Garden
- Thread starter Brent S
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The pantry was super easy to build. The cabinet is just tongue and groove 1x6's, the doors are just off the shelf closet bifolds, (I like the lovers so it can breathe) and the shelves are just scavenged plywood with a trim board across the front. I probably should have cut down the bifolds as it's a little tall and is hard to get thru doorways, but it's there now and will stay put. The hard part was buying a few extras every time I went to the grocery store to stock it! It took a while to build up but is a great peace of mind if we have an emergency. I'm excited about the storm shelter/root cellar as it will be a more secure storage area from storm, fire, theft and whatever. It will also be cool and dark which is optimal for food and wine storage.
I'm glad to hear that someone was smart enough to ban pesticides! I just saw on the news that pancreatic cancer will be the number one killer in the US very soon. And the same story said most cancer rates are on the rise. As far as grass clippings, there great for compost and weed control as they break down fairly quickly. Any mulch will help with weed control, and it also helps retain moisture. Every year you mulch, it makes the soil better and better. No wonder the best gardens I've seen were maintained by old people!
id say some where around 5 to 7 inches thick.that way they'll kill the grass and weeds around them.help keep the ground around said plants wet longer.and to top it off.they'll naturally fertilize the ground and the trees will get the nutrients..
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I use a spray for bugs made out of water, dish soap (I use Dawn) and vegetable oil. You would need to spray after every time it rains and / or periodically (about once a week), but it does seem to work well. Smoothers bugs if sprayed and the bugs that are out there that survive tend to move on cause they do not like the taste.
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Have you tried Patty squash (white flattish w/ a scalloped edge)? It taste pretty good especially in breads and cookies and cans up great, unlike yellow squash that tends to get mushy.
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Bought butternut and spaghetti squash seeds today along with honey dew and some burgundy okra. Yesterday I planted some pinto, lima, kidney, and red beans. The beans I stole out of my pantry, it's just cheaper that way. Tomorrow I will plant in my new seeds in the garden, but today I just had to many things to do and got a surprise visit from some neighbor kids. . . they were so much fun though!
I've raised patty squash boiled them with sugar and butter , Spaghetti squash cut in half baked upside down in a little water until done then add salt pepper and parmisian cheese . I have planted right now sweet corn , okra , bush beans , bigger boy tomatoes and early girls , yellow squash , zukini , several types of peppers , Dutch cabbage , carrots and crimson sweet water melons .
I have the louvered doors as well, which is why it looks so similar. Thanks for the details on your construction. The biggest thing I also need to put in there is lighting (and better organization). I'm also going to add ramping for cans and rotational purposes.
I've used dawn det. but haven't heard about the oil. I spray the peach trees with chemicals for the main fruit tree issues, like mold, fungus, blight and bugs, but I don't use chemicals on anything else unless I see an infestation. I'm not completely against using milder stuff when necessary but do not use regularly. The apples, muscadines, figs, blueberries, pears and plumbs seem to be really tough and don't have many problems. Those darn peaches are another story. As they die off they get replaced with something else. I really wish I had talked with someone before planting the peaches and nectarines!
I try to rotate and look for near expirations at least every couple months. I still have 15 gal.s of peach wine brewing in the closet from some cans of sliced peaches that almost expired. One good thing about making wine is if you get sidetracked it dosent matter. You can leave it in the fermenter for years without it hurting it. As a matter of fact it's better after a couple years.
Building a cabinet/pantry like these is a great starter project for anyone new to woodworking. All the parts are pre milled, you just cut to length and assemble. The big box stores will even cut the plywood for free for you into the shelf sizes. Brush on a couple coats of polyurethane and you have a weekend pantry!
do you make the soap?
Yep, I'm certainly getting a workout with my tools. Between what I had, what I inherited, and what I've gotten from friends who were moving, etc., I'm building up quite a little workshop. Just got a table saw from a buddy who is moving, woo hoo! I think the pantry has moved up on my construction list though. This weekend, getting the chicken coup up and running. Next week, the bunny habitat (converting a barn stall for this). All while working 40+ hours a week in the city, so have to pace myself, hehe.
I'll also be building a pantry (though not as fancy) in the garage for long term food items that do fine without air conditioning. Mostly, this will just be wooden shelves for buckets, etc.
no,it's something very old here in Finland,we have out forrest industry,and that resin is a leftover product and someone ages ago figured out it can be made to soap,has a lovly pine smell,bugs hate it,nature friendly,it's called pinesoap.
my greenhouse is 18x21' and produces alot so far. I'm still kind of experimenting with what plants do well in close confines, but so far have done pretty well. I started a batch of sauerkraut and pickeled 10 jars of beets this past weekend, so not only am i eating off it but am producing enough to save some. I have a bunch of carrots that are almost big enough to can and should get about 20 quarts shortly. I just replanted the area where the beets were with green peppers, and am ready to replant the spinache and lettuce area this weekend. I have about thirty tomatoes that should produce plenty to can. i dont know how much space you have but i could probably eat on half the area in there, but its nice to preserve some too.
