Survival Gardening Florida Zone 9a and 8b

[MeggaZappin]

Timely thread idea! I moved out of the suburbs last year and bought a farm up by Blackwater and I second a lot of what has already been said here: Hall’s in Milton is great and the biggest challenges are rain, heat, and soil quality.

I’ll add a really good resource can be found on the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) searchable database. They have a ton of area specific articles on organic farming and compatible crop selections: UF IFAS NW Florida

I farm off of transplants early in the season to get a jumpstart on the short growing window. This year I started sunburst squash, 4 varieties of tomato, 2 varieties of eggplant, and 2 varieties of winter squash indoors and transplanted after frost. As the soil warmed I direct sowed cucumbers, beans, watermelon, tomatillos, and peppers. Its turned out really nicely and I’ve been able to use a lot of our lands rich natural resources to substitute for industrial agricultural products. And prayer, can’t forget that one, plants love it!

 

[M60Gunner]

Todays potatoes and onions harvest

 

[M60Gunner]

Cucumbers and squash

Peaches

Figs

Sweet taters and corn

Pawpaws

 

[Destingunner]

Looking nice y’all!

 

[Viking1204]

Back to the top, with all the shooting events going on and gas prices going thru the roof I think it's time to move up any plans to move to the country to become more self sufficient! @MeggaZappin how did you find your farm to buy?

 

[WRM]

I think it's time to move up any plans to move to the country to become more self sufficient! @MeggaZappin how did you find your farm to buy?

That is getting to be a tough get around here, for sure. Maybe this economy will present a window for those positioned to take advantage.

Nice lookin crop MZ. You got it goin on. Just need to find your 20 so's I know where to head when it all goes to hell.

 

[MeggaZappin]

Thanks man!

I’m a real estate agent by trade and specialize in agricultural land, which has really come in handy! There is still plenty of land to be had in our area and prices aren’t nearly as astronomical as they are in other markets. You’d be surprised, a lot of people think that the $h!t hasn’t already hit the fan and think there is still a chance of turning this collapse around. This is good though because it still gives people time to get out before the public really starts to panic.

You also don’t need a whole lot of land to be self sufficient, I think the most important part is insulating yourself by distance from the unprepared and proactive self defense. I went into the Navy after college and deployed to South America on my first tour. This was in 2010 so many of the countries that I toured were obviously under socialist control for decades by that point and the real estate preferences really reflected that. I see similar changes coming here. Most notably, the wealthy lived in country estates with back up power systems surrounded by formidable walls.

People act very predictably in crisis and are easy to steer. When it does get progressively worse, people tend to raid their neighbors and what ever is right in front of them. So step number 1 is getting away from those people and surrounding yourself with more self-reliant people who are less likely to go on raiding parties when they get hungry. Easier said than done but I think moving out to the country is at least a step in the right direction!

Back to the top, with all the shooting events going on and gas prices going thru the roof I think it's time to move up any plans to move to the country to become more self sufficient! @MeggaZappin how did you find your farm to buy?

 

[WRM]

step number 1 is getting away from those people and surrounding yourself with more self-reliant people who are less likely to go on raiding parties when they get hungry

Ima move right near a closed area in Eglin and near some water.

 

[Raven]

Ima move right near a closed area in Eglin and near some water.

Food and water quality is horrible on Eglin. When I was a land surveyor 2004-2007 we used to pass the time talking about old survey jobs... my bald, toothless, saggy 40 year old party chief would talk about how when he was young he surveyed on Eglin for an outfit out of Valparaiso... doing bomb damage assessment, wearing plastic around their boots and having to go thru decontamination every day. He was bald, toothless and saggy 30 years before his time... wonder what could have caused that? Hmmmm... maybe the fact that the whole base is a bombing range and nevermind the uranium bullets

 

[WRM]

Food and water quality is horrible on Eglin.

I won't have to make it as long.

 

[Viking1204]

Wow, it really is feast or famine with the rain this year. Once again hot and dry. If I'm still in my same place next year I'm going to change up the watering system a bit. Hopefully though I'll have my own place and instead of having to use city water I can have my own well. That makes me think, maybe I need to get one of those rain water barrels and figure out a way to push that water through the sprinklers.

 

[WRM]

maybe I need to get one of those rain water barrels and figure out a way to push that water through the sprinklers.

If you can go to microdrip irrigation, it should be a lot easier. You don't need anywhere near the pressure delivered for residential service to run them. A properly sized 12 volt bilge pump probably could do it.

 

[Longtooth]

Wow, it really is feast or famine with the rain this year. Once again hot and dry. If I'm still in my same place next year I'm going to change up the watering system a bit. Hopefully though I'll have my own place and instead of having to use city water I can have my own well. That makes me think, maybe I need to get one of those rain water barrels and figure out a way to push that water through the sprinklers.

Sandpoint well.

Im looking into rain barrels as well

 

[Jhunter]

It’s hard to beat drip irrigation or xerigation and this would be a must if using rain barrels. I have mine set up with 2 gallon per hour emitters on small plantings or anything in a #7 and smaller. It’s a great way to only water wanted plants versus watering weeds. The amount of water is controlled by run time

 

[M60Gunner]

Squash from our garden today

 

[M60Gunner]

Cucumbers starting to come in as well

 

[WRM]

I just had some great sweet pickles a friend canned. Those look good!!

 

[@Ktchnking]

Thanks man!

I’m a real estate agent by trade and specialize in agricultural land,

I've been working towards moving out that way.
Pm sent.

 

[@Ktchnking]

Those are some great looking garden pictures.

I'm glad this thread has attracted the attention of some folks who have been gardening here a while.

I have been at it here. I built a cheap raised bed and cleaned out a wooded area to fill it.

I'll post some update pictures along with some details as to why I chose to do some silly looking things tomorrow. It is raining pretty good at the moment.

 

[Viking1204]

My cucumbers apparently enjoy getting some shade from the Oak tree near where they're planted, I've never had cucumbers get this out of control before! I've had to add support for them and guide them the direction I want them to go with tie wraps to make sure some other plants nearby can still get sunlight! Next year I'll have to make sure not to plant any near the sweet corn either, they are tackling the sweet corn, trimmed them up last night to try and save the couple of corn stalks they had attacked!