Your Questions About Gardening

GardenersCardiff answers:

Any state that has sun, rain and good soil! They ALL have potential. You only need adjust what kinds of food you grow. There are foods you can grow in florida that you can’t grow in Minnesota, and vica-versa. But you can grow lots of your own foods, wherever you are.

GardenersCardiff answers:

The more people that grow there own food the less big agriculture has to and that means less fuel to run the big tractors,less fuel to get the food to market,less energy expended on manufacturing the food like canning or freezing,etc.and that all boils down to less pollution.There is also the added benefit to the person growing the food of more fresh air and eating very fresh food which in turn will make for healthier people and less trips to the Dr. Thus saving some more fuel.And that is just the tip of the iceburg.

GardenersCardiff answers:

Corn is not an easy thing for a first or even second year gardener. It has to have much cross pollenating and it really strips out the nutrients from the soil. Don’t even attempt.

We have had a garden every year since we married 36 yrs ago. We have lived all over the state of Texas. It is so easy to grow cabbage and broccoli we have feasted on ours several times this winter already…planted last fall. Lettuce is in the ground now, onions since October but not ready yet, tomatoes, okra which would make a very tasty fence type border, squashes, cucumbers. All above are easily grown.

In South Texas we can grow okra and tomatos until December and one year had it until end of January. A good book to use for any one is the Farmers Almanac, much useful info there. If you have a radio station with a local garden show or with Neil Sperry, he is great. I think he maybe on line too.

Get you a good book, try to stay organic for the soil’s sake. Also make a friend or two at the nursery where you can purchase quality plants and seed. Pick their brains about soil preparation which is so very important. Use naturals soil additions like calcium carbonate to keep blossom end rot at bay. It is absorbed into the plant and you enjoy the benefit of calicum enrichment.

If you have a friend with a ranch or horse lot, ask for some of the composted manure to work into your new soil. That is what the cattle or horses have broken down by walking on over and over and then adding their “duty” to it if you know what I mean. They are usually supplemented with mineral licks, and what is not absorbed by the animal comes out…great soil additive for lightening and enriching. When watered, then the nutrients return to our be absorbed in garden veggies and fruits.

Good luck.