Here's what I've got so far

[chuckwood]

I've planted a big one this year. 4 long rows of taters. 2 long rows of leeks just put in. Got cabbage, brocolli, onions, carrots, garlic, tomatoes, corn planted with pole beans. I'm mulching as usual with leaves, lots of work with the pitchfork. I use the front end loader to load a small trailer with mulch. Then I use a 4 wheeler to pull the trailer up and down the rows, and I mulch in between the rows. This keeps the soil cool and wet. The leaves rot and continually richen the soil. [/ATTACH]

 

[Marshy]

Wish I could find the time this year to do the same.

Nice garden man.

 

[tbow388]

That looks really good.

 

[chuckwood]

Wish I could find the time this year to do the same.

For a big garden, you really can't have a nine to five job, it just won't work out unless you hire help with it or have kids you can force into slavery. The parts I don't like is where you spend hours on your hands and knees pulling weeds out of areas just next to your plants where you can't hoe or till. I also don't like spending entire blocks of days freezing and canning. The payoff comes in much better health. You know exactly what's in and on your food, and you'll have the very best quality available, guaranteed. Organically grown potatoes are sometimes difficult to find and very expensive. One big supermarket chain here routinely charges up to three dollars a pound for 'em. I grow all my own and store them in bushel baskets, cool and dark and covered with pickling lime. Don't wash them first, store them dirty. The pickling lime prevents decay from starting and ruining the whole bushel - they'll keep that way for months. Then I can the rest of the taters. Canning taters is work, but then in winter and spring I've got lots of taters for making beans and taters - I could live on just that if I had to. There's plenty of protein and carbs in that combination, it'll fill you up and all the meat you'll need is some bacon thrown in for good flavor.

 

[Marshy]

Very nice, I feel the same way. Unfortunately having two kids ages 2 yrs and 8 months does not afford me the time to garden this year. It's enough of a challenge getting next year firewood cut and keeping the landscape proper. Maybe next year will be a bit better. Until then we'll buy our produce at the local farmers market.