NEW STRATEGIES for Growing a YEAR’S WORTH OF FOOD for a Family of 6 (part 3)

[@mcohen8025]

I never noticed this before, but I really like how you don't show the kids' faces during the eating-breakfast shots. It's a good balance between respecting their privacy and safety and the realities of filming your lifestyle. I get a little uncomfortable with the channels that just tell EVERYTHING about their kid, like "this is Madisyn, she's six, she's in every video, we live in central X state."

[@susanhoward2906]

We got some sweet potato eyes, mom said no but dad threw them under the house ,you can only imagine they went wild . We live in Florida and had potatoes for one and a half years.

[@katherinebelk8398]

They grew under the house? I'm in Florida, that is super curious to me 😊

[@mamaof8girls920]

I ordered sweet potatoe plants from Steele, a family owned business in Tennessee that only does sweet potatoes and onions I think. I called to ask a question about my order, and the lady was so sweet. She talked to me for a few minutes and she was full of knowledge, giving me information for my area and soil conditions. It was so personal. I will let you know if we have sweet potatoe success, but I can already recommend the customer service😊

[@brokeschlo8274]

I really like your channel, it sticks to the stuff I want to see and learn! It’s a humble diamond. :)

[@ImGlyn]

Just about to go to bed in Australia & saw you'd posted - can't resist watching straight away! Have a great day everyone!

[@gailmcdonald1946]

LOL,me too, 🇦🇺

[@Kahlea143]

Same here! 🇦🇺

[@gypsy1111]

And me! I'm in SA, where is everyone else? What are you growing right now ?

[@ImGlyn]

@@gypsy1111 Hi there 👋 I'm in Melbourne. I've got broad beans, carrots & several rotations of brassicas at various stages: cabbages, broccoli, kale & romanesco. Snow peas & hopefully getting some kipfler spuds in this week if I can get the little buggers to chit 🤣 You?

[@hollybacon3172]

Same here in Colorado. I'm laying down for bed and saw your video. Sleep can wait!

[@virsapiensfortisest922]

Please consider using leaves between your beds. It’s worked very well for weed suppression for us. I like to garden barefoot as well and it was important to me to have something soft to walk on.

[@mehtarelingolien]

I was going to suggest the same straw as you use for your strawberries.

[@5GreenAcres]

I have such an abundance of leaves in the fall. I am starting to take advantage of them in my garden now.

[@briankeithfisher7305]

Your film style is like a gentle stream, flowing effortlessly from scene to scene. The way you capture moments and weave them together creates an enchanting experience for viewers. Keep up the fantastic work!

[@tinakarp3996]

Great video. We live in Michigan and it's nice watching people who farm/homestead in northern states, with their challenges and successes. 😍

[@sandywetzel3383]

One year I planted seeds and seedlings for cukes and watermelon and found that yes, the seeds caught up with the young plants so I don't mess with starting seeds indoors anymore.

[@jenniferm6948]

I got some old bricks from a building in my town that was getting taken down. you should be on the look out for something like that. It was all free and a great way to add pathways to my yard.

[@shannongoad2816]

Its super easy to start your own sweet potato slips. But a few if your old potatoes from last year in a jar filled halfway with water put root end down. You can put toothpicks in the middle sides of the potato to suspend it in the jar if water. In a few days the bottom will grow roots in the water and the tops will start producing slips. After slips are about 2" long pick off the potato and place in another jar of water, they will grow roots then transfer to garden. Super easy, hands off. I sit mine in window and I'm still planting potatoes from the two I started 4 years ago! Free potatoes that last all year!

[@GineneReed]

You could put wood chips down this year in between the raised beds then next year use them in the beds and on and on. Or pour vinegar around the perimeter of the raised bed area. You need to reapply the vinegar after a big rain. That's what we do to keep the snakes from getting into the chicken coup

[@davep6977]

use 30% vinegar and it will kill the weeds (isle growth) also. FYI- your garden will smell like an Italian restaurant oil and vinegar salad lol

[@kristymiller983]

how do you apply around your coop? Straight vinegar or a dilution vineger and water. Please and thank you! Considering it for a perimeter around garden as well. The snakes here are outrageous and ticks, ugh!

