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I'm trying to figure out how to grow microgreens using a cheap solar setup to run LED grow lights. This will be mainly for indoor apt living during winter months.
 
I'd like to get some vegetables growing at the house, but the damn deer are devastating. We buy plants that are "not eaten by deer" and they rarely last a couple days before being gorged on? I just planted some hops (which are also "not eaten by deer" but I don't have a lot of confidence in that). I'd try to make lemonade out of lemons and just shoot the deer and eat them, but they are protected on the island so that would land me in trouble because undoubtedly some snitch would rat me out.
 
I'd like to get some vegetables growing at the house, but the damn deer are devastating. We buy plants that are "not eaten by deer" and they rarely last a couple days before being gorged on? I just planted some hops (which are also "not eaten by deer" but I don't have a lot of confidence in that). I'd try to make lemonade out of lemons and just shoot the deer and eat them, but they are protected on the island so that would land me in trouble because undoubtedly some snitch would rat me out.
Most plants that deer supposedly don't eat are just a matter of time and familiarity and what else is available they like more. Most/all methods of scaring deer away only work for a while, including motion triggered sprays of water. There are really only two things that work long term. One is an alert dog in your yard that actively chases away any intruding deer. The other is serious deer fencing.
 
Most plants that deer supposedly don't eat are just a matter of time and familiarity and what else is available they like more. Most/all methods of scaring deer away only work for a while, including motion triggered sprays of water. There are really only two things that work long term. One is an alert dog in your yard that actively chases away any intruding deer. The other is serious deer fencing.
Sounds about right. I have a little rat terrier (that thinks he's a big rat terrier) that will chase the deer. The problem is he will continue to chase the deer until he's in another county. I have the water spray, but might have to look into some sort of fencing. Thanks for the info!
 
Sounds about right. I have a little rat terrier (that thinks he's a big rat terrier) that will chase the deer. The problem is he will continue to chase the deer until he's in another county. I have the water spray, but might have to look into some sort of fencing. Thanks for the info!
If its a back yard garden, for a small dog like your rat terrier to work, you still need enough fencing to keep the terrier in. And you need to not have cougars, who are happy to eat small dogs left outdoors at night. We have a resident cougar, and our neighborhood has noticed that small dogs, old sleepy dogs, and cats are either kept indoors at night or they mysteriously vanish. We like our resident cougar though, because she has greatly mitigated the deer overpopulation problem. And she stays hidden in day and just screams occasionally at night. She doesn't do anything rude like stalk anyone. If she did, she wouldnt last long; every household in this neighborhood has guns.

A deer fence needs to be 8 feet high in areas with deer paths or heavy deer overpopulation.
 
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I'm trying to figure out how to grow microgreens using a cheap solar setup to run LED grow lights. This will be mainly for indoor apt living during winter months.
True Leaf Market has economical seeds and supplies for growing micro greens indoors. Best prices ive seen. Johnny's selected seeds catalog has many pages of microgreens seeds and excellent handouts on methods.
 
This year's garden spot is our old chicken gulag... 12 foot high fencing, wire grid over the top with ~ 12" spacing ( originally to keep hawks out) . We have deer around the place, and they're hongry ones. Now we just have to deal with pulling up bindweed through the growing season.

Some years ago, I had the idea that it would be good to have the skills and experience of being able to grow significant quantities of food, BEFORE any sort of cataclysm requiring survivalist plans. What I've learned is that it is more difficult to do well than you would think, so most people who plan to learn how to do this under adverse conditions will likely fail. Does make a fun hobby, though, and there is joy in harvesting your own produce and eating it a few minutes later. :)
 
https://survivalblog.com/2021/03/16/volume-vegetable-gardening-part-1-j-t/



There are some things not mentioned in those articles. Any "Cole" crops you grow. Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Brussels sprouts, etc., are loved by aphids and cabbage worms more than the people growing them. Broccoli is a great early season plant but as the weather warms aphids and cabbage worms will outpace is production. I grew mustard greens. Just toss a few seeds around your plot early and let them grow within the warm weather stuff and by the time the mustard matures you pull/cut it. Bugs don't bother it until well after it should be harvested. And peas, gotta' love 'em, but turn your back on them and the birds, sparrows to be sure, love the tender ends of the vines.

I used to grow a thing or two, on borrowed plots, seeing as the soil in my yard is mostly river rock. My latest, before it became too much work, was 2200 sq/'.

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Potatoes../W onions...

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Walla-walla onions don't keep well compared to the likes of "Sweet Spanish" that I grew too.

Mexican peppers with tomatoes, and the cut stumps of mustard.

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Squash, carrots and beets. The ever present sunflowers that self seeded every year. The neighbors called the plot "The sunflower Garden" before I took it over because of the sunflowers that reseed themselves every year. I kind of liked the look so I planted some fancy ones around the edge and left a few in the garden.

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A previous garden...
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I think it's kind of a waste to plant flowers where you could grow food, so I grow flowers in pots on the deck.

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I've toned it down some in the last 3-4 years though.

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The most important thing to me in gardening is copious quantities of organic matter turned into the soil. And of course proper nutrients. "Dirt" doesn't grow squat all by it's self. Food plants are big feeders. If you won't feed them properly, you won't get much food.
 
I'd like to get some vegetables growing at the house, but the damn deer are devastating. We buy plants that are "not eaten by deer" and they rarely last a couple days before being gorged on? I just planted some hops (which are also "not eaten by deer" but I don't have a lot of confidence in that). I'd try to make lemonade out of lemons and just shoot the deer and eat them, but they are protected on the island so that would land me in trouble because undoubtedly some snitch would rat me out.

Some basic wire fencing would keep that from happening, you just have to make it a small enough area inside that they can't jump over it and land inside. We've protected small apple trees this way for years in an area where the deer most definitely would kill them if not.
 

True Leaf Market has economical seeds and supplies for growing micro greens indoors. Best prices ive seen. Johnny's selected seeds catalog has many pages of microgreens seeds and excellent handouts on methods.
This is my first foray into mircogreens and ordered seeds from True Leaf Market. I did find Burpee seeds Rainbow mix at my local Fred Meyer. My first mistake was not putting enough seeds down. One site said space1" apart which I followed. Next, was too many holes in the bottom of the tray. The coconut coir soaks up too much water.
 
Squash, carrots and beets. The ever present sunflowers that self seeded every year. The neighbors called the plot "The sunflower Garden" before I took it over because of the sunflowers that reseed themselves every year. I kind of liked the look so I planted some fancy ones around the edge and left a few in the garden.

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Looks great Mike! Looks like some hard work too.

BTW That scarecrow you have standing next to the sunflower plants looks scary as hell! Probably scares the neighbor kids away too! :s0140::s0140:
 
Looks great Mike! Looks like some hard work too.

BTW That scarecrow you have standing next to the sunflower plants looks scary as hell! Probably scares the neighbor kids away too! :s0140::s0140:

That was several years ago. He's even scarier now! And I've made peace with crows in my hood. They come to get peanuts when I call them. And help keep cats out of the yard.
 

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