/ck/ - Food & Cooking

[Anonymous No.17807092]

Do you grow your own veggies? Is it worth it? I’m a newfag when it comes to gardening, what are some vegetables I should start with in a northern climate?

[Anonymous No.17807101]

>>17807092
kids smashed my Halloween pumpkin a few years ago and squirrels went and buried the seeds.
the next year I had a huge plant and yielded 7 volleyball sized pumpkins

[Anonymous No.17807111]

>>17807092
>veggies
You have to be at least 18 to post here.

[Anonymous No.17807114]

>>17807092
beans, peas, tomatoes, herbs, cucumbers, lettuces, onions, potatoes, garlic, carrots, radishes, berries.

[Anonymous No.17807115]

>>17807101
based 'uirrels

[Anonymous No.17807120]

[Anonymous No.17807129]

>>17807092
I got a few kinds of tomatoes, peppers, and basil going. it's my first try with veggies but i'm good with houseplants

[Anonymous No.17807135]

"northern climate" isn't descriptive enough.
You should figure out what "plant hardiness zone" you live in. Other countries have different systems but temperatures is only part of the equation.
https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/

Then figure out what garden variety crops grow well in your zone

[Anonymous No.17807136]

>>17807129
>veggies
see
>>17807111

[Anonymous No.17807148]

https://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-calendar/MI/Detroit

go to link and search your city and it will have a planting calendar for most of the common stuff. just go to a nursery and pick up the stuff you want or if there's still time for seeds get some from a hardware store or something like that

[Anonymous No.17807190]

>>17807115
They've planted a few walnuts in my garden.

[Anonymous No.17807220]

Like a lot of folks I'm giving it a try for the first time as well OP. Only real advice I have so far is get plants from a greenhouse or nursery. Growing things from seed is really tough and I regret trying to do it from the jump.

Best plants to get started are whatever you eat! Bell peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes seem to be most popular.

[Anonymous No.17807228]

>>17807111
I'm ESL

[Anonymous No.17807233]

>>17807092
I would but I'm in an apartment and the porch barely gets any sun. All I grow are alfalfa sprouts.

[Anonymous No.17807234]

Last time I tried was a total disaster.
I've had luck with pumpkins and have turned several of them into beer over the years.
Can't say I've had as much luck with other vegetables though. The clay in my region is too thick, so short of potting everything, I don't have much luck with gardening.

[Anonymous No.17807235]

>>17807111

[Anonymous No.17807237]

>>17807092
The produce you grow will be better than anything you can buy, in most cases. However, I feel like the time/cost invested are ridiculously high compared to the results you get.

I say this as an apartment cuck who has a small balcony to place his pots in. Maybe the experience is difference if you actually have land and can plant many plants at once.

[Anonymous No.17807241]

>>17807234
it's not the best solution on earth but if you dig holes/trenches and fill it in with potting mixture/pulverized clay you can basically have "potted" plants in the ground. I'll do a dozen or so peppers in thick clay this way a year and it's less of a pain hydration wise than patio pots

[Anonymous No.17807246]

>>17807092
I can't wait for my rhubarb stalks to be ripe.

[Anonymous No.17807263]

Don’t do it OP! Vegetables need to be handled by 7 Mexicans before they’re safe to eat

[Anonymous No.17807272]

>>17807092
Here is a good resource
https://garden.org/apps/calendar/

[Anonymous No.17807279]

>>17807237
maybe initially, but once you have a garden established you just need seeds (that you should be keeping from your crops), fertilizer, and water.

[Anonymous No.17807282]

>>17807092
Start with containers before committing to. dig up your land. Potatoes are easy to grow so are nightshades and chili peppers. Get your seasons right and it’s pretty easy especially in a temperate climate.

[Anonymous No.17807550]

>>17807190
I planted my walnuts in your moms garden last night

[Anonymous No.17807556]

>>17807111
ya seethe?

[Anonymous No.17807829]

>>17807092
play stardew valley

[Anonymous No.17807875]

>>17807092
I mostly just grow peppers but I've got some rosemary going this year, mostly for steaks although I'm hoping to keep it alive long enough to put in the ground around my house.

[Anonymous No.17807897]

>>17807829
> play any Harvest Moon game prior 2007
FIFY

[Anonymous No.17807907]

>>17807897
okay boomer

[Anonymous No.17807926]

>>17807114
/thread
maybe add zucc and summer squash
>t., MA gardener

[Anonymous No.17807933]

>>17807092
Tomatoes are absolutely worth it, they basically can't be transported to commercial stores when they're actually ripe, peas are up there. Cucumbers, radishes and salad leaves are worth it if you like them because they're relatively easy and convenient. Everything else is worth it if you enjoy the process, you're not going to be saving significant money if that's a concern.