[@kristymiller983]

one more question? I used wood chips on my garden last fall and it completely killed my entire garden this spring. It's been awful. Not a single seed sprouted. Finally, transplants are taking hold if I I pull the wood chips way back from them. So disappointed, we covered entire garden 6 inches deep in fall to stop weed growth and to avoid tilling. total disaster. and didn't stop weeds at all.

[@sheilatorres1908]

When using wood chips, never mix them into the planting soil. They will take up all the nitrogen. Always just use wood chips on top of the soil, don’t mix them into the soil. Also, always pull the mulch away from the plant stems. With 6 inches of wood chips, you need to ensure you’re planting into the actual soil rather than wood chips.

[@hanliecoetser2545]

You should plant your cucumber & squash seeds in paper cups & when you are ready to transplant them just cut the bottom open & place them in the ground. That way you won’t disturb the roots. The paper cups are biodegradable & feed for the earth worms. 😊

[@freeinghumanitynow]

We had success trellising cukes. The important thing is to not keep doing whatever isn't working. For us, a WOODEN pyramid shaped trellis made our cuke production explode. We got NO pests, no diseases and the cukes themselves were huge. We also used orgonite but that's a whole 'nother thing. Lol.

[@a.p.5429]

I make tubes from newspaper.

[@Dalcar.avotreestudio]

Empty toilet rolls.

[@jenny_by_the_woods]

Love these tip shares ladies! Best comment section ever!! ❤ my tip is love them and sing to them, production tastes a heck lot better 😊

[@Ms.SheriT]

I just learned about the European SNAIL ROLL method for sowing seeds that went viral (Farida Sober's video). Sober also experiments with other methods to lesson the disturbance of roots.

[@biggiesky8333]

Luffa is pretty hard to germinate so don't be discouraged if you don't see anything sprouting for a couple weeks. It generally has a very thick seed coat. You may want to crack the seed coat and soak the seeds in water overnight or put on a damp paper towel. There are plenty of videos showing how to do this. Good Luck

[@catracampolieto8989]

Suyo cucumbers are self pollinating, no bees needed. You could cover with a fine mesh bug fabric to keep the beetles out. Always look forward to your videos. ❤ your channel.

[@TheEmbrio]

Yes, greenhouse varieties don’t need pollinators

[@montyshinn8704]

Thick cardboard and mulch iin walkways. I’ve done for years and works great.

[@sdollison91]

Sweet potatoe tip - put a couple of sweet potatoes aside so they can sprout. When the sprouts are 3-4 inches long gently twist them off or cut around it like with white potatoes. Place them in water that just covers the bottom 1/4 of it. Change every 2 days until roots grow and then plant them. Free plants that you can regrow again and again.

[@IOSARBX]

More Than Farmers, Yay! I liked this video so much, it made me smile!

[@heidispence4444]

Just my 2 cents; you'll love smothering weeds and grass in your pathways with arborist chips. The time and effort it takes to maintain chips is really low compared to weekly mowing or chopping with a weed eater each week.

[@bismarck226]

So to install pavers properly, you would want a stone base, this would be a 2A gravel (this is 1-2" stone with fines mixed in). These fines will be hold the larger stone in place to form a solid layer. So if you are not ready to splurge on your pavers, you can always start the base in sections. Remove the grass, installing a geotextile and compacted the 2A stone. Between now and then, keep an eye out for bricks or other pavers that you might find through your favorite resell ads.

[@The_Garden_Life]

I had ridiculous amounts of asparagus one year and pickled them. We enjoyed it much more than we thought we would. I also made a simple asparagus soup (with garlic) and froze it in bags. It turned out to be a great dish in the winter.

