Survival Seed ... more bang for your $$$$

Well, lets see...I grow enough vegetation using SFG to feed my family veggies, SUBSTANTIAL veggies from a total of 128 SF of garden, plus a couple of old tires converted into strawberry beds. So, YMMV. I grow high yeild vegetation in the summer, cukes, tomatoes, berries, carrots, eggplants, squash, you get the picture. High return on a single square foot. In the winter I swap out for peas, cabbage, kale, lettuce, brussel sprouts, parsnips, etc. I experimented with Potatoes this last year but I was not satisfied with the results, so I will be growing those in garbage cans on my patio. Same soil mix.

As to the cost and availability of coarse vermiculite. Yes, it is expensive. Yes, it may be hard to find in a big box store --but it from a local nursery. It is, however a one time buy, as is the compressed peat moss. You should be generating your own compost and that is all you add. One garden trowel of compost to each square foot prior to planting.

My other up side? Quite literally no weeding. There are NO weed seeds in the soil mix. The ones that birds drop or that float in on the breeze and take root are spotted and removed as soon as they show. I think I pulled 20 total weeds all year last year.

This all being said, and being a Miami native living in Houston, I can unequivocally say the drainage in a square foot garden staggers the imagination. We had 3.5 inches of rain a week ago. My yard flooded, I had 4 inches of standing water from ground level. My garden was literally UNTOUCHED. The soil mix HOLDS moisture in hot, dry summers, and it allows excess water to drain off quickly. Also, living this past year through the worst drought in a decade in Texas, I can say 10 minutes of watering every three days or so with a very simple "pound of rain" sprinkler was all I needed.

Trellising the vine plants and tomatoes with steel conduit is a MUST. My watermelons (Star and Moon) got up to almost 30 pounds.

Good luck with your endeavor!

 

Sounds like a nice tax free income to me if you can sell it fast enough.

 

Got to have a market wanting it. Right now, I just pile it up in my compost bins, adding my standard mix of brown/green and let it cook down to black gold...

 

ItalianGator, how are the raised beds doing this year? i have 6 each 5 foot dia. round kid pools i plan to place on tables and garden in. i have not worked out the soil mix yet but i do want the " weed free" start. i live in middle florida and know about weeds. thanks for any help-----i know its takes time to think and type-post.

 

Great thread started by @tacmotusn. I am going to price some of these to see how much of a change in price plus it is a good list for gardening.

Also like @john316's mention of growing in a kiddie pool. I think if you have really bad soil and wanted to plant anything but root veggies you could place it ground level and grow. Interesting idea.

 

Heirloom.... Sigh.... Most of the companies just use that title...

Good standard seed companies like
Burpee Mobile Home Page
Or
Seed Catalog, Garden Seeds, Fruit Trees, Vegetable Seeds, Strawberry plants, Vegetable Plants and More - Gurney's Seed and Nursery

Now you do have to shop a bit and don't get hybrid seeds but these companies have been in business a long time and clearly label their seeds.... Order a free catalog from them.. It will make you drool

 

Try this site Seed Savers Exchange - Organic, Heirloom Garden Seed Info & Store .