[Anonymous No.17807936]

>>17807897
for me its Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town for the GBA

[Anonymous No.17808181]

>>17807114
It's been a while for me, but I remember beets being fairly easy.

[Anonymous No.17808541]

>>17807220
>Growing things from seed is really tough and I regret trying to do it from the jump.
Not necessarily, depending on the plant. The trick is to start a lot more seeds than you intend to actually grow, and select the best ones.

[Anonymous No.17808592]

>>17807111
That's what everyone calls then here, seethe more faggot

[Anonymous No.17808852]

>>17808541
it's better to start most from seed indoors, others like peas and beens dont transplant well and should be planted by seed directly into the ground.

[Anonymous No.17808858]

>>17808852

[Anonymous No.17809834]

>>17808858
these are like $5 dollars at walmart

[Anonymous No.17810367]

>>17807111
I hope an aligator uses an extremely effective death roll to help you expedite your MtF transition.

[Anonymous No.17810983]

>>17808858
I haven't used a whole lot of those types of things, but I find that they generally suck. Full disclosure, I like old-fashioned things and would never have had considered them a viable option.

[Anonymous No.17811989]

>>17807092
>plant all my seedlings outside
>proceeds to rain buckets and will not stop for two more days

Are my plants gonna survive bros? Should I cover them?

[Anonymous No.17812002]

>>17807092
I just went to my local library and they are giving out free seeds! I took beefsteak tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cayenne pepper, beans, tomatillos, and cucumber. I bought two watermelon plants at the store too.

[Anonymous No.17812010]

>>17811989
Don't cover your plants anon. Unless they're flooded or the stems damaged they should be alright. I'm kind of in the same situation, I was supposed to get my plants in the ground last week but it's been raining all week long.

[Anonymous No.17812036]

>>17810367
you paint quite the picture

[Anonymous No.17812079]

My greenhouse is mostly done. Peppers, melons, cucumbers, and a big Roma tomato.
Actually maybe malabar spinach too.
Fucking excited. Gonna use it to help heat my house on sunny days in the winter.

[Anonymous No.17812141]

>>17812079
Well I'm at it ..kale

[Anonymous No.17812655]

>>17812141
nice

[Anonymous No.17813856]

>>17807092
I want to grow some food plants in my apartment, but I need to get more organized first.

[Anonymous No.17813858]

>>17807092
don't eat goyslop

[Anonymous No.17813889]

Chives, onions and mint help keep some of the the local varmints out of the crops. Chives are also dead easy to grow.

If you are looking longer term, plant fruit or nut trees. I have a few Asian pear trees and just put in two hazelnut trees (not self pollinating so need male and female trees)

[Anonymous No.17814106]

>>17807092
I used to have a beautiful vegetable garden and recently this year grew Tommy toe tomatoes which were great. Sadly I don't have that garden any more.

[Anonymous No.17814116]

>>17807092
>>17807120
>>17807897
grow easy veg first
I don't have a graden but grow mint & chilli in pots

[Anonymous No.17815793]

>>17807148
Nice. Never knew what or when to grow. Thanks anon.

[Anonymous No.17815922]

watermelons don't do well where I live

[Anonymous No.17816077]

>>17807092
No it's winter for 9 months of the year up here, then a month of mud & rain and finally 2 months of hot humid weather full of bugs before it cycles back to winter.

[Anonymous No.17816131]

>>17807092
if you eat a lot of them it can be worth it but it's easy to waste money or get rekt by bugs and fungi

[Anonymous No.17816136]

>>17807092
I generally don't consume vegetables outside of the occasional tomato soup.

[Anonymous No.17816151]

>>17816131
I cut them up and freeze them for fajitas.

[Anonymous No.17816268]

>>17807111
>veggies
christ I bet you say ''sammich'' as well

[Anonymous No.17816481]

>>17807092
>vegetables I should start with in a northern climate
Kale is an extremely hard plant that will survive the toughest winters

[Anonymous No.17816485]

>>17807220
>Growing things from seed is really tough
Its at least half the fun and satisfaction though, at least for me.