[@maiai2992]

We always transplant our cucumbers, much earlier harvest, but when transplant go with soil level of the cucumber plant, and never water at the base of the plant. As for the snakes can you find yourselves hedgehog, they are territorial and eat snakes, the only summer we have snakes was when we did not have hedgehog at the garden.

[@kendratai]

What a blessing to have rain! I live in the desert and we are goinh through a pretty bad drought. It's sprinkled like twice since I think January? It's been awful just trying to keep the garden watered and we are in the 100s now ...

[@ValSMITH-it4lg]

I like to use soaker hoses and mulch. Very easy to water the garden, don't need to stand there with a hose in my hand, and the mulch (usually leaves or grass clippings for me) keeps the soil moist. I water less often and it keeps the weeds out of the garden too. Plus the mulch breaks down and adds nutrients to the soil. Note - if you spray weed killer on your lawn DON'T USE THE CLIPPINGS! Most straw has the same problem, unless you use organic, non-sprayed straw. It WILL kill your plants and takes years to get out of the soil! I never use any herbicides or pesticides and don't use straw unless it's organic. Same with composts that you buy, if they are made with horse or cattle manure. The horses or cattle are usually fed with hay that is sprayed with Grazon or other pesticides. The animals eat the hay and the herbicides pass through their manure. Be careful with chicken manure, or any manure, if the animals are eating non-organic feed.

[@kendratai]

I have been using soaker hoses and I've been working on mulching heavier, the ground is just so try it's struggling to hold in the moisture. Ive had to hand water a lot because of our really strong winds we get almost everyday. We STILL haven't had rain. I'm already struggling with Bermuda taking over, definitely won't be using grass clippings lol

[@jimmiemeeks9795]

In Florida a lot of people use moth balls around the house and front and back door for snakes seems to help ? Worth a shot 😊 appreciate y'all sharing such a wonderful story 😊

[@mamaof8girls920]

One of the hardest parts of homesteading/ parenting/ homeschooling is the constant dying to self. When Cody was talking about how poor you were I thought to myself, " but you determined you would keep trying, keep learning, keep trusting" If you are like most of us in the homesteading, one income community, money is still not an abundant resource. There may not be lots of trips, new vehicles, even project moneybwhen you need it, but you are reaping the benifits of your choices. Those include, better health, a stronger marriage, joyful, productive, bright children, and most of all ..contentment in the moment in the life God has blessed you with. Some things will indeed get easier, but other trials will come that will be much harder. You are off to a really good start. Stay humble and keep being willing to die to self.

[@do4699]

Seminole pumpkins are highly resistant to squash vine borer and taste more like winter squash than pumpkin.

[@jae878]

Whenever I look at having a big Job to do yearly on the farm I compare the time it takes to the time it saves me the rest of the year. I think putting a heavy layer of cardboard down and Woodchips in your garden pathways would be time well spent because you then save the aggravation and time all season not having to weed wack that area. Although Gravel or Woodchips may not be very pleasant to walk on barefoot.

[@mrs.broccoli4362]

I love your channel more and more. I have already written everything that I would like to say to you. Thank you again for your time and these great videos.

[@mandystone3005]

Regarding the expensive pavers, I dont know how near you are to Quarries in your area but they use conveyer belts to carry product away from their chrushing plants. They have to replace them regularly. All that to say they are often long sections that you can cut to size and place inbetween your beds. It keeps the weeds down perfectly and easy to walk on and kneel on. The best part is you can spray them down when they get dirty and they lasts a lifetime. Here in South Africa you would get them for free as you are doing them a favour by hauling it away. Just discovered your channel about 3 weeks ago and loving your content. God Bless.

[@kprairiesun]

I mulched my garden deeply with grass clippings, my favorite mulch, planted garlic, marigolds next to cucumbers and around each plant and still had them quickly wiped out by bugs. I think the best way to avoid that is to keep replanting them to miss the bug cycles.

