Is growing food a waste of time?

[moocher]

Well I started an allotment in april and ants and snails/slugs got my runner bean plants ,the slimy trail makers managed to get past my small gauge netting and get all but one courgette plant,
And pigeons have been hammering the rest,
Only thing grown well is potatoes and weeds.
I would welcome any info on stealth growing like Jansman and grenfel have mentioned either via pm or another thread? So as not to derail this one.

[tigs]

stopping slugs and snails , try putting a boarder of fine gravel around your beds or if you can get it animal or human hair , failing that its a matter of going out every night and picking them off you plants

[moocher]

stopping slugs and snails , try putting a boarder of fine gravel around your beds or if you can get it animal or human hair , failing that its a matter of going out every night and picking them off you plants

Unfortunately it's 8 mile away ,and everything's planted in the ground,
I am thinking of starting again,making raised beds ,each one with a frame and netting cover ,which will solve the pigeons and cabbage white butterflies,that just leaves the slimies to deal with.

[Sheepster]

Yup agree with Nick on this one, I grow a large variety of vegetables but still have a big supply of canned and dehydrated food as I honestly don't believe as a fairly large family we could live off of the amount I grow. We are growing more and more every year as we are lucky to have a large garden but it still isnt enough. jansman is dead right about effort lol, I spend a lot of spare time digging,weeding etc,etc. Im intrigued by the "permaculture system" so will do some research.

[jansman]

You could search 'Permaculture' but I have to say the internet permaculture (PC) crowd is very much focused on teaching and design-to you and me, making money out of it!

For me, I use a LOT of perennials, which os the basis of the PC garden. Examples are fruit and nut trees, fruit bushes, rhubarb, Welsh onions,Jerusalem Artichokes. When I lift potatoes,I leave a couple in the ground as 'volunteers' for next year(it works), I let a couple of perpetual spinach plants go to seed each year, and they self seed. I do the same with lettuce too. In between I have hazel 'wigwams' for growing beans(saved seed) and raised beds for my sweetcorn and Winter squashes and leeks. In one area there are the greenhouses, sheds, poultry and rabbits, along with rainwater catchment. The PC crowd call this 'zoning'-placing things to save effort. It will never be perfect, but that is the fun of it. Do that search, and perhaps my bit of scant information may help you.

I would say, start small , as it takes a leap of faith to turn your garden into an edible jungle!

[metatron]

I use modern growing technics, NASA and other institutions have come up with many ways to produce food, oxygen and clean waste water if need be. If you have a lot of land permaculture is great, but intensive farming technics have their place and when factored in with some hunting you can feed yourself.

[grenfell]

It's possible those in power are actually getting the message about growing your own. Back in april this year minister David Heath was reported saying that food security and prices may result in Britains having to "Dig for survival" echoing the dig for victory call of the second world war.
I saw the report on the telegraph website and could link to it but I think that as a newby I'm not allowed to do that? Perhaps admin could put me right on that one.

[latrocinium]

Thanks for all the comments everybody
However, I'm not convinced.... unless you are very remote or have some elaborate way of defending your food, it is unlikely that any grown food will not simply be stolen by people local to you. I'm not saying it's impossible. I'm sure there are some people out there that can do it, but for most of us... I just don't see how it could work.

[jansman]

Thanks for all the comments everybody
However, I'm not convinced.... unless you are very remote or have some elaborate way of defending your food, it is unlikely that any grown food will not simply be stolen by people local to you. I'm not saying it's impossible. I'm sure there are some people out there that can do it, but for most of us... I just don't see how it could work.

Well... In a real SHTF situation ALL food stores will be under threat. If you work on the premise that people are basically *lazy*!!!

They will raid your pantry before the garden. Most folk today would not
know a potato plant from their ars*hole!

However, if you simply do not want to grow food, don't worry. I drive a car, but I do not want to have to mend it!

[grenfell]

You've made your mind up but I thought I'd just give a link to a couple who definately think it's worth while. (ok so it's the mail but worth a read)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... stoke.html