Gardening

I have had a terrible growing time this year. It was way too cold in the spring and then we had a drought after a soggy start. Two crops of beans were decimated by critters. I seem to be getting some cukes and squash fighting to come through and I have a WATERMELON plant doing well despite everything. We do eat lambs quarters, nettle, purslane, mallow, amaranth and other weeds but many of the weeds we don't eat have not helped and love our fertile soil. We do wild food dinners to teach people about free nutritious food that are fun to forage and we have a bumper crop of milkweed--will harvest the young pods and freeze them to enter with a casserole for our September dinner. Daughter scored a large amount of golden oyster mushrooms to add to it while out hiking.
 
Under normal conditions I'd say I planned the quantity of seedlings I started as good. This year was one of the larger Gardens I've had since I had my large plot in the back of the property, it required the assembling raise beds and filling them. With my snail speed it took longer than I expected so here I was stuck with 80 to 100 tomato plants with one raise bed that I had to fill to plant them. long story short it took longer than I expected to get the bags of soil fill the raised beds and start planting also the weather didn't help at times. Because of how long it took my seedlings grew large. I decided I had to get them into the soil for fear they might die. Because of their length I planted them horizontally which took a lot more space in the raised beds. In the end most plants are not more than 6" apart some as close as 2" this is tight for tomatoes. I kept them well watered because of their tightness and the fact that tomato absorbed a lot of water.

They grew into each other and made a mound of tomato plants with little light between them. I believe they will be depleting the soil of moisture and food. I have to keep them well fed and watered.

As luck would have it the town I live in has just restricted the use of water because we're in drought conditions. The town sent emails, text messages, and letters, restricting watering lawns. since they didn't mention Gardens and plants and shrubs I will continue watering my vegetable garden.

The one raised bed that I assembled last year I should have filled it last year it would have saved time this year, hindsights a wonderful thing.


1784208665644.jpeg
 
Our garden needs tending to, but due to the triple digit temps, and smoke drifting down from Canada right onto us, I haven't been able to get out to it. My tomato plants are rather high and need staking badly. The fruit is still green on it. I don't see peppers or egg plant as yet.
 
Lois E. Winters said:
Our garden needs tending to, but due to the triple digit temps, and smoke drifting down from Canada right onto us, I haven't been able to get out to it. My tomato plants are rather high and need staking badly. The fruit is still green on it. I don't see peppers or egg plant as yet.
Click to expand...
That is awesome that your retirement place has a garden. Our tomatoes are later this year due to cooler weather. No melons yet either, which is unusual for here.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top