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--- diy:gardening [2024/06/27 00:12] – [Tips and Reminders] Humphrey Boa-Gart
+++ diy:gardening [2024/10/12 21:16] (current) – [What To Plant] Humphrey Boa-Gart
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 ===== Ways To Do This =====
-Since all it takes to garden illegally, is dirt and something that can grow in that dirt, there are many ways to guerrilla garden, and there are many types of guerrilla gardens. These are but a few:
+Since all it takes to garden illegally is dirt and something that can grow in that dirt, there are many ways to guerrilla garden, and there are many types of guerrilla gardens. These are but a few:
 ==== Sidewalk & Streetside Gardens ====
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 If there are no trees on the sidewalk, plant some trees. A tall bamboo stake, a $3 bag of mulch, and maybe even a 1-2 foot tall wire fence to keep the mulch in place, is oftentimes all it takes to guarantee the long-term survival of a tree planted next to a sidewalk. Most people will just assume someone from the city came by and planted it there, and leave it alone. A successful tree planting will provide shade to pedestrians and parked cars, which is something everyone in your neighborhood will enjoy for years to come. If there are already trees, plant some smaller plants around the trees. If there are overhead power lines, make sure to keep the tree pruned from time to time, or someone else will prune it in a way you might not like.
-For some sidewalk gardens, you may have to resort to **raised bed technology** to not only keep things looking clean and professional, but also to keep people and dogs from walking through your plants. A **corrugated steel water trough** (like the kind that farms use for livestock) makes for a great raised bed container, but you can also make your own raised beds with **deck screws and pressure treated 2x12 boards**, or even the slats from **discarded wooden pallets**. Raised beds are also a great way to expand the overall area you have to work with, as you can place them over concrete and pavement.
+For some sidewalk gardens, you may have to resort to **raised bed technology** to not only keep things looking clean and professional, but also to keep people and dogs from walking through your plants. A **corrugated steel water trough** (like the kind that farms use for livestock) makes for a great raised bed container, but you can also make your own raised beds with **deck screws and pressure treated 2x12 boards**, or even the slats from **discarded wooden pallets**. Raised beds are also a great way to expand the overall area you have to work with, as you can place them over rocks and pavement.
 You can fasten your beds to the ground with stakes or concrete anchors, preventing them from "drifting" over time into the road or across the sidewalk and becoming a public safety issue. Make sure to leave plenty of access points between the curb and the sidewalk so people can still get to their cars. If you do not, people will start walking through your beds, and the city may even bring the hammer down and have the beds removed.
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 Fencelines and property boundaries are oftentimes prime spots for guerrilla gardens. In many places you can plant things up against a fence and nobody will ever disturb it - especially if that thing is an eye-appealing tree or shrub that isn't getting in anyone's way. If there is an empty house on your block that nobody has moved into yet, 9 out of 10 times you can get away with installing new permanent greenery along the fence, as the future owners will usually be lazy enough to just leave it there untouched. Same deal goes for fencelines bordering public easements, and sometimes even active commercial properties.
-Neglected boundaries are a great place to grow tall green privacy walls in municipalities that have height limits for man-made fences. They are also great for putting fruit-bearing trees that provide food for those who reside on **both sides** of the fence.
+Neglected boundaries are a great place to grow tall green privacy walls in municipalities that have height limits for man-made fences. They are also great for putting fruit-bearing trees that provide food for those who reside on both sides of the fence.
 ==== Seed Bombs ====
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 A community garden might gradually fill in and expand over time. Or, it can literally happen overnight. A group of militant anarchist gardeners might scope out everything in advance, draw up plans on the land, line up supporters, and wait until everything is prepared to throw a press release party. Then they'd announce the address of the new community garden as they begin their surprise march to the location. In these cases, designated people are usually assigned the job of negotiating with the media, law enforcement, owners, etc (now that they have [[tactics:squatters-rights|Squatter's Rights]]), while the rest of the community continues to build the garden uninterrupted.
+A community garden launch can also piggyback off of other activist events and protests. One successful example is the community garden that was installed in **Cal Anderson Park** during the establishment of the **Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone**. By the time the City of Seattle re-annexed the CHAZ later that summer, the garden was so well-established that it was allowed to remain, where it [[https://crosscut.com/briefs/2023/12/seattle-removes-black-lives-matter-garden-cal-anderson-park|survived for several years]].
