The Dudeism Forum

I don't know what got me started in gardening. Sometimes, there's a man. I think it was my dad. He's got a big garden and I always liked having corn fresh, as well as peas. I guess I could've learned it from him, but watching someone garden doesn't always prepare you for everything you'll encounter.

Gardening is one of my more Dudely pastimes--sure, it can be hard work at first, but I'm sure the Dude did not learn bowling overnight. There were likely many gutters at first. But then, just like the feeling of pulling into a bowling alley parking lot, a calm washes over you as you watch plants grow.

It's marvelous.

It's my third year gardening, and that combined with watching Food, Inc. made me really interested in sustainable agriculture and learning about chickens and cattle. I still don't plan on being a farmer, but part of my Dude lifestyle once I'm able is gonna be finding a parcel of land, setting up a camper, building a house, and tending a garden. Chickens too, maybe. Fishing and hunting too.

There's something pretty righteous about knowing where all your food comes from. It tastes better, too.

Any other dudes into gardening and homesteading?

Yeah mang, moved to Maine got me 3 acres, hope to have the greenhouse up in a couple of years, after I get my barn. Truth is my special lady friend(wife) is the green thumb, she has fresh produce all over the place, we will be canning this fall, and settling in for a nice lazy winter.

If ya ask me, Maine is the most Dude of the states, I know I know Cali right, but here is my quick case for ME. Most peaceful state in the union, decrimmed weed, likely legal soon, agriculture state, not illegal to walk around naked, lots of space to spread out. Not a very "religious" state, but fairly spiritual, and winter is a great excuse to chill(pun intended) in front of the fire with your lady(or other) and keep your mind limber. The slow pace of Maine and it's lack of Big Lebowskis makes it a Dudely paradise, IMHO.

So yeah there is one gardening Dude over here mang, and I am sure there are quite a few more.

BTW that's how my wife finds her Zen too, same thing I have heard from her.

Keep planting mang, iz good sheet.

Laters

I have always enjoyed gardening it is very medative...... rewarding too....

@revgms

Fuckin' A, man. That sounds badass.

I've gotta get another bag of soil to cover our insane potato plants. This year we said "fuck it" and only grew shit we know we'd use--no eggplant. I'm so proud of our carrots--last year we didn't plant them right or dig the soil deep enough, but this year I made sure and added manure and peat moss to the soil for good measure.

We live in Northern Michigan, so we're relatively used to winters being harsh and summers being nice and cool. I wish our growing season was longer, though. I'd be willing to move just about anywhere though, as long as I could find a good job and the price of land was reasonable enough. I think me and my special man friend (fiance) have decided we'd like to stay in a northern climate when we do relocate.

Once I settle down somewhere where the state would let me home brew beer over 3.5% I was thinking about growing my own hops. I guess it is supposed to be a pretty easy plant to grow and maintain.

Hey A.B Dude, I hear what you are saying about the garden man, I think i heard Neil Young sing about it once. I currently live in the Highlands of Scotland, man, it's a beautiful place and it is heavily UNDER-populated.  There are communities of 'crofters' up here that live off the land, it is an ancient tradition and I think it is pretty Dude in it's nature, people have small plots of land where they grow veg and keep a few cattle, they help each other out and support each other. Trouble is, I think that the practice may die out in the future because the government and land owners make it hard for novice crofters to get a foot in the door, and lets face it. no government is gonna invest in keeping such noble and Dude-like traditions alive because there just ain't no profit in sustainability.

Anyway, maybe those Dudes with knowledge of the garden could produce a resource for people like myself with less knowledge of the subject in order to create a more self sustainable Dude community, if each Dude manages to cultivate 15% of their weekly food shop, then life is gonna be easier.....and the average Dude will be healthier.

Peace!

Well, I can't say much about gardening in Scotland, but honestly it's been a heck of a lot easier than I ever thought it would be. Till up the soil, add some manure, put the seeds in, and water.

Sometimes you have issues with bugs and stuff, but there are so many manuals and resources out there at the local libraries and on the internet. Most big universities have agricultural extension websites that are region-specific.

In my experience, potatoes have been the easiest thing to grow, followed by peas, beans, and onions.

Yea Brother, Making oat soda is super rewarding.

Quote from: The Dad Abides on July 14, 2011, 06:11:15 PM
Yea Brother, Making oat soda is super rewarding.

Welcome, Dad dude, to our beach community. Pull up an oat soda and abide!

I'm going to the shop today to buy some soil and seeds, gonna grow some food for the Dude.

Peace.

Quote from: Benny on July 15, 2011, 03:55:56 AM
I'm going to the shop today to buy some soil and seeds, gonna grow some food for the Dude.

Peace.

Fucking eh, sounds very dude like. Welcome to our pad. Grab a rug and abide, mang!

Quote from: Benny on July 15, 2011, 03:55:56 AM
I'm going to the shop today to buy some soil and seeds, gonna grow some food for the Dude.

Peace.

Get some mushroom soil dude. Best thing ever for gardens.

Quote from: Benny on July 15, 2011, 03:55:56 AM
I'm going to the shop today to buy some soil and seeds, gonna grow some food for the Dude.

Peace.

It might be a little late into the season to grow anything that has a really long growing season. I suggest peas and beans. Most greenhouses have patio tomato plants and some seedlings if you want to get a jump start.

I start certain seeds (like onion and lettuce and tomato) well before the last frost date and transplant the seedlings outside later on. But we have a really short growing season where I'm at so I have to take advantage of every warm summer day we have.

What are you going to grow? If it's a root vegetable like carrots and potatoes, you wanna make sure that you really till down pretty good, like maybe a foot at least.

All very interesting shit Dudes.

Next comes how to store your produce long term through the winter months, and also the Dude harvest festival.

Two words:

Root cellar.

Unfortunately we don't own property yet, so I have to resort to canning and freezing for now. Hopefully the potatoes will hold throughout the winter in our basement. I don't see it being a problem.