Catoosa Ok - want to learn gardening not sure where to start!

I want to learn gardening not sure where to start.  

I bought Food Forrest Bible but that is more advanced and keeps referring to know plants in your local area.  

I was going to start in my backyard.     Read about canopy trees like nut and fruit trees then sub canopy then Shrub layer etc... That is all great.  However, I think I need basics like soil and fertilizer making compose maybe.   Normally if I knew someone I would go help them with their stuff and learn from them but I just need to get started at the very least reading if its to late to do any actual growing.     I like physical work so perhaps I could start projects to start prepping.  

Is there books or sites or videos or something to get started.  I currently want to start in back yard but hope to eventually get 5-10 acres and branch out on all types of stuff.   Anyway never grew anything in my life really so just want to a lead on where to start researching as I do love to learn and since my real world job is Network Engineering I tend to love doing things outside like mowing with hand held instead of the riding mower and just being close to the earth.   So pretty excited to do this also thinking about maybe 5-8 chickens for eggs but realize that is different subject but any help or direction would be great for total beginner wanting to become very knowledgeable and grow my own food and learn how to can and do all the long lost forgotten stuff.

Thanks for any input!  If your in area I don't mind helping others with their stuff to learn as never been to proud to help out as long as I am learning and growing.

Brian Catlin wrote:I want to learn gardening not sure where to start.  


Thanks for any input!  If your in area I don't mind helping others with their stuff to learn as never been to proud to help out as long as I am learning and growing.

Wanting to is the first step! From the sound of it (doesn't mind labor, likes to work outdoors) you might be the kind of person who makes a good gardener.

How much space do you have? Is it shaded by trees?
Do you have gobs of money to spend or want to start on the cheap?
Do you like to eat what you grow? Cook for yourself or have a willing cook?
Able to mentally tolerate total and absolute failure a few times? Bugs, squirrels, rabbits getting more value from your work than you do?

The local library undoubtedly has many books on gardening, from basic to advanced. The local farm store will have seeds in season for varieties that fit your local region and climate. I would suggest not trying to grow difficult exotics right away, but maybe that's what you want to do. If so, it's all good!

Welcome to Permies! I always steer people just getting started towards Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemenway. It's an intro to permaculture focused on people with suburban lots.

quite a bit if shade in back yard against back fence and on the East side.   More Sun in middle and west fence side.      

I love animals if my plants feeds animals as well that's great dont need them for survival yet though I am pretty interested in prepping type stuff but decided it was time to get started.  

I have money though not wealthy just Network Engineer and Architect (IT not physical world lol... big difference as one builds physical things I dont but I want to learn).  

I like off grid stuff and want to start practicing as a Hobby.   Just bought a tone of books when bought:   "A Navy SEAL’s Bug-In Guide Physical "   then it had popup for "The Enhanced Bug-In Library"  so being a sucker for learning bought that then another popup came up with "The Lost Books Bundle" so bought that lol... I mean my drug of choice is learning so lol....     Still trying to read through all that stuff and I need to check if some stuff in there.  Probably going to buy some additional books as well.

Aaron Yarbrough wrote:Welcome to Permies! I always steer people just getting started towards Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemenway. It's an intro to permaculture focused on people with suburban lots.

Thanks I ordered this book in paperback will be here tomorrow. 3

Also trying to figure out this reply system and forums its a bit different than I am use to where normally you can click reply to a post not just reply in general at bottom.

Welcome to the forum!

When we bought our homestead the only thing I know about was starting seeds from when I was in elementary school.

I went to the local County Extension office and ask about getting started.  They had all kinds of free pamphlets to help me get started.

That first garden was about 25 ft x 25 ft and produced many good things which I learned to can, probably another pamphlet.

A good place to start is David the Good. He has several books out, a website, and lot of youtube videos.

https://www.amazon.com/Grow-Die-Guide-Survival-Gardening/dp/195528900X/ref=sr_1_8?crid=1O9LA30VVXW8V&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gbO6esjhWFZXrTyOjVWn2l6EPwX2tYPXxHfrFoxhGudCzrtI-j0KHaYA1moFtX4AvdNKH5CD0scgSNDY0JHwrBU9hPFRDXIaLdGUSf4KdAxL7AynGuSDEEkOilgGreBHPw4O41uhnqYFwI1P1IoiYKwzyqdhljqfRzShRwqWuvsPNkRwJCl3yBfHxTiWlnY47xf3OhZaODOxlwhFLUthhDnlexDJtvE3ei2WFeNUkdM.QeKSesZfoUaB1rnfBcoFTf_ui6KLFokm5MIpzV5r74c&dib_tag=se&keywords=survival+gardening+book&qid=1724883756&sprefix=surviva%3B+garde%2Caps%2C539&sr=8-8

That said, you can't really learn gardening by reading books. It takes dirt under the fingernails.

