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Small Cabin Forum / Nature / Garden - What to plant if only at the cabin on weekends?
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thomast
Member
# Posted: 29 Mar 2013 01:16pm
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Not sure it's even feasible, but I'd like to have a small garden at the cabin, but we'll only be there at the most on weekends. Two weeks would probably be the max amount of time we'd be away.

Are there veggies / fruits / herbs that handle not being tended to more often than that?

shooter mcgavin
Member
# Posted: 29 Mar 2013 08:22pm
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I would do tomatoes, onions, and acorn squash.
Forget strawberries,they need too much attention.

sparky1
Member
# Posted: 29 Mar 2013 09:50pm
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Radishes,Carotts,
good luck

countryred
Member
# Posted: 29 Mar 2013 09:50pm
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Yep,,,cherry tomatoes that produce all the time,,,maybe watermelon. Blackberries too

MikeOnBike
Member
# Posted: 29 Mar 2013 10:30pm
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I want to do the same and would like to have spinach, carrots, bell peppers, and garlic. For me the problem is watering. I have to haul all of my water up the hill from the spring when it is running or from home.

I have solar power so I could rig a pump on a timer for watering. I think I would have to screen all of it from the ground squirel and deer.

bobbotron
Member
# Posted: 30 Mar 2013 07:55am
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I always thought zucchini would be a good cottage plant. Lots of room to grow!

thomast
Member
# Posted: 30 Mar 2013 08:42am
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Great input! Thanks everyone!!!

I hadn't thought of fencing, but with the deer and other critters that pass by, that would be needed for sure.

I have a pitch pump well, so for a smaller garden like I'm thinking, that should be easy enough along with the rain. I usually have to pump out 4 to 8 five gallon buckets to clear out the iron before it's drinkable, so that can be what I use to water the garden.

Our cabin is in Western Wisconsin, so it will probably be another month at least before I can start plotting it out.

Thanks again for all the great ideas!

trollbridge
Member
# Posted: 30 Mar 2013 11:58am
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Liking the weather out there today ? NASTY!

You could also collect rainwater. Definitely will have to fence for deer and other critters...are black bear going to be a problem?

How about apple trees?

hattie
Member
# Posted: 30 Mar 2013 12:55pm
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Without being able to water them and keep an eye on animal invaders, you are probably wasting money to put anything in. We tried when we used our place as a cabin and ended up just throwing money in the garbage. Plants dried up and the deer ate the ones that didn't. We did put in some apple trees. Those did live but the animals got most of the fruit which was okay. We just wanted the trees to get established so that when we moved here full time, they would be producing.

missouriboy
Member
# Posted: 1 Apr 2013 12:41pm
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I have tried many different things mainly to see what the deer or other varmits will not bother. I have had good luck with Acorn Squash, Jalepeno peppers, watermelon, onions, potatoes and Roma tomatoes in a cage. Other things the varmits got so I feed them. Some years they will bother some of these and some they do not. It doesn't cost much for seed or plants so I figure if I get something great, if not I'm not out much. It is fun just to see what works in your area and what doesn't.


missouriboy
Member
# Posted: 1 Apr 2013 12:43pm
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P.S. Good luck.

TheWildMan
Member
# Posted: 2 Apr 2013 09:03am
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look into permaculture or forest gardening methods, planting fruit and vegatable bearing perenials that will survive in your climate/area and do well without you. a lot of good food plants are not recognized by most but are very good and grow without help. jerusalem artichoke is a native root plant that is very sweet, asparagus will thrive for years after its established. rasberry would be good, a couple apple trees, or pear trees. squash is ignored by deer and raccoons hate walking in the vines (the squash, beans, corn 3 sisters garden actually protect each other from deer and coons). pumpkins are a good choice too and you can sell the extra in the fall.

Sustainusfarm
Member
# Posted: 2 Apr 2013 05:42pm
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It really depends on your soil...try looking up lasagna garden beds! It's a way of layering certain soil amendments and straw to create beds that require very little work. Also, I am adding top bar beehives this year! They require very little work to get a lot of honey!

hattie
Member
# Posted: 2 Apr 2013 11:33pm
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Quoting: Sustainusfarm
I am adding top bar beehives this year! They require very little work to get a lot of honey!


Where we live, the bears would get into that really quick. We put up one of those fake hornets nests at our camp to keep the hornets away and the bears tore it to pieces. Our oldtimer friend had some hives he put out in the bush to get fireweed honey. He hired a guy to sit in a camper and keep the bears away. The guy quit the first week because he couldn't keep the bears out and he was terrified of them. The bears demolished his hives.

Having said that, there is nothing that beats natural honey. If you can keep the bears out, you will probably get enough to sell on the side. Beekeeping can be a really lucrative business. The man we buy our honey from "rents" his bees to farmers to pollinate their fruit. He makes a fortune doing that.

shooter mcgavin
Member
# Posted: 3 Apr 2013 10:32pm
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My sister gets loaner bees in the spring down in Alabama. She's got a big yard, watches the bees, and gets a cut of the finished product. She even remembered her little brother last year.

Can't you put up some 4 chicken wire? Deer repellent?? Heard moth balls repel rabbits.

apray
Member
# Posted: 4 Apr 2013 04:59pm
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I, too, want to try a few things this year on our spot of land in the mountains. Like thomast we will only be there on weekends, and maybe not every weekend. This is great info!

TheWildMan, have you planted with the 3 sisters? I was reading about that the other day and was intrigued.

hattie, I had not thought about apple trees. Do you have a good source for info on those?

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