In anticipation of high food prices, shtf, hyperinflation, shortages, and other gloomy scenarios, I am greatly increasing the size of my garden this year. I planted an acre of field corn Monday before the rains came Monday night. I will probably plant another acre, in two different plantings, to extend the fresh roasting ears season. Of course we call them "roas'n-ears" down here. I will also plant some sweet corn this weekend if it dries out enough. I will harvest ear corn by hand when it dries down to use as livestock feed, grinding into meal, and deer baiting. I am planting an old open pollinated field corn variety, Reid's Yellow Dent. Yield potential isn't as great as the modern hybrids, but it is more drought resistant. If the S does indeed HTF, I can save seed from the non hybrid. Sweet corn is the old standby, Silver Queen.
The major staple in any serious Southern garden is Southern Peas. Tomatoes are for fun, and for some good sammiches, but peas are for filling bellies. We always freeze a bunch of peas, but this year I'm planting enough to put up 50 or so pounds of dry peas. Again, if we don't consume the dry peas, they can be used to feed livestock. I will also plant butterbeans and okra. Varieties of peas include Mississippi Purple Hull, Texas Cream 40, and Sadandy, the last two being some very tasty white peas. Clemson Spineless okra and Henderson's Bush butterbeans are my preferred varieties. Families in the South used to live through the winter on dry peas, salt pork, collard greens, and cornbread. I am also stocking up on salt, coffee, and sugar. During the Wah Between the States, salt was one of the things Southerners lacked, because there are very few natural salt deposits in the South.
I will of course plant the usual garden fare, squash, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cukes, etc. I am planting for extended family this year, also. My brother gave me $100 a couple of weeks back and asked me to plant for him and his son's and daughter's families. I have about one-half acre I can easily water, and I'll plant some of all the stuff on that plot. The rest of it will be dryland, and will have to be enclosed within an electric fence to keep the deer from destroying it. I wasn't kidding in the first paragraph about baiting the deer with corn. It looks like it will be legal this year, and I just anticipate catching three does at the time snacking on some corn. I consider it vermin control, with the benefit of some good sausage. We have way too many deer down here. Which reminds me, I am going to plant about 50 hills of watermelons and 20 of cantaloupes. They are favorites of deer and coyotes, so I will need a good electric fence to keep those particular varmints out.
It is encouraging to start the season with a surplus of soil moisture. I'll try to post some pictures along of the progress. Meanwhile, here is some field corn from two years ago, with a big ugly varmint in it.
The major staple in any serious Southern garden is Southern Peas. Tomatoes are for fun, and for some good sammiches, but peas are for filling bellies. We always freeze a bunch of peas, but this year I'm planting enough to put up 50 or so pounds of dry peas. Again, if we don't consume the dry peas, they can be used to feed livestock. I will also plant butterbeans and okra. Varieties of peas include Mississippi Purple Hull, Texas Cream 40, and Sadandy, the last two being some very tasty white peas. Clemson Spineless okra and Henderson's Bush butterbeans are my preferred varieties. Families in the South used to live through the winter on dry peas, salt pork, collard greens, and cornbread. I am also stocking up on salt, coffee, and sugar. During the Wah Between the States, salt was one of the things Southerners lacked, because there are very few natural salt deposits in the South.
I will of course plant the usual garden fare, squash, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cukes, etc. I am planting for extended family this year, also. My brother gave me $100 a couple of weeks back and asked me to plant for him and his son's and daughter's families. I have about one-half acre I can easily water, and I'll plant some of all the stuff on that plot. The rest of it will be dryland, and will have to be enclosed within an electric fence to keep the deer from destroying it. I wasn't kidding in the first paragraph about baiting the deer with corn. It looks like it will be legal this year, and I just anticipate catching three does at the time snacking on some corn. I consider it vermin control, with the benefit of some good sausage. We have way too many deer down here. Which reminds me, I am going to plant about 50 hills of watermelons and 20 of cantaloupes. They are favorites of deer and coyotes, so I will need a good electric fence to keep those particular varmints out.
It is encouraging to start the season with a surplus of soil moisture. I'll try to post some pictures along of the progress. Meanwhile, here is some field corn from two years ago, with a big ugly varmint in it.
