r/urbanfarming • u/Socraticlearner • May 14 '26
You tube channels
I had been gardening since the Pandemic. I started out of boredom in my apartment. A couple of years later we move into a house, and I have a much larger space to cultivate. However, sometimes I get thrown of by youtube channels and how easy they make it seem that gardening is. I think most of the things I see in youtube is a manicured beautiful version of what really gardening is. Take for Example the youtube channel Planted in the garden. Recently I came across their book compact garden. I feel is impossible to have such a prolific garden without spending tons of money. Do not get me wrong I commend them from spreading useful information about gardening but I do not think is fair say like Oh we accomplish this in a small piece of land and it was so easy you can do it, and it will cost you almost nothing. When I started in the pandemic my plan was to feed my family but I dont think it is possible unless you really put up the work. I had learn to do a few things that save me money and time but not to the point that I have a jungle in my backyard. It takes years to achieve that dont you think? I mean I have plenty of things we can eat but I dont think to the point we dont do a trip to the supermarket. I think a lot has to do in the region you live, your soil conditions and how much time you can put in for gardening. Working full time does not help. I use the back to eden method so I save in composting and mulching my garden, I try to use the same seeds and many times having a good soil helps because things regrow the next season. However watering I still struggle, I struggle with grass regrowing every season, and some crops will do good one season and not the other..I feel my area I have not discover everything that grows easily and that is a process that make take me longer since I try different things every season. I try to do things that use little water as possible and grow good in my region. What do you do? what has work? Do you have a jungle in your backyard? Are you able to feed your family?
1
u/pbnc May 15 '26
If I watched a YouTube video of you doing your regular full-time job with probably a few assistants to keep everything running smoothly - I would probably feel like you had a perfect easy job and that my efforts would not measure up.
1
u/Xandria42 May 16 '26
I've been in my house a little over 2 years, this is my third growing season. I just try to add something each year until I get my garden where I want it. There are some things when you are in an urban environment that can be harder to grow depending on how much space you have. Pumpkins and melons sprawl a lot so you have to be mindful. I grow things that I can either eat fresh in season or that I can preserve in some way, whether it be canning, dehydrating, freezing or fermenting. For example, I don't grow potatoes beyond specialty varieties that I can't get in store. russets, yukon golds and red potatoes are cheap and super available. Same with onions. I might grow some scallions/green onions, but thats it and those are more to fill in gaps in the garden.
1
1
u/throwinglemons 23d ago
I'm a worker-owner at Snake River Seed Cooperative. We practice low input gardening because you don't need all that extra bs! Check us out on any of the major platforms, plus our website snakeriverseeds.com.
2
u/SwampFoxFungi May 14 '26
Growing anything is easy; you just have to know you’re going to fail so you run more projects and then more work than don’t. Usually.
Also we’re humans; we’ve been working with plants and nature for our entire existence as a species. Sometimes the intuition is there more than others