# how to protect a garden in the woods?



## gaspump86 (May 5, 2012)

Im researching how & what im going to attempt to grow when spring comes. 
Im looking into the ones I heard grow fast.
-lettuce
-raddishes
-climbing green beans

So if I big out, find a secluded BOL, and decide to stay for a while. How should I go about protecting my garden.


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## AuroraHawk (Sep 12, 2012)

Do you plan to clear a plot and garden using traditional gardening techniques? Or are you going to plant some here and some there so it doesn't look obvious that someone is trying to garden?


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## gaspump86 (May 5, 2012)

AuroraHawk said:


> Do you plan to clear a plot and garden using traditional gardening techniques? Or are you going to plant some here and some there so it doesn't look obvious that someone is trying to garden?


I never thought of that. 
I guess it depends on how secluded my BOL turns out to be. 
Lets say im gonna make two seperate small gardens. 
If I have to clear a spot, I will. 
If I can find a good spot close to my camp I would like it there.


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

Mostly you don't you have to plan a certain amount going to the varmints and plant enough to still have some for you. otherwise wires and rattly alarms to wake you at night and let you know to go chase the varmints off. Gonaa wear you slick if you are trying to do it IN the woods. Course you gotta be careful you don't go charging out to run off racoons and run into a bear or humans. Gardening can be frustrating at the best of times. My last attempt at pole beans never got more'n 3 inches tall before the damn rabbits ate em. I went to war got more'n a half dozen of the varmints with my 357 that summer.


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## gaspump86 (May 5, 2012)

jsriley5 said:


> Mostly you don't you have to plan a certain amount going to the varmints and plant enough to still have some for you. otherwise wires and rattly alarms to wake you at night and let you know to go chase the varmints off. Gonaa wear you slick if you are trying to do it IN the woods. Course you gotta be careful you don't go charging out to run off racoons and run into a bear or humans. Gardening can be frustrating at the best of times. My last attempt at pole beans never got more'n 3 inches tall before the damn rabbits ate em. I went to war got more'n a half dozen of the varmints with my 357 that summer.


Good points. Thanks.


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## AuroraHawk (Sep 12, 2012)

Rather than gardening and relying on a bug-out garden to furnish much needed food, you may want to consider learning all you can about foraging. Your state or local/county extension offices should have information on the local, edible plants. You can also learn a lot about foraging from Mother Earth News.

The best birthday present I have received in years is the Mother Earth News CD with all of the articles for the last 40 years. That CD is the source of a lot of fantastic information about homesteading, gardening, foraging, etc.

And now to go off topic...if you are going to be caring for your 3 little ones, you may want to think about bugging in rather than bugging out. It can be extremely difficult to keep track of 1 child while trying to hunt, fish, forage, garden, fetch water/firewood, etc. Accomplishing much with 3 to keep safe, will be even more difficult.


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## kappydell (Nov 27, 2011)

i agree with aurorahawk - gardens attract varmints (both two and four legged, as well as invertebrates) but once you learn the edible plants in your area they will feed you. Not all are greens (some people hate greens), acorns (once you leach out the tannin) for example are easy to find and very versatile. If I were choosing a bug out area I'd prefer a swamp for the cattails and muskrats' availability. Then I'd go find a patch of 'duck potatoes', and (hopefully) a stand of oaks nearby. Now that would be a grand spot as far as foraging goes...


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

My suggestion is that you pick a spot in the woods and start practicing. 

You will find that lack of sunlight is your first challenge. Gardens need 8 hours of direct sun, not a few hours of filtered light. Your second challenge will be how to keep the deer, rabbits, and whatever from eating it. 

You will soon find out that your plan isn't going to work.


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## PrepN4Good (Dec 23, 2011)

And good luck getting to the goodies before the critters do. Dang squirrels & birds ate almost every one of my pears, strawberries, & blueberries this year. :brickwall:


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## gaspump86 (May 5, 2012)

kejmack said:


> My suggestion is that you pick a spot in the woods and start practicing.
> 
> You will find that lack of sunlight is your first challenge. Gardens need 8 hours of direct sun, not a few hours of filtered light. Your second challenge will be how to keep the deer, rabbits, and whatever from eating it.
> 
> You will soon find out that your plan isn't going to work.


Well then..... back to the drawing board. Lol


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

Foraging is only going to go so far, especially when everyone else is doing the same thing. Especially in the northern regions where it can take longer for things to replenish themselves.


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## oif_ghost_tod (Sep 25, 2012)

I suggest reading up on 'three sisters' (corn, beans, squash).

The basic idea being that when planted correctly, the beans grow their vines up the strong corn stalks, and in return provide nutrients to the roots of the corn, and the squash vines and large leaves help protect the roots and soil from the hot summer sun.

This setup can be placed virtually anywhere, and requires less fertilizer and irrigation because of the naturally symbiotic relationship between the plants.

Native Americans were doing this 500 years before European settlers arrived here.

http://www.nativetech.org/cornhusk/threesisters.html

Check it out!


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

gaspump86 said:


> Im researching how & what im going to attempt to grow when spring comes.
> Im looking into the ones I heard grow fast.
> -lettuce
> -raddishes
> ...


Is it your land, or, crown-land (BLM-land)? If so, you might want to consider a guerilla garden ... *( http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f14/guerilla-gardening-1819/ )* ... but you will have to start building it now and fine-tuning your garden for future use.


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

With branches and sticks you can keep deer out. Just build a fence. With rabbits you need a tighter fence at the bottom 2-3 feet. You are going to loose some but hey that is gardening.


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