 ===== What To Plant =====
+> <wrap em>Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed – to you it shall be for food.</wrap>
 Since guerrilla gardeners oftentimes lack the conveniences & amenities offered to mainstream farmers (consistent plot access, regular watering, privacy, protective edging, etc) not all plants are suited for this type of gardening. However, not all suitable plants will grow well in every climate zone. Here are some ideas to get started with:
-==== Food-Bearing Plants ====
+==== Edible & Medicinal Plants ====
+If you are looking to quickly establish a garden with minimal long-term maintenance, you will want to look into the world of **trees & perennials**. If you live in a place like Florida where food grows year-round, the world is your oyster. Establish some pepper plants and wild tomato vines, and they will produce food for at least several years. Plant some rare varieties of sweet potato, and use the cuttings from that mother plant to grow an endless supply of different sweet potatoes in canvas bags or five gallon buckets. Muscadines, agave, ground cherries and strawberries do very well in warm regions too.
+In colder regions, this is trickier. Many of the aforementioned plants that grow as perennials in the southern US and Mexico, for example, become annuals in the northern states and Canada. They will still grow, but expect to be reseeding your plots in the spring if you live in New England or Minnesota. You will have to do some research on this for your specific state/country. Figure out what your climate zone is, and then start Googling for things like "//what vegetables grow in zone **x**//?" Many herbs, like mint and dill, are known to come back the next spring after a long snowy winter in some places. Hardy bushes & vines like certain species of blueberries, huckleberries, grapes and blackberries, will also survive harsh winters. Of course, if you live in a warmer region, most of these things will grow well in your area too.
+In either case, you will want to establish fruit trees alongside your perennials, as they will provide a steady source of food for many years, while you experiment with more fragile crops underneath. In warmer climates, this means things like citrus trees, bananas/plantains (technically a plant), papaya, star fruits, and other tropical fruit trees. In colder climates, you will have an easier time with things like apples, pears, peaches, sugar maple, and cherry trees.
+[[https://www.gardenary.com/blog/which-herbs-are-perennials|Perennial herbs]] also make great seedage for permanent gardens, and will season your food for years to come. Things like onions will grow pretty much everywhere too, as long as you have the right cultivar for your climate.
+Some things you cannot find in perennial form, and this cannot be avoided. Most of the best salad greens will be annuals (though perennial spinach does exist), and many other vegetables will be as well. Establish your plants that come back every year first, and then fill in the gaps with your annuals after.
 ==== Decorative Plants ====
-If you do not need your guerrilla garden to produce food, this will drastically increase the amount of plant species you have to work with. To get started, simply look for what native plants & trees grow and reproduce easily in your area. This way, you will have **free** access to practically unlimited seeds & cuttings, letting you get started with no up-front investment. Native perennials will also easily come back each year, especially if you work with the ones that are always readily available nearby in the wild.
+If you do not need your guerrilla garden to produce food or medicine, this will drastically increase the amount of plant species you have to work with. To get started, simply look for what native plants & trees grow and reproduce easily in your area. This way, you will have **free** access to practically unlimited seeds & cuttings, letting you get started with no up-front investment. Native perennials will also easily come back each year, especially if you work with the ones that are always readily available nearby in the wild.
-If you are into **xeriscaping** in warm climates, drought-tolerant succulents like **yucca trees** will are among the easiest things to clone, don't require fertilizer or fancy soil, and they practically take care of themselves. Occasionally you will have to prune the yucca to force its branches to fork and bush out, and every one of those cuttings can become a **free new tree** if you stick them in the ground and keep them watered occasionally. A stem cutting 12-18 inches long, and at least 8 inches in the ground, will root in no time at all compared to most other trees.
+**Native wildflowers** work very well for seed bombs. In many cases, these seeds will be incredibly easy to find. Indeed, some places online even sell premixed packets & bags of wildflower seeds, though these may not be suited to your particular region (especially if you live in a place that abides by its own unique climate physics, like Florida or the Pacific Northwest). If you are growing edible plants alongside your decorative ones, consider looking up which plants in your region attract **bees** and other pollinators. Consider doing that even if you aren't growing edible plants, as everyone needs more bees.
