FOOD WARS: Russia Bans Fertilizer Exports to Crush Global Markets – Hungary bans All Grain Exports

[Ghoti Ichthus]

@MapleLeaf

Vegetable Container Gardening (Dobbs)
Square Foot Gardening (I adapted some of the ideas to grow in containers instead of raised gardens). If conflicting info, I've gone with the Vegetable Container Gardening info.
There's also a huge vegetable, fruit, and herb growing book that I got at a big box store, but I don't remember the title and don't have access to it right now.

The information for companion planting is available free online. The book is disappointing/not worth the money

Since I grow in containers, I'm more concerned about water and sunshine/temperature needs compatibility. I can alays move the containers around to put companion plants next to or above/below one another.

I love Earth Boxes, but haven't tried City Picker. The dollies are life-savers, cuz EB are heavy. Also like stackers, potato pots, strawberry pots, topsy-turvey (many products), and plain ole hanging pots. I like container growing because I can move stuff around, including inside in case of severe weather, extreme heat, cold, dust storm, locusts, etc. I'm considering trying organic unbleached cotton hanging bags and getting away from plastic when stuff starts to wear out. Having at least one large plant dolly with signifcant weight capacity makes moving stuff around a lot easier. A two-wheel utility/box/moving dolly could be used if the shelf thingee is deep enough.

Using a micro drip irrigation system for hanging containers and other non-reservoir containers reduces water usage and saves a lot of labor over time. Even so, a watering wand with an adjustable-angle head eliminates the need for pulleys to raise/lower plants or standing on/moving ladders, etc. Drinking water-safe hose(s) and drinking water-safe pistol-grip nozzle(s).

Plant (lots of) non-GMO pollinator flowers because they attract pollinators to both themselves and the nearby veggies/fruit/herbs Bigger yields At least some GMO flowers are contributing to some pollinator deaths/sterility Ditto some pesticides, herbicides, and some lawn chemicals

I'm in cold country like you, so starting seeds indoors is important if I don't want to/can't afford to buy plants. The 72 hole seed starting tray and the peat pellets are awesome. Very little mess and no root shock when transplanting. A full-spectrum bulb or gro-light and heater mat are pluses, but not absolutely necessary if you have a warm, sunny area inside If you need artificial sunlight, cheaper than buying a gro light is getting the bulb and using it in a lamp you already have (or an el-cheapo). LED bulbs cost a little more, but pay for themselves in electricity savings and longevity, and you can get higher watt-equivalents (more lumens) in el-cheapo lamps that seriously limit the wattage of bulbs. I try to buy organic heirloom seeds and plants cuz open pollinated, no GMOs, and no chemicals. Also try to use organic growing methods/natural remedies for any problems. However, if the choice is losing a crop or resorting to a chemical, I'll use the chemical and keep a note so I scrub that produce extra well before using it.

Hopefully, this helps someone, somewhere, sometime . . .

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

Thank you. God has taken care of us in so many ways and I saw that when we had some financial crisis in the past. This fear is one that rears its head time and time again. But I know He is faithful and I have to keep my eyes on that. I do have to restrict how much I look at economic news. Too much temptation for the sin of anxiety. I am going to need to chop off my black thumbs and get a green-thumb transplant if I want to start a garden. I've had zero luck (and I know about shade vs sun and watering, LOL. But taking book knowledge to real life isn't easy for me). The neighbor did tell me that the former owner had no luck with a garden in our yard either because it's too shaded.

It could also be the presence of some plants, like black walnut, which prevent other plants from growing.
Maybe you could grow on a different side of the house instead of the back yard.
Or select plants that are good in shade/don't need a lot of sunlight.

In the U.S., there are university extensions that have lots of helpful, practical information for food growing and preservation applicable to specific local areas. University of Minnesota extension, etc. Maybe Canada, Provinces, and/or Canadian universities have something similar?

 

[Carl]

There's a book called Humanure. The author also wrote a book about composting toilets.

If we installed composting toilets and collected up all the from Washington DC and surrounding, no need to import fertilizer

Of course if we were allowed to use our own petro we wouldn't have this fertilizer problem.

 

[Rocky R.]

Organic might get to be less expensive than conventional at the grocery store

Ditto grass-fed versus grain-finished/grain-fed

And ethanol-containing fuels might have to get banned in favor of using corn for food

Bet a lot of people get electric bicycles and scooters to commute, and the bike stores and trails get a lot busier

Gee . . . more exercise, more Vitamin D, less sickness, less obesity, less pollution, and more fresh air, We could all end up stronger and healthier All the better to resist Putin in case he heads this way


Naa-na-naa-na-naaaaa-na! Naa-na-naa-na-naaaaa-na!






