How hard is it to grow your own organic veg garden

Yep, when at school I part-timed on a dairy farm and got fed up with cowshit and getting it on me, so wanted a "clean" career.Over the next 30 years worked in offices and shops and enjoyed that more.But now I love the feeling of coming inside hot, sweaty, stinky, dirty and tired after mowing the lawns, cutting firewood or working in the garden, and washing it all off and resting.It feels so HONEST and satisfying.There's always a great sense of accomplishment from doing manual work and seeing the results.

Aye, would have to agree with you. Even suffering from ME, I still find a bit of hard dirty work is good for the soul. lol, even if it does take me a week to come right after a day on the chainsaw

Well, I have to agree with you, because I've had ME/CFS too, since 1989.Living in a healthy, sunny environment (and sunbathing regularly) and growing my own veges are part of what helps.I'm now very stuffed after cutting about four metres of hedge this afternoon.

As far as gardening goes I'm not totally organic, but use a little artificial fertiliser when necessary.The native soil here is none at all, just grey, salty beach sand,so it's a bit risky to not keep introducing nutrition, otherwise if I used only local compost I would just keep recycling whatever deficiencies existed.

Two years ago I started putting a few bags of cheap potting mix from the red shed into my garden each spring, because after more than 40 years of composting, the original vegetation had broken down to probably it's near-mineral state and was so fine it was like clay.The cheap mix is coarse enough to give me good loose stuff, plus some nutrition.

Also, because of the ME/CFS I can't put much time into gardening with a 1/4-acre section to maintain alone.The west coast beach is a harsh environment for plants and many don't like to grow here, but I just work with what does.The longest-in-decades mostly-cloudy period throughout this October and November caused havoc and most things slowed down to 10% of their normal growth, even with adequate rain, which is the only watering that actually promotes growth here.

I rely on rainwater only in the house, and discovered the best way to water the garden from the local poor-quality bore water (which only keeps things alive) was to put each row of veges down in trenches and just toss in a bucket or two of water every 2-3 dry days.I fill three 200-litre drums from the bore about once a week, and then watering the veges takes only about four minutes for a quick job or seven for a good one, and takes very little labour.Can't be bothered standing there for hours with a hose in my hand, like my parents used to do.

pragmatic, logic, sense of humour, getting your hands in the soil, it's very cleansing, good for the body and the 'soul', yep it's easy to see who is a gardener

Actually the had a hell of a battle with famine after pests and diseases wiped out the crops. The main focus and cause of a lot of wars was accumulating enough food to keep the group alive. People died like flies. Then the modern world arrived, every forgot, and suddenly decided modern medicine, modern techniques are bad. And have a fantasy based in unreality about how things were.

OP - check out thread titled "edible backyard".

Sounds like you have the hang of getting around the ME/CFS, dbb. Thankfully my yard is not that big! That trench watering thing seems like a great idea though

Try digging the trench in autumn, line it with a few layers of newspaper then fill it up with your compostables over winter. Then, in early spring bury it with topsoil and some sheep pellets and plant into that. Beans especially will love it, and you'll find watering those trenches can be done every two days instead of daily.

If you look at www.facebook.com/thegardenpantry there are many, many ideas people and groups you have access to. Also, click on the albums on the page - each of those has good explanations and instructions and if you need questions answered, there are some amazing people who can help you each step of the way.

It does entail some hard work, occasionally you can have problems wit some insect pests, but there are homemade sprays for most of those, green shield bug are about the only major problem, which on a small scale can be dealt with fairly easily.

Apart from that, not much harder than any garden, and well worth it.

Just put something in and give it a go.

an oldie but a goodie .

I garden mainly organically,I dont use chemical sprays on any food plant, the occasional roundup around the edge of the section, against fences etc. I use sheep poo as the main fert, and compost which all of a sudden we have way to much of. When the powdery mildew comes(Northland) in autumn, i just put up with it, thats the end of my zucchini plants life. The only other bug i get is stink bugs and not really that many, the odd vine hopper on my grapes/passionfruit. I would rather put up with a few bugs than spray that nasty chemical s##t around. Most people dont have the right spray protective gear anyway and shouldnt be using it.

Im just starting out gardening having finally got my own property. Its great reading all the ideas and experience people have. I have just found my first tomatoes having planted in july! Was about to give up on them! Next year i wil try a cooler climate variety for earlier fruit. The beans are doing great, had several feeds.,strawberries to die for. have just picked some for my first ever home made pav made last night. capsicums just appearing.

My lettuces are too bitter so have gone to seed. i think they needed more nutrients as all other requirements were met. what do people think of worm tea as fertiliser! Is it worth me getting a worm farm! I know you need to look after them well.i have used non organic fert. But not enough i suspect.

Grow what you like to eat and maybe something else you have not tried or feel somewhat indifferent towards, the worst thing that can happen is that you don't like it and had to give it away to someone else.Best of luck, gardening is therapeutic, fun and addictive.

I find it depends on the soil,,in Thames, everything I planted grew, I also had the right spot for raising seedlings.
Here in Dinsdale, its taking me time to build up the soil, (clay ) and I;m sticking to easy stuff like lettuce and herbs.I have tall fences, so a little microclimate here which I think has had some things bolt.My roses look fab, though!
Mulch, picking out those blasted snails, (they got my sunflowers) and make sure you water well and deep. It's really just keeping an eye on things and remembering to keep the planting going.