I'm finding gardening isn't so cheap to jump right into. Not for the frugal. In addition, it turns out you put out all the effort, but the the local forest creatures are at liberty to snack on whatever they want, right down to the mulch. Prior to raising the fence height, deer lopped off nearly tomato and bean plant tops- groundhogs and other vermin yanked out the bottoms. Birds are on full alert 24/7.
I could spend a hundred and fifty bucks on Japanese beetle traps- and that's just to "contain" their consumption of my bounty. You need to locate them 30 ft downwind of your garden. You want to intercept the ones flying into the wind. I guess they're the strongest and have the heartiest appetites. Bring the traps in at night. Change the bags every 3-5 days. Watch for rain. Be alert for strong winds and nocturnal animals, which could tear the traps up.
A couple hundred spent on fencing and bird screening. Topsoil, raised bed lumber, mulch, tools, seeds, plastic owls, rubber snakes, scarecrows and row covers adds a couple hundred more.
Forget about the irrigation system.
In addition, you need to have a degree in botany, entomology and chemistry- or live near a wise, old farmer. Need to identify plant diseases and correctly identify pests in their various stages- along with their eating, sleeping and methods of reproduction. Bring a magnifying glass. carefully search under the leaves, but not when they're wet and preferably between the hours of 5 -7 pm when the moon is in its new phase and the temperature is above 70 degrees. Check for eggs, larvae, pupae, and droppings of three hundred and thirty three possible culprits and causes of yellowing or chomped leaves.
I think these have infested the corn
planetnatural.com
Wish I had known about the timing of unleashing the predator insects
You can plant broccoli next to tomatoes, but not next to corn. If your beans are of the bush variety and your soil is high Ph, you can
You really only get one chance to do it all right, as the growing season usually limits to one planting
Supermarkets still have the edge. When it's all said and done, I'll probably get to have one sparingly dressed salad, three ears of corn, and a single to share amongst the four of us at a cost of $486.00 and some 150 hours of hard labor |