Thom Bri wrote:A good place to start is David the Good. He has several books out, a website, and lot of youtube videos.

https://www.amazon.com/Grow-Die-Guide-Survival-Gardening/dp/195528900X/ref=sr_1_8?crid=1O9LA30VVXW8V&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gbO6esjhWFZXrTyOjVWn2l6EPwX2tYPXxHfrFoxhGudCzrtI-j0KHaYA1moFtX4AvdNKH5CD0scgSNDY0JHwrBU9hPFRDXIaLdGUSf4KdAxL7AynGuSDEEkOilgGreBHPw4O41uhnqYFwI1P1IoiYKwzyqdhljqfRzShRwqWuvsPNkRwJCl3yBfHxTiWlnY47xf3OhZaODOxlwhFLUthhDnlexDJtvE3ei2WFeNUkdM.QeKSesZfoUaB1rnfBcoFTf_ui6KLFokm5MIpzV5r74c&dib_tag=se&keywords=survival+gardening+book&qid=1724883756&sprefix=surviva%3B+garde%2Caps%2C539&sr=8-8

That said, you can't really learn gardening by reading books. It takes dirt under the fingernails.

Thanks!  We started looking at Land today my wife is signing off on buying land 20 minutes outside of Town.   We will have to put in well and septic but electric pole right at end of drive way so thats good.   10 acres but seems I could do a lot of cool projects on that 10 acres most all of its wooded but was thinking maybe put in a 1/2 - 2 acre pond and stock it with bass, bluegill and catfish maybe few carps for weeds.  I dont know just thought but excited about having land!    I picked up three books by him John Good.   Grocery Row Gardening, Grow or Die, Compost Everything.    I also bought about 6 other books earlier some just specific to plants in Oklahoma and off grid medic book etc...  think I am about done with books at this point need to start reading and then start some projects maybe simple stuff at first especially if buy new property.

If you stay put for a while then you may want to plant shade-loving herbs and plants in the shady part of the yard, and vegitibles and/or flowers in the sunny area.  Backyard chickens are common, so even if you stay put for a while you may be able to have some.

If you buy 10 acres the possabilities, and workload, open up and get larger and then yes, a bass pond could be in your future.  

Welcome! This is so exciting!  Permies.com is the place to be for information, advice, and camaraderie.

Here, in no particular order, is some stuff that helps me.

    Walk your land.  Walk it again and again.  Learn the scents, the sunshine, the shade.  What critters and bugs and birds like living there?  Flowers? Are there wet areas?  Burrows or dens?  Moss? Invasive species?  
     In my experience, learning about soil is essential and a top priority.  There is so much information here that I will get some advice on where to learn concise basics and will pass it on to you later    
    When something is failing, diseased, or just not thriving, it is telling me something.  What is thriving?

   Glad you're here.  This is a solid place to learn.







     
     

Thanks!   I am also thinking about Bees as well.  I never thought about flowers before but wild flowers that come back on their own that I dont have to constantly take care of would be ok I guess.  I am sure my wife like that.   She has some plants I water for her every day but mainly because I found little frogs in it so I like to check on them.  

I always loved all animals and even pick up worms out of road so they dont burn up when walk my dog and throw them back in the grass.      

I am meat eater but while I was raised as a child in deep woods on lake that is different than farm where deal with all that stuff so not sure how I deal with taking an animals life probably something I need to come to grips with and not see them all as pets this is something I think be hard for me.  I am ex military and taking life out of necessity for survival or protecting my family or others is not an issue but doing so while I can still by stuff out of grocery store is something I struggle with as I have never did it.  I can hunt but I dont though I do know that its important to keep populations down I just had a baby deer as a kid that kind of put a stop to me hunting them unless forced to.  

So I have alot of mental maturity and struggles there as I know God put us here as shepherds of the world and he provided food both meat and plant life for us.    

I know farmers probably think I am being ridiculous but I just don't know that life and I love life so have some learning to do.  The issue is if I don't learn ow I may struggle when the need arises at least on field dressing and such and doing it humanely and using something other than weapon such as rifle.  Also it seems like our food supply is being poisoned and genetically manipulated so to be healthy I perhaps need to do this or find others who do and can purchase healthy organic type meats.

Brian Catlin wrote:Thanks!   I am also thinking about Bees as well.  I never thought about flowers before but wild flowers that come back on their own that I dont have to constantly take care of would be ok I guess.  I am sure my wife like that.   She has some plants I water for her every day but mainly because I found little frogs in it so I like to check on them.  

