Growing your own vegetables

mm84321 · Mar 17, 2011

Originally Posted by impolyt_one

I know you guys have whole foods n' **** with the 5 different kinds of radishes already, but to me, nothing beats having tons of awesome, crispy, spicy radishes and daikons in the summer. Awesome with bagna cauda, etc. I'd have white icicles, the red and white icicles, red and pink small radishes, watermelon daikon, white daikon, kabu (Japanese turnips), kohlrabi....
This is also sort of the reason I'd like to do a garden: to grow some rare varieties that you can't find at Whole Foods. It took me forever to hunt down some watermelon radishes at farmer's markets last year. Can anyone recommend a good site that I can buy seeds from? I think I'm going to be doing raised beds, not too high though, as to be overly conspicuous. Something like this is what I have in mind, only spaced a foot or two further apart with gravel or a belgian block between.:

StephenHero · Mar 17, 2011

Is it hard to make a cost effective garden compared to grocery store prices? I read about some guy that was mad about expensive tomatoes so he grew his own and ended up spending something like $40 per tomato between dirt, stalks, cages, fertilizer, water, pest control, etc.

foodguy · Mar 17, 2011

you don't do this to save money, generally. by the time you factor in your labor and everything else, i'm pretty sure farmers markets would be a better deal and supermarkets would be even better (though generally sh&ttier). it's a combination of do-it-yourself, plus the ability to choose what you like and grow some things that are non-mainstream.

Dakota rube · Mar 17, 2011

Originally Posted by StephenHero

Is it hard to make a cost effective garden compared to grocery store prices? I read about some guy that was mad about expensive tomatoes so he grew his own and ended up spending something like $40 per tomato between dirt, stalks, cages, fertilizer, water, pest control, etc.
Don't even try to factor in your time.

Gardening is a lot of work. edit: I see russ beat me to the "labor" punch.

impolyt_one · Mar 17, 2011

That, plus having some of this stuff out your back door ready to snip and pic right before dinner is great. Dont have to drive to buy three items at the supermarket, you have your Italian parsley and basil right there. My grandfather pretty much refuses to eat some vegetables unless they're at the absolute height of freshness- as in, corn picked within the last 30 minutes, before the sugars start to transform. Guy goes to the supermarket, picks through the produce section, bitches about everything, leaves with not much bought.
I just like not having to drive to get food, when it's something as simple as herbs or a single pepper for guacamole or a small head of parsley or cilantro.

Nosu3 · Mar 17, 2011

My soil contains a lot of clay. I might do raised beds but i was just going to dig it out and replace with proper soil instead.

Be sure your seeds are organic for the best growth.

mm84321 · Mar 17, 2011

Originally Posted by impolyt_one

That, plus having some of this stuff out your back door ready to snip and pic right before dinner is great. Dont have to drive to buy three items at the supermarket, you have your Italian parsley and basil right there. My grandfather pretty much refuses to eat some vegetables unless they're at the absolute height of freshness- as in, corn picked within the last 30 minutes, before the sugars start to transform. Guy goes to the supermarket, picks through the produce section, bitches about everything, leaves with not much bought. I just like not having to drive to get food, when it's something as simple as herbs or a single pepper for guacamole or a small head of parsley or cilantro.
Yes. Buying a whole bunch of herbs at the market when I only need a tablespoon-minced worth is very annoying. I have several bunches of herbs just sitting in my fridge now that I am, essentially, racing against the clock to use before they go bad.

foodguy · Mar 17, 2011

herbs are a little bit different, depending on where you live. here in southern california, the mediterranean herbs -- rosemary, lavendar, thyme, etc. -- grow without encouragement, and so it's kind of crazy not to have at least a small herb garden if you like to cook. i've got a rosemary bush in my backyard that i planted out of a 3-inch pot that now is about 6-feet wide. and it's in a place where it gets absolutely no water. the biggest thing is keeping it cut back.

Nosu3 · Mar 17, 2011

where do you source your organic soil from (US)?

edinatlanta · Mar 17, 2011

Originally Posted by Nosu3

where do you source your organic soil from (US)?

stop it uve jumped the shark as a troll

mm84321 · Mar 17, 2011

Originally Posted by foodguy

herbs are a little bit different, depending on where you live. here in southern california, the mediterranean herbs -- rosemary, lavendar, thyme, etc. -- grow without encouragement, and so it's kind of crazy not to have at least a small herb garden if you like to cook. i've got a rosemary bush in my backyard that i planted out of a 3-inch pot that now is about 6-feet wide. and it's in a place where it gets absolutely no water. the biggest thing is keeping it cut back.

I was told by someone to grow my herbs in the front yard, where I get much more direct sunlight throughout the day. I'd like to be able to do it all in one location, but I suppose that for the best results I will have to plan accordingly.

Nil · Mar 17, 2011

Originally Posted by foodguy

herbs are a little bit different, depending on where you live. here in southern california, the mediterranean herbs -- rosemary, lavendar, thyme, etc. -- grow without encouragement, and so it's kind of crazy not to have at least a small herb garden if you like to cook. i've got a rosemary bush in my backyard that i planted out of a 3-inch pot that now is about 6-feet wide. and it's in a place where it gets absolutely no water. the biggest thing is keeping it cut back.

I'm in Minnesota and those herbs grow like crazy in my yard also. Probably not quite as fast as yours, but way more than I can use.

foodguy · Mar 17, 2011

Originally Posted by mm84321

I was told by someone to grow my herbs in the front yard, where I get much more direct sunlight throughout the day. I'd like to be able to do it all in one location, but I suppose that for the best results I will have to plan accordingly.

there are a couple of really good books about working edibles into landscaping. herbs are a natural, of course. artichokes, as we mentioned before ... tehre's lots that can be done if you stop thinking of vegetable plants as utilitarian. check out a woman named rosalind creasy.

StephenHero · Mar 17, 2011

I tried growing some herbs. The woody herbs like rosemary, thyme, and oregano were easy, but the cilantro, parsley, and chives were disastrous.

otc · Mar 17, 2011

Originally Posted by SField

Whole Foods no longer carries these great San Marzano canned tomatoes... best they have now is Muir Glenn which can be highly disappointing.

Treasure Islands should all carry them (for less money than whole foods too).

Growing your own vegetables

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