Southern Spirit Hunters

Gardening => Gardeners Chat => Topic started by: barleychown on Dec 15, 2008, 03:25:52 PM

Title: The economy and gardening
Post by: barleychown on Dec 15, 2008, 03:25:52 PM
Has the economy changed the way you garden? Are you spending less or starting more from seed?


I am starting more from seed, and planting more edibles here. I plan to increase the amount of edibles each year, but I will always have blooms, too.  :grinnnn:
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: Tina on Dec 15, 2008, 05:30:51 PM
Due to personal economy and weather, I really haven't gardened in the last couple of years. Just struggled to keep the bare bones alive out there with varying amounts of successes and failures. When my life settles down a bit, I want to try more edibles  if I can protect them from the squirrels that really appreciate them too. I need to take out some trees to do that because I just don't get enough sunlight here. And if I plant outside the tree zone I can't protect them from the critters.
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: Tonya on Dec 15, 2008, 05:36:00 PM
Definitely planting more from seed and more edibles here. Flowers have fallen by the wayside until things look up.
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: duh on Dec 16, 2008, 06:03:05 AM
Since I just started gardening a few years ago I'm still evolving.  But I think the economy has had an affect on my plans.

This comming year is all about the veggie garden.  I've been laying down cardboard and leaf mulch so that it will be in pretty good shape for this spring.  I've already started egyptian walking onions out there and I'll be adding the radishes next.  Then will come the spring planting.  I also received my Awesome auger for the garden.  I really plan on giving that thing a work out. 

My neighbor says that digging a planting hole in the clay and amending just that is better than tilling up the area when you have a slope like mine.  So that's the plan.  I get so excited just thinking about planting. 
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: Penny on Dec 26, 2008, 09:15:31 PM
I want to do lots of tomatos and peppers, in fact the majority of my garden will be peppers and tomatos.
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: bestofour on Dec 26, 2008, 10:51:10 PM
I have tons of leaves so I've tried using them a few years to keep the weeds down over the winter but when I pull them back there has been some type of terrible ground cover weed stuff that I have to pull up. This year I may put down some cardboard.
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: Dianna on Dec 26, 2008, 11:04:36 PM
Cardboard works really well, Sheri. I use it in my flowerbeds and have noticed that the weeds that manage to come up are a whole lot easier to pull. :grinnnn: It decomposes fast, too. Try putting your leaves on top of the cardboard as mulch, then don't pull it back. Plant through it... :wink5:

I have been planting more from seeds but I don't have good luck on starting them in the house. I do better putting them straight in the ground outside or in baskets when it warms up. We do a veggie garden, too, that saves us money on produce. Sure tastes a lot better, too... :542:



Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: bestofour on Dec 27, 2008, 12:08:01 AM
Dianna, one year I started seeds indoors and it just about killed me getting them replanted outside.  That takes soooooo much time.  I found in our warm climate it works just as well for us to direct sow.

I'm gonna try your cardboard under the leaves and see what happens.  I've been told that it's oat grass that comes up around here no matter what I do.  It eventually burns itself out but it's hard to plant around without pulling it up.
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: duh on Dec 27, 2008, 06:45:49 AM
I definitely agree that tomatoes and peppers are on the list to plant.  I also want yellow and red onions and potatoes.  Those will need a half box to grow in so that I can pile loose soil and straw on top of them.  They would never grow in my clay, even with the awesome auger.  So I'm not sure they will get done this year.  I'll just do as I can.
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: bestofour on Dec 27, 2008, 06:52:39 PM
Tammy, potatoes grow in my red clay pretty well.  I just tiller it up and make the hills so the dirt doesn't pack down again.  With your tenacity I'll bet you'll have lots of potatoes whenever you want.
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: landofoz on Dec 27, 2008, 09:21:00 PM
I'm growing about what I normally grow.  KS really hasn't seen much, yet, by way of economic distress.  Besides, I only spend $35 a week on groceries, so growing anything makes a nice impact on the budget.
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: Penny on Dec 27, 2008, 09:47:18 PM
Thats good to hear Sarah that Kansas is doing ok, we are doing pretty good up here as well, and thankfully the line of work that Brad does, hasnt been affected.....thankfully!!
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: Triss on Dec 27, 2008, 10:13:38 PM
Sarah, it amazes me that even with a family of 4 you manage to shop for groceries for only $35 a week.
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: duh on Dec 28, 2008, 07:54:31 AM
I spend more than that for just one person.  I'd like to know how you manage it. 
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: bestofour on Dec 28, 2008, 02:50:34 PM
She must clip a lot of coupons.
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: Tonya on Dec 28, 2008, 02:58:56 PM
Coupons, and she makes a lot of things from scratch. That's always cheaper. $35 is way cheap, tho! We usually spend about $50-$60 a week for our 4. No coupons unless it is a really good one. I buy store brand everything. cereal(when I buy it), veggies, cleaning supplies(except my dish soap....must have DAWN It kills fleas on the dogs :ThumbUp: ), laundry soap, everything. We actually like the WalMart brand cheese better than Kraft.

Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: bestofour on Dec 28, 2008, 08:09:42 PM
I don't buy store brand.  I buy Tide and Hefty trash bags, dove soap.  It's what I've always used.  My oldest daughter just changed detergent from Tide and now her daughter is itching all over and she's narrowed it down to that change.  I hardly buy groceries though.  We don't eat at home a lot. 

$35.00 is great shopping though.  Shows what can be done with effort.
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: landofoz on Dec 28, 2008, 11:40:44 PM
Just so I'm not hijacking Sarah's thread, I posted my reply in it's own topic right here. (http://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/index.php/topic,2709.new.html#new)
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: duh on Dec 30, 2008, 08:31:32 AM
I was amazed at the local food lion.  They now sell big baking potatoes by the bag at a cost of 7.95 each.  It's a 5 pound bag but still.  So you can bet that the regular bags of potatoes don't have any good sized potatoes in them.  And they are still 4.95 for a 3 pound bag.  And canned veggies have doubled in the last year going from 1 to 2 dollars a can. 

So if I can freeze or can it, it is going in the garden.  I have to reduce costs. 
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: bestofour on Dec 30, 2008, 10:15:50 AM
duh, if you have a Harris-Teeter or somewhere you can get your produce you come out better.  At least I do.  I don't need a 5 lb bag of potatoes, especially baking potatoes, so I go to where I   can buy them separately.  It seems like it would cost more but in the end it's less.  I buy my fruit that way too.
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: Penny on Dec 30, 2008, 11:52:12 AM
I wish that i could spend that much on groceries, i shop every 2 weeks and spend around 400.00 every time  :shock: :shock:, alot of our cost is fresh fruits and veggies  :ThumbUp: and chicken....i must spend over 100.00 each time just on chicken alone  :shock:, and the cost of the fruit and veggies comes in at around 100.00 each time too  :cringe:, the other 200.00 is made up of the other things that we need, such as other meat, like pork, no one really eats beef, other then hamburger meat, in casseroles, and thats 4.00 per package here........once the girls are gone, then i know our bill will be slashed, but for the time being, thats what it is.,
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: Penny on Dec 30, 2008, 12:00:05 PM
Thats the other thing i do too, is everytime i shop, there are always good deals.......so i am stocking up on that stuff too, especially when its meat!!
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: duh on Dec 30, 2008, 03:40:31 PM
There isn't a Harris-Teeter in the area that I know of.  There are a number of farmers markets but they are more expensive than the grocery store and I can't afford to go there hoping that I can get a deal if the gas goes up 300% come harvest time.  That was crazy last year. 
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: Tina on Dec 30, 2008, 04:13:24 PM
I was amazed at the local food lion.  They now sell big baking potatoes by the bag at a cost of 7.95 each.  It's a 5 pound bag but still.  So you can bet that the regular bags of potatoes don't have any good sized potatoes in them.  And they are still 4.95 for a 3 pound bag.  And canned veggies have doubled in the last year going from 1 to 2 dollars a can. 

So if I can freeze or can it, it is going in the garden.  I have to reduce costs. 
Those are outrageous prices. I can still get a 10# bag of potatoes for under $4 and canned veggies for under $1. That would be available at most of our larger chain groceries.  And I have watched the prices rise with the gas prices as well.
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: Triss on Dec 30, 2008, 04:47:26 PM
I also get a $10 lb bag of potatoes for $3 at WM.  We probably go through 3-4 of those a month.  We all love potatoes.  We also get the HUGE bag of rice, I think 10 lbs, and keep in the freezer.  The last one I bought was the middle of November and we still have some left.  We probably have rice 3 times a week.
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: Tina on Dec 30, 2008, 06:35:44 PM
None of our WM are super stores so no fresh veggies or meat. But I do buy my eggs there regularly because their prices are so much better than the grocery stores. But the rest of my dairy comes from the other stores because of better prices.
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: bestofour on Dec 30, 2008, 10:48:35 PM
gosh Triss, that is a lot of potatoes.


Penny, when my girls were at home I spent a bunch of money on groceries because I cooked a lot.  I sent lunches to school and of course after school snacks.  It added up. 
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: Triss on Dec 31, 2008, 01:01:50 AM
I would need a huge garden to grow enough for our family to self sustain with.  Remember though we are feeding 8 and with all those boys sometimes it feels like 20, they can sure pack away the food and most of them are not even teens yet.
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: bestofour on Jan 01, 2009, 10:05:23 PM
you know Triss, people did it years ago.  They probably traded with others if they could.  I wonder what they ate if the garden didn't do well.
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: duh on Jan 02, 2009, 09:36:15 AM
hard tack and water?
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: Tonya on Jan 02, 2009, 09:41:49 AM
Biscuits and gravy and smoked/salt cured ham. When people were self sufficient with Gardens and animals, they always had(usually) potatoes, and some sort of pork, as welll as eggs and fresh chicken. I read somewhere where a millionaire was interviewed and said "If you want good food and lots of it- go to a poor man's house, if you want to starve- go to a rich man's house" My family (eastern TN) was very poor(outhouses, cardboard on the walls to keep the cold out, flour sack dresses, etc) and always ate well.
Bad garden years were cause for concern, but usually just meant they had to grow more and can more the next year.
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: Triss on Jan 02, 2009, 01:17:49 PM
Tonya is right, they did not live from just a garden.  And they did work together, people taking all of the produce from a successful harvest, gathering in a neighbors kitchen and canning enough for not just a family or a few gifts, but enough for a community.  Nothing ever went to waste back then. 

