Garden 2012

This year I am trying starts from seeds. With exception to the squashes, I planted everything on April 8.
Directions on Squash (April 23):
Transplant seedling plant after 1 month and after frost
Harvest: before heavy frost, cut leaving a 3" vine, don't pull; set squash in sun for a week or two to cure. Cover at night if frost is likely. Store in a cool, dry place.
Acorn: 85 days, Spaghetti: 95 days, Butternut 105 days

Next year I need to plant the seeds in March

Garden 2011

AKA The Year of Neglect
I spent $75 on plants and half of them died. We had two windy days with not enough water. They dried out.
The majority of May and June was cloudy and wet, which stunted the growth of the plants. They did not get the sunlight and heat they needed to flourish.
Consequently, the combination of planting two weeks later than I usually do (end of May rather than the middle) + a long, wet, cloudy spring/ beginning of summer + having to replace some of my plants in June = not much growth. Furthermore, my heart wasn't in it this year and by September (harvest time), I was pregnant with morning sickness.
A few tomato plants did fine, I planted way too much basil (1/3 of an entire box), peppers were okay. Zuchinni grew 3 feet long! I guess it was okay, considering none of the vegetables sounded good to me at harvest time and I gave most of it away to neighbors.
I dumped a lot of unripe but frozen tomatoes and extra apples into the soil. Didn't till. Didn't mix in with a spade until February. We'll see what kind of compost that gives us in the spring...
Our compressed wood is already weathering. I applied two coats of poly and need to do that at least once a year, preferably twice.

Next year:
- Save/buy seeds and start growing inside by April 1st
- Wall of waters for tomatoes by middle of April
- Get all plants in by May 15
- Aluminum tomato cages are toast--boys play "robot" with them-- need to replace with the sturdy kind
- Basil and peppers do not need as much room as I have given them in the past
- Squashes can be planted at ends and flow over box
- Maintain consistent water flow/ adjust as needed with weather
- Enjoy an early and plentiful harvest!

Garden 2010

Well, it is November and the garden season is officially over. My garden is cleared out and ready for new plants in the spring. It was a different season this year as we had more rain and less hot and sunny days as usual. A dream summer to me but not the highest yield.

Lessons I learned along with my plans for next year:

Yams. Ha ha ha. Who knew they grow under the ground!? My sweet potato plant looked so sad all summer long and the darn thing did not produce a single fruit-- it didn't ever even flower. Well, by the end of August I was done with the sickly thing taking up room in the beds, only to behold that I had a ton of little yams growing in the soil! So, I dug them all up and one of them was actually quite large-- looked like what I might buy in the store! Will I grow those again? Absolutely. They were delish.

Tomatoes. My 10 plants were the perfect amount. Plenty for me and lots to share.

• We loved the little ones. 
• Next year I'll plant a couple of Roma. 
• As always, Early Girls rocked. 
• Avoid the tomato bush plants--accidentally planted that and it took up way too much room. 
• Need to buy the sturdy cages-- should've just bought those to begin with.
• Wall-of-waters were awesome and will do those 6 again. I want to try even earlier but with seeds. Removed them after Mother's Day but we still got a mild frost.
• 4 plants in each bed and two against the fence
• I love my salsas and homemade spaghetti sauce! Want to do cowboy caviar and canned salsa next year. Also, works well to blend tomatoes, skin but no core, and add to chili. Can also blanch and freeze. 

Other Plants:

• Jalepenos and Cilantro are both a waste of space and time. Way too cheap to buy in the store to make growing them worth it.
• Basil, Basil, Basil!!! Hallelujah! Planting 6 times the amount next year. I did not have enough of this and it could not keep up with everything I use it for. I want a ton so I can freeze pesto.
• Green bell peppers were a hit. Not going to try the other colors again. I had a good variety that produced well (King Arthur Sweet Peppers).
• Planting corn against the fence or in the chips next year. Yummy plus I want the stocks for decorations in the fall.
• LOVE the squash. Acorn did well. Spaghetti did amazing. Butternut didn't produce like I hoped plus the few I had didn't handle he freeze well. Will plant all three next year in same place.
• Want to plant pumpkins in the wood chips. 
• Sugar snap peas did well but I didn't plant them nearly as early as needed. More next year.
• Lettuce was a waste of my time. Takes too much babying and a huge pain to wash. Buy lettuce in the store.
• Planted other herbs but I don't use them. Just Basil.
• Want to try onions and potatoes next year. Maybe in the chips
• Want to plant canteloup again. I missed that this year.
• Crookneck and yellow squash are both yummy and I want to plant those next year. 
• I need a zucchini plant next year. I love my lemon zucchini muffins!
• Going to plant more from seeds.

Fertilizing:

• Added Miracle grow every 7-10 days for the first 6 weeks. Also used an IFA mix. Worked wonderfully and gave the garden the jump start it needed.

Bed 1:
4 Tomatoes
2 King Arthur peppers
2 Basils

Bed 2:
4 Tomatoes
1 yellow squash
1 zucchini
2 basils

Fence:
2 Tomatoes
2 sugar snap peas
4 corn

Base beds:
6 squash
2 canteloup

Wood Chips:
2 pumpkin
2 squash
2 crookneck squash

Salad Garden:
1 grape tomato

Garden 2010

Garden planted and Pictures taken May 8, 2010



"Salad Garden" Basil, cilantro, romaine, onions, chives


Bed #1 (left to right starting in the front)
Sweet Slice Cucumbers
Yams
Yellow Straight Neck Squash
Zucchinni
Parks whopper hybrid
Celebrithy
Bush Early Girl
Beef Master


Bed #2
Jalepeno-hot pepper
Eggplant-Dusky
Mandarin Sweet Pepper (red)
King Arthur Sweet Pepper (green/red)
Better Boy
Celebrity
Big Beef
Early Girl

Exterior of bed
Spaghetti Squash
Acorn and Butternut Squash




Trelises
Celebrity
Cucumber
Sugar Snap Peas

Two Questions:
1) I'm looking for a cheap but effective fertilizer
2) The wood around the beds is already starting to weather. Maintenance ideas, anyone?

Fertilizer

I love Miracle Grow for vegetables and am learning the magic of frequent applications!!!

Anyone have any cheaper version that works just as good?

Raised Vegetable Beds

4 x 8 ft
3 yards Revitalize Soil

This bed (left side) is slightly more shallow and we covered the ground with black fabric before laying soil:

Early Girl 52-54 days
Celebrity 70 days
Yellow Crookneck Squash 53 days 6"
Goldbar Squash 43 days
Anaheim Chili Hot Pepper (medium hot) 75 days
Sweet Slice Cucumber 62-63 days
Onions
Walla Walla Onions

This bed (right side) is deeper and there is nothing between the clay soil and the revitalize:

Yellow Pear Tomato 78 days
Oregon Spring Cherry Tomato 60 days
Better Boy 70-72 days
Better Boy 70-72 days
Mandarin Sweet Pepper (orange) 74-78 days
Blushing Beauty Pepper (ivory to red) 72-75 days
Better Belle Sweet Pepper (green fruit maturing to red) 65 days
Golden Summer Sweet Pepper (yellow) 70 days

Behind the beds I have planted 3 beans and 4 corn in 20% revitalize 80% clay soil
To the left of the beds I have planted 3 climbing honesuckle. Planted withing 15 minutes of spraying weeds with killer. We'll see if they make it...

Photography Class at T.P.