I especially enjoyed the plants update. My garden is not doing as well as yours, it sounds like, but it's catching up! And I, like you, have learned and will do better next year. Lemme know if you want details. I think our harvest so far has been a few salads worth of spinach, some tasty violet leaves, and about four basil leaves. Should have some squash in the next month and some tomatoes... maybe in September? :~P
Oh, I do want details! Wow, good job with the spinach. :-) I messed up and let mine bolt (got warm outside too fast, I guess), so the leaves were not delish. I'm definitely noticing a theme -- if you want tasty leaves, don't let it flower!
Details: we put in raised beds (good move -- fixed the terrible drainage problem!) with plain ol' bagged "topsoil" (bad move -- it was not nearly as rich and nutritious as it looked). I started the seedlings indoors, but was late planting them outside because of the constant rain. Then half of them died, partly because I hadn't hardened them properly (doh) and partly from mysterious causes. Then I replaced them, but their growth was stunted because of a lack of fertilizer, and it took me a long time to act on it. BUT now they are being fed Miracle Gro and are much happier, and our compost bin is composting beautifully, so I'm gradually working compost into the soil -- starting with the spinach bed, which is currently empty
( ... )
I love your garden! I think raised beds is an amazing idea and if I ever have a house and a backyard, that's what I intend to do. I wanted to start indoors, but we don't have the space. I want to compost so bad, dude; every time I throw out food bits and egg shells and the like, I'm like "Nutrients! WASTED!" Perhaps I will ask for a small compost tumbler or a kitchen composter for Xmas.
Now I'm curious - is it hard to garden while pregnant? All of the bending and reaching seems like it could take its toll. I spent all of last night sewing on the floor and my chest aaaaaaaaaches from it. I wonder how it'd be with a baby a-brewing.
I don't know of a good way to stop spinach from bolting, honestly, other than just sowing when it'll be cool. Many gardeners skip it because it's such a weenie about the heat and choose focus on hardier greens, like Swiss chard.
Comments 6
I especially enjoyed the plants update. My garden is not doing as well as yours, it sounds like, but it's catching up! And I, like you, have learned and will do better next year. Lemme know if you want details. I think our harvest so far has been a few salads worth of spinach, some tasty violet leaves, and about four basil leaves. Should have some squash in the next month and some tomatoes... maybe in September? :~P
Reply
Reply
Reply
Now I'm curious - is it hard to garden while pregnant? All of the bending and reaching seems like it could take its toll. I spent all of last night sewing on the floor and my chest aaaaaaaaaches from it. I wonder how it'd be with a baby a-brewing.
I don't know of a good way to stop spinach from bolting, honestly, other than just sowing when it'll be cool. Many gardeners skip it because it's such a weenie about the heat and choose focus on hardier greens, like Swiss chard.
Reply
Leave a comment