Mid-Atl - Sep 2016 - If I Stay or If I Go?

I know this post is up early, but if I don't post it now, it probably won't get done. The back story is at the end of this post so that you don't have to read the whole thing.

You may remember that we had to disassemble our garden because we were having a fence built. SOOOO my Mel's Mix is bagged up and solarizing. I was just going to put it all back together and start my fall garden.

However, we might be buying a new (to us) house in the near future. As you know, these things can take a long time OR it just might not even happen at all.

Put on your thinking caps! You don't have to be in the Mid-Atlantic region to respond.

How would YOU determine whether or not to put your garden back together and proceed with fall/winter gardening or to just keep it all packed up? I know there's already a thread about moving your SFG, but, how would YOU do it?

HOW would YOU go about making a decision like this? And what would YOU do to move your SFG?




THE REST OF THE STORY (with apologies to Paul Harvey):

My youngest son & his wife bought a house, and one month after occupancy discovered harmful (not toxic) mold in the house. They were advised by the mold expert to evacuate immediately. They spent almost a month in a hotel (with three young kids and a large dog) until we determined that they wouldn't be able to return to their house and then subsequently found a rental house.

I hope this doesn't sound snippy, but we're not looking for advice on fighting for the house. We really have considered ALL possibilities.

We hired an attorney and then went to the Maryland Attorney General. The AG can't help because this is the first complaint -- he keeps changing the name of his company and the way he lists his personal name as they owner. The AG's office is unable to help.

I know our Comptroller and he forwarded the information to the Governor's office on my behalf. Our governor used to be an attorney dealing with real estate matters. The way the current laws are written, there's just nothing we can do.

My daughter-in-law did an OUTSTANDING job gathering information and building an EXCELLENT case, but all the guy has to do is transfer his assets to his wife if we get a judgment in our favor. It's so hopeless that the attorney even gave us our retainer back. The mold guy offered her a job because of the research she had done and her depth of knowledge and the attorney strongly encouraged her to become a paralegal.

If you are thinking, "Ah, but they can get money from the realtor's E&O insurance." The cost of remediation is ASTRONOMICAL and what they would get won't even come CLOSE to covering that cost -- a single room is $20,000 and the WHOLE house and attic are involved and the maximum E&O payment would be $50,000. So they had to abandon the house.

Through no fault of his, my son will have to declare bankruptcy. Thankfully he has a good job that looks secure -- bankruptcy influences job offers in addition to financial matters. To let you know how responsible they are with their finances . . . even with his modest income they were on track to pay their 30 year mortgage off in about 8 years. Oh, and her ex-husband just told her he is losing his job and wants to lower child support payments! As you know, rental homes cost more than a mortgage, but now they are locked into a 1-year lease. Thankfully their landlord will allow them to break the lease early (but at a cost).

We have been looking for a house that hubby & I will buy and rent to them. The one we made an offer on is just two blocks from here and had solar panels! We were ALL SOOOOO excited and planned how to renovate it. Thankfully we paid extra for mold testing and . . . the levels are even higher than their old home. AND toxic mold is present.

Awhile back we were thinking about getting a piece of property and building two or three houses on it and having a "family compound". My realtor found a 2-family house on an acre. Hubby was thrilled that it had a four-bay detached garage -- one would fit a 40' RV!
It had a rancher, great for us as we age, with a basement that is attached to a "2-story house" -- that's how it was listed. It sounded PERFECT.

The ding dong home owner took out the stairs and bricked up a door in the 2-story and made it into two crappy rental units. So that's a no-go. No wonder this pig has been on the market for so long. We decided to put in a VERY low-ball offer. If it's somehow accepted, by selling our house, we would have enough money to renovate it into a basic, but proper 2-story home.

The property is in a FABULOUS location for my SFG business -- a couple miles from a VERY well-traveled Interstate and several popular state highways and local roads. I'd have plenty of room for a demonstration garden and the basement could become a classroom.

