ceresone
Junior Member
Posts: 33
Joined: June 2017
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Post by ceresone on Mar 29, 2019 9:31:39 GMT -5
When, or more like how, do you stop gardening? Or, can you never give it up? Do you have someone come in and help you? What if there isn't anyone? As my sister got older, she kept ordering, then expected me to come plant... I wondered why she didn't give up! Now, I am there...oldest daughter coming Sunday to move a few posts for m . But she lives100 miles away! I feel as if I give up gardening, I am giving up life. Which in my reality, I am! S . How do you quit? Can you quit? What will you do in the future???
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reubent
Pro Member
Posts: 389
Joined: May 2011
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Post by reubent on Mar 29, 2019 9:54:54 GMT -5
Why would you want to quit? After all it's the finest occupation one could do, whether full time or hobby or as a back up supply of fresh food. Let'er rip and enjoy gardening as long as you can crawl. I get the idea that if I can do it up really good, with nutrient dense fertility and eat it all fresh and raw, it's a longevity extension exercise. Possibly make it to well past 100 in fine shape. 3 men I know of did it, their ages of death were 132, 152, and 256. Best as I can tell they were all eating fresh raw food from the plants exclusively, the first two died of trail riding accident and dietary switch.
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Post by paulf on Mar 29, 2019 10:36:55 GMT -5
I can see a gradual slow down and reduction in the size of the garden but not a quit. We are transitioning to more raised beds that are easier to work. For us it is not the food harvested but the enjoyment factor involved. The exercise from gardening can be made as strenuous or as easy as you choose. What took hours now takes a couple of days...maybe in the future it will be a week. Garden on!
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Post by september on Mar 29, 2019 10:37:32 GMT -5
I think you stop when your body won't let you do what needs to be done. My dad who died at 94 was an avid gardener and took great joy in working outside. He cut back in his 80's after he developed macular degeneration and couldn't see as well, but continued on with a few tomato, cucumbers and pole beans until he died. He needed to be outside when the weather was warm no matter what! He managed to do it mostly without help, although my mom did help a little with weeding. They lived next to a dairy farm, and the farmer was great about bringing over manure and tilling it in with a tractor until the garden was later reduced in size. My mom was not really into growing things. We tried planting a small garden for her, so all she had to do was water and some weeding. But she preferred just having a few flowers and was much more of an indoor person.
I can foresee that my gardening will probably be limited when my back pain gets too much. I have two large gardens, and I know that I should be giving one of them up, but can't yet make myself do it. It might be that later this summer it will all just go to weeds and I'll have proven to myself that I need to cut back. Gardening is the most fun and fulfilling thing I do. I still look at a blank piece of pasture or old abandoned farm fields as I drive by, and think of what lovely gardens you could grow there. I suppose when I lose mobility, I might have to do more container gardening close to the house, but even moving around large pots and bagged soil takes some amount of strength. For now though, I'll do the best I can, and try not to beat up on myself when things don't look as good as they used to.
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Post by mgulfcoastguy on Mar 29, 2019 11:50:38 GMT -5
It's more like reducing the amount planted according to ability.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Mar 29, 2019 12:02:11 GMT -5
I expect the garden will shrink as I get older if mobility gets to be a problem or working it gets to be too hard. But I'll only give gardening up completely when I can't limp or wheel myself outside anymore. Even then I might keep some lettuce and herbs on shelves under grow lights, just to have some green things around.
No one else in the family is interested in gardening with me, though DH helps with with heavy work and big tasks just because he loves me.
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Post by hairymooseknuckles on Mar 29, 2019 14:15:48 GMT -5
I'm at that point. I have some walking onions, garlic and grape hyacinths. It's not what I want, but it is what it is. I can still do some growing in waist high beds, but my bending and stooping days are gone. That last spell where I was bed ridden for a week scared me. It's not worth it, no matter how much I enjoyed it.
ive been concentrating on things that will take care of themself. The above items need nothing from me. They will reseed and grow back year after year. Put them on the trail to my pond so I can enjoy them year after year.
im beyound trying to save every species from extinction. I did what I could as long as I could. It's time to pass the baton to someone else.
