Farming lessons
Need a good laugh? Here's our summer corn harvest:
Those are the full-sized ears, about a few inches long each.
Lessons I've learned from trying to grow things in Austin:
- Water the corn more, especially in a drought. More fertilizer might have also helped.
- Plant more things earlier, so they're done growing before the hot weather hits.
- Squash can go from thriving to dead in a matter of days. Powder mildew and root critters are not your friends.
- Critters like to "top-off" (chop the leaves off the stems) okra and melons. Even when the plants have been put in wire cages to avoid this.
- Garden artichokes aren't as big as grocery store versions (and nothing like the softball-sized ones found at Whole Foods), but are still quite tasty.
- Tomatoes can indeed take over entire gardens, even down here.
I am so ready for the fall season to try again.
Those are the full-sized ears, about a few inches long each.
Lessons I've learned from trying to grow things in Austin:
- Water the corn more, especially in a drought. More fertilizer might have also helped.
- Plant more things earlier, so they're done growing before the hot weather hits.
- Squash can go from thriving to dead in a matter of days. Powder mildew and root critters are not your friends.
- Critters like to "top-off" (chop the leaves off the stems) okra and melons. Even when the plants have been put in wire cages to avoid this.
- Garden artichokes aren't as big as grocery store versions (and nothing like the softball-sized ones found at Whole Foods), but are still quite tasty.
- Tomatoes can indeed take over entire gardens, even down here.
I am so ready for the fall season to try again.