Posted in Gardening
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Every time I plant a garden, I learn so much. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately!) we've moved a lot recently, and I have to keep starting over. Last spring, I built 3 square foot gardens, which should have given me 48 squares to plant (unless I did a spring, summer, fall planting-- but I'm not that ambitious... yet.) From this year's garden, I learned: 1) Fewer cherry/grape tomatoes. In March, all the little seedlings looked so fragile. In May, they were still small and looked as if they would never survive a big wind... so I planted 8 plants. I spent all of June pruning these plants, and they STILL took over, shadowing and choking out all my cucumbers, pumpkins, and corn. Stacy (www.withgreatjoy.blogspot.com) pointed out that the lettuce came in June, and the cherry tomatoes didn't bear until August, so the plan to have cherry tomatoes on my salads didn't happen. Next year: one plant (1 square)-- hold me to it, really. 2) Sauce tomatoes. I love having lots of canned/frozen tomatoes for homemade spaghetti/pizza sauce in the winter. I plantd 1 vine and 1 bush tomato plant, and had a good number but maybe not enough. Next year: 3 plants (3 squares). 3) Cucumbers. I didn't get any. In fact, I'm not sure I even saw the plant under all the tomatoes. I'll try again for one plant, in one square, near the vertical frame to grow up. 4) Corn. This was J's choice. We had 2 plants in squares which produced 2 ears (both essentially empty husks). Next year: I guess I'll let them choose again, but this year was a bust. 5) Butternut squash: this is still growing on my vertical frame and looks delicious, but I haven't tried it yet. I think I'll again do one vine in one square, near the vertical frame. 6) Pumpkins: I planted 1 pie pumpkin vine, which the tomatoes suffocated. I'll try again. 7) Herbs: I did one square each of basil, oregano, and parsley. I used the basil fresh and didn't get around to making pesto... we'll see how I feel about it next spring. If I want to make it, I'll put a few plants in. I think no more that 1 of parsley or oregano. 8) Spring crops: lettuce: I planted 8 squares successively, and had too much lettuce for us. I'll probably do less, and more spinach, although my husband isn't a spinach fan. 9) Spring crop: peas: these didn't do very well-- either the sugar snap peas, or the others. I'm not sure why. But I love them so, I'll try again. 10) Beans: edamame and bush beans. We had 6 edamame-- not worth the square. We had a lot of beans, but I didn't see them under the tomatoes until they had all dessicated. Whoops. Better luck next year: 1 square. 11) Carrots: we need tons more. O could eat them all day long. Next year: lots more, and we'll plant them successively again so we can harvest some each week. 12) Parsnips: these were yummy! But no more than 2 squares, since I'm the only one who gets excited about them. 13) Peppers: we need more. They did well started inside, but then the tomatoes... you know. (I can't bring myself to type it again-- sob!) Next year: 3-4 squares. 14) Watermelon: we have one still ripening out there (the one I brought in earlier was terribly unripe when I opened it.) It takes 2 vines to do seedless (1 seedd & 1 seedless) so we'll do that again. 15) Musk melon: I'm not sure where these went, but it's my all-time favorite melon in the world, so I'll try again. That's not fully 48 squares, so we'll see where the winter garden fantasies lead me... beets? Leeks (this year's didn't do well.) Onions? Hmmm... so many possibilities. |
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Posted by Anonymous
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