[@jennifersmith8687]

For vine borers try “SERPENTE DE SICILIA CUCUZZI” it’s a Sicilian gourd but when picked young it’s just like zucchini. I have been fighting squash vine borers here in Central Texas for years! I’ve tried every type of squash you can think of and had no luck until this year when I grew the cucuzzi. Ours grew up our hooped cattle panel and took over to make a nice bit of shade underneath. I got my seeds from Baker Creek ❤

[@VagabondAnne]

Cucuzzi are delicious and technically a gourd, with white flowers that open at night. It would be perfect for your arched trellis, because they love to climb and the fruits stay clean and straight up to 2 feet long!)They germinate and grow best in the real heat, especially warm nights, so I wait until mid-June to plant. They are delicious when young, and they don’t really get bitter, just tough if you let them get too big.

[@ValSMITH-it4lg]

Just an idea for the garden paths between the raised beds - white dutch clover. It usually stays pretty short, it enriches the soil, if you do want to mow it you can use the clippings as mulch in the garden beds, it tends to crowd out the weeds, it's nice to walk on, the seeds are cheap and it attracts pollinators. A local market gardener used it as a pathway between his non-raised beds, and because it enriched the soil so much he would alternate his beds. One year he'd use a strip of soil for a white dutch clover mulch, the next year it would be a planting bed.

[@TheEmbrio]

Pavers : you can be on the lookout for people removing them or brick from demolition. Maybe hardscaping companies would be happy to drop off, so they don’t pay for dumping fees

[@Alieombaba]

Put some thick black plastic down between the beds! And some soft weed cloth on top for comfort of walking on bare foot! ❤

[@PureEarthGardens-r9t]

The level of professionalism and creativity on your channel is truly inspiring!

[@morethanfarmers]

Thank you so much!

[@julisagonzalez657]

Cucumbers aren’t that root sensitive! I transplant mine every year and separate the seedlings! I see you planted alot in one little spot, you should of definitely separated them because they will be fighting for nutrients 😩😊 when I plant mine I separate them all add bone meal to every hole and plant them deep and they do great 👍🏼

[@champagnemommy]

Seeing Michelle with her hair down 😮 girl you are stunningly beautiful! 🤩

[@kprairiesun]

Eggs can be creative and they are a complete food and. Healthier than almost anything else.

[@michaellawson4473]

I have faith you can hold the fort down for the weekend. Gotta love our Ohio weather!

[@LoriSkees]

Weather in Ohio always keeps us guessing, especially in spring! Where did these 90° temps come from! My poor cabbage and broccoli!

[@emmanuelmusizabusiness]

The one more thing I like you guys you're working together lol l really like it wish one day I started my own project like you guys ❤😂😢😅😊

[@pearlg6411]

16:19 is a life meme. Sometimes no matter what you do or how careful you are... 😂🤣😂❤🐓

[@annaadamthwaite8472]

A fantastic way to make your archers easier is to grind an upwards grove ending in hole on your star picket which, in Australia, matches with the width of your squares in the mesh. Your wire just clips into the star pickets. No zip ties required and easy to take off again.

[@PatriciaKotze-SMM]

Michelle mentioned in one of your videos that she bought white baking butter for a cake with white buttercream. I have to share! I used some of my purified tallow (wet method used to get all of the flavour out) as a fat for my icing on my moms birthday cake. The idea I had for the cake, also needed white icing. So I flavored it with vanilla essence and it turned out delicious!! I was very impressed with the outcome. You guys also work with Tallow, so I thought I'd share x

[@marbie0214]

In my country we also put tomatos, paprikas and sausages alongside with eggs and potatoes and call it farmer's breakfast (in case you want to experiment 😝)

[@robinsouth8555]

Cody, when you do your chicken video, I would love for you to show how to do the wheels that move up and down. Moving my cattle panel tractor, has been a struggle.

