11d (edited) • General discussion
Things gardeners with 10+ years of experience do...
Yesterday I went to help a friend who was widowed 2 years ago. I always schedule 2+ hours for visits to her house, because once we start talking about gardening, the time flys by.
She has been sustenance gardening for over 20 years, and there are things she and my other very experienced friends do each year.
- They stick to tried and true varieties. They don't order 200 varieties from Baker Creek. They have 2-3 varieties of each type of veggie that they plant every year, and when possible, save seeds for next year. I regularly buy nasturtium seeds because our season isn't long enough for them to self seed, but I buy VERY few seeds per year, and it is usually planned in advance.
- Perennials and plants that self-seed are your time hack. Things that don't need babysitting (like seedlings) seedlings save you insane amounts of time and mental energy. Spinach and lettuce can self seed. I have been experimenting with direct fall planting as much as possible to save time in the spring.
- They have killed more plants than you will grow in your lifetime. That is how you figure out what works for your space. Having 2-3 varieties of each, means that when the weather does weird things, at least one will work. There will be losses each year. The smoke from fire season can affect our crops, as can heat or moisture. Hedge your bets with 2 different varieties.
- They will only add one or two new type of veggies per year to test out. They go into it knowing it may not work, and limit their learning curve. They also start small in testing. My new test this year is two types of Millet. Last year I was focused on medicinal herbs.
- They ask a lot of questions from other gardeners. They ask locally from people who have tested things in their specific climate. I have a few friends who have been market gardening for decades. Also, on slow days, ask the farmers at the farmers market for info.
- They accept that they can't grow it all. With insane amounts of resources and time you theoretically could grow anything anywhere, BUT is it really a level of investment you want to make? I am growing coffee and vanilla inside, but not big stuff like cinnamon, papaya or black pepper (as much as I want to).
There are just things that will be tough to grow where you live. Carrots are bizarrely hard in my area, but potatoes and spinach grow like weeds.
So, what is ONE new fruit or vegetable you want to try this year?
For those with over 15 years experience, what would you add to this list?
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Things gardeners with 10+ years of experience do...
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