have a little extension on the back of my house similar to a conservatory which acts somewhat like a Greenhouse so I'll be growing them in there.

I figured it could save me some money on groceries now and again and also help in case of any global or national food crisis.

Just wondering if anyone else around here grows their own food? and if they have any tips?

I haven't grown enough recently to replace any grocereis - although when I was young a thousand years ago and my mom had a huge garden we canned the veg and all - and you can actually end up spending much more than you make in terms of actual food - but it's a very satisfying endeavor! Nothing like seeing your own lettuces and tomatoes and herbs which you can just snip off with kitchen/garden shears and throw in your food - it's oddly rewarding!

 

[Miss Chicken]

I grow quite a few of my own vegetables. This year wasn't a good year maybe due to having far too much spring rain.

My cucumbers are the only vegetable that have really well though the spinach, chinese cabbage, pak choi, spring onions and herbs have had OK harvests.

Unfortuntely my tomatoes have done poorly. I am not sure why. They seemed to grow OK but each plant only produce a few tomatoes each unlike the previous two or three years when I had more tomatoes than I could eat.

My strawberries also did poorly, as did the loganberries.

My cherry plum tree had about an average yield.

 

[scotpens]

If you're only growing a few tomatoes at once, rather than whole field of them, you're likely paying more "per tomato" than you would just going to the store and buying one for fifty cents.

Maybe, but the ones you grow yourself will probably taste better.

200 years ago, most people grew at least some of their own food. But in modern industrial societies, farming has become a specialized profession like any other. Most people have neither the time nor the inclination to cultivate a victory garden in their backyard. But, by all means, try growing some veggies if you want to and let us know how they turn out.

BTW, I grew some radishes in eighth-grade agriculture class. They weren't half bad.

 

[T'Baio]

I believe, that with the time, equipment and stuff one has to buy growing one's own vegetables is more expensive than simply buying it. Farmers and growers who mass-produce this stuff grow it by the tons and tons and can afford to buy compost, insecticides, seeds and such in massive bulk, and thus get discounts for that.

If you're only growing a few tomatoes at once, rather than whole field of them, you're likely paying more "per tomato" than you would just going to the store and buying one for fifty cents.

What about the other costs, though? In the long run, mass (as in nationwide) food production costs us all a lot more.

 

[Miss Chicken]

If you're only growing a few tomatoes at once, rather than whole field of them, you're likely paying more "per tomato" than you would just going to the store and buying one for fifty cents.

Maybe, but the ones you grow yourself will probably taste better.

The vegetables I grow taste far better than what I can buy in the supermarket. This is especially true when it comes to my tomatoes or cucumbers.

 

[All Seeing Eye]

I believe, that with the time, equipment and stuff one has to buy growing one's own vegetables is more expensive than simply buying it. Farmers and growers who mass-produce this stuff grow it by the tons and tons and can afford to buy compost, insecticides, seeds and such in massive bulk, and thus get discounts for that.

If you're only growing a few tomatoes at once, rather than whole field of them, you're likely paying more "per tomato" than you would just going to the store and buying one for fifty cents.

What about the other costs, though? In the long run, mass (as in nationwide) food production costs us all a lot more.

I only need to buy a big bag of compost, some seeds and some pots and then water them to keep em alive and I've got a nice supply of Vegetables.
Will save me a fortune.

 

[T'Baio]

Yeah, I don't really think it would cost that much more per vegetable, unless you're counting time. But these are things that are worth the time.

 

[Miss Chicken]

I believe, that with the time, equipment and stuff one has to buy growing one's own vegetables is more expensive than simply buying it. Farmers and growers who mass-produce this stuff grow it by the tons and tons and can afford to buy compost, insecticides, seeds and such in massive bulk, and thus get discounts for that.

If you're only growing a few tomatoes at once, rather than whole field of them, you're likely paying more "per tomato" than you would just going to the store and buying one for fifty cents.

What about the other costs, though? In the long run, mass (as in nationwide) food production costs us all a lot more.

I only need to buy a big bag of compost, some seeds and some pots and then water them to keep em alive and I've got a nice supply of Vegetables.
Will save me a fortune.

You will probably also need some plant food and some pest control products though pests can be kept down if you use the right companion plants.

 

[All Seeing Eye]

Yeah, I don't really think it would cost that much more per vegetable, unless you're counting time. But these are things that are worth the time.

I find it appalling how someone would argue it's easier and cheaper to just go to the supermarket. Supermarkets rely on farmers having a good enough harvest, the farmers rely on the weather and even transportation is relied upon to harvest the crops and deliver it. If something might block the supply of oil worldwide or freak weather caused major crop damage people would be looking at empty supermarket shelves.

Relying on a supermarket is keeping all your eggs in one basket.

You will probably also need some plant food and some pest control products though pests can be kept down if you use the right companion plants.

I'll be growing them in my greenhouse type house extension. Pests wont be a problem.

 

[Miss Chicken]

Though there will be less of a pest problem in a greenhouse you could still have problems with whitefly, aphids, mites etc as well as a few diseases.

 

[bigdaddy]

Yes, don't bother planting cucumbers, they never do anything.

I'd actually suggest buying tomato plants because you are clueless about gardening.

Carrots are also a waste, I suggest radishes, both can be grown right now as long as the soil isn't frozen. Same with peas, I'm actually in the middle of planting peas now.

You will actually have more pests in a greenhouse than in your backyard, from what I can see. Japanese beetles are a pain, but some simple $5 dust can keep them away. I did have locust last year but it was the worst gardening year I have ever experienced.

 

[Colonel Green]

I've got a small garden and I'd say it actually saves us a little bit of money on fruit and vegetables. We have a compost heap, so I've never had to shell out for fertilizer or anything. Pests have never been much of a problem. This doesn't factor in the time spent of course, but my wife enjoys gardening so I don't really consider it a "cost".

We had to spend a little on plants and seeds at the outset of course, but not since the first year. My strawberries and rhubarb have spread like a plague. Don't even get me started on the pumpkins. We also have a sizable apple tree and a small pear tree, but their fruit is really only suitable for baking.