I always loved all animals and even pick up worms out of road so they dont burn up when walk my dog and throw them back in the grass.      

I am meat eater but while I was raised as a child in deep woods on lake that is different than farm where deal with all that stuff so not sure how I deal with taking an animals life probably something I need to come to grips with and not see them all as pets this is something I think be hard for me.  I am ex military and taking life out of necessity for survival or protecting my family or others is not an issue but doing so while I can still by stuff out of grocery store is something I struggle with as I have never did it.  I can hunt but I dont though I do know that its important to keep populations down I just had a baby deer as a kid that kind of put a stop to me hunting them unless forced to.  

Hey Brian, you sound a lot like me with regards to this.  I'd like to help  Firstly, you can do all of this while caring for animals and never killing one if you like.  I have been raising chickens for many years and I have never killed one.  I have mine for eggs, soil building, and entertainment.  They give me those things, and I give them the best life I can and they stay with me until they die of old age.  I do still eat meat.  I buy it locally from people that raise animals the way I think they should be raised whenever possible.  I may have a couple pigs in the future, but mine will be pets.  I want them to help me build a pond (see "gleying" for information).  When they build my pond, then they get to relax and live out their lives.  

Gardening isn't hard, it just takes some practice like anything else.  You live in a good climate with a lot better growing season than I have, so that helps.  My best advice here is to start much smaller than you think.  Make a garden that is something like 10' x 10'.  Build the soil up in layers.  Your books will tell you how.  It helps a great deal to dig the big rooted perennial weeds, then put down a layer of newspaper over the whole area, and then start layering on organic material.  Try to build it up a foot or more deep.  It takes a lot of material, so that is why you start with a small area.  Everyone (including me) usually starts with too big an area and it gets hard to gather all of the material you need to make great soil and it gets a little overwhelming.  If you are really motivated and get it all done, it's very easy to expand.  I also recommend good fencing to keep rabbits, deer and such out of your garden.  Word on all that for the rest of this year and then next spring, plant.  Do yourself a favor and don't grow crazy trying to grow every cool thing you see in the seed catalog.  Grow things you already eat.  Easy things to grow like potatoes and squash are a great start.  Beans are easy too.

If you do get chickens, you can fence them into the area that will be the garden next year and they will do a lot of work and fertilizing for you.

Start a compost pile now.  Try to find enough material to make it at least 3'x3'x3'.  Keep the moisture pretty high and turn it weekly.  

Maybe learn to make biochar.  It's fun and easy.  Once you make a batch, mix it into that compost pile you made.  It will really help once you add it to your garden.

Those things are the basics.  If you have specific questions, there are lots of very helpful people here that will be glad to answer any of them.  Welcome to the wonderful world of homesteading

That sounds like some logical and awesome ideas to start and makes it less overwhelming to get started.  I will definitely do that.  As I can even do that in my backyard until I do finally find my land I want to purchase.  The land I looked at was to rough on surrounding areas and I am pretty big on taking care of my stuff and attention to detail. I try to make things neat and well trimmed.  I cannot even let kids mow my yard because their attention to detail is horrible so I have to go back and weedeat again and mow again.    Now my wife might argue as she says I make mess in kitchen but with the yard I figure if going to do the work do it right.   So the yard has always been my thing.    Anyway thanks for great advice will certainly get started on that!

Brian Catlin wrote: The land I looked at was to rough on surrounding areas and I am pretty big on taking care of my stuff and attention to detail. I try to make things neat and well trimmed.  I cannot even let kids mow my yard because their attention to detail is horrible so I have to go back and weedeat again and mow again.  

I would urge you to try to learn to embrace chaos  Permaculture isn't "neat and well trimmed".  Compost piles are messy, food forests (to the uninitiated) look like complete chaos, making biochar is messy, chickens make a mess...  You get my point.  I have seen food forests that are pretty neat and well maintained, but in most circumstances, the ones that are neat are quite small.  Mine is large and pretty chaotic, but it grows a lot of food.  It helps to picture it more as a forest than as a garden of sorts.  Your actual garden on the other hand, can stay quite neat with perfectly straight rows and nary a weed in sight.  Mine isn't, but yours very well could be.  You can perfect that to your heart's content, but some areas are always going to be a little messy.  Try not to drive yourself crazy or makes lot of extra work making it not so.  You will have plenty to do as it is if you really pursue all this without putting extra pressure on yourself to try to make everything look like it should be in a magazine.  Just food for thought.

Most planting is in spring, but if you have the itch and just want to put some seeds in now there are things you can plant in late summer. Lettuce, radishes, others. They don't require special dirt or difficult techniques.