I've read that in the King Range in northern California, people stealthily plant marijuana where they hope the narcs won't find it. And certainly native tribes all over the world planted their taro or whatever in beds, in the wild. But some plants need sun all day. Tomatoes, for instance, won't do well in forests.

It's an interesting question. If you are in, say, zone 8 where it's warm, you might do well. Just be sure you don't accidentally harvest poison oak along with your veggies!

Carol

How are you going to keep critters from eating them?

I mean I don't really care if they get eaten or not, would just like to plant something and see if they regrow year after year, keep the heirlooms alive you know!

In my zone in, Forest Park, there are areas with pole beans growing wild, and they do quite well. Im assuming that at one point before it became a park someone at sometime had a garden there and the seeds that survived being eaten self sowed themselves. I have as of 2 years ago found three sites in the park that had 1 form or another veggies growing. So id say yes go ahead and experiment, you might be surprised.

Well it would have to be a sunny place, and how about water? Don't plant anything invasive like mint.

I actually believe wild places should be left alone so the balance of nature can affect what lives there. I'm not saying you are wrong to do this, just making an observation.

The big thing here is natural balance. Do your homework, ask your local nature center what kinds of edible plants are native to your area, and only plant those. The real issue is invasive species. Anything not native to your area will have to be very hearty to make it on it's own out in the wild as it has to compete with the local stuff, and the local stuff is already perfectly adapted. Which usually means the invaders will either die from not being good enough to cut it, or will start to take over from lack of predation and natural control.

However, if you were to find natural species to plant in a semi-arranged way, you wouldn't really have that problem. Blueberries and huckleberries are common in many north american forests, as are mulberry trees and pawpaw trees. Strawberries, gooseberries, and blackberries are also native.

Long story short, don't just go planting a bunch of random stuff in the woods (especially if you don't own the woods), because you don't know how it could affect the area. If you do your homework and selective native species, you could make yourself a real wild garden.

I tried planting iris bulbs, roots, whatever they are called in a tailings dump at an old silver mine. Free range sheep ate ever leaf as soon as it emerged.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrilla_gardening

I've scattered 50 - 70 tbousand rap and blackb seeds. They have never have come up after 2 years.

Tried some fruit trees. They failed. Deer destroyed them.

Certain things might work. Maybe rocket, purslane, dandilion, onions, carrots, parsley, cilantro, basil. But weeds may take their toll.

Give it a try.

Maybe look into dry farming, that may put you more onto a path that you are looking for. I've hear of people's gardens going wild, but the stuff that survives seems to be the hardier plants that don't have to have water in the summer to finish growing or making seeds. IE... radish, garlic, carrots etc..

In certain parts of New England it's not uncommon to come across old landscaping plants seemingly in the middle of the woods, or a random patch of asparagus or rhubarb or even daffodils. With a little scouting you'll often find them associated with an old foundation where a house once stood.

Back in the day I knew a lot of people who did some gardening in the woods, but that was before the laws regarding property seizure were implemented.

Cultivars that are closest to their wild origins and that are somehow isolated from wild gene pools will naturalize if the climate is favorable.

Examples: parsnip will pretty easily naturalize in any cool moist climate where there is not a native pop of parsnip. I have seen that happen here. If there is a "wild" parsnip then one's cultivar will simply get absorbed in the larger gene-pool. That is why one can't grow carrot true for seed anywhere near queen-anne's lace, which is annoying as heck because my climate would greatly favor carrot as a naturalized self-sower.

Napus kales easily naturalize in the same kind of climate, and are sealed from native pops of brassica and mustard family weeds by virtue of an unusual ploidy. Much to be taken advantage of. Things like broccoli and cauliflower will not naturalize in this climate not only because they would cross with weeds but also they are not well enough adapted to winter. They might naturalize in SoCal or someplace like that.

What you are describing isn't gardening in the usual sense, it is releasing plants that will naturalize in which case there can be the possibility of invasiveness.

to improve your chances you might want to consider making some seed balls mix up equal parts seed mix compost and clay and just enough water to bind em roll out little balls these will protect the seeds from animals till they germinate once they get wet the seeds sprout and the compost gives em a jump start on growing enough nutes for em to get decent roots into the ground take a look at the video

Here is a link that might be useful: seedball video

I harvest from the wild. I know where there are some great fiddleheads. Can't wait to get some.

Enemies of establishing a new "wild" garden...lack of water, human disturbance (feet, mowers, etc), bad soil, other plant competition, and bad plant selection.

The first 2 kill most people's "wild" gardens, especially those trying to establish on seemingly abandoned land.

That said, around my area I know lots of "wild" places to harvest raspberries/blackberries/figs/pecans. The figs/pecans grow well here and are commonly planted. The berries find a niche along border areas and pretty much escaped from cultivation to establish themselves.

While out in Hawaii I've seen wild/escaped cherry tomatoes blowing up on undisturbed land, but getting water there isn't an issue...it's more of an issue with other plants overcrowding or out-competing each other.

We just saw some beatiful azeleas blooming in the middle of nowhere. No houses around. I assume there were houses there at one time. They were perfect! We are in a major drought. It was unreal that they were so healthy!

I guerrilla garden, but it's in the ghettos and port of LA, I'll release thousands of seeds while I'm bicycling into bare hell strips, vacant lots and spots that look like they need a hazmat cleanup. I'll collect native or non-invasive seed I gather from around the wealthy areas and I try not to attach too much expectations to it, but it is of course nicer when it works.

Can't say that I really want to see tomatoes growing up pines when I'm out hiking, though.

Tomatoes would need full-on sun and lots of water to grow. I'm sure it happens elsewhere, but I've only seen it in Hawaii (on Kauai) and while it was quite impressive (maybe a 1/4 acre on 1 plot and 1 acre on another, both on slight slopes) it was intermixed with native vegetation. There's also enough birds/insects/etc. to take care of whatever production it can manage to put out.

I've seen "wild" patches of melons in the mountain parts of NC out in areas where trees aren't a huge part of the area...and I know that happens in other states all over the southern part of the US coast-to-coast. Some even look like something you'd buy in a store, but many lack decent taste if they even live long enough to survive on the vine to ripen before animals get to it.

I admit, that the concept of guerilla gardening absolutely intrigues me. In my woods, deer and rabbits would do them in before there was any noticeable growth.

If you really just have to many seeds, I would try to find somebody who could use them whether it be by freecycle, just spreading the word someplace you go, or putting them in a box labelled free at work, a nice way to spread the love.

Tomatoes can be feral in a climate like south fla, I have seen them rampant on manure piles. They are just one of the suite of possible opportunistic plants, one of the very first and would very quickly be overrun by something better adapted if fresh manure were not being constantly piled (toms can tolerate crazy amounts of relatively "hot" material).