Home Gardening & Food Production

[jda303]

I planted a home garden this year for the first time and most of my plants seem to be doing well so far. My plot is about 12 ft. by 12 ft. and I have planted the following:

5 beefeater tomato plants
5 Roma tomato plants
5 jalapeno pepper plants
5 bell pepper plants
5 zucchini plants
5 squash plants
5 cucumber plants
5 broccoli plants
3 bean plants
1 spinach plant
1 fennel plant
7 onion plants
3 garlic bulbs

Once these plants have yielded their fruit for the season, are there other plants that I can plant that will produce fruit at a later time. Also, are there any low/no maintenance plants that I can plant around my yard that may be useful. I have a small herb garden with basil, dill, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and sage.

Also, I just started reading up on raising rabbits. I haven't decided on this yet. I plan on doing some research and posting here. However, I'm sure there are many of you who are seasoned gardeners that may want to contribute your wisdom.

[Shayna]

I have no advice to offer, as I am a newbie gardener myself. However, your post gives me a lot of hope!

I don't have much room, but you sure have a lot planted in a relatively small space. Way to go!!!!

Also, please tell me more about planting garlic, that is something I had not thought of...?

[BeNotAfraid]

I planted a home garden this year for the first time and most of my plants seem to be doing well so far. My plot is about 12 ft. by 12 ft. and I have planted the following:

5 beefeater tomato plants
5 Roma tomato plants
5 jalapeno pepper plants
5 bell pepper plants
5 zucchini plants
5 squash plants
5 cucumber plants
5 broccoli plants
3 bean plants
1 spinach plant
1 fennel plant
7 onion plants
3 garlic bulbs

Once these plants have yielded their fruit for the season, are there other plants that I can plant that will produce fruit at a later time. Also, are there any low/no maintenance plants that I can plant around my yard that may be useful. I have a small herb garden with basil, dill, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and sage.

Also, I just started reading up on raising rabbits. I haven't decided on this yet. I plan on doing some research and posting here. However, I'm sure there are many of you who are seasoned gardeners that may want to contribute your wisdom.

You could replant your tomatoes if you're in the south. Pole beans and such should still do well as it gets cooler. Beets, swiss chard, kale, greens (collards, mustard, etc...), turnips, cabbage, lettuce, peas, radishes. You could also think about winter squash (acorn, butternut...), pumpkins...Might still have time for some of the melon varieties, carrots, potatoes...Maybe replant the broccoli?

Just experiment, it can't hurt! We thought we would be moving this summer so we did not plant a spring garden. Now it looks like we could be here awhile so we just tilled yesterday for a summer garden. I'm in TN and we are frost-free through most of October so I'm confident I can still get a pretty good yield!

I'm also looking at rabbits because I live in suburbia, but I honestly don't think I could kill one unless I was seriously starving.

[FarmBoy]

Get yourself a copy of square foot gardening. Not only does it show you how to get the most produce from a small area but hits on your questions about early/late crops and first/second planting

[icebear]

we have a fairly decent gardening thread going on in the Wimmin's forum :)

there's also a thread on canning in there so you can study up on long-term storage of your summer's produce.

[Adoration]

I'm also looking at rabbits because I live in suburbia, but I honestly don't think I could kill one unless I was seriously starving.

I have a garden as well, and it's producing nicely. And I'm also considering rabbits and chickens. Maybe a goat if times really get bad.

My hubby thinks I've really lost it (in a nice way:heh), but he's not researching what's going on in the world like we are here at RR. So, I figure better to have a plan laid out, and NOT have to use it, then to let all these famines and shortages catch up with you and be stumped.

[FarmBoy]

We had them on the farm when I was a kid. Great pets, great milk producers.
Eat way less than a cow. The only "problem" is the low-fat milk makes butter making almost impossible.

[deanne53]

Some varities of garlic has to be planted in the fall and harvested in spring.

Peas can be planted late, turnips, mustard greens in our area can be planted in Aug.

What are you going to do with all that zucchini ? ( preserving)

[Katrina]

:whayour vine plants are rapidly going to outgrow the area you have assigned. Be prepared to train them by moving them in the direction you plan for them to spread...and they will spread out. You may be harvesting your items out in the lawn

[jda303]

The cucumbers, zucchini & squash look like they want to take over. Those three plants should yield before any of the others. Is there any way to thin them out after harvest?