{Mavis Backyard Garden July, 2012}
This year I’m on a mission to grow 4,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables in my suburban backyard. In 2012 I was able to grow 2,028 pounds, and in 2013 I’m going double or nothing. I have absolutely no idea if I’ll be able to achieve my goal. But, as with any adventure, half the fun is getting there. ~Mavis
Well, the only thing I harvested this past week was wheat grass and a wee bit of lettuce. Not exactly the most exciting thing to report, but I’m happy to inform you my seedlings {both indoors and the greenhouse} are coming along wonderfully.
Like last year, I think my biggest harvest months will be September and October. Since I’ll be growing a boatload of potatoes and squash this year, I need to sit down and map out a plan of action. I think it would be really cool if I could grow somewhere in the ball park of 2,000 pounds of potatoes and squash combined, and leave the other 2,000 pounds to things like tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, beets and other yummy crops. We’ll see. I suppose you can’t grow a big harvest if you don’t dream big, right?
Here is what I have harvested so far this year:
Beets – 14 ounces
The chickens found these for me a few weeks ago.
Carrots – 3 ounces
Next year I am going to try and overwinter carrots under a bed of straw. I tried that last year, but the chickens pull all but these two carrots up. Note to self: cover beds with netting or fencing next time.
Egg Count – 130 {3 per day average}
The Girl and I have noticed one of our little bantam birds Squirelly escaping under the chicken fence a few times last week and hiding in viburnum bushes along the house. I think I’ll go investigate today and see if she’s hiding a giant cache of eggs or something.
Last week someone Heather mentioned I might be letting the chickens have to much produce and that’s why my egg count is down. I’m not sure if that’s the case, or if the the chicks we brought home last fall have just not started laying yet. They are only 20 weeks old though, so it should be soon.
Lettuce – 6 ounces
I just planted another flat of lettuce and it should be ready to harvest in about a month.
Potatoes – 2 pounds 9 ounces
We found these beauties in the garden and made potato soup.
Sprouts – 8 ounces –
Sprouts are great in stir fry and sandwiches.
Wheatgrass – 7 ounces
Total Food Harvested in 2013: 4 pounds 15 ounces
Total Eggs Collected in 2013: 130
Will YOU be growing anything exotic this year? I feel like I need to grow some sort of unusual melon,or squash, but I’m not sure what. Do you have any ideas?
~Mavis
If you are thinking about growing potatoes this year, check out The Complete Book of Potatoes: What Every Grower and Gardener Needs to Know
Lisa says
The green produce won’t hurt your production with the chickens. They loves them some green. However, an excess in fruit can throw off their laying. When I teach the chicken class I try to instruct people to give fruit in moderation. Also, if you are giving them lots of apples that can do it too. The apple seeds have cyanide in them and it can seriously affect egg production.
The other issue with egg production has to do with light. Chickens like a good 12 hours of light each day to produce well. In the NW birds drop off their production between about Halloween and Valentine’s Day. Adding a supplemental light on a timer helps. Use a regular old 40 watt light bulb, have it turn on at about 5:00 a.m. and off at about 8:00 a.m.. I find this makes most of my birds keep laying through the Winter. Always light them on the front half of the day and not the back. If you light them in the evenings the light will click of and they will be stuck outside. Chickens are narcoleptic and will fall asleep the minute it gets dark. If the light turns off and they are outside they’ll be stuck outside and won’t go into the coop. It makes them susceptible to the cold.
Patty says
We’re trying luffa gourds, japanese white egg eggplant and ground cherries. I ordered a lot of heirloom seeds from Baker Creek.
We produced 400+ pounds of produce last year and we’re going for 800 this year. Plus we added rabbits, 10 more layers (16 total) and meat birds. Hoping for at least 75 chickens in the freezer and 21-28 rabbits to join them. We’re hopong by the end of the year to not have to buy much meat besides beef.
Good luck doubling your produce, can’t wait to see everything you harvest!!!
Mavis says
I think I’m going to try luffa gourds too. They sound really, really neat. Can’t wait to hear how you do with growing 800 pounds this year. I’m rooting for you!
Sara says
I am so giddy about this year’s garden I can barely contain myself!!! I’m actually trying my hand at growing some melons and a few vegetables I’ve never grown. Two, black salsify and cardoon, I had never even heard of.
Thanks for all the tips and motivation…and my husband wants to say a really big thank you (note of sarcasm) for the loss of our dining room, currently my indoor greenhouse, and the outdoor kitchen, currently the outdoor greenhouse. Hopefully soon I’ll have some pics to share of my mini farm here in my little part of suburban bliss.
Mavis says
My husband feels your husbands pain. 😉 LOL
Patty says
I lost a room too 🙁 It’s now called the nursery because it’s housing 37 chicks, 1 momma Flemish Giant and her 7 kits and “baby” plants. Everyone gets kicked out once it’s warm enough!!!!!
Sara says
Everytime he gives me “the look” when he walks by my ever growing gardening adventure I quote Betty Loo Who from the Grinch and say “it’s all for the cause”. What he doesn’t know is I just purchased more grow lights….. can’t wait to see “the look”!!!
saralie says
your husband may be right about the produce and the chickens. we noticed the same thing here. as soon as we gave them store-bought feed…the production climbed…just saying!
Jenn Bane says
How are you going to grow your potatoes this year? I tried them in the towers last year (first time ever growing potatoes) and I wasn’t impressed. I’m thinking of growing them in the ground this year and saying screw it! I’ll be digging them out with a 1 month old on my hip, when the time comes though 🙂 Maybe I can talk the hubby into doing it for me!
Danielle O says
The hacked up potato who ate the shovel still makes me smile XD (& he looks like he’s smiling back!)
Sue says
Plant some early potatoes that you can harvest early on. I plant my first potatoes in April and I live in the Northeast!
Susan Reid says
I have grown Tromboncino zucchini this year. Its really cool, and grows up to a meter long!
Susan Reid says
I also tried Armenian cucumber( or “yard-long cuccumber”), but no success yet.
Suzanne Davis says
I am just learning about vegetable gardening, tho I have been a gardener for years. Do you use your own potatoes for seeds? The seed potatoes in the catalogues seem expensive if the goal is to save money.
Lisa N says
Maybe it’s because I live in an agricultural valley, but Walmart, Lowes, and The Home Depot all have seed potatoes right now. For only a few dollars a bag. That doesn’t include the feed stores. Which have new baby chicks in! So fluffy and cute! But, I have a huge fluffy dog that would swallow them whole.
Mavis says
I typically buy my seed potatoes online. Last year I purchased them at Wilco {a local feed store}.
Irene says
Are those potatoes that over wintered? Do they taste okay after being in the ground so long? I probably have some lost potatoes out there . . .
Mavis says
Yes. Go take a look, we did not get a hard frost this year so mine hung in there. 🙂