It's time to plan

January is the time when we {here at the homestead} begin to plan out our garden. It's actually a perfect time. We are inside more and have a few minutes to dedicate to our seeds.

I have already begun receiving seed catalogs. They are stacked up neatly on my hope chest. There are some companies that I will not order from, but most are good, seed saving friendly companies that I will buy from every year. Jung's and SeedSavers.org are my favorites.

I was asked how does one go about starting/planing their first garden in a small urban yard. It is relatively the same as what I do here, though mine is on a much larger scale. The first step is to decide what you want from your garden. Do you want only seasonal items, like tomatoes and lettuce? Or are you wanting a storage crop like potatoes and corn? Or both?

Seasonal crops on a small scale are easier to deal with. You can devote a piece of ground to that lone plant{s}, same with your roots. But if you are wanting both on a small plot, creative planting comes into play. {we can get into that later if you want}

As I seed save, now is the time when I check through what I have. What has been saved without mold, what seeds do I have enough of, what do I need more of, and make a list of those items. I also consult my growing and harvested list, I keep a record of what food stuff we hve finished too early, and what we had too much of {not eaten}. The next step is to go through the catalog picking out the things that I need, then things I would like to add.

I chose to buy heirloom plants. Some of these did start off as hybrids in the early 1900's but now breed pure and qualify for the heritage status. There is nothing harmful in ingesting hybrids {F1} the biggest problem with them is that you can not seed save them, as they will not breed pure when open pollination is possible {Like in a small garden}, the other problem with them is that when open pollination is possible, they can breed with your neighbors heirlooms spoiling their chances of breeding their heirlooms pure. I suggest staying away from plants and seeds labeled hybrid for those reasons. And never touch anything that is labeled GMO or a "New" hybrid in area's where the GMO is not required labeling.

I am able to expand my garden, while most urban and suburban dwellers are not. I am lucky enough to be able to experiment and purchase want items, thus expanding my garden and having a large preserving crop. With a small scaler wanting a larger abundance you need to plan carefully. Take the time to draw a garden to scale, arranging your plants to fit.

Most seed and plant companies will send your orders out to you when the season is right for planting in your area. Onions, potatoes, and items in the cabbage family do will if planted early and mulched, so stay calm if you receive these items when it's still cold outside, if the ground is workable, they are plant able.

A well planed out garden can help you avoid headaches and disappointments.

To find heritage/heirloom seeds and plants for your area {including Canada and France}, try looking at the Council for Responsible Genetics.

For a list of the worst GE offenders, try the FDA's website where they have listed their consultants.