My Methods

I will be using unconventional methods. Minor Seed Saving on select plants - , not on all plants. (Because shoot bagging an entire crop is hard , while shoot bagging a single row is easier). Square inch Gardening - I may use less space than is normally recommended , it inhibits weeds naturally , utilizing soil space as needed and providing moisture preservation through shading. Companion planting / Monoculture - I will combine plants in a fashion I find most natural to the plant its self using Companion planting. Non Traditional Rowing - I will use non traditional plantings , not in rows so much as waves. I heard that plants don't like being in rows , would YOU feel natural if you were made to stand in line all day. It has no basis other than my own assumptions and some hypothetical ideas about "edge effect". Organic - Not because it's fad-tabulouse , but because its how nature intended. I personally believe that nature intended for the weakness to strengthen the gene pool. No extra money on fertilizers , weed killers , insect killers. No Chemicals. This does not exclude crop rotation , green manuring , and time tested / historical rotation periods. I may also use organic source fertilizers such as fish emulsion , compost teas , eggshells , animal waste . I decided to go with the old methods , they worked for the ancient races , and I am sure still works today. Minimal weeding. - I don't like doing it. I may weed obvious things like burdock , goosefoot , or sheep sorrel because their roots emit poisons that can kill the plants that live around it. , most of the time I just smother weeds , let them grow if they are a harmless wheat or grass. I think that my plants seem all the better for doing it in such a fashion. Because it tends to conceal from predators and allows for natural wildlife to continue around it. Example , which looks tastier to a rabbit , a neat row or cabbages , or cabbages spread out between other plants ? Rabbits may not be smart , but they DO KNOW whats easier to get. The same goes for deer & ground squirrel and groundhog. Pest control - Well , I may not use poisons but I do use ground red pepper , my gun (rabbits are both tasty and shy away from loud noises) , and my cats. I compost - but not so very intensely as some do , my scraps go in a pile , i turn it on occasion , but I know it takes time. Its mostly useless to the garden as of yet. I buy compost - for 10$ a Ton ( literally , sometimes 10$ for 2 Tons) from my local dump , it is a by product of food mostly leaf mulch and tree cuttings . I mulch - I can get mulch for free in ton quantity for half the year , I can get wood shaving year round from my husbands wood-shop . I SOME raised beds - for root vegetables that need soft soil to form well. I tell my plants my intentions - it may border on weird , but honestly I do talk to them , I tell my plants that I want them to live out their lives happily , and honestly that is the truth. Some of them I want to live out their full natural lives and I will preserve their offspring to live as well. (Seeds). It may be weird , but it seems to have a very real effect on how a plant grows.