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Has anyone grown dwarf fruit: favorite gardening plants?

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We use grass clippings from mowing the lawn as mulch, along with some wood chips here and there, and pine needles for the blueberry bushes that like acidic soil. One of the tree trimming companies dropped off several loads of wood chips for free, so we have a LOT.
I do the same, at least the grass the chickens don't eat. I got a big chip drop at my last house, wonderful stuff! My front gardens really took off. Where I live now is very, very dry and WINDY!! The chips would just dry up and blow away. My stepfather, who had lots of weird ideas, told me trees don't grow here. Don't tell all the trees I planted last year and are thriving. Don't tell any of the trees the neighbors planted. This area was once alfalfa fields, so all the trees were cut down. People around here actually have the audacity to wonder why it's so windy! Anyway, he also told me blueberries won't grow, so I grow them in pots for now but I planted a lot of pine trees so I'll eventually have pine needles.
A neem oil mixture is what we use to spray on a few things to try to help deter the insect critters
I've been using soapy water, but I don't have many insects due to the chickens. I'll have to try neem oil if the chickens start slacking.
To me, having a good seed collection is better than gold
Amen! Love my seeds! I started 9 types of tomatoes this year, including some Brad's Atomic Grapes that I saved the seeds from last year. I just got more seeds in the mail yesterday. I'm trying to find interesting perennials for the front gardens. I planted some sedum last year and it made it through the winter. Very pretty.
I'm also constantly sprouting seeds/beans of some sort indoors.
I used to do that for my chickens, but they turned up their beaks at fresh sprouts! I couldn't believe it! I had been starting a flat a day for a week and they wouldn't touch them. I would love to grow watermelon for the chickens, but I don't think I have enough time here. They love the seeds. Trying to find watermelon with seeds out here in the wild west is kind of difficult. I have to drive 40 minutes to get to a real grocery store and then the selection is not the best.
That's why I love also being able to add the freebies of nature
I just got a great book on foraging! If I ever leave the homestead, it will be fun to identify things to eat.

Today, my son and I are going to put up netting over the onions and garlic past the fence, and I'm going to plant some bush beans, radishes, beets and carrots out there too. I also need to plant the squash and pumpkins. I'm planting another garden out there for the chickens with kale, broccoli, cabbage, and grass, among other things. It's fenced, and I'll let them in a group at a time for an hour or so. That way the garden will last maybe 4 days, lol.
my dog said no to my owning chickens.
My dog loves to chase the chickens. She is learning not to, but she would rather not learn. She would just rather chase chickens and pull out their tail feathers.
We have about 200 that run amok and chorus the morning sun.
I can't imagine! The noise would make me crazy! I'm surprised that people don't grab them and eat them. When I would advertise free roosters, they would be gone in a day. People would assure me they wouldn't eat them but I didn't really believe them. As long as they have a good life I'm ok with others doing that. I just can't. I was supposed to process a rooster with my neighbor, but I got myself all upset. The neighbor wants to have a co op and sell eggs to restaurants. I would be happy to, or sell eggs and produce at the farmers market. I'll have to look into what kind of certification I'll need.

Ugh, it's 4am and the roosters just woke up. I'm moving one of them further out with his hens so that should help with the noise. My window is next to the chicken yard so he would jump on a coop and crow in the window if he wanted a snack. Yep, they are spoiled.
 
I am really enjoying this subject! Thanks peeps.

I too have a squirrel that is planting black walnuts and acorns in my garden bed. So thanks @Tornadic Thoughts for the tip: life saver. Amazing amount of wealth in your knowledge as well as seeds. I’m still working on propagation as this is the first time, in a long time that I had half a chance of growing a few things not on a 14th floor uncovered concrete apt. patio. Sun scorched plants are not tasty. Now I have too much shade lol.

I downloaded plant net applicatIon to identify what was what. Not near your sophistication @DharmaGirl …I’d pick the toadstools lol. I knew quite a bit on the east coast where I was raised: The West Coast is still new to me after six years. So many different plants…full respect.

Gave up chasing the blueberry bare root for a bit as my budget gave out. Without the stimulus check, I couldn’t have afforded the start up really. I grow most things from seeds or offered cuttings but the dirt prices have risen, lumber doubled so I used wine barrels and my family refurbished the raised boxes. At least for next year…I am ready but now we have the drought in my locality, so soon … major water restrictions. Tough to conserve water on a garden, so I am compromising elsewhere.🤫🙈 Shorter showers, alternate days, less water for the clothes washing, toilet tricks (country style) but my plants will reap the benefits without my guilt and with respect to our environment.

ps…love listening as it is good to grow. Take care.
 
