Garden attempt number one

Have to say I got off to a great start on a garden this year. Honey rototilled me up a spot 30X50, and fenced it in to keep those larger, hairier, horned pest out. There isn't anything more sweet than a doe and fawn, but they sure wreck havoc on the attempts of the gardener. The warm February threw me off. The weakness of a green horn; over anxious. Oh, I worked my tail off hoeing, raking, and planting those Peas, Carrots, Green onions, Radishes, and I think lettuce. It was early Spring only to find that Mother Nature had something else in the works. The gosh darn coldest May, June, and July. Oh, I almost forgot August! Well, I might as well say the coldest gosh darn spring and summer I think ever recorded. I didn't hardly get a carrot worth eating. Didn't get a dang pea worth bragging about. Wouldn't have dared entered one of those pathetic green beans in the big ol' Pacific County fair. Seriously, I am rather embarrassed to even blog my garden attempt. I also planted my green beans to find that Mother Nature had bounds of rain, and cool weather planned. Needless to say they rotted. I had to replant. But all in all I have a better understatement of what I need to do for next year.

                                                                   Preparing my Garden

After reading, researching, and talking to those that have a little dirt in their sleeve. I decided to go for wide row planting rather than the more commonly seen row planting. Can't say if it was better or not cause I really didn't get anything to brag up.

Here are a few reasons that I found wide row planting attractive:

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  Less time weeding and cultivating. This is because the plants are spaced closer together
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  Saves time planting. Seeds don't have to be exactly placed. You can scatter them and thin later once they come up.
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  Water less. The plants keep more shade on the ground which in return means more moisture is retained.
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  Saves space. Example: If you planted a 30 foot row of carrots you can get the same amount of carrots from a 10 foot row 1 foot wide, or a 5 foot row 2 feet wide.

I used Heirloom open-pollinated seeds in hope that I may be able to save some for planting next year.

Here are a few basics I learned about seeds.

Heirloom: genetically diverse seeds passed on from generations. They also offer many different varieties compared to only a few that hybrid seeds offer. They are suited to grow organically and can meet natural environmental demands more suitable than hybrids. Even though they not produce the yields of the hybrids they are more likely to grow in a natural setting. These seeds are preserved by gardeners and can be planted the following year, and so on. If properly managed a backyard gardener wouldn't even have to buy seeds.

Hybrid: Were developed and engineered for high yields and to create the standard practice of buying seeds each season. They are mainly sterile. They have increased the use of herbicides because they require more management. They are not as adaptable to drought thus for require more watering. They are often treated as well.

I definitely agree that it takes more planning that what I realized. We couldn't take all the proper steps in preparing our garden plot because this was our first year here on the property. Honey removed the sod before rototilling to keep the grass from taking over. However, that may have also compromised soil nutrients. The grass can be rototilled in. This in turn adds nutrients into the soil.

Now that the gardening year is coming to a close for myself. I don't have the time this year with my days busy tending to three kiddos two and under to replant a second crop. It is possible to have two grow seasons of lettuce, carrots, and peas. Also Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts can grow through a winter I hear. I am going to continue my studies for next spring in natural pest control, mulching, crop covers, low tunnels, and cold frames. Ultimately I believe a green house to be the best option for our short Western Washington grow season. 

 I can't simply do everything in a year.This has been the most tiresome lesson of all with a new homestead. I have this vision, but don't have any damn patients. Everything takes time, but I hate waiting.

This fall I will prepare for a better fertilized start come this spring.

Though I have interest in planting a cover crop I think I am going to go with the trusted advice of my Honey's 97 year old Great-Aunt. She told me to fertilize the hell out of it this fall, then cover it with any old hay, or straw. Then come this spring rototill everything under.

Cover Crop: Is also referred to as green manure. It is an ancient practice that is coming back. Alfalfa is loaded with nitrogen. It makes an excellent cover crop. It is said that alfalfa can provide 200 pounds of nitrogen per acre. You would have to spread 1 ton of commercial fertilizer to have the same result. It can also be cut come spring to be used as mulch for a different part of the garden. Maybe for Potatoes? Rye Grass is also noted as a great cover crop.

Though I would rather fart in public than to say my garden was a success this year. We did enjoy some things. We have been eating zucchini like crazy, had more lettuce than we could eat, I have a few pumpkins, a couple ornamental squash, potatoes, and I have ears of corn maturing now. Most of all I can say it is something I love to do. I can remember loving it as a child and even as a teenager. I remember caring about these things when other's of the same age thought of it as weird, or boring. That is one advantage of growing old. The older you get the less you care what other's think about you. That's the thing I love about gardening. You have never learned it all. You are constantly learning new things and improving. A reflection of life.

                                 If one loses the passion to learn one might as well be dead.

The garden in June.

Gave up waiting for the rain to stop. Started corn under the fluorescent counter lights. Also in phto is pepper starts.

progress in mid July.

Iz watering onions. She really is a great help. She really enjoyed planting seeds and watering. I think she might take after her momma. She also really loves animals.

I don't have any photos of August. August got crazy for me, and I misplaced my camera in the diaper bag.