[@Cody_Ramer]

It's basically a lever. With a bolt on one end, wheel in the middle, and a latch on the other end. That way you step down, levering the wheel down latch in place then do the other side and there you go.

[@flowerluv-xh6kn3jl8l]

Plant sunflowers so that their blooms and seeds are developing when the squash are growing. Plant them near but not with your squash as a trap crop for squash bugs, aka stink bugs.

[@LynnBoergermann]

Asparagus wrapped in bacon and cooked on the grill is amazing!

[@nathalie703]

Okay. I’ve been binge watching your videos today. I feel like I’m watching something from a cable channel like Magnolia Network. Your content is amazing and so professionally done.

[@morethanfarmers]

Thank you so much! Glad you’ve been enjoying the videos!😊

[@yurismom53]

I love your videos and congratulations on being so successful and being young! I wish I could start over and really try this! I have a small garden on my deck with my brothers help we have a lot going! You guys give me confidence and I’m old! I’m gonna try the sour dough bread this fall! I applaud your sincerity and your graciousness! Your kindness and love you show your family. Good clean videos I cherish, they are hard to find!

[@GoingGreenMom]

Just cut the paths short, cardboard and then do wood chips. Maybe some pallet wood on top with a bit of creeping thyme or something that can be walked on in the cornersthe second year.

[@ceepark114]

I have that same problem with the birds digging up my seeds, so I lay a garden net over the green bean raised bed until they are up and growing.

[@lesliekendall5668]

I use netting or cloth over the larger beds and I cut chicken wire to @ 12" and make a loop/cylinder to put around squash, watermelon hills, etc and attach the middle top together since I'm just one person and don't have to plant many and who needs more than a couple zucchini plants?

[@theimperfectpantry5936]

That raised bed soil is gorgeous. I just put my beds in this year, and it is going to be a process…

[@tashadiaz8661]

Plant the cowpanel tunnel on top of the raised beds and they would give you more height if need

[@RemJuly]

I was so happy you included 16:19-16:21, (which makes the video raw, just what reality is and not too formal to watch) made me laugh at the part when the chicken flew out of the cage and Izzy's exasperation (I feel like an internet aunt of Izzy, and just happy seing the kids in the video getting involve in homesteading but still giving them the privacy they need and not overexposing them.

[@RemJuly]

Got scared when you mentioned snakes, better wear your gardening boots for your safety

[@simplebee2366]

😅😅😅. Loved the dad comment: " that ain't goin' anywhere" brought great memories of my dad saying it. I miss him.

[@janetkoball44]

Loved your video and I'm so going to stare at your Luffa plants! So exciting. How many of your children take an interest in gardening and homestead animals? See you next time.

[@annachrzan-krzyzowska977]

With cucumber seedlings And other veg that doesn’t like to have their roots disturbed I found that growing them in cardboard pot and then putting them into the ground with it helps. Those plants grow much better.

[@jamesetal7088]

Im a lot older. However, at your stage of life we bought a double oven. WOW! So helpful.

[@morethanfarmers]

Yes, totally!

[@daeuslamb8191]

Horsetail tea is great for those cucumbers

[@kirbylewis6869]

I just recently found your channel and this video has been so encouraging between what he said about not going overboard in the beginning of homesteading and getting burned out and what she said about getting past the perfectionism and being content! Very wise advice!!! Thank you!

[@rmgalardo]

Path suggestion: Have you been looking around for free bricks? Might take a while and its a bit more tedious than larger pavers, but it does the job! Sorry if this suggestion is useless! Zip ties: super cheap at Harbor Freight!

[@bobwilliams5506]

I always transplant my cucumbers and squash. I enjoy your vids. Keep them coming.

[@kmbrezina]

This is my new favorite channel! Thank a for taking the time to make these videos.

[@thedrunkmonk8386]

For the raised beds, I saw a video where the fella went by the countertop stores and got their off-size and broken pieces for free, then he cut & polished them and used as flooring.