In order to make use of one of the Oak barrels that I had prepped with Pete moss and other goodies for the blueberries- I transferred some of the bush beans sprouts and planted some Brussel sprout seeds today. Since they like the near the same acidity level - I can maybe get a few things while I save up until fall. Fall is a good time to plant blueberries here as well.
The weird looking green mass is a organic hydro butter lettuce that I ate most of. I saw this youtube with this 70+ old farmer saying they can regrow sometime. 😂 It did in his YouTube. I will see …never hurts. The other container is a Strawberry plant that did not get enough sun in the raised bed. May not be happy there but it was complaining with a permanent green strawberry for a long time. The other one is transplanted sprouts of a variety in nature. So see, I haven’t given up. 🤗 5CF3A1F6-448E-44BC-AAFE-B90ECFC2ED4D.jpeg
 

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Oh no!! It was 31 degrees last night! I just planted some carrot and bean seeds, but I think they'll be ok since they haven't started sprouting. I made a 4 x 4 raised bed and need to fill it so I can plant the rest of my strawberries. I'll be glad when I'm comfortable with the new zone.

I saw these clever things on Amazon where you pound in T poles and stick these plastic pieces on top so you can hang bird netting. I'm hoping to try that this year. Since I feed the chickens outside and throw out scratch, I have 3 billion chickadees, 2 million red winged blackbirds, a bunch of other backyard birds, the neighbor's chickens and a raven that come and eat. I want them to stay away from the gardens. If you buy the netting and pieces, it adds up to a lot of money so I don't know if I can afford it. I wonder if I could make something like that.
 
@DharmaGirl … I have a thiefin’ opossum lol. So night time raids and my barking dog is pretty much a constant lately. I have a slew of birds as well. I don’t mind the birds as much because they do keep the insects down.

At my last location, we had an year of unusual rainy weather, so I purchased some agricultural hoops from Amazon. They are too small for current area but many things are available after I get my budget together.
However for my current need set and budget (perhaps) I have seen pvc pipe being used to build the extended arches: may be cheaper than wood at this time. Definitely lighter to lift. I saw them used on PinInterest and in the FB garden Group.

Lowes sells online Sta-Green Bird Netting 13x15 for about $7. Seen some 1200 square foot Spool Rolls on 247Garden for 17.00 . I will have to wait until after season inorder to possible save enough. In the meantime…free Buffet for the wild life.🙈 So I feel you.
 
That sounds wonderful. I live in a high wind area so I can't use PVC, but I used to use it all the time for gardens and lightweight chicken runs. That is an excellent price for netting though. I grow greens for my chickens so I don't mind sharing with the wild birds.

Speaking of birds, I had a visitor from next door this morning. A black copper Maran's hen. She told me she was very hungry so I gave her a handful of feed. It was gone in about a minute so I gave her more. My neighbors don't always have chicken feed. I had 3 of their hens living in my coop the last time they ran out. The other 5 hens and 2 ducks were in my yard. I have breeding chickens and asked them to not let their chickens in my pens and the husband got mad at me. The week before their dog killed 2 of my chickens and he was mad about that too. I guess he feels that since he lives in the country, he should be able to do what he wants. I have to get certified to sell fertile eggs, and I won't be if his birds have access. I have a 6 foot fence around the chicken area, and electric netting out past the fence. I offered to clip their hens wings, and the wife said yes but it never came to be. I guess I shouldn't have fed their hen this morning but she already knew where to go to get food. I'll just pretend those are my hens if they come to inspect and they are here. I just can't stand to watch her outside my fence trying to stretch her head in and eat.

I should be getting my paw paw trees today!! Yay! I can't wait! Today I'm going to put up more netting the old fashioned way. I also have to build some pens for my broody hens, I have 3 broodies sitting on at least 10 eggs each and one with a chick. Busy day as always.

Do you look at Craigslist? I used to get all sorts of free things there. Chicken wire, dog crates, fencing, furniture, plants, PVC, etc. I moved out in the middle of nowhere and there isn't much on Craigslist here. I go to the city about every 6 weeks though, so I try to pick up free things then. Also Facebook marketplace.
 
I’m a big fan o’ predator-piss to keep the varmints away.

(in the US) Fox is best for rabbit & smaller than a bread box, cougar for deer & other bigger than a breadbox.

I’ll often just shake granules of each out on my property line, and again near my garden.
 
What have you considered to curtail the neighbor‘s disrespect? Do you have a property line to be able to string an electric fence for the poor wandering chickens and their chicken’ eating dog?

My Son and DIL use it to keep out the coyotes, fox, skunk ect as well as local farm dogs from the chixs, ducks plus eggs. It allows a free range pen situation as well. Don’t know the particulars as he does it for the cattle ect but there are different types with less current is all I know.
 
I have electric fence but in the mean time they got an invisible fence for their dog. The hens I don't mind anymore because my son and I put up that plastic chicken wire stuff and the next time any of them fly in my pens, I'll clip their wings since I have permission. I don't mind throwing out some feed for the hens, since I know they run out of feed and just don't feed the hens. They don't even know how many they have, so I wouldn't be surprised if they call and tell me to come get my hen, lol.

Still no paw paw trees. I guess they are walking them here rather than driving. I'm thinking about ordering some raspberries and putting them in giant planters so they don't spread too much. I don't want to overextend myself but the bushes are on sale. I want to pick a spot for all the berries, sort of like a berry orchard. I don't know how that would work, if I need to keep them all in planters. I have 2 much buckets I could plant them in so it would work. Hmmmmmmm.
 
Hey just incase you like butter lettuce… replanting the ones that come with roots in the store… do seem to regenerate! So excited to get two at the price of one…since my seeds are sooooo pokey.
 

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