Organic Gardening Hit Squads

[Keidi Awadu]

Brother Ahmses and I are talking about forming 10-person hit teams that can hit someone's property and, in 1 or two days, install organic vegetable gardens. We need people to specialize in raised bed construction, composting, automated water systems, as well as the immense amount of labor to get these gardens started as soon as possible in as many yards as possible.
For so many reasons, we have got to turn our real estate into wealth producing land. Large projects like that of Brother Kalifah are absolutely critical to support. At my own home, working alone, I have put in some 30 varieties of herbs and vegetables in the last four days. I've much more to go.

You can see pictures of my first day of work by clicking here.

For those of you who would like to have a garden installed as well as start an organic garden hit squad, let's open this discussion. And, once the gardens are installed we will need to keep the networks going in order to share the surplus food.

[Bro. Rom]

I think this is a great idea. My wife will be taking some gardening classes in the next few months and we feel more people need to become self-sufficient in this manner.

[Sistah A.M.P.]

This Organic Gardening Project sounds like it would be a great and rewarding idea. Due to the rising costs of groceries, even at the Natural Food Store that we shop at, a high-rise garden bed would save us hundreds of dollars that we spend on fresh vegetables each month.

[Yolanda]

I'm hoping there are some Atlantans out there looking to form squads. I'd love to have a raised garden, and I'd also like to help others do the same. Think the raised beds will keep the deer and squirrels out? ;-)

[Keidi Awadu]

You can fence in your beds to keep out certain pests but deers can really jump high and squirrels are like tree rats. Back in the day we would just eat em. Maybe a dog would be a better way to deal with these animals.

[Sadiki Sa*Ra]

There are organic pest (deer, squirrels and the like) deterents you can make and spray on your plants. Also there is a motion activated sprinkler that works great.

[Yolanda]

I'll have to look into these, because the abovementioned animals have been eating pretty well--especially the squirrels. Did you know they like spinach? Motion-activated sprinkler, here I come. ;-)

[Keidi Awadu]

READY FOR FRUIT TREES IN MY BACK YARD
It's Wednesday, day 12 of my backyard project. I couldn't resist any longer and today bought an apple tree, peach tree and plum tree. They were in 15 gallon pots and should produce fruit the first year, as two of them have small fruit on them already. I got them at a discount at $50 apiece. I needed some other supplies to put them in the ground as well as soil and so the costs will run about $70 each to put them in the ground.

Based upon previous experience, about the fourth year each tree should bearing at a good rate. My last plum tree produced 15 plums a day at four years. I'll have some photos to upload later.

[Wisdom Goddess Born]

I would love to participate, I have no gardening experience but a strong desire to control what I put into my body. Do you think this project would work in an urban setting. Are there additional considerations for avoiding rodents and other marauding wildlife as well as human theiving?Can we learn how to set up community gardens that are productive and useful in our urban settings. Where do we go from this thought into reality?

[Sadiki Sa*Ra]

Traps are good for rodents, but I wouldnt worry about them until they actually present themselves as a problem. As for humans it does not seem to be a major problem. I thought it would be, however most urbar dwellers are so disconnected from nature they dont see gardens as a desireable food source. I have a garden right outside of DC ad I havent had anything stolen.

[Soline]

From what i have learnt, all kinds of community/rooftop/windowsill gardens are set up all over the uk and beyond.
I don't know about thieving, but i can imagine that the more people you could involve in community gardens, the less despondent people would be, there would be less thieving? Please see my post to Keidi about permaculture. I have found so many empowering and inspiring examples of initiatives. It is great if people come and work together.

[Marvyn]

I have been thinking for a while about growing my own food.

Hopefully some other brothers and sisters from England will be interested in doing a similar
project over here.

[Dan Tres Omi]

first
i want to say that you have inspired us. we are working on our garden. my babies are still picking out what they want to plant.

the pics are great. thanks again