JESUS!!!

I am fond of bicycles, but the biggest drawback of the manual two-wheeler is that it is easily stolen. Even when locked up with a chain, someone had stolen my bike -- and this was at the time of night when public transportation stopped running and home was three miles away!

 

[Rocky R.]

To put it another way, conventional foods will become more expensive than the overpriced organic stuff. That's a very real possibility.

Maybe more farmers will feel it's a good time to find their way into the organic marketplace if fertilizers are too expensive or can't be found.

I'll need to start growing my own potatos in the backyard. Grow food, not lawns.

 

[crunchymama]

@MapleLeaf

Vegetable Container Gardening (Dobbs)
Square Foot Gardening (I adapted some of the ideas to grow in containers instead of raised gardens). If conflicting info, I've gone with the Vegetable Container Gardening info.
There's also a huge vegetable, fruit, and herb growing book that I got at a big box store, but I don't remember the title and don't have access to it right now.

The information for companion planting is available free online. The book is disappointing/not worth the money

Since I grow in containers, I'm more concerned about water and sunshine/temperature needs compatibility. I can alays move the containers around to put companion plants next to or above/below one another.

I love Earth Boxes, but haven't tried City Picker. The dollies are life-savers, cuz EB are heavy. Also like stackers, potato pots, strawberry pots, topsy-turvey (many products), and plain ole hanging pots. I like container growing because I can move stuff around, including inside in case of severe weather, extreme heat, cold, dust storm, locusts, etc. I'm considering trying organic unbleached cotton hanging bags and getting away from plastic when stuff starts to wear out. Having at least one large plant dolly with signifcant weight capacity makes moving stuff around a lot easier. A two-wheel utility/box/moving dolly could be used if the shelf thingee is deep enough.

Using a micro drip irrigation system for hanging containers and other non-reservoir containers reduces water usage and saves a lot of labor over time. Even so, a watering wand with an adjustable-angle head eliminates the need for pulleys to raise/lower plants or standing on/moving ladders, etc. Drinking water-safe hose(s) and drinking water-safe pistol-grip nozzle(s).

Plant (lots of) non-GMO pollinator flowers because they attract pollinators to both themselves and the nearby veggies/fruit/herbs Bigger yields At least some GMO flowers are contributing to some pollinator deaths/sterility Ditto some pesticides, herbicides, and some lawn chemicals

I'm in cold country like you, so starting seeds indoors is important if I don't want to/can't afford to buy plants. The 72 hole seed starting tray and the peat pellets are awesome. Very little mess and no root shock when transplanting. A full-spectrum bulb or gro-light and heater mat are pluses, but not absolutely necessary if you have a warm, sunny area inside If you need artificial sunlight, cheaper than buying a gro light is getting the bulb and using it in a lamp you already have (or an el-cheapo). LED bulbs cost a little more, but pay for themselves in electricity savings and longevity, and you can get higher watt-equivalents (more lumens) in el-cheapo lamps that seriously limit the wattage of bulbs. I try to buy organic heirloom seeds and plants cuz open pollinated, no GMOs, and no chemicals. Also try to use organic growing methods/natural remedies for any problems. However, if the choice is losing a crop or resorting to a chemical, I'll use the chemical and keep a note so I scrub that produce extra well before using it.

Hopefully, this helps someone, somewhere, sometime . . .

I have 3 Greenstalks planters. Little pricy but USA-made and work wonderfully.

 

[ChildofLight]

Well I finally finished planting all my spuds from last year that sprouted. Wound up with 7 rows. Got a few English peas, turnips, radishes and mustard in the ground. Praying for rain supposed to come tonight with a front coming in. May have to start saving my dish water and laundry water to water garden. Dry fall and dry winter not a good sign. Other parts of Texas dryer than we are in the central area.
Lots more veggie meals from the garden.

 

[alisani]

Well I finally finished planting all my spuds from last year that sprouted. Wound up with 7 rows. Got a few English peas, turnips, radishes and mustard in the ground. Praying for rain supposed to come tonight with a front coming in. May have to start saving my dish water and laundry water to water garden. Dry fall and dry winter not a good sign. Other parts of Texas dryer than we are in the central area.
Lots more veggie meals from the garden.

It sounds lovely, will pray for rain!

 

[MapleLeaf]

It could also be the presence of some plants, like black walnut, which prevent other plants from growing.
Maybe you could grow on a different side of the house instead of the back yard.
Or select plants that are good in shade/don't need a lot of sunlight.