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ceresone
Junior Member
Posts: 33
Joined: June 2017
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Post by ceresone on Mar 29, 2019 15:36:18 GMT -5
In the last 4 years, I had knee surgery, bled out, heart ablation and having mobility problems I don't want to admit, for instance, instead of carrying feed buckets to the horses, I drive. I too cut back on my gardening, went to raised beds and pots. But this year, I m going to plant the big garden. I wil either not be able to get it planted, or it may go to weeds, one daughter thinks I should quit, other one encourages me. Guess which one I listen to,, but maybe I shouldn't think so big. But maybe. Just maybe I can do it. I do live alone, just me and my animals . And I will be 82 in July
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Post by octave1 on Mar 29, 2019 16:06:36 GMT -5
I will stop what gardening is no longer fun for me, regardless of age.
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Post by paquebot on Mar 29, 2019 16:09:39 GMT -5
I've come about as close to the STOP sign as one can get but so far it's only been YIELD. For years, home garden was about 25x40 and spaded by hand. Injured my back and bought a Mantis. That gave my back a few more years of gardening.
Past couple years, eyes have been going bad quicker than normal. May as well toss the hoes as no plant safe now unless it's big enough to show me that it's there. Weeding small seedlings Found that the best way to grow those things were in containers. Didn't have to be on my knees to tend to them.
Last was the real stopper, damaged lungs. That made even Mantis tilling a major chore. (Just did some today.) It's something that I can still do within limits.
But I have some younger gardening friends who won't allow me to quit. This isn't the normal American way as "younger gardeners" is not the typical American way. One is Tanzanian and the other Ukrainian. They have ordered me to just supervise. When Olena says "Sit!" I obey her just like a puppy!
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by meandtk on Mar 29, 2019 16:26:08 GMT -5
I hope tonever stop, but I guess old age will cause that, should I ever get old. paquebot, The young gardeners have a treasure in you and your gardening wisdom.
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Mar 29, 2019 20:23:55 GMT -5
We've been talking about going into an apartment for the past year. It might become a reality soon. I insist on having a balcony though where I can at least raise a few tomato plants, a pepper and a few herbs. It's tough going down this road...
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Post by guruofgardens on Mar 29, 2019 20:48:49 GMT -5
It's tough going down this road... I hear you bluelacedredhead. With the horrible hail we received last year, I was ready to quit, but harvested what survived. Today I have the gardening fever and have 'almost' forgotten about the hail. I have learned, though, I need to protect my plants better than in previous years. We shall see how well I succeed in 2019. Last year I downsized at the community garden, breathed a huge sigh of relief, and trudged on. This year I am planting fewer seedlings, meaning I plan on planting what I start rather than struggling to share soooo many extras. I am slowly accepting my limitations.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Mar 29, 2019 21:51:32 GMT -5
When I am physically unable to garden, or stop liking food, is when I'll stop gardening. I've seen some elderly people that simply didn't like food any more. I hope this never happens to me.
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Post by spike on Mar 29, 2019 22:50:57 GMT -5
I don't really have anyone to help me. My husband is a city boy and the whole "Green Acres" thing drives him batty. I so love my garden and knowing where my food comes from that I think slowly my garden will shrink and stop once I am no long capable of getting out there.
