Layering

I cant Speak for everyone , but for me I try to recreate the natural environs with my garden. I trult believe that both humans and plants prosper in a more "Natural" Setting. For me Part of that was the anhilation of rows. Plants grow better without structure in my opinion (note it as opinion , not fact) . When I plant I really think about how to layer things in the Garden. Here is an example. Swiss Chard has a few companion plants. I want to optimize how I place these. So that I optimize my apce , and my sun exposure. You have to think about light exsposure when you plan these placements. Chard Companions are Beans , cabbage & onion. Possible placements would be as follows Beans are tallest , chard is second tallest , cabbage or onion are smaller than chard. If sun was coming from the right it would penetrate to all  , but if sun were to come from the left the beans would block the chard , cabbage & onions light. If there were no beans the chard would still black the cabbage & onion light. By layering these thing close enough together they can block out weeds and conserve soil moisture.

Naturtium .08¢

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13984968@N02/ This photo will be replaced when my own plant comes to maturity.  NOTE : Do not fertilize if you want flowers or seed. Nasturtium, Mastuerzo Tropaeolum majus Seed : RH*1 .  Value : 1.95 / 25  = Aprx  .8¢ Ea Full Cycle : 10-14 Days + (Variable) , Height : 6-12 in Traditional Spacing : 6-9 in     Closer : 1-3 in  Light : Full Sun  / Partial     Water : Avg Start : In / Out (Direct Preffered) Flowers : Summer / Fall Seed Saving : Bag When Near Rip , Pods will pop Dramatically Dry & Remove from Pod - Will Cross Pollinate w/ other varieties , either seclude or let run wild Harvest Method : Come & Come Again , Cut & Run =============== Nutrition : Magnesium ,Iron Cooking : Raw Preservation : Dehydrated , Pickled (Immature Seed Pods) , Crystallized (Flowers) Store Price : Frozen St Price : Dried St Price : SIngle Plant Yield : Yield Value : ======================================= Companions : Tomatoes , Cabbage , Cucucmnbers Enemies : Cauliflower ===== Height Placements (L=Tallest , R - Shortest) : *1 See Seed Sources *To Better Understand the Sidebar Images Please Refer to Cycles -->

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Bright Lights Chard >.01¢ Ea

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gringod/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
This photo will be replaced when my own plant comes to maturity.

Swiss Chard, Seakale Beet Beta vulgaris var. cicla 'Bright Lights' Seed : Common*1 .  Value : 1.98 / 60 = Aprx  .3¢ Ea  MONOCOTYLEDON*2  >.01¢ Ea. Full Cycle : 90 D Height : 12-24 in  (1-2ft) Traditional Spacing : 9 - 12 in     Closer : (1 Small Hand  width) 5-6 in  Light : Full Sun       Water : Avg Start : In / Out Flowers : Fall Seed Saving : Bag Seed Heads to Collect  - Will Cross Pollinate with Beets , Must be Bagged for Isolation Harvest Method : Come & Come Again , Cut & Run =============== Nutrition : Magnesium ,Iron Cooking : Raw , Sauteed , Steamed , Braised , Roasted Preservation : Freezing , Canning , Dehydrating Store Price : Frozen St Price : Dried St Price : SIngle Plant Yield : Yield Value : ======================================= Companions : Beans , Cabbage  , Onion Enemies : =====  Height Placements (L=Tallest , R - Shortest) : *1 See Seed Sources *2 MONOCOTYLEDON - More Than 1 Plant Per Seed*To Better Understand the Sidebar Images Please Refer to Cycles -->

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Understanding The Plants Life Cycle

To the Right you can see a number of Icons . I will be using these Icons to Identify  how far I have personally proofed the information I have about each highlighted plant. The first Icon is seed starting , whether inside or outside The Second Icon is Sprouting Straight out the seed stage The Third Icon is Vegetative Stage , where leaves grow , but is not quite ripe for usage The Fourth Stage is blooming (not all Plants do this) The Fifth Stage is Fruiting (not all plants do this) The 6th Stage is Seed Saving The 7th Stage is Cooking The 8th Stage is Preservation Every time I pass a stage I will make sure it has a check-mark *To Better Understand the Sidebar Images Please Refer to Cycles -->

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List of Seeds

Vegetable                  Value of Single Seed             Whole Value of Single Plant          ================================================================== Bright Lights Chard            (Monocotolydon) >.01¢ Fruit                          Value of Single Seed             Whole Value of Single Plant       ================================================================== Herb                          Value of Single Seed             Whole Value of Single Plant       ================================================================== Flower                       Value of Single Seed             Whole Value of Single Plant       ==================== ============================================== Nasturtium                 .08¢ Wildcraft                   Value of Single Seed             Whole Value of Single Plant       ==================================================================

Disclosure

This policy is valid from 04 February 2010  This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact  preppermom@gmail.com.  This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.  The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content.  The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.  This blog does contain content which might present a conflict of interest. This content may not always be identified. To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org

Seed Sources

TYBL - The year before last (not last year , but before) , I happened on a wondrous deal  , seeds on sale for 3-5 ¢ a piece . Hot Dog !! Then when I had finished picking out hundreds of packets and watching my poor cashiers eyes water and weary from ringing up each one (she didnt know how to do it otherwise) , I was pleased to see they were ringing up @ 3 for 1¢ .  So any of those seeds  cost less than 1¢ a seed . This is not the first time I have seen these sales , I have seen them @ CVS ,  Walgreens , Walmart , & Big Lots in the late fall. The germination rates may be lower than fresh seed its better than no seed. By my usage I got a 95% germination rate last year , I have no Idea what to expect this year. ABC - I got the Heirloom Master Gardeners Pack from Abceeds.com , @ 99$ W/63 Varieties that would place each packet @ 1.57 a packet , I will represent each seed by its packet amount (or estimated amount) as it is questioned. RH - I bought a number of Nasturtiums  from Schumways because they are teh only supplier that has a large variety for an affordable price. Those were 1.49 a packet , I will price down their seeds as need be by estimated seeds per gram. RHFree - I got a half dozen packets of seed for free from Schumways with my order Food - I got seed from food sources , prices were normally under a dollar per food item with multiple seed. I will count these as free. Saved - Saved from some source , wild or domestic , these will count as free Common - Seed From The Store bought @ varying prices , will be noted if remebered , or otherwise approximated.

How Values are Calculated

Yield Values will be calculated in the following ways (an there are many and may vary as to usage. from seed value. comparison to store value Comparison to organic store value Canned value (Comparison) Dehydrated value (Comparison) Frozen value (Comparison) Seed value (Seed Saving ) Organic Seed Saving Heirloom (Where applicable) I plan on sharing with you the general prices of the seed , often time I have to calculate this from the prices of a seed packet. (Or in some cases the source of the original , which may well have been a food item in our household at some point) My seed sources have been : Table food (Squash , peppers etc , horseradish) Devalued plant sales (Dead , withered or near dead plants i found on deep discounts) Discounted Seed Sales Foundation Stock Seeds (Seed Collection) I hope to whittle down exactly how much a seed is worth Often time less than 1¢

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.

Why I Do This

I truly believe in the value or agriculture , and while I may not be educated in agriculture or cultivation I truly believe that it is better to be an agrarian. So I decided to document the expenses and investments compared to the yields/ Value of yields. My journey will be long , but I hope to prove to others the value of a single seed.