[@carolinevanwinkle3755]

Try egg toast. 4-5 eggs, capful of vanilla, beat until eggs well mixed, soak bread and fry until eggs cooked through. When done, butter, add cinnamon. And sugar if you like sugar for breakfast. Or honey or peanut and jelly or syrup.

[@roselucas4841]

This might sound strange but I actually use old carpet on the ground between my raised beds. Kills the weeds and no dirty mess, not to mention it last for years.

[@Ms.SheriT]

I see people on YT use carpet. Especially in the UK…but doesn't it smell?

[@christinem.7486]

The only way I have found to save my squash plants from vine borers is to cover them with cloth as soon as they come up from the soil. Last year we made some cheap hoop houses that fit inside our raised beds. We covered the hoops with light gardener’s cloth, clipped everything shut, and only opened them to quickly weed and water. The vine borers could not get to the plants, and the plants really thrived. (Zucchini, cucumbers, and pumpkins). Shortly after the plants began flowering, I took the hoop houses down, so the bees could pollinate. It worked amazingly! We still had to battle the squash bugs later in the season, but the kids and I would pick them or their eggs off every other day. That really kept on top of them. Hope this is helpful!

[@eb1684]

You seem to really like that Korean EZ-Digger. I have one too!

[@5GreenAcres]

Gosh I am so jealous of your beautiful thick asparagus!!! Freeze that beautiful stuff for a cold winter night. I had to laugh. I am an older female homesteader and when you said a dad saying..."that ain't going anywhere." I say that all the time!

[@mountainsagegarden9214]

When you're talking about what to do about weeds in your raised garden beds .. since you're a barefooted girl and no one wants to walk on gravel or bark mulch .. I'de tear up all the grass and lay down weed mat then add compost or bark mulch with stepping stones 🤞👍😉. Best of luck!

[@Cody_Ramer]

for squash beetles you can plant squash later in the year for a later fall harvest, to miss the beetles. if the other stuff doesn't deter them this year.

[@RachelZ0922]

I laughed out loud about the 9x13 broiler coop comment, Codi! Too funny. Michelle, oh my WORD, the RAIN! It's been pouring and pouring in Northwest Indiana, too. We are frantically preparing beds (2nd summer here) and trying to plant. I thank the Lord for everything I get in the ground because it's been a battle. haha! You're not alone!

[@ymwyoyo-p6w]

Hi Michele from Downunder. My suggestion would be to put down cardboard first, then landscape fabric on top inbetween your raised beds which keep the weeds at bay and also looks much neater. If you put bricks down believe me you will get weeds coming up through the cracks and then you will have to use weed spray to get rid of them. Good luck.

[@sarahgrooms5606]

I wish my Mom had shown me how to sew, cook, and have gardens. I would like to be like you. I love watching y'all.

[@LauraSummers-xp4ob]

It's never too late to learn new things!! You can do it! 😊

[@carebearb2007]

The transplants I get from a local nursery always do so much better than the ones I plant from seed. The slugs just destroy them before they are big enough to trellis.

[@Free2flyjj]

If you want walkways around your raised beds, it'll be a days project, but have you thought about doing a moss walk? There are pros/cons to everything, but I'd like to hear about the idea of a moss walkway.

[@jillw892]

We got a paver mold. Cheap way to make walking paths. We sanded them. 10 years still look great.

[@mariegro09]

I haven't tried it myself but I've seen other homesteaders freeze aspargues.

[@cihanilkayunyaylar8165]

YOU ARE A VERY NICE FAMILY, I WISH YOU HAPPY

[@kennethsmith2952]

YA, about the ovens, since they started manufacturing wafer board component ovens; like my oven, it began going out three years after I spent a heavy price of it. I remember when ovens lasted up to 20 years, and sometimes longer. But now its ALL about MONEY!

