Growing outdoor using (soil) the conventional method is very challenging as we do not have full control of the environment. We constantly have to look out for insects, snails, birds, flies, and other airborne plant diseases.
I understand that and agree with you as it's all true. However, compared to previous years, say 10 or 15 years, the situation is much worse and all due to extreme heat during summer, which is not coincidental as it comes back regularly every year now it seems.
The testing methods are a good idea, you just have to see which one works for you as some seeds are so tiny you cant even pick one as they are of the size of finely ground salt.
The new methods are definitely the future, no one can deny that. The problem is to make such an investment you need first of all time, space and money. We have space and money, but time is something that is limited, as this is my dad's so called playground :) He's doing this as a hobby, which is therapeutic for him as well as he's retired, but I'm not going to continue, if he will not be able to anymore.
Si indeed, if you want to focus on growing fruits and veggies and you're starting out now, it worth thinking of investing in greenhouses and hydroponics.
Thanks for the nice and valuable comment.
You're right! The testing method is not 100% foolproof as it will have problems when the seeds' size is minuscule. My late mother also enjoyed gardening very much. I had introduced her to hydroponics also but she found it too complicated. The traditional way was more enjoyable for her.
The weather is also another major factor in determining your harvest quality and quantity. We have a fresh vegetable business and we partner with many traditional farmers. We noticed that during the rainy season, the supply of fresh vegetables is somewhat reduced due to many crop failures from roots rot and/or lack of sunlight. When we discussed with farmers about hydroponics and greenhouses, their main obstacle was initial capital.
Here's another tip I want to share. I'm not sure if it's available in your country, but this is what we use for our outdoor garden. Fruit fly trap – it does not completely eradicate fruit flies, but it helps reduce their numbers. If you can't find Petrogenol, here's an article to how you can do it yourself.
Thanks for sharing. I enjoy our discussion very much. Good luck with the next season's harvest, and happy gardening.😊
We have four seasons here in Europe, but that is only theoretically as global warming has changed that and spring is now very rare or very short.
So when we're talking about gardening seasons that means from March to October but obviously not for every fruit or vegetable.
Thanks for the recommendation. Fortunately we only have raspberries, currants and grapes, so it's not a big problem for us.
Good luck with your plans as I know they are big and thanks for the constructive and helpful conversation 😀