[Anonymous No.17816488]

>>17807234
>The clay in my region is too thick
IIRC potatoes love that kind of soil

[Anonymous No.17816513]

>>17807092
>Do you grow your own veggies?
Yes, but mostly I grow my own herbs, since it's easy and I only have a balcony I can use, so everything must grow in pots.
>Is it worth it?
Absolutely, but not all plants are equal. Some are very low effort and high reward, some aren't.
>I’m a newfag when it comes to gardening, what are some vegetables I should start with in a northern climate?
Here's some stuff that is easy to fuck up that I grow currently on my balcony:
>Mint
3 different types. I didn't even do anything to the pot, just watered in the summer when it is really needed, but most of the year I just left it outside. The mint died during winter and sprouted again in spring, so currently I have a full big pot of different mint types growing, which I use for foods and drinks.
>Parsley
Same pot as the mint, same behavior. Left it out during winter, it died and regrew in spring. Grows slower than the mint though.
>Indian cress/nasturtium
I add seeds of those to pots that aren't too full already - they go nice on salads and look like flowers, so they make the balcony look prettier too.
>Tomato
Probably the best vegetable to grow in my opinion. The difference between storebought tomato and the stuff you grow yourself is bigger than any other vegetable I have tried.
>Rosemary, thyme
Both survived the winter outside and grow quicker than I use them, they also handly extended dry periods very well, making them hard to kill thankfully.
>Chili
Self explanatory. Relatively easy to grow, more fragrant than a lot of the chilis you get in the store and you control the intensity by how much you water the plant.
>Bay leaf
Probably my favorite herb, it grows slow but like a tank and withstands frost and winter without any issues. It can also grow to immense size. Just go out, get a few leaves and use them for cooking. If it grows too quick, just pluck some leaves, dry them and you have the usual dried bay leaf.

[Anonymous No.17816519]

>>17816513
meant "hard to fuck up / easy to grow" obviously.
You can also plant kitchen scraps and plants with roots surprisingly well. Just remember that growing from seed is substantially harder than from a young plant.

[Anonymous No.17816553]

>>17807234
amend the soil with perlite and sand

[Anonymous No.17816582]

If you have limited space there is a whole community of people devoted to growing things in 5 gallon buckets. Tomatoes seem to be most popular.

https://www.joeshealthymeals.com/5-gallon-self-watering-planter/

[Anonymous No.17816613]

>>17807092
Get a little of everything but focus on fast growing plants that take around 60 days to reach maturity from seed to get your feet wet.
Radishes and lettuce are fast, so you'll be able to learn and succeed/fail more than other plants.
They also have lots of variety in types available.
Lettuce is also good for getting acquainted with seed trays and sprouting/transplanting.

[Anonymous No.17816658]

>>17807092
Alright fella heres what you need to know:
Firstly test the soil to work out the soil acidity as this affects how shit grows. Find out which direction the sun sits on your land youre using (south facing in north hemisphere is best and vice versa for south). See the composition of your soil, is it high in clay or sand. Find out yor average rainfall as well.
For a northern climate it depends on average temperatures and space. Good easy ones are potatoes and carrots. They dont need much space and can be grown in sacks or pots. Garlic is a good potting one but has a long grow.

[Anonymous No.17816837]

>>17816131
If you're interested in gardening as a way to save money, herbs are the best thing to grow. Fresh herbs are ridiculously expensive. A single one of those little plastic clamshell boxes of cut fresh herbs costs almost as much as a whole plant that will yield a dozen times more over the course of the growing season.

[Anonymous No.17816904]

>>17807092
I've got some tomatoes, peppers, sunflowers, sweet potatoes, and peanuts growing or sprouting at the moment. You do need a lot of space.
Years ago I had some decent watermelons, hoping for some this year.

[Anonymous No.17816906]

>>17807220
>>17808541
>>17808852
>>17808858
Just throw seeds in soil and hope for the best.

[Anonymous No.17816913]

>>17816906
Nothing wrong with faith.

[Anonymous No.17817295]

>>17816913
faith of the heart

[Anonymous No.17817452]

>>17817295
I knew you'd come back to me: https://youtu.be/K-a8s8OLBSE

[Anonymous No.17817483]

>>17807092
It's not worth it in terms of what you get for the cost but the knowledge and enjoyment is for me.

[Anonymous No.17817669]

>>17817483
It's getting cheaper the more you scale up. And you if include quality its well worth the investment.

[Anonymous No.17817681]

>>17807092
Start off with an herb garden to see if you even like gardening first. Parsley, chives, thyme, etc. If you like that, then follow >>17807114.

[` No.17817902]

>>17807234
You can get soil conditioner to help with the clay. Next time you go to your nursery, buy good soil, soil conditioner and compost. Mix that in with your soil on the top layer and you should see soil suitable for growing.