In the U.S., there are university extensions that have lots of helpful, practical information for food growing and preservation applicable to specific local areas. University of Minnesota extension, etc. Maybe Canada, Provinces, and/or Canadian universities have something similar?

My entire yard is treed in and in shade pretty much all the time. I do have a flower box garden in the front that might get a certain amount of sun in the afternoon. But I need to completely replace the dirt because I think every cat in the neighbourhood has been using it as a litter box which would be no good. In the house I have had a hard time getting a good spot for sun where the cats can't reach. They eat even my plastic flowers. I did keep one potted flower alive an entire summer which was a new record for me. LOL It was small enough to fit on the window sill and with the curtains drawn the cats couldn't see it or reach it.

 

[MapleLeaf]

I have 3 Greenstalks planters. Little pricy but USA-made and work wonderfully.

The previous homeowners left behind a planter. I would want to put some fresh soil in it but I could grow a little something in there, I am sure. I think it was meant for flowers but I could grow a few tomatoes in there. We like our tomato sauce.

 

[ChildofLight]

My entire yard is treed in and in shade pretty much all the time. I do have a flower box garden in the front that might get a certain amount of sun in the afternoon. But I need to completely replace the dirt because I think every cat in the neighbourhood has been using it as a litter box which would be no good. In the house I have had a hard time getting a good spot for sun where the cats can't reach. They eat even my plastic flowers. I did keep one potted flower alive an entire summer which was a new record for me. LOL It was small enough to fit on the window sill and with the curtains drawn the cats couldn't see it or reach it.

I heard can put crushed eggshells in pot and cat won’t scratch as shells are sharp edged. I did that in large pots of geraniums on my porch. I walked out and dirt scratched out all over the porch. I fussed at my cats.
Later I walked out and one of my chickens, an old white leghorn was in there eating the eggshells and scratching out the dirt. It wasn’t the cats at all. Needless to say the chickens were kept penned up for several days before they were let back out again. I put crushed eggshells in their container in the pen for them to get their calcium so it’s not like they don’t get any.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

My entire yard is treed in and in shade pretty much all the time. I do have a flower box garden in the front that might get a certain amount of sun in the afternoon. But I need to completely replace the dirt because I think every cat in the neighbourhood has been using it as a litter box which would be no good. In the house I have had a hard time getting a good spot for sun where the cats can't reach. They eat even my plastic flowers. I did keep one potted flower alive an entire summer which was a new record for me. LOL It was small enough to fit on the window sill and with the curtains drawn the cats couldn't see it or reach it.

Search shade tolerant or shade friendly vegetables

If accessible, is your roof shady?

 

[JoyJoyJoy]

I have read that you can put pine cones or gum balls around your plants/in your garden to keep the slugs and cats away.
I have also heard of sticking plastic forks, tine side up, in pots to deter cats.

 

[Carl]

China has been hoarding grain for some time

China Hoards Half of World Grain Reserve, Prepares for ‘Famine’​

'None of the constraints that convinced academics of the futility of the 'food weapon' in the late 1970s inhibit China today... '
By John Ransom
December 29, 2021

China is amassing a stockpile of grain reserves.
China has been stockpiling grain on behalf of its 1.4 billion people as it struggles with mismanagement of its agricultural industry and more farmers flee the country for life in the city increasing concern that famine could overtake the country.
“China spent $98.1 billion importing food (beverages are not included) in 2020, up 4.6 times from a decade earlier, according to the General Administration of Customs of China,” reported news site Nikkei Asia. “In the January-September period of 2021, China imported more food than it had since at least 2016, which is as far back as comparable data goes.”

More
https://headlineusa.com/china-hoards-half-of-world-grain-reserve-prepares-for-famine/

But probably not for starvation protection as much as control of its enemies.

 

[Wings Like Eagles]

Well I finally finished planting all my spuds from last year that sprouted. Wound up with 7 rows. Got a few English peas, turnips, radishes and mustard in the ground. Praying for rain supposed to come tonight with a front coming in. May have to start saving my dish water and laundry water to water garden. Dry fall and dry winter not a good sign. Other parts of Texas dryer than we are in the central area.
Lots more veggie meals from the garden.

Red Swiss chard is an excellent salad green that doesn't even need salad dressing--tastes like excellent soil smells! Most salad dressings are not particularly good for you (filled with refined seed oils, especially soy oil ) so having a salad green that is full of minerals and that you can eat plain is great. Takes a bit of getting used to eating salad greens without glopping them up with salad dressings but once you get used to eating plain greens, you'd never want to go back. They all have different flavours--even green Swiss chard tastes quite a bit different from Red Swiss chard. They are delicious straight out of the garden and so crisp. Greens are fantastic for promoting healthy digestive systems and nourishing organs of elimination ( one's liver, kidneys and colon).