SOOOOOOO please send up a prayer for us to have wisdom in this matter.

Thanks!

Can't help with the legal stuff, but my advice on the fall garden is to try those containers that look like multi-use grocery bags. I've read that they produce strong root systems because of the drainage or something, but maybe that's all hype. Anyway, they would be portable and should be large enough to produce a good yield of most crops. The only drawback is that they might be pricey. Worth looking into at least. Maybe someone else here has used them with MM and can chime in.

Or put up just one box for fall = 16 veggies. Easy to move.

countrynaturals wrote:Can't help with the legal stuff, but my advice on the fall garden is to try those containers that look like multi-use grocery bags. I've read that they produce strong root systems because of the drainage or something, but maybe that's all hype. Anyway, they would be portable and should be large enough to produce a good yield of most crops. The only drawback is that they might be pricey. Worth looking into at least. Maybe someone else here has used them with MM and can chime in.

 
I might just use the multi-use grocery bags instead of the pricier grow bags -- they will last a year. Great idea!

CapeCoddess wrote:Or put up just one box for fall = 16 veggies.  Easy to move.  

My SFG is 2' x 23'.

Walmart shopping bags.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FoNz6uOLDo

yolos wrote:Walmart shopping bags.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FoNz6uOLDo

I love Larry Hall's ideas. Thanks

sanderson wrote:http://www.ebay.com/itm/GROW-BAGS-Black-and-White-Poly-Plastic-1-2-3-5-7-10-gallons-10-25-50-100-Count-/121070962341?var=&hash=item1c306446a5:m:mFfoxbag2v76VuQdD3mEHbA

25 count 3-gallon $9.55 + $5.98 shipping
50 count 3-gallon $18.00 + $5.98 shipping

http://slo.craigslist.org/grd/5696441732.html

1 gallon pots 10 cents each.

Fill what ever container you choose with Mix from one square and nestle it back down in the Mix.  The roots may spread out into the Mix like normal.  If you do have to move them, the roots will less traumatized than planting directly into the beds.

This is reason #47 why SFG is great - better portability if needed

Great ideas.

Thanks sanderson. I ordered some one-gallon grow bags. I'm hope to start selling organic heirloom transplants next year and those will be great for selling larger tomato transplants at farmer's markets, etc.

LOL now I have to figure out a good way to transport them in my SUV.

Tarps and high school boys!  Good luck, sounds exciting, Kim!

Scorpio Rising wrote: Tarps and high school boys!  Good luck, sounds exciting, Kim!

Hhhmmm

UPDATE: Since the papers aren't signed yet, this might bite me in the butt, but here goes. LOL  

We are NOT moving! We found a townhouse in a lovely neighborhood for my son and his family. SOOOOOO I'm going to drag my butt out to the garden and replace my 2' x 23' SFG and get it ready for fall gardening.

Hopefully the Mel's Mix I bagged up has been solarizing well.

My family was a military family (even my mom was in the Women's Army Auxiliary Crops during WWII), I was in the AF for 6 years and followed hubby for 40 years in the military and civil service. I'm used to moving, and I"m used to the "hurry up and wait" mentality, but this has just been nerve wracking.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers.

I got 16 sf of my garden filled yesterday. Only 30 more to go. I'll probably only plant those 16 squares but want to have it ready to go for next spring.

yolos wrote:Walmart shopping bags.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FoNz6uOLDo

Kim, I just shared the Rain Gutter Growing System group page with you on facebook.  One of their modifications is the Kiddie Pool garden using the Wal-mart bags which should run about 50 cents each  Even though you are not moving, it is another small space garden you might enjoy reading about.

Kay

walshevak wrote:

yolos wrote:Walmart shopping bags.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FoNz6uOLDo

Kim, I just shared the Rain Gutter Growing System group page with you on facebook.  One of their modifications is the Kiddie Pool garden using the Wal-mart bags which should run about 50 cents each  Even though you are not moving, it is another small space garden you might enjoy reading about.

Kay

Thanks Kay