Growing Heirloom Vegetables

This instructable will follow my garden as it grows, From opening seeds to preparing the soils.  (Though you missed my first plot being tilled, hoed, and amended)  A quick explanation about heirloom seeds; Heirloom seeds are from plants grown the old (Read BEST) way, No genetic modifications,  hybridization, or splicing.  Heirloom seeds tend to be expensive up front but less expensive because you can save the seeds and they will continue producing, UNLIKE many other commercially available seeds which will produce sterile seeds in the plants and vegetables that grow.  Heirloom = one time up front cost.   Standard GMO seeds = Continuos cost every year.
I bought mine from Survivalistseeds A google search will take you to Big Johns website.   

Step 1 Prepare for planting

Unpackage the seeds and choose which ones you will be planting, I started a bit late this year but I should still get a bunch of good vegetables.  Especially looking forward to my heirloom tomatoes.  
Do your research, You're growing Heirloom seeds now, You have a moral responsibility to grow your garden as organically and chemical free as you possibly can.  I have to explain my soil preparation and amending technique since I began before joining the instructables community:  Step 1: break up the soil. I used a spring tooth cultivator on a tractor to do this. This guarantees that you can use a rotary tiller to break it up to a useful depth, Not necessary, But very  convenient. Step 2: Tilling.  You want to till the soil as deeply as you can, this helps turn the grasses and weeds on top of the soil underneath. the rotting greenery provides nutrients for your vegetables.  you're going to want to till the soil several times, that way the grasses are sure to die. I tilled  once every 2 days for a week. 
 Step 3: Add fertilizer. Remember when I said  "you have a moral obligation to grow these vegetables as organically as possible"? This is the time to start. My fertilizer comes in the form of composted chicken and horse manure. I add about 50 pounds every 100 square feet.  Think 100 pounds per wheelbarrow load. That's actually being generous since my wheelbarrow holds 160 pounds. I just got tired of weighing the manure.  Step 4:  Till it again. You want to mix the manure in as well as you can, this ensures even distribution of the nutrients. 

Comments

[AmyLuthien]

Cute scarecrow! You might try hanging a few old CD's off him. Last year I had a pile of the things, and rather then throwing them out, I hung them off my old clothesline by the garden. Birds and rabbits won't go near the place now! It's also rather pretty with all those rainbow colors flashing as the disks move in the breeze, I call it "Geek Chic Modern Art" :D

[jtobako]

Forgot the most important part of heirloom plants-how to get and store the seeds for next year.

[richie_114]

not yet, I have to harvest first. I got hurt a week ago and haven't been out to garden, so it's probably been overrun by bugs and critters. When I replant, I will (hopefully) be able to cover pest control and harvest, and then cover seed saving. I just ran into a major setback that will cost me alot of time. I tore some tendons in my ankle and the doc says stay off of it for awhile. But no worries, I'll cover seed saving soon. Thanks for bringing it up though!