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+--- Thread: Growing Cotton? (/showthread.php?tid=7055)
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Growing Cotton? - Scythe13 - 23 June 2014
Granted this will be almost entirely just for those living right down South, in the areas where grapes can be grown, but have you thought about growing cotton?
I just thought about it earlier when thinking of integrated gardens. The processing and rest of the prep work for the cotton itself is something I'm yet to look into, but the basic principle is still there. Darning socks and stuff like that, would be super easy if you had your own cotton growing!
Any thoughts on this?
RE: Growing Cotton? - Mortblanc - 23 June 2014
"Super easy?"
planting, growing, chopping, picking, ginning, carding, spinning, weaving all in a year long labor intensive process that requires a minimum of 220 frost free days and rain at just the exact right moment and dry at just the exact right moment.
I grew up in the "sunny south" of the US, which is the largest export area of cotton in the world. I can attest that there is not one single aspect of growing cotton that is "super easy". Working cotton is the agricultural equivalent to a bad horror film. We even write songs about escaping the cotton fields!
Stick to wool and flax, they are better suited for your climate and as self sufficient crops.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aByT3YjMjY
One good side effect of working cotton,
Escaping cotton field workers are responsible for developing Blues, R&B, Rock and Roll and most modern country music.
RE: Growing Cotton? - Scythe13 - 23 June 2014
That's good info, thanks MB.
Strike 'find cotton seeds' of my to do list.
RE: Growing Cotton? - Sunna - 24 June 2014
nevermind , you can always grow more wild peas for survival...
RE: Growing Cotton? - Bug_out_Bag - 24 June 2014
I think cotton would be pretty difficult to produce. If you are looking for an alternative type of crop, ground nuts (peanuts), would be the thing to grow.
I grew peanuts last year, it's possible with warm sunny weather! The extra protein will be really useful in A TU world.
To grow groundnuts get yourself a bag of monkey nuts and plant them in well drained fertile soil, the main plant once it grows throws out runners a bit like strawberries and the peanuts grow on the buried end of the runner. Harvest when the plant begins to go yellowy/ brown. Keep plants well weeded.
ALso Goji Berries will be useful in TU world, I posted about those a long time ago. But, Goji berries can be stealth grown on wasteland or public land and do especially well next to railway tracks.
RE: Growing Cotton? - Tigs - 24 June 2014
its like growing rice here ! can only be grown in hot houses or biospheres
RE: Growing Cotton? - SecretPrepper - 24 June 2014
Sounds like it would be easier to get a sheep and knit wool socks instead
RE: Growing Cotton? - Tartar Horde - 24 June 2014
England has always had the best wool in Europe because Sheep thrive on our good pasturage, but making Wool is a horrible business, especially if you are the "Fuller". Making Cotton may be bad Mort, but I bet you didn't have to stand in a barrel of stale Piss stomping on it to make it soft?
http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Wool-Trade/
Picking Cotton PAH! easy job lol, all day in the lovely Sun, how hard can it be????? you cracker red necks had it easy. Most English labourers got up three hours before they went to bed, had cold gravel for breakfast, walked ten miles to work and then did a full days work. And we didn't have time to write songs!
RE: Growing Cotton? - Tigs - 24 June 2014
it is but don't forget as well as wool there are crops we grow for cloth such as hemp and linen
RE: Growing Cotton? - Scythe13 - 24 June 2014
I'm starting to think the same thing SP. Sheep theif it is haha.