# Low maintenance crops?



## Padre

Hey all,

I have a little patch of land that I like to call my BOL, I get there about once a month throughout the year. I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions about aggressive plants that I could put in that would require minimal maintenance? I already have a number of berry bushes growing around the property and plan to put in more, but I am particularly interested in cereal type crops. It is a northern US climate with plenty of water coming through the property.

Any suggestions would be great.


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## kejmack

You could add fruit trees. I would definitely add apple trees. Of course, you have to keep the deer out of everything. Any cereals would be a free lunch for the local deer population.


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## Tank_Girl

Sweet potatoes and/or normal potatoes?

Will deer eat potato plants?


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## CapnJack

I tell ya what, I've noticed them damn deer will eat just about anything, I'm sure they'll get at the tater plants, too. Kej has some pretty good ideas there for crops, just keep them deer away. Plenty of ways to go about that from fencing all the way down to a simple bottle of spray stuff (though they don't all work, make sure you read the labels about how often it needs applied, and check online for reviews.)


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## fondini

CapnJack said:


> I tell ya what, I've noticed them damn deer will eat just about anything, I'm sure they'll get at the tater plants, too. Kej has some pretty good ideas there for crops, just keep them deer away. Plenty of ways to go about that from fencing all the way down to a simple bottle of spray stuff (though they don't all work, make sure you read the labels about how often it needs applied, and check online for reviews.)


If you want to keep the deer away, just set up my tree stand I got last year, seems to work like a charm at keeping them away..


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## The_Blob

fondini said:


> If you want to keep the deer away, just set up my tree stand I got last year, seems to work like a charm at keeping them away..


:lolsmash: I fell your pain, brother... :gaah: :lolsmash:


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## Immolatus

fondini said:


> If you want to keep the deer away, just set up my tree stand I got last year, seems to work like a charm at keeping them away..


Season cant come soon enough...

Padre, I would think its going to take more effort than its worth to protect the plants if youre not there on a regular basis (as in all the time) unless you can put up a barrier and maintain it.
I would just sow all kinds of stuff everywhere and let it go 'feral'. Then when it does come time to actually BO, you at least have mature plants growing and you can start to guard/maintain them.
Fruit trees sounds like a good start.
All kinds of berry bushes.
In general anything that will survive your winter.
Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers?
Could you build a cheap durable greenhouse there that could be self sustaining?
Just throwing out ideas...sorry I dont know anything about cereal crops.


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## Lake Windsong

Research 'cover crops' as many of them have multiple uses (add nutrients to the soil and can be harvested for food or animal feed or support native wildlife). Thinking along the lines of wheat, barley, red clover, millet, peas, beans.
You can often find good bulk prices for cover crop seeds. I think the last we bought came from Baker Creek. Hope that helps.


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## Lake Windsong

Padre said:


> Hey all,
> 
> I have a little patch of land that I like to call my BOL, I get there about once a month throughout the year. I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions about aggressive plants that I could put in that would require minimal maintenance? I already have a number of berry bushes growing around the property and plan to put in more, but I am particularly interested in cereal type crops. It is a northern US climate with plenty of water coming through the property.
> 
> Any suggestions would be great.


Not sure how much acreage you're looking to cover, but I just checked the greenhouse, we have about a quarter pound each of millet and buckwheat seeds left, maybe some other random assortment, who knows until I dig through the planting bin.  Shoot me a pm with a snail mail addy if you are interested in trying them.


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## TheRiver

Don't forget what you loose to the deer( and probably other small game) can come back to you in red meat now and when TSHTF. I'm thinking your own micro-ecosystem.


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## Meerkat

Good time to get the soil and garden ready for spring.You can start seeds in the house and transplant outside when it warms up.
A greenhouse even here in N.Florida needs heat on cold nights.A leanto may be your best bet ,you can use the heat from the house to help keep it warm.


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## mojo4

Definitely fruit trees. I planted 2 apple and 2 pear 2 years ago. I had a few pears coming in until hail but zilch on the apples. They take a few years to come in I guess. Next spring its 2 peach trees and hopefully those take soon.