Peas, turnips and radishes (as you have mentioned) are so health-promoting (parsnips are great too--in small amounts). Rutabagas, beets and carrots are good for the body as well--all root vegetables are, because the plant stores concentrated nutrients in its roots. Garlic and onions are very easy to grow and feed the good bacteria in the bowel as well as inhibiting the bad critters.

 

[crunchymama]

Red Swiss chard is an excellent salad green that doesn't even need salad dressing--tastes like excellent soil smells! Most salad dressings are not particularly good for you (filled with refined seed oils, especially soy oil ) so having a salad green that is full of minerals and that you can eat plain is great. Takes a bit of getting used to eating salad greens without glopping them up with salad dressings but once you get used to eating plain greens, you'd never want to go back. They all have different flavours--even green Swiss chard tastes quite a bit different from Red Swiss chard. They are delicious straight out of the garden and so crisp. Greens are fantastic for promoting healthy digestive systems and nourishing organs of elimination ( one's liver, kidneys and colon).

Peas, turnips and radishes (as you have mentioned) are so health-promoting (parsnips are great too--in small amounts). Rutabagas, beets and carrots are good for the body as well--all root vegetables are, because the plant stores concentrated nutrients in its roots. Garlic and onions are very easy to grow and feed the good bacteria in the bowel as well as inhibiting the bad critters.

My kids love to eat lettuce and other greens out in the garden. They don't even bring it inside- it gets picked and then shoved into a mouth! Actually, they do this with all the garden veggies. If I want to bring in garden produce for a meal or canning, I have to specifically tell them to stay out and then I get pouty faces

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

Red Swiss chard is an excellent salad green that doesn't even need salad dressing--tastes like excellent soil smells! Most salad dressings are not particularly good for you (filled with refined seed oils, especially soy oil ) so having a salad green that is full of minerals and that you can eat plain is great. Takes a bit of getting used to eating salad greens without glopping them up with salad dressings but once you get used to eating plain greens, you'd never want to go back. They all have different flavours--even green Swiss chard tastes quite a bit different from Red Swiss chard. They are delicious straight out of the garden and so crisp. Greens are fantastic for promoting healthy digestive systems and nourishing organs of elimination ( one's liver, kidneys and colon).

Peas, turnips and radishes (as you have mentioned) are so health-promoting (parsnips are great too--in small amounts). Rutabagas, beets and carrots are good for the body as well--all root vegetables are, because the plant stores concentrated nutrients in its roots. Garlic and onions are very easy to grow and feed the good bacteria in the bowel as well as inhibiting the bad critters.

Nice olive oil, red wine vinegar, and assorted herbs make a nice salad dressing, and it's good for you
Depending on what else is being served, may desire to substitute fresh squeezed lemon for the red wine vinegar

Organic everything if you can swing it . . . if you grow it yourself, you control the variety, regular/non-GMO/organic/heirloom, and what gets used on it . . .

Fresh Thyme house brand organic red wine vinegar is a lot better than most of the expensive brands, and it''s a lot cheaper

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

My kids love to eat lettuce and other greens out in the garden. They don't even bring it inside- it gets picked and then shoved into a mouth! Actually, they do this with all the garden veggies. If I want to bring in garden produce for a meal or canning, I have to specifically tell them to stay out and then I get pouty faces

Please teach them to garden and can. I wish I had learned as a kid. Had to learn both as an adult, and I'm still a real beginner at canning, etc.

 

[ChildofLight]

Try to grow heirloom vegetables and save the seeds.
One of my vegetable crispers in the refrigerator is dedicated to only saved seeds. Nothing else goes in it to create moisture. They are all in envelopes labeled as to what it is and year harvested. I use scotch tape to seal all seams and corners of the envelope. Some of the seed is several years old. I always save back some of the seed so I don’t lose it if it fails that year.
The only seeds I haven’t saved is carrots, beets and turnips.

 

[alisani]

Try to grow heirloom vegetables and save the seeds.
One of my vegetable crispers in the refrigerator is dedicated to only saved seeds. Nothing else goes in it to create moisture. They are all in envelopes labeled as to what it is and year harvested. I use scotch tape to seal all seams and corners of the envelope. Some of the seed is several years old. I always save back some of the seed so I don’t lose it if it fails that year.
The only seeds I haven’t saved is carrots, beets and turnips.

I so want to see your spread. Through your various posts, I've got a picture of it in my mind. It sounds delightful.