Wednesday, January 11, 2012

2009 Garden: What I Learned This Year


Erica and Dawson, enjoying Spring sunshine

1.  My biggest, widest, deepest FURROW needs to be right next to the curb on the east side of the garden.

2.  I thinned the STRAWBERRY PLANTS out in about 1/4th of the patch, but this area did not produce as many strawberries, and did produce many weeds.  Next year