Victory Gardens
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Reading article "Victory Gardens" - Reply to this / 1 comment(s)
Victory Garden Comeback
Back in the 1940s Victory gardens were created not because of the victory over the war in Europe. But because fruits and veggies for the larger farms were being shipped to KPs overseas an in the US so veggies were scare. Besides food coupons didn’t cover that much. Most relying on the staples of the day.
What emerged was a thing called victory gardens. Created on fire escapes, small plots of land, coffee cans on stoops, small budding gardens rose up.
As food became plentiful and new farms began people stopped making the most from what they had.
But, in today's fever for something to call there own a small bright spot. We can see a renewed trend in flower boxes, potted plant gardens, potted trees showing up on fire escape, stoops and small plots again.
Many on food stamps did not know that they can get food seeds, but if they did they wouldn't know where to start. Even 1 cucumber from free seeds saves 75 cents on a food stamp card in the summer.
Regardless if you are food stamps or low income or just want something that is useful and pretty, we can begin with the basics.
To grow a garden in a minimum of space you need a few things. First a good assortment of coffee cans, a few marbles or broken plate, plastic oversized lids for drip trays, 1 good sized bag Hyponex dirt, Miracle grow, seeds and a sunny spot, and plastic wrap.
Fast growing seeds are best for this project. A Large size coffee can, cut milk jug, old roasting pan; you will need to punch a few holes in the bottom of whatever container you are using. If you are using a coffeepot, have someone with a drill make a hole in the bottom for you. If it has a crack that’s fine. You want the water to be able to flow through.
Place your container on a plastic lipped plate, cover or aluminum pie/cake plate. You don’t want your water leaking on your floor.
After making holes in your container, place a handful of marbles in the bottom. Broken pieces of plate, gravel if you can find it, anything to leave air space on the bottom and allow water to drain away instead of pool. Next place dirt about 1/3 full in the container. Sprinkle some miracle grow on this layer. Place another layer of dirt that makes it a little bit more full and sprinkle a little miracle grow, fluff with fork and fill the rest of the way with dirt.
Now your seeds.
Fast growing seeds are best: to try and get your hand at it.
Cucumber
Yellow squash
Pumpkin
Radish
Watermelon
Green beans bush style not runner
These are fast growing and require little effort and a nice drink of water every other day.
Plant seeds around the edge and a few in the middle. After panting seeds give it a nice light drink of water. Cover with plastic wrap that has a few small holes in it and set near a sunny window. IN a few days you will have small plants starting to grow. When you see these little green buds come up. Loosen plastic and place a pencil so that the plastic looks more like a tent than a tight cover. When these plants are a bit bigger, remove plastic and set at the sunny window, turning the container so that all plants receive sunshine.
According t package directions plants can mature and grow in a certain number of days. You have 30 day cucumbers 45 day melons and so forth. IN about three weeks you will see flowers and then when the flowers fall off you will have miniature varieties of the food you will be eating.
Keep the plants healthy by watering and keeping soil moist not sopping wet and feed it one a week with a diluted miracle grow according to package directions.
During the entire summer you can eat and grow more, The more cans or containers the more you can have. Radishes can grow up until December indoors with a pot as well!
So you see there is really no need for expensive equipment or a lot f fancy things. A fork makes a great aerator hoe, and a spoon makes a great shovel.
Enjoy!
Reply to this
Victory Garden Comeback
Back in the 1940s Victory gardens were created not because of the victory over the war in Europe. But because fruits and veggies for the larger farms were being shipped to KPs overseas an in the US so veggies were scare. Besides food coupons didn’t cover that much. Most relying on the staples of the day.
What emerged was a thing called victory gardens. Created on fire escapes, small plots of land, coffee cans on stoops, small budding gardens rose up.
As food became plentiful and new farms began people stopped making the most from what they had.
But, in today's fever for something to call there own a small bright spot. We can see a renewed trend in flower boxes, potted plant gardens, potted trees showing up on fire escape, stoops and small plots again.
Many on food stamps did not know that they can get food seeds, but if they did they wouldn't know where to start. Even 1 cucumber from free seeds saves 75 cents on a food stamp card in the summer.
Regardless if you are food stamps or low income or just want something that is useful and pretty, we can begin with the basics.
To grow a garden in a minimum of space you need a few things. First a good assortment of coffee cans, a few marbles or broken plate, plastic oversized lids for drip trays, 1 good sized bag Hyponex dirt, Miracle grow, seeds and a sunny spot, and plastic wrap.
Fast growing seeds are best for this project. A Large size coffee can, cut milk jug, old roasting pan; you will need to punch a few holes in the bottom of whatever container you are using. If you are using a coffeepot, have someone with a drill make a hole in the bottom for you. If it has a crack that’s fine. You want the water to be able to flow through.
Place your container on a plastic lipped plate, cover or aluminum pie/cake plate. You don’t want your water leaking on your floor.
After making holes in your container, place a handful of marbles in the bottom. Broken pieces of plate, gravel if you can find it, anything to leave air space on the bottom and allow water to drain away instead of pool. Next place dirt about 1/3 full in the container. Sprinkle some miracle grow on this layer. Place another layer of dirt that makes it a little bit more full and sprinkle a little miracle grow, fluff with fork and fill the rest of the way with dirt.
Now your seeds.
Fast growing seeds are best: to try and get your hand at it.
Cucumber
Yellow squash
Pumpkin
Radish
Watermelon
Green beans bush style not runner
These are fast growing and require little effort and a nice drink of water every other day.
Plant seeds around the edge and a few in the middle. After panting seeds give it a nice light drink of water. Cover with plastic wrap that has a few small holes in it and set near a sunny window. IN a few days you will have small plants starting to grow. When you see these little green buds come up. Loosen plastic and place a pencil so that the plastic looks more like a tent than a tight cover. When these plants are a bit bigger, remove plastic and set at the sunny window, turning the container so that all plants receive sunshine.
According t package directions plants can mature and grow in a certain number of days. You have 30 day cucumbers 45 day melons and so forth. IN about three weeks you will see flowers and then when the flowers fall off you will have miniature varieties of the food you will be eating.
Keep the plants healthy by watering and keeping soil moist not sopping wet and feed it one a week with a diluted miracle grow according to package directions.
During the entire summer you can eat and grow more, The more cans or containers the more you can have. Radishes can grow up until December indoors with a pot as well!
So you see there is really no need for expensive equipment or a lot f fancy things. A fork makes a great aerator hoe, and a spoon makes a great shovel.
Enjoy!
Reply to this
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My grandad had an Anderson shelter inthe 2nd world war and grew vegetables, probably on a victory garden scale. SO thank you for reminding me about that.
He used grew salad type vegetables in later life. Even my mother talked of the times when they had an allotment and as a young girl he used to let her keep the money she made selling off surplus produce from their horse and cart!
Can't imagine some of today's children getting the same buzz out of selling vegetables they'd grown, or would they? I'm imaginging a scenario where even the most resistant group of young people could eventually learn valuable lessons from growing their own vegetables to eat or sell.
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