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Post by spacecase0 on Mar 30, 2019 0:07:48 GMT -5
when I lived on a boat I had a pot with potatoes growing when I had an apartment, I did low light trials to see what worked. I suspect that I will not quit no matter how small the garden is. health issues have stopped my life the last few days, but if this keeps up then I will have no choice but to quit I just don't think I have the follow through to garden here as a ghost
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Post by paquebot on Mar 30, 2019 0:30:44 GMT -5
I should also mention what I've told elsewhere. Nobody can beat how my maternal grandfather quit. He stopped gardening at the early age of 70. He was hilling his potatoes when he collapsed and died from a heart attack. So far, I've last 10 years longer doing the same thing.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by farmerjack41 on Mar 30, 2019 2:30:53 GMT -5
Hope never, but know that can not be correct. Since 90% of my garden work is done setting on a garden tractor, hopefully that will extend my time out there. Love playing in the dirt! Son and daughter in law keep after me to sell my farm ground. Thinking that might be good idea, when turn 80 in a couple of years. They think I am nuts to be out there baling hay in the middle of the night.
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Post by Hensaplenty on Mar 31, 2019 15:30:06 GMT -5
I'm hoping it will be the enjoyment of gardening that keeps me younger than my physical age. I will garden as long as I'm able and have a place to garden. This time of year is especially exciting with all the flowers coming in at the stores. I'm forever asking my husband to drop me off at the garden center when we go out.
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Post by brownrexx on Mar 31, 2019 16:47:44 GMT -5
I think that the physical activity of gardening and the enjoyment of the good food is keeping people on this forum younger than their actual years.
I am sure that eating decent, clean food from our gardens helps too.
I will probably garden all of my life but the size and quantity will probably change as I change but hopefully that will not be anytime soon.
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Post by bestofour on Apr 7, 2019 9:14:11 GMT -5
I have a friend who has Lyme's disease and has had to make the decision to stop gardening because of the muscle pain and strain it might cause.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Apr 7, 2019 11:25:04 GMT -5
That is sad. I guess he doesn't have any treatment options for his Lyme disease? I've read that if it goes untreated for too long there's not much that can be done except to try to manage the symptoms.
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Post by brownrexx on Apr 7, 2019 14:00:03 GMT -5
And now this year there's a new tick in town which carries a new disease. I HATE ticks.
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Post by paquebot on Apr 7, 2019 22:06:41 GMT -5
Did someone mention Lyme's? That little tick took my fullback legs away from me in May 2002. Virtually ended my deer hunting as low hills became mountains. Pain never left the knees. I was told to keep active and walk as much as possible. Didn't stop my gardening but perhaps slowed it a bit.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by bestofour on Apr 7, 2019 22:19:05 GMT -5
She's doing all sorts of things that are supposed to help the pain but there's nothing that can make it totally go away. And deer ticks aren't the only vector for Lyme's so she's being cautious about being in the yard at all.
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Post by spacecase0 on Apr 8, 2019 15:47:11 GMT -5
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Post by coppice on Apr 8, 2019 15:54:11 GMT -5
The libruls will have to pull the tomato plants out of my cold-dead hands...
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Joined: January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2019 20:41:54 GMT -5
Well folks; I turned 87 last September and I am still trying. I till my garden with a Troy-Bilt Big Red, and it is getting to be too much for me. Like Martin, I've had some health problems and am short-winded and have to sit for a while after even a half-hour's work. I did enough tilling last Friday to get in tomatoes and peppers, maybe some squash. I put onions in a raised bed.
Unwilling to give up, I bought a little tractor and loader last week and will put a tiller on behind it. I have plants waiting in the cold frame and can buy more at the local FFA school greenhouse.
I will not give up; it is not my style but I may end up like Martin's grandpa. Beats hell out of sitting in a nursing home.
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Post by brownrexx on Apr 15, 2019 6:28:57 GMT -5
@oxankle2, to put it mildly - I am IMPRESSED.
To what do you attribute your active lifestyle at 87? Good genetics, Keeping active? Good diet? Give me some advice please.
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ceresone
Junior Member
Posts: 33
Joined: June 2017
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Post by ceresone on Apr 15, 2019 8:46:46 GMT -5
Hang in there, Ox, I will be 82 in July, I have to uppot tomatoes cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli plants today. That is, if I still have the energy after hauling, unloading and dumping 600# of feed. Guess its not just the gardening that keeps me going, its the animals!
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