[Anonymous No.17817915]

>>17807092
Having a self-sustaining garden and chicken coop, enough to sustain myself and a small family for a month, is one of my dreams.

[Anonymous No.17817926]

>>17817669
so farming

[Anonymous No.17817931]

I made my own potting soil, sort of. Three parts top soil, one part manure, and one part peat moss with some lime.
It's probably half the price of Miracle-Gro, Dr. Earth, and Kellogg brands, but prices have gone up for top soil and manure.
So far what I've planted is growing well and I learned 10 cubic feet is a lot of space.

[Anonymous No.17817998]

>>17817926
It hits a good point of returns well before you get to the 30 to 1000 acre stage.

[Anonymous No.17818001]

>>17817931
Add perlite or vermiculite next time. Helps prevents compaction.

[Anonymous No.17818140]

Tomatoes are totally worth it. So much so that I got sick of eating them. Very prolific producers.

[Anonymous No.17818355]

>>17807092
>Is it worth it
Depends how much it's worth to you. I like eating my own produce.

[Anonymous No.17818356]

what kind of stuff could I plant RIGHT NOW. I know there are like seasons and shit. Also I only have a balcony but tons of light on it and it's fairly good climate where I live. I also need a recommendation for indoor flowers to make my gamercave complete and comfy af

[Anonymous No.17818512]

>>17818356
Tomatoes in buckets and an herb garden. For indoors, spider plants are cool looking, propagate like crazy and are tough to kill.

[Anonymous No.17818691]

>>17818356
It's earlier enough in the season to plant anything. I'll be putting tomatoes in the ground next week or the week after. It's a great time for lettuces, kales, radishes etc.

[Anonymous No.17818898]

>>17807114
>>17807926
Add leeks and that's basically it.

[Anonymous No.17818981]

Growing a lot of different peppers this year. Usually end up pickling the jalepenos, making a good pepper sauce with the scotch bonnet. And I usually just give the ghost peppers to my friend who likes all that overly hot meme hot sauce

[Anonymous No.17820636]

planting my garden tomorrow.

[Anonymous No.17820658]

>>17807092
If you like cauliflower, try growing romanesco aka "fractal cauliflower". Hard to find in stores, tastes awesome, sells really easily to foodie types.

[Anonymous No.17820949]

I let one or two lettuces go to seed at the end of their season so that the early spring just has auto lettuce generation, it's paying off BIG league in seeding time savings

[Anonymous No.17821501]

>>17807241
This is the way. I have found no difference in doing it this way. It saves a lot of money and time because you don't need to buy a ridiculous amount of dirt. I use an auger attachment on my drill to loosen up the dirt a lot so the the roots can expand.

[Anonymous No.17821521]

I like growing weird types of tomatoes that I normally wouldn't splurge for in a store.

[Anonymous No.17821528]

>>17821521
More

[Anonymous No.17821542]

>>17821528
Cucamelons

[Anonymous No.17821543]

I try but I live in the desert
Not much luck and apparently not good at gardening

[Anonymous No.17821546]

>>17821542
Grew a lot of watermelons too

[Anonymous No.17821760]

Anne Frank's is smiling at me all.over my garden.

[Anonymous No.17822870]

I bought a dozen seed potatoes to try if the 'plant and forget' is true. supposedly you get 12 potatoes for each seed tater.

[Anonymous No.17822989]

Find out your growing / hardiness zone and then you google what grows best in that region anon. Then plant those things within the available space ASAP because spring is here, allegedly.
Next year, take stock of how each plant did and figure out what to do differently the next year. Alot can depend on the local microclimate and the geometry of your garden.

Anyways, I live on northwest coast North America, around here what grows well are squash (incl pumpkins, zucchinis), strawberries (lots of mine survived being buried under weeks of snow this winter), potatoes, apples (for small spaces look for self pollenating dwarf columnar trees), blackberries, blueberries, arugula, and garlic.

You wont save money on groceries because you can't compete with the economies of scale of big Ag; its a hobby and potential food source during a shortage.

You can often grow stuff like heirloom varieties you will not see for sale in grocery stores, and you can know it's free from pesticides / organic / etc.

If you are a beginner I suggest starting small with containers and see what you can keep alive and does well where you are.

[Anonymous No.17823103]

>>17822870
You'll want to hills them or add mulch mid was through. And if it's to dry you'll want to water them once and awhile. Especially near the end.

[Anonymous No.17823476]

>>17807092
I bought a potted mint plant just to make tea. Dash of lemon & it's how I like it.

[Anonymous No.17823871]

>>17807092
With food prices going up..... a garden may help.