(Diabetic) *kitten* Up in the Garden

tracyschreier

Anyone out there trying to lose weight who is also a backyard gardener? I'm Tracy. I'm trying to lose weight and also start a garden. I don't know why I associate these two things together, but I do. Anyway, I've got a small plot of land for a vegetable garden and will be starting it this weekend. Any tips would be most appreciated. Also, anyone out there who is trying to lose weight, start a garden, and who is also a diabetic? Yeah, we need to talk.

supplemama

Not a diabetic but I'm an avid gardener! What are you planting this year?

WendySPWarren

I love gardening, but there's not a whole lot I can do in my 4m x 2m paved courtyard. I am studying Botany at Uni though, so I guess that should count for something!
My dad is a diabetic gardener who's trying to get fit. He would be the perfect person for you to be friends with, but I don't think he is on mfp.

As for gardening tips, fork out the extra money for a good fertiliser, it will pay off later. And make sure to keep your plants free of frost. Also, getting locally native plants is great- they tend to die less. And, as always, follow the care instructions when planting.
What are you going to plant?

jabadahut

We cant plant here until after mothers day because we have been known to have frost that late into the spring. lost all my plants 2 years ago because of it.

AtwaterD

Good luck!

Defren

I'm not a gardener but I am a T2 diabetic :-)

SanteMulberry

I did a lot of vegetable gardening when I was younger. It is actually much easier than most people think. The key is to get a bit of knowledge--especially of your soil type (which your local agricultural people will be glad to supply) and go at it. As you acquire more knowledge, you will become much more efficient in raising that which grows best under your circumstances. As an example, you are probably wasting your time trying to grow sweet corn in dry sandy soil. You could enrich the soil and put in trickling irrigation---but that is a lot of work and expense to get a few ears of corn. There are vegetables that LOVE sandy soils (like the root vegetables) and don't require a great deal of water (at the right time) like corn does. Good luck!

Elif84

I don't garden, but I'm a Type 1 diabetic :-)

highflyer88

Not a gardener but am a diabetic....although I'd love to try gardening veggies someday I stick with flowers because veggies intimidate me! Feel free to add me as I can use all the motivation I can get and love to see how others are doing and encouraging them as well!

SanteMulberry

I'm not a gardener but I am a T2 diabetic :-)

Gardening is absolutely a great way to counter T2. It requires you to do a bit of heavy lifting and hauling (great for improving insulin response) and gives you LOTS of time in the sun in the cooler mornings and evenings (which supplies Vitamin D in abundance---great for all health conditions). It supplies wonderful nutrients in the vegetables that you raise (crowding out the other crummy empty carb food items) and it lowers blood sugar from the exercise you get in weeding. What could be better?

lindathome

Diabetic (Type 2), Gardener, and loosing weight They are all connected! We started our small garden last year (around a 5x5ft square plot, plus flower beds re-purposed), BUT, with the horrible heat and drought we lost 99% of our produce to the varmints (groundhog, squirrels, raccoon, and even a poor hungry deer) ... and we live in the CITY. Our small plot has the potential to produce a lot of 'produce' as evidence by the quite impressive results last year, despite it all being eaten by the animals. I refused to water heavily to make up for the drought, feeling that I wasn't saving any money or doing the environment (or ultimately myself) any good by lots of compensatory watering, but find the whole gardening process quite therapeutic.

We had several varieties of tomatoes (including cherry, grape, roma, and beefsteak), cucumbers (the groundhog LOVED the entire cucumber plant), pumpkin (again, loved by the groundhog), jalepeno, green peppers, orange peppers, okra (ironicly for a plant that typically thrives in the heat, this poor plant suffered horribly last year and only produced 2 okra).

The plan for this year is to repeat planting tomatoes and peppers, hopefully with some protection from the animals with wire frames over them (yes, the groundhog will be able to burrow UNDER said protection). Working on that!

_chiaroscuro

Not diabetic but I have a few things to say.
1. I've had a lot of success repelling critters by planting marigolds around my veggies.
2. Coffee grounds have given me great 'maters, and eggshells in the soil work for calcium-deficient tomato plants.
3. Yours is the best Introduce Yourself thread title I've seen. Happy digging!

lindathome

Try planting some peppers or even a roma tomato plant where you would plant a flower - they grow very easily and there isn't a lot of pressure of having to take care of them much, just some good watering or weeding.

Planting some small marigolds in the same flower bed or pot will also help ward off some of the pests (bunnies, and other rodents) and some bugs.

SanteMulberry

Not a gardener but am a diabetic....although I'd love to try gardening veggies someday I stick with flowers because veggies intimidate me! Feel free to add me as I can use all the motivation I can get and love to see how others are doing and encouraging them as well!

It's actually easier to grow vegetables than flowers. Flowers are fussy, and they have to look good (or what's the point?) But if a vegetable plant survives, it will produce vegetables. Even if they don't look fabulous, they will be edible and nutritious.

RumOne

I have a container garden on my deck (the deer, moles and rabbits tear though it if I don't), I am pre diabetic so I am on the diabetic diet and the plan is to lose weigh while getting stronger. You can always read my profile to see if I would be a good add.

Good Luck on the garden and the weight loss

TesselCat

I fit these qualifications! Unless you have to be planting one for the first time. I've had a garden on my back deck for about five years now! I wish I had the space to grow it normally in the ground but aside from the deck, back yard doesn't get a whole lot of good sun. (Also our soil is suuuper sandy.)

I love love love having a garden. Last year I splurged and got a nice bench for me to keep some of my herbs on so they could get all the love and light they need. I grow a lot of them. (Seriously, a dozen or so types, sometimes multiple pots of them.) Favorite thing after the herbs has to be the peppers, but I try to grow as much as I can. Tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, cukes, radishes, beans, and I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting. I've got one little ground patch on the side of my house that I grow butternut squash, rhubarb and some horseradish in.