[@Rabbiton]

I inccubate chook eggs and sell chicks, pullets and soon fertile eggs - I have found this is little effort for easy return (if you buy a good incubator with auto humidity control). I don't sell POL as too much feed to raise but I do have a 'rooster back guarantee' for pullets so if they end up with a rooster I will take is back and give them their money back. This is a win win as I have not had to raise the rooster to that point.

[@marygraceking932]

I'll be cheering on your little cucumber & squash seedlings! I always start mine indoors & they do great ❤️❤️

[@cathy6508]

the more mulch you feed it the bigger it will get. animal manure also works well to feed plants. some manures need to composted first. so make sure to look up what manure you want to use.

[@oby-1607]

We can never walk thru our garden with bare feet. Too many rattlesnakes in our area so its always tall rubber boots for us. If you have a Harbor Freight store near you, they have a good price for zip ties in various lengths. One sale there for zips was $1.35 per 100 by 10 inches long.

[@Ichigo2058]

You may know this already and dont use it because you dont have the space. But i always cut up the sweet potatoes, put them in soil indoors. Water them ofc. After 1-2 weeks theyll sprout. So 0 money wasted on plants :) (you can also plant cuttings from autumn, but then you have to have space for them indoors all winter....)

[@marksalyers1379]

For your seedlings that are sensitive to transplanting, you might try paper pots. I've had good luck with them. Also, they're inexpensive.

[@Yotaciv]

Rubarb likes to be watered in spring and nitrogen(lawn fertilizer) and potassium in spring. More nitrogen and water in late spring if you keep harvesting and removed flowers.

[@nicha3085]

Hey guys could use soil blocks to not disturb the roots when planting the cucumber seedlings if your starting inside!

[@homegrownLee]

During dry days, sprinkle food grade DE powder on your soil to kill pests. Just make sure to keep it off the flowers so it does not harm the pollinators.

[@YetiHomestead]

I love our perennials ❤. My rhubarb is well established as well and grows nice and big. We also have raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, gooseberries, and red lake currants. They need little care and come back every year with a big yield.

[@samgalbraith6411]

I have a horrible time with cucumber beetles in Indy. Last year I kept them at bay by planting a bed of zinnias about 5 feet away, and they seemed to cling to them. I also only do single panel trellising because they hide so well. Good luck! Beautiful garden❤

[@kaylacoplin4783]

Love how people say Vardaman. I’m from Vardaman, “the sweet potato capital of the world”. I don’t plant sweet potatoes here. I just walk out to the fields when harvest is done and pick up what’s left.

[@Mildret-ff7ts]

Those garlic will sprout ,it happened with mine ,I ended up planting sweetcorn in that bed thinking that they will never come right but the moment the sweetcorn started then the garlic sprouted too

[@lattelolly6925]

Sorry y'all keep getting rained out. We live in the desert and would love to have some of it here.😉

[@veronica6514]

Try using landscape fabric between your raised beds . No mulch no weed eating. That's what most people use I have noticed . It's not to expensive either . Or you could make your own pavers with concrete . I think fabric would be the answer . Good luck guys

[@andielliott7721]

Yes, we use electric fence wire for many many things.

[@maggieward1892]

Plant squash late and cucumber along with resistant varieties. Best defense.

[@judyanderson8782]

The flowers are good to plant with cucumbers, but you can also plant dill and chives to deter insects. Chives also deter Japanese beetles

[@tashastinyhomestead]

I always transplant everything. My transplanted cucumbers this year are huge and better than any other year. My direct sow no luck. For vine borers, bury the stems and let the plant continue to root. That way if the bugs get in one section it's still rooting somewhere else.

[@gummie543]

I put cardboard and mulch on top around my raised beds! I know you said you didn't really wanna do that but the pro is that you don't constantly have grass growing and cutting it throughout the summer VS mulching the beginning of the season. Mulch also helps keep the integrity of the ground underneath whereas gravel would really hurt it (not that your using the soil underneath anyway tho) but nobody wants to walk barefoot on gravel 😆