And people helped each other, for example, a young mother helped to feed the old woman could not work in the gardens, in turn the older women made quilts and watched the children of the mother so she could work the gardens.
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: barleychown on Jan 02, 2009, 01:30:14 PM
And yet that way of life died, for the most part. If only it had persisted...everyone had a place, every life had value. The old woman may be frail, but she has a wealth of knowledge, and can still do things for the benefit of the family. The old man has seen his share of tragedies and triumphs, and can help the young man through them. The young girls can prep the food to be cooked and canned, while learning the how's and why's from the mother...


I was born it the wrong era. :eek:
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: Tonya on Jan 02, 2009, 02:04:36 PM
And yet that way of life died, for the most part. If only it had persisted...everyone had a place, every life had value. The old woman may be frail, but she has a wealth of knowledge, and can still do things for the benefit of the family. The old man has seen his share of tragedies and triumphs, and can help the young man through them. The young girls can prep the food to be cooked and canned, while learning the how's and why's from the mother...


I was born it the wrong era. :eek:
That way of life is not completely dead, Sarah! It lives on in you and I and others like us. I am lucky to have a neighbor like I do that teaches Doug and I so much about everything. If it were not for him- we would be sunk...

As long as we help each other and pass along the knowledge we have- it will never die. :ThumbUp:
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: Triss on Jan 02, 2009, 02:42:31 PM
You and I both Sarah.  I think I would have loved to live in that time, hard as life might have been.
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: barleychown on Jan 02, 2009, 03:02:59 PM
Tonya, it does live on in a select few, but when the community around you is so me-oriented, to the point that the simple sound of a chicken talking softly, not even being loud, can inflame a neighbor to the point of calling the city managers and police to complain, it's pretty impossible to even imagine a community that would come together to help one another.

That is the life I speak of...a time when we helped one another, instead of only ourselves.
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: Tonya on Jan 02, 2009, 03:11:54 PM
You are right Sarah! I am fortunate to live in a community where that way of life has not completely died off. All of my neighbors are wonderful and share their gardens, meats(fish and the like), and knowledge. I guess sometimes I forget that not everyone has that. I am truly blessed with the nieghbors I have!

Forgot to add- My elderly neighbor woman loves my chickens(Thank God!) and hates when I have to "lock them up" come spring gardening season. She loves watching them interact with each other. There are some serious advantages to living in the middle of nowhere! :ThumbUp:
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: barleychown on Jan 02, 2009, 03:20:00 PM
You are very lucky indeed, Tonya.  :grinnnn: Mike and I are seriously weighing the pros and cons of moving farther out into the country. So far, there seem to be more pros. I think once the girls have moved out we will be moving once again, despite the fact that I said never again.

For now, I'll enjoy the animals I have, and work on other skills, like canning and cheese making. So far, so good.  :ThumbUp:

This spring, I'll be putting in a bigger garden, and focusing on growing a wider variety of crops. And I'll be doing my best to make sure nothing goes to waste.  :grinnnn: Although, finding something to do with 100 pounds of green tomatoes can be challenging.  :giggle:
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: duh on Jan 03, 2009, 08:05:36 AM
I am lucky in my neighbors.  They always bring me over surplus veggies.  I do the sour dough bread for right now.  And I helped them with building their shed.  I may not have been a great help but I did what I could.  He's going to see if he can do anything about my car when it comes close to inspection time.  It would be nice if I could keep it one more year.
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: bestofour on Jan 03, 2009, 10:32:35 PM
that's great you have nice neighbors.
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: Lefse on Jan 05, 2009, 03:23:23 AM
Had one of my next door neighbors ask if I wanted to use their back yard "ex-garden" area next summer. Couple old raised beds, some level ground that has been left to itself for a few years. Totally doubles my garden area. Give part of harvest for "rent".  :ThumbUp: Has more sun than mine for the better part. I need to can and freeze more next year. In my "spare time" of course.  :laughmao:
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: Tonya on Jan 05, 2009, 08:01:36 AM
In my "spare time" of course.  :laughmao:
:giggle: What's that?? :giggle:
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: duh on Jan 05, 2009, 08:05:49 AM
Good deal Lefse
Title: Re: The economy and gardening
Post by: Triss on Jan 05, 2009, 11:39:57 AM
Awesome deal lefse.  You sure are going to have fun with that.
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