+If you are into **xeriscaping** in warm climates, drought-tolerant succulents like **yucca trees** are among the easiest things to clone, don't require fertilizer or fancy soil, and practically take care of themselves. Occasionally you will have to prune the yucca to force its branches to fork and bush out, and every one of those cuttings can become a **free new tree** if you stick them in the ground and keep them watered occasionally. A stem cutting 12-18 inches long, and at least 8 inches in the ground, will root in no time at all compared to most other trees. **Angel trumpets** will also readily root, grow quite large in a short amount of time, and survive neglect for years in warm climates once they are established.
 ==== Invasive Plants ====
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 The first, is for **food**. If you cannot be around the lot to maintain the garden, or if you're extremely lazy, it may be worth planting [[wp>Armenian blackberry]] or [[wp>Egyptian walking onion]]. There is great peace of mind in knowing that, if the global food supply chain fails, you still have quality blackberry & onion plants stashed away somewhere: Specifically, blackberry & onion cultivars that will survive irregular watering and environmental catastrophes while vigorously out-competing local weeds.
-The other exception, is for **War**. We have heard cases of militants planting creeping bamboo in cities, specifically because it destroys roads & building foundations. Sometimes, agents of foreign militaries will secretly plant kudzu for the explicit purpose of smothering more of the target nation's natural resources. One Anon regaled us with the story of how she specifically planted perennials her neighbor was allergic to, and which also produced a lot of pollen. There are all sorts of ways that invasive plants can be used for War.
+The other exception, is for **War**. We have heard cases of militants planting creeping bamboo in cities, specifically because it destroys roads & building foundations. And while some vines that climb the sides of buildings are harmless, other similar-looking vines will literally rip the wall apart over time. Sometimes, agents of foreign militaries will secretly plant kudzu for the explicit purpose of smothering more of the target nation's natural resources. One Anon regaled us with the story of how she intentionally planted perennials her neighbor was allergic to, and which also produced a lot of pollen. There are all sorts of ways that invasive plants can be used for War.
+{{wst>dean|With just a few seeds, you can literally starve your enemy to death, and never have to fire a single bullet!}}
 //**Note:** The Anonymous Military Institute does not endorse the intentional spread of invasive species in any locality where it is illegal or prohibited.//
-===== Tips and Reminders =====
+===== Important Tips =====
 [{{ :diy:auger.jpeg?300|A cordless drill with an auger bit makes planting seedlings & stem cuttings a breeze.}}]
   * [[https://call811.com/Before-You-Dig|Call before you dig]] to get someone to come out and mark where underground utility lines are. This is especially important if you are setting things along sidewalks or other urban/suburban areas. Last thing you want is to get yourself killed by striking underground gas or power lines, or be on the receiving end of a municipal lawsuit because you caused tens of thousands of dollars in damages to an aging sewer system. In the US, calling 811 doesn't involve crossing paths with law enforcement, and the service is usually free.
-  * If you have a **cordless drill**, do yourself a favor and pick up a 1-1.5" auger bit that is at least a foot long (see photo). With a drill, you can put a very precise hole in the ground for your plant, without having to break a sweat digging a big messy hole with a shovel. On covert transplant ops, this means you can be in-and-out in under sixty seconds.
+  * If you have a **cordless drill**, do yourself a favor and pick up a 1-2 inch auger bit that is at least a foot long (see photo). With a drill, you can put a very precise hole in the ground for your plant, without having to break a sweat digging a big messy hole with a shovel. On covert transplant ops, this means you can be in-and-out in under sixty seconds.
+  * If regular watering is going to be an issue, you might be able to dig a small trench, or pile up a mound of clay, to catch water runoff and keep it pooled around your plants. Don't forget to lay a ground-cover like **dye-free wood mulch** or **straw**, as this will keep the ground around your plants from drying out too fast.
+  * Remember to employ **crop rotation** if you are growing vegetables, especially if you have nightshade-heavy crops. There are many ways to go about this. **Legumes** (beans & peas) are incredibly useful in rotations for putting nitrogen back in the soil, and the vines they leave behind after harvest make great compost material. Some people use leguminous trees like **mesquite** or the **lead tree** for long-term nitrogen solutions. The native Americans employed the [[https://www.nal.usda.gov/collections/stories/three-sisters|three sisters method]].
+  * If you are working with poor soil conditions or raised beds, or working the same plot of ground for many years, you will need to amend the soil with compost and/or other organic matter from time to time. This can be as simple as getting some old produce from a dumpster, or chopping up and burying your old annuals. Some people bury wood mulch at the bottom of their raised beds.
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