How many Trinbagonians grow food at home?

[J lindsay]

We hear time and again about the high cost and uncertainty of our food supply, most of it being imported. The trend in many developed countries is to buying whenever possible from a local grower, and / or to grow some of their own consumption in their homes or gardens.

I'm really very interested to know to what extent we here are doing similar things. Any input or comments, please?

[guyguy]

The majority of people that live in the country have some form of vegetable gardens on their property. This is in addition to the varieties of fruits such as coconut, mangoes, plums, Pommerac, chataigne, breadfruit, and others. When this impending doom of the economies of the EU & USA finally hits, T&T will also be adversely affected. The most likely people that will not go hungry are the country folk. However, they'll have to protect their harvests and foodstuff with their lives.

[miktay]

What has been omitted from the above mentioned 'crops' that GG has mentioned...iz protein...

Unless you have numerous yard fowl scurrying to and fro...or a store of vegetable based protein...u should plant some peas...

[vaio]

some people are jus too busy to maintain a garden

[straphanger]

i doh have place to grow food at home

[miktay]

i doh have place to grow food at home

You can grown cherry tomatoes, podina, bandanya, basil, bird pepper, and chives on a windowsill.

If you have a balcony you can grow more than this.

[miktay]

some people are jus too busy to maintain a garden

Too busy to take care of your health?

There are lots of too busy people in the cemetery.

Besides growing your own food will translate directly to the pickney and dem.

When they see mom growing food they will not have the impression that growing food iz for dem other people.

[shaddeck]

ah come from de lagoon an grew up wid planting food.
ah have lived in several countries over de years an have always had ah gyarden, right now ah have veggies, fruits an chicken fuh fresh eggs (dem chicken does eat whatever dey cud find and most of de excess veggies or fruits dat ah collect fuh dem).
in de house every window sill is occupied wid seasoning plants or flowers here ah pic ah jess take out- podina on d window sill....

ah also go hunting an fishing....

[straphanger]

You can grown cherry tomatoes, podina, bandanya, basil, bird pepper, and chives on a windowsill.

If you have a balcony you can grow more than this.

I have a basil plant and that's proving to be quite difficult. The poor plant looking so malnourished

[shaddeck]

Too busy to take care of your health?

There are lots of too busy people in the cemetery. by time dem reach dey, dey eh busy no more

Besides growing your own food will translate directly to the pickney and dem.

When they see mom growing food they will not have the impression that growing food iz for dem other people.

dis is so true!

[J lindsay]

Are you giving it anything to fertilize the soil?

[shaddeck]

Are you giving it anything to fertilize the soil?

anyting dat yuh or ur fahmally personaly consume, shud not be fertilised... imho

[straphanger]

no I thought I just had to water it :\

[shaddeck]

I have a basil plant and that's proving to be quite difficult. The poor plant looking so malnourished

in trini yuh have de green an de red basil (tulsi) an in trini dey grow year round relatively easy as long as in de greater growth area dey are more plants tuh cross-polinate

in temperate regions dey will only grow well and healthy eef dey are more plants together....dat being said, dey need tuh have an equal amount of sunshine and shade during de daytime with lots of watering an adequate drainage

[straphanger]

the sunshine and shade thing during the day jus aint happening

[vaio]

Too busy to take care of your health?

There are lots of too busy people in the cemetery.

Besides growing your own food will translate directly to the pickney and dem.

When they see mom growing food they will not have the impression that growing food iz for dem other people.

oh my health is not suffering. I still eat very healthy and my parents does grow quite a lot of vegs in their garden.

It kinda, rather, very difficult to leave home at 4.50am and reach at 7.00pm and hadda remember to water the plants on top of all that.

In fact the seasoning and flower plants i planted some weeks ago does suffer sometimes

[J lindsay]

That depends mostly on the nutrient value of the soil / growth substrate you are using to grow in. But absolutely, the plant needs to extract energy for it to use to grow, from whatever you are using.

There are many options in this regard but avoid chemical "fertilizers" if you can.

[J lindsay]

Has to be challenging, those are LONG, LONG hours. But that said we need to remember / make the time and effort to feed ourselves, and even our pets, so a couple of minutes spent on watering are well worth the effort.

[SocaSim]

I think it's a great idea. I have family that has that also they have a goat farm and chicken coop as well. With the price of milk and poultry soaring high, this was the best option to think of.

[shaddeck]

oh my health is not suffering. I still eat very healthy and my parents does grow quite a lot of vegs in their garden.

It kinda, rather, very difficult to leave home at 4.50am and reach at 7.00pm and hadda remember to water the plants on top of all that.

In fact the seasoning and flower plants i planted some weeks ago does suffer sometimes

hello vaio,
maybe yuh cud start wid easier growing plants dat require less care given your time schedule. eef de garden is too far, start wid ah few planting pots in or around your home.....

[bookworm]

Interesting thread. Can anyone give me advice on eco-friendly insecticides? The tomatoes and greens I growing feedin de bachac dem more dan me.

[Solachica]

Neem

[bookworm]

Thanks!

[raider]

it is very important to start of with the absolute necessities...

[SocaSim]

We had our own mango tree. Mummy used grow tomatoes and provisions way back then.......