Overall I am happy with the vegetable garden. Having a daughter now takes priority over many gardening chores as well as maintaining the rest of our property. So unfortunately my outlook for my squash and zucchini/carrots isn't that great due to weeds...but I have well weeded the beans tomatoes and cucumbers and am being well-rewarded for it.
The bad: The Carrots seem to be a big disappointment. The plot has become overcome with weeds. I think I need to grow carrots in a raised bed to control weeds....or maybe an earth box.. (cringe)
Stupice: I am most elated regarding the Stupice tomato's rookie season in my backyard. LOTS of tomatoes appeared around the time of my cherries, and are growing rapidly.
Big Beef: Nice big healthy plants, but not even a teeny ball of a tomato yet.
Cukes: Steady....first couple are ready to be picked tomorrow.
Green Bush Beans: TOTAL JACKPOT. Switched to organic beans from Natural Gardening and we have huge bursting long greenbeans, fantastic eaten raw (I liked last years too but they didnt taste very good raw).
Pear trees: Growing very niceley even in the very warm summer we've had. We planted them in April (still dormant season) at the base of the hill.....too far to use the hose. I give them 3/4 of a bucket of water maybe once a week unless it rains hard and probably double that the first month or so, and they are doing well. I need to spray them though - they've still never been sprayed - no insect damage now though.
Raspberries: I have learned quite a bit. I have not figured out pruning yet, but I'm working on it. It seems all gardeners have different opinions on pruning raspberries. I do know that my grandmother forever has used and still uses her homegrown berries for jam (her jam is pure heaven you really have no idea) and she only cuts the canes down to the ground once a year, in the fall. Anyway, I have about ten 6 foot plants but no berries. It's a messy area. They were uncared for for around 3-4 years, but I could see the old clipper cuts on a lot of the dead wood I found last fall. I did make a lot of my own cuts around November last year trying to make some room and did also transplant some to the backyard. From talking to my grandmother, I gather that the problems this year are not enough water and crowding. She said in 2009 (the dark & rainy year with horrible tomato production)her raspberries did very well. That means they must love the wetness. Also, my grandmother has hers spaced out nicely, and adequately weeded, which I do not. The ones I put in the backyard get plenty of light but not enough water. The other spot with the 6ft plants needs more water (could use more sun too). These plants are also crowded and reside on the very edge of a semi-steep hill with some annoying brush and branches. ***I will someday transplant to a perfect, well-maintained sunny area where it is easy to care for them.
Monday, July 26, 2010
2010!!!
It has been an amazing year so far!!! My wife and I were so blessed to bring our lovely daughter into the world this past January and we are having far better tomato weather than last year!!!
A few older notes (a lot of them written in between periods of USA olympic hockey) from my gardening journal here and in my next post, what I've done so far this year with reflections up until today:
2/14/10
Thoughts on 2009:
*About 75% less yields than 2008
Reason: Hardly any sun & too much rain, in April and May especially. July's weather was not great either.
*No peppers in 2009 other than a few about the size of a cherry tomato.
Tried fertilizer, compared pruning vs non-pruning -- it didnt make any difference. If I want to be successful with peppers, I think I would need to start seeds earlier in winter (greenhouse).
*I kept my biggest, nicest Rosemary plant grown outdoors in 2009 for winter storage indoors, but it soon died upstairs - too cold in closed rooms (our cats would tear that thing apart). In 2009 I did successfully grow 4 or 5 plants from seed. Notes: needs full sun, might try again when garden is bigger.
*2009 Big Beef/Brandywine Tomatoes......Not good.
I didnt change any growing methods/locations (didnt crop rotate) from 2008, and in 2008 by mid august, we had more tomatoes than we could eat and practically give away.
2010 plan: beginning crop rotation, changing from BW to Stupice, keeping Big Beef (produced about 25 small tomatoes vs BW (1 tomato) in 2009.
*Sun Gold Cherry: Great yields in 2009 despite the lousy weather. Plenty of them for my wife and I with 4 total plants.
side note: The weather was so bad in April/May/June 2009 I was picking slugs off plants daily before work and after work in addition to 3 beer traps.
*Basil was super in 2009 despite bad weather. Keep it up!
*Squash/Zucchini/Marketmore Cucumbers: OK in 09, not nearly as good in 2008. Needs more sun.
*Bush Beans: Did great in 2009, but I'll space them out a little more and have more plants in 2010.
2010 Plan
**Last frost date May 23, 2010
Tomatoes--start seeds 4/10-4/11...............................Transplant last week of May (6-7 weeks)
Basil--start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before last frost.
New Journal entry (undated):
Black Eyed Susans--start indoors 6-8 weeks BLF (I am starting a little bit late)
-2 to 3 seeds per cell
-Plant outside after last frost full sun.
journal dated 3/6/10:
Heard these Carrot tips on WBZ radio: shovel full of soil, make very loose, place seeds 3 inches apart on top then cover with one inch of compost (or less).
A few older notes (a lot of them written in between periods of USA olympic hockey) from my gardening journal here and in my next post, what I've done so far this year with reflections up until today:
2/14/10
Thoughts on 2009:
*About 75% less yields than 2008
Reason: Hardly any sun & too much rain, in April and May especially. July's weather was not great either.
*No peppers in 2009 other than a few about the size of a cherry tomato.
Tried fertilizer, compared pruning vs non-pruning -- it didnt make any difference. If I want to be successful with peppers, I think I would need to start seeds earlier in winter (greenhouse).
*I kept my biggest, nicest Rosemary plant grown outdoors in 2009 for winter storage indoors, but it soon died upstairs - too cold in closed rooms (our cats would tear that thing apart). In 2009 I did successfully grow 4 or 5 plants from seed. Notes: needs full sun, might try again when garden is bigger.
*2009 Big Beef/Brandywine Tomatoes......Not good.
I didnt change any growing methods/locations (didnt crop rotate) from 2008, and in 2008 by mid august, we had more tomatoes than we could eat and practically give away.
2010 plan: beginning crop rotation, changing from BW to Stupice, keeping Big Beef (produced about 25 small tomatoes vs BW (1 tomato) in 2009.
*Sun Gold Cherry: Great yields in 2009 despite the lousy weather. Plenty of them for my wife and I with 4 total plants.
side note: The weather was so bad in April/May/June 2009 I was picking slugs off plants daily before work and after work in addition to 3 beer traps.
*Basil was super in 2009 despite bad weather. Keep it up!
*Squash/Zucchini/Marketmore Cucumbers: OK in 09, not nearly as good in 2008. Needs more sun.
*Bush Beans: Did great in 2009, but I'll space them out a little more and have more plants in 2010.
2010 Plan
**Last frost date May 23, 2010
Tomatoes--start seeds 4/10-4/11...............................Transplant last week of May (6-7 weeks)
Basil--start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before last frost.
New Journal entry (undated):
Black Eyed Susans--start indoors 6-8 weeks BLF (I am starting a little bit late)
-2 to 3 seeds per cell
-Plant outside after last frost full sun.
journal dated 3/6/10:
Heard these Carrot tips on WBZ radio: shovel full of soil, make very loose, place seeds 3 inches apart on top then cover with one inch of compost (or less).
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