Agriculture Forum

[shawn_the_cow]

I just wanted to make this post to see if there are any farmers in the community just for fun and answer any questions for people who are curious about agriculture and farming from a 3rd generation farmer.

[Biskuits]

I have a small back yard farm in the suburb, does that count?

 

I probably end up with maybe 8 Tomato plants, 10 Cherry Tomato plants, 8 Cucumber plants, A single Wintermelon plant that gives me maybe 3 melons per season, and various herbs.

 

Given the limitations of a small back yard garden, what general tips and tricks can you think of?

 

I have square setup where the Tomatoes are forming a perimeter around my herbs (I care more about these than the others) to act as a natural pesticide.

[Nup]

Farming, or at least just gardening is something I really got into recently  

 

welcome to the forums! 

 

This summer I plan on moving some alpine raspberrys home from Italy, dunno how different they are strain wise. But it could be fun! 

 

Forgot to ask what it is you grow, OP? 

[klh2000]

I grow soybeans on a 28 acre field, and sometimes corn.

[shawn_the_cow]

W

8 hours ago, Biskuits said:

I have a small back yard farm in the suburb, does that count?

 

I probably end up with maybe 8 Tomato plants, 10 Cherry Tomato plants, 8 Cucumber plants, A single Wintermelon plant that gives me maybe 3 melons per season, and various herbs.

 

Given the limitations of a small back yard garden, what general tips and tricks can you think of?

 

I have square setup where the Tomatoes are forming a perimeter around my herbs (I care more about these than the others) to act as a natural pesticide.

Thats sounds like a pretty nice setup!  I would say if you're looking for a better plant then tomatoes to protect your herbs then you should go for marigolds which are really simple to grow.  Another thing I have never tested is to grow tobacco plants around your garden, nicotine is a pretty effective pesticide but I have heard that if you have some of the cuban varieties which have the most nicotine they can apparently kill you from handling the leaves.

[shawn_the_cow]

7 hours ago, Nup said:

Farming, or at least just gardening is something I really got into recently  

 

welcome to the forums! 

 

This summer I plan on moving some alpine raspberrys home from Italy, dunno how different they are strain wise. But it could be fun! 

 

Forgot to ask what it is you grow, OP? 

Good luck with the raspberries it might be tough depending on the types of soils you have but I think with proper management you they could be very successful.  We have had a pretty tough time growing raspberries ourselves but our blackberry bush is looking fantastic this year!  

 

To answer we grow roughly 1600 acres of dent corn and raise about 4,500 head of cattle.

[shawn_the_cow]

7 hours ago, klh2000 said:

I grow soybeans on a 28 acre field, and sometimes corn.

Thats a pretty good field! How are the beans doing this year? If I may ask where do you raise crops?

[Nup]

6 hours ago, shawn_the_cow said:

Good luck with the raspberries it might be tough depending on the types of soils you have but I think with proper management you they could be very successful.  We have had a pretty tough time growing raspberries ourselves but our blackberry bush is looking fantastic this year!  

 

To answer we grow roughly 1600 acres of dent corn and raise about 4,500 head of cattle.

Thanks  yes, hopefully they'll take off! Very flip is fruit.

 

damn, not a small operation! Must be great though, I'm certainly not used to see that kind of scale. 

[Okjoek]

We have a handful of apple trees and a single row of blueberry bushes. I'd love to expand on them. Not sure if it would be best to buy blueberry seeds or find some saplings all ready to put in the ground. How long might it take for a seed to reach that sapling stage when they're ready to put in the ground?

[klh2000]

8 hours ago, shawn_the_cow said:

Thats a pretty good field! How are the beans doing this year? If I may ask where do you raise crops?

They aren't doing as good as last year due to the lack of rain. I grow them in new York.

[Okjoek]

12 minutes ago, klh2000 said:

They aren't doing as good as last year due to the lack of rain. I grow them in new York.

I live in New York too. It's been an awful dry summer. Got some rain yesterday though.

[shawn_the_cow]

2 hours ago, Okjoek said:

We have a handful of apple trees and a single row of blueberry bushes. I'd love to expand on them. Not sure if it would be best to buy blueberry seeds or find some saplings all ready to put in the ground. How long might it take for a seed to reach that sapling stage when they're ready to put in the ground?

Personally have never grown blueberries myself they require really acidic soils to grow optimally, I think around a pH of 5.  Honestly I would forgo trying from seeds and go for some healthy saplings instead.

[shawn_the_cow]

1 hour ago, klh2000 said:

They aren't doing as good as last year due to the lack of rain. I grow them in new York.

Shucks, it has been pretty decent around here for row crops but its still been pretty dry here in Nebraska though we did get about an inch of rain a few days ago.

[lonestar31]

Raised cattle with my parents till they divorced, though a fair few in the family still have good herds. Most of my land is now strictly hay fields for tax exemption and occasional Whitetail and hog hunting.