Also a few pots of grass for my furry friends, and some catnip. Because I'm a good cat owner.

reerazzle

Diabetic Type 2, trying to lose weight, and aspire to garden!

wannchef

I do not have diabetes (borderline), so I want to stay that way. :flowerforyou:

Love to garden though. What growing zone do you live in. My last frost date is May 20th. I am starting seedlings now but have not been out in the garden except to clean off the winter debris.

duluthian

I have been growing a small garden for a couple of years. I love it. We have such a short growing season up here in northern MN, but I still have been succesful. This year I am starting my Toms, Beans and Zucchini from seeds. We cannot plant until after June 15th due to the threat of frost, so I am trying to get a head start. Good luck and have fun digging in the dirt.

bpotts44

We cant plant here until after mothers day because we have been known to have frost that late into the spring. lost all my plants 2 years ago because of it.

Cool season crops are impervious to frost. Lettuce, spinach, broccoli, etc.

CrazyTrackLady

Anyone out there trying to lose weight who is also a backyard gardener? I'm Tracy. I'm trying to lose weight and also start a garden. I don't know why I associate these two things together, but I do. Anyway, I've got a small plot of land for a vegetable garden and will be starting it this weekend. Any tips would be most appreciated. Also, anyone out there who is trying to lose weight, start a garden, and who is also a diabetic? Yeah, we need to talk.

You associate them because good gardening equals healthy eating. Your brain and your body are telling you this is a GREAT thing -- so have fun and reap the benefits!

tekwriter

Hi I am a T2 that wants to be a gardener. I am hopeful for this year. If nothing else I am going to plant some tomatoes. it is hard for us to get started up because we both have trouble getting around. Our youngest son and his girlfriend seem interested this year and that will help us get off the ground. I look forward to losing enough weight to get around easier.

begreenbe

I just planned lettuce in my flower boxes yesterday. I'm also pre-diabetic. I'll send you a friend request too.

Liongoddess

I'm a gardener and a type 2 diabetic. I have been doing raised bed veggie gardening over the last several year. I added three beds for this year. I'll be planting some cold crops this weekend! Nothing's better than fresh veggies from the garden!

fishbarn

Hi, I'm a gardener, type 2 diabetic & I'm trying to lose weight as well. We built a new house about 5 years ago so this will be the first veg garden at the new house.

momjmd

Hi!! I am T2. I also have a small garden-- herbs, peppers, tomatoes, and this year some spaghetti squash. Cannot plant yet though b/c of the frost- too cold here in Indiana. We have to wait until May to plant.

Welcome!

tracyschreier

I've googled "easiest vegetables to grow" and came up with tomatoes, peppers, summer squash and cucumbers. I'll probably just start with that.

CoCoMa

I am also a Type 2 diabetic and somewhat of a gardener. I haven't lost a whole lot of weight doing it (my hubby does the lifting) but its great exercise. My gardening success attributed to using heirloom seeds only, so that I can re-grow with the seeds I've produced, I also use manure in addition to organic soil. I live in southern Cali so the cold is never a problem. I've had success growing corn, artichokes, tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, avocado(tree, broccoli, red/yellow/green bell peppers, pinto/kidney/Lima beans, garlic, onions, squash, plus a whole lot of other stuff. I save my seeds so that I can keep an heirloom inventory of my own!
Good luck to you!

SanteMulberry

I am also a Type 2 diabetic and somewhat of a gardener. I haven't lost a whole lot of weight doing it (my hubby does the lifting) but its great exercise. My gardening success attributed to using heirloom seeds only, so that I can re-grow with the seeds I've produced, I also use manure in addition to organic soil. I live in southern Cali so the cold is never a problem. I've had success growing corn, artichokes, tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, avocado(tree, broccoli, red/yellow/green bell peppers, pinto/kidney/Lima beans, garlic, onions, squash, plus a whole lot of other stuff. I save my seeds so that I can keep an heirloom inventory of my own!
Good luck to you!

Wow---good for you! You should put up a blog to discuss your success and be a resource for others who want to do the same.

SanteMulberry

I've googled "easiest vegetables to grow" and came up with tomatoes, peppers, summer squash and cucumbers. I'll probably just start with that.

Zucchini is probably the easiest of all (although summer squash is pretty easy too). One zucchini plant is enough to keep you and half your neighborhood supplied with more zucchini than anybody wants. lol I just saute it in a pan in EVOO with onion and garlic. It is delicious and high in nutrients, low in calories.

Another thing you can do with extra zucchini is to cook up a big batch and (if you aren't watching your carbs) make zucchini pizza. You take two frozen loaves of whole wheat bread dough, thaw them and let them rise a bit. Then you line a broiler pan (spreading it up the sides) with one of the loaves and put your zucchini mixture into that. Add a bunch of mozzarella cheese and a bit of good quality parmesan cheese over that and then add the other bread loaf on the top and seal the two loaves together with a water-moistened finger tip and crimp it the way you would a pie crust. Then you brush the top with olive oil and a sprinkle of garlic salt and bake in the oven until the top loaf is golden brown. It is amazingly good and serves about 12 generous servings. Anybody got any other vegetable recipes that they are fond of? Once we get vegetables, we need to know what to do with them.

BeeElMarvin

Type 2 here. I've gardened my whole life, literally - I helped my Dad when I was a toddler. I now have a 35' X 70' vegetable garden. My wife takes care of the flowers and herbs.
A garden is great. Will provide you with healthy delicious foods and provide exercise to you as well.