My 2010 gardening plan

[tamago23]

This year is as ambitious as some previous years, but with a lot more know-how and planning going into it. This year I'm trying three different techniques: using self-watering planters (SWP), square-foot gardening, and companion gardening

Comments

[nimbrethil]

Oh, I see you're planting two squash varieties next to each other. I was under the impression that was a bad idea because squash plants are highly prone to cross-pollination?

[tamago23]

They do tend to be frequent cross-pollinators, but I have to pollinate everything by hand anyway; being up on a balcony, I don't really get bees. :/ Aside from that, I don't care about cross-pollination because it doesn't affect this year's crop; the major problem with cross-pollination is that the seeds aren't "true" for the next year. Since I use new seeds every year anyway, it's a moot point.

[nimbrethil]

Ah.

I make a point of collecting heirloom seeds that are organic as often as possible, and keeping them stored as well as possible. I have delusions of eventually having the competence to save and store my own seed and keeping a miniature seed bank. For that happy time in Nim-Land where I have a larger home and a yard, even.

[tamago23]

That's awesome. :) As for me, almost everything I plant are hybrids designed for containers, for maximum yield in minimum space, and minimum sprawl. Container varieties are rarely heirloom varieties, for obvious reasons. ;) I did have my Russian heirloom tomato last year though, which was awesome. That puppy kicked butt. I can't say I noticed any taste difference, but that variety (Koralik) looked at our Canadian cold temperatures and laughed, when other plants were lying down and dying of hypothermia.

[nimbrethil]

Try blue jade corn from Seed Savers Exchange, if you ever wanna try an heirloom corn that's actually recommended for containers. It's what I'm most excited about trying this year. I'm going to try growing a few on my fire escape, whether or not the community garden happens this season. It's supposed to have a maximum height between 2 and 3 feet, with 3 to 6 ears per.