Backyard Farming and Gardening

Backyard Farming and Gardening

Why should we use our backyards, windowsills, or counter space to house ?
Working with what we have to create food, beauty, and spice gives us so much more than even the finest farmer’s market can provide. We gain control. This means knowing where your food comes from, not needing to ask about allergies or calories, and understanding how fresh the produce remains. We gain the opportunity to diversify our menus by adding hard to find plants and heirloom foods into our personal gardens. As farmers decrease world wide, backyard workers increase. While these two issues do not necessarily or directly affect each other, we are facing the problem of who is going to grow for us. Working at home supports home composting and home rain collecting. It also reduces food miles, equally decreasing your personal carbon footprint.

Michigan History

Therapeutic Horticulture

Start:

1. Start a journal. Pay attention to your steps, expectations, and understanding of the basic information that you receive. Keep track of soil and compost pH levels.

2. Work out a calendar so you know when to plant, when to transplant, water, feed, trim, and harvest your plants. Remember that some plants should be watered in the AM but others might need PM care.

3. Make a plan for space and plant choices. Match labels for the plans with the seedlings.

4. Take pictures!

Plan:

1. What kind of plants do you want to grow?

2. Will you plant anything edible?

3. Do you want annual plants or perennials?

4. How much space do you have?

5. How much time do you have?

If you are already feeling overwhelmed, start with one square yard. If this is already part of your backyard and is covered with grass, you will have to dig up the sod. The best use for it now is to fill it into empty patches, turn it upside down under trees or bushes, or throw it right into your compost.

Next, try to find out what grows locally. Start out with something simple, or with baby plants. Seeds can be temperamental, so take consideration for your time and space. Fruit trees can be awesome first steps into growing your own

Problems to Watch Out For:

1. Transplant shock

2. Pests

3. Predators and Rodents

4. Weeds

5. Diseases

Tips for Urban Farming in Michigan

1. Plant seeds indoors in April. This will ensure their strength for transplanting in May. Because we have a shorter growing season, planting indoors can help


2. Use empty toilet paper rolls, or paper towel rolls, to start growing seeds. These are the perfect height and can fit easily into a storage bin. This also helps prevent transplant shock because after the seedling grows into a baby plant, you can transplant the whole tube into the ground, keep roots safe and unexposed.