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## kejmack

Padre, I was thinking about your situation. Instead of putting time and money into planting crops right now. Why don't you put in your effort into improving your infrastructure? You can working on building a garden, fencing, etc. Plant fruit trees. That way when you move out there, things will be ready. The fruit trees will be ready to bear. Keep us posted. I would love to hear how things progress.


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## DJgang

Turnip greens.

We can the green and freeze the turnips.

Easy.

That reminds me, I need to store seeds.

Deer will mow down my sweet potatoes over night. Makes me sick.


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## k0xxx

Tank_Girl said:


> Sweet potatoes and/or normal potatoes?
> 
> Will deer eat potato plants?


The [email protected]@rds ate mine. 

Another possibility for low maintenance is Jerusalem Artichoke. They tend to spread out and can become a nuisance if allowed to, though. They are a useful food source and can be used for animal (especially pigs) feed.


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## goshengirl

I'd do what kejmack is talking about. (Of course, I don't know your plans/goals and why, so I could be out in left field here.) But seasonal crops need attention. There's a lot of work that could be done on the perennial aspect of growing food, to get the place ready for when you can be there more often to monitor seasonal crops.

The fruit trees that take a few years before they produce, for example. Typically dwarf trees will produce sooner than semi-dwarf trees, and standards take the longest before they start producing. Some nut trees take ages before they start producing, but american hazelnuts can get going in a few years, and can be pruned to grow more like a big bush rather than a small-ish tree. (I'd love to know if a nut tree grafted to dwarf rootstock will start producing more quickly, like with fruit trees - I need to look into that).

Elderberries, cranberries, blueberries, cherry bushes, paw paw trees - those are all good edibles. There's also your medicine cabinet - herbs and medicinal flowers - you could get patches of those started, depending on what you want to grow. Witch hazel. Sorry, rambling.

Then there's the structure aspect. A shelter, an outhouse, fencing (if applicable). COMPOST. Getting the ground ready for those seasonal crops is a big job. And an important one.

As far as cereal crops go, I understand that oats can be used as a cover crop, although I have no first-hand experience with that. That could be an option for you to have a cereal crop and at the same time develop the soil with a green manure.


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## Padre

Immolatus said:


> Season cant come soon enough...
> 
> Padre, I would think its going to take more effort than its worth to protect the plants if youre not there on a regular basis (as in all the time) unless you can put up a barrier and maintain it.
> I would just sow all kinds of stuff everywhere and let it go 'feral'. Then when it does come time to actually BO, you at least have mature plants growing and you can start to guard/maintain them.
> Fruit trees sounds like a good start.
> All kinds of berry bushes.
> In general anything that will survive your winter.
> Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers?
> Could you build a cheap durable greenhouse there that could be self sustaining?
> Just throwing out ideas...sorry I dont know anything about cereal crops.


I've got more acreage than I know what to do with, the thing is that I don't need the food now and am not there to reap what I sow anyway... All I am thinking is that rather than just having seed it might be good to have some hearty feral crop plants growing already on the property. The deer can have the fruits so long as they don't ruin the plant itself and are willing to trade for their life somewhere down the line.

I have a lot of pine and birch on my property, you thing apple, peach, pear, etc seedlings would make it?

If I planted some tomatoes or potatoes and let them alone, even if I don't harvest anything, will the plants survive?


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## Bobbb

Someone else already mentioned cover crops and I'd second that suggestion. Plant some rye and leave it, then go back later and plow it under, thus enriching your soil.

Bank soil richness for a future where, if needed, it will pay you back in multiples.


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## kejmack

Padre, if you get 1 gallon fruit trees, you can put cages around them to protect them from the deer. It is my experience that deer will eat just about anything. I have had the experience of having more acreage than I know what to do with, too! LOL Since you aren't living there, I would not waste the time and money planting anything you can't protect. You could do other things to get ready.... build a small cabin, an outhouse, compost piles, raised beds (depending on how you like to garden), fencing for livestock or whatever. You might also put in a deer stand or three.


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## Tank_Girl

I agree with the fruit trees -if you can find a way to build cages around them to protect them from 4 footed vermin.
Also, I agree with building the soil.
This system...works hand in glove with fruit and nut orchards along with vegetable patches as it controls weeds and grass build up.
I'm sure you've got better thing that would could be doing with your time other than mowing.
http://www.backtoedenfilm.com/#movie


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## Jimthewagontraveler

Hey padre.
If you can touch it with your hand raised all the way 
The deer will eat it.
I only get fruit with a 6' y shaped branch.
If it is less than 2' under ground moles/ground hogs will eat it.
Buy very tall fruit trees.
I stand in the tractor bucket to get any cherries or pears anywhere
Other than right by my house.
All animals love fruit there is very little on the ground.
OOOH WAIT PERSIMMONS.
Persimmon trees are the first tree to come back after 
you brush hog and boy are they hard to get rid of.
Mmmm ! Persimmon bread!cake!pie!
Don't let any of us bumpkins fool you if it looks good 
DO NOT put it in your mouth!
If it looks like something that came out of a sick dogs butt
THEN it's ripe!
Persimmon trees are producing like crazy this year!
Storm/drought all that .
Pm me and I will send you seeds.
If you just put the persimmon in your mouth to eat you will
Spit out many many seeds.
If you have5 acre of grass land you can have persimmons to
feed many people in 1-2 years.
You will end up filling many many 5 gal buckets.
Then again you WILL need a forked stick you will really 
Be supporting deer/rabbit/squirel/birds.
Wild turkeys LOVE persimmon groves.
Unfortunately so do horses but the seeds(sometimes) congeal in the gut 
The sharp points tear up the gut on the way out.
For mass production you will need a squishing machine 
(meat grinder) then boil in water then strain through window
screen then put up in canning jars ( pressure cooker) to 
be used for baked goods.
Remember pretty round plump persimmons are nasty!!


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## Padre

Thanks all, you have given me some food for thought... LOL


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## hiwall

You can take a soil sample to the county extension office to see what the soil needs(or doesn't need). The county extension office can also tell you what plants do good in your particular area.


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## Immolatus

Padre said:


> I have a lot of pine and birch on my property, you thing apple, peach, pear, etc seedlings would make it?
> 
> If I planted some tomatoes or potatoes and let them alone, even if I don't harvest anything, will the plants survive?


For the fruit trees, I would think so. I have to assume that deer wont kill the trees, but Im sure others have experience and could answer better.
For potatoes and tomatoes, yes but it depends on the climate. You only said 'North' so Im not sure what that means. My tomatoes grow like weeds, but it might have been from the lack of winter, but it obviously froze over, but I literally had more come back from last year than I had planted from new seed.
If you have that much land, then throw the stuff out there and see what happens. Most will just propogate themselves, after all, they are plants and thats what they do.
Seeds grow, its how nature works. If left undisturbed (they operative word here) they will multiply. I would think that youd have to worry more about thembeing crowded out by weeds and such than animals actually killing the plants. This is just a guess, but I doubt many animals willingly destroy a good food supply.
It just seems to make sense to me that with little effort you could sow all kinds of stuff everywhere (man am I envious) and just let it grow naturally. It would just depend on the climate as to what you can grow.
Sue and MMM and others (Andi?) have to have some real experience with this, I am really making educated guesses based on the natural order of things. (cept my tomatoes!)


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## zombieresponder

Why not "go native"? Find out what's native to your area, then cross reference that to what's edible. Plant or transplant enough different ones to ensure a food supply year round. Most people will just at the stuff as weeds and keep going. Planting fruit trees isn't a bad idea, but everyone knows what an apple/pear/plum/etc. looks like.....


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## cnsper

I would start with some wild american plum trees and some nanking cherry bushes. Both do well here in Montana. Grapes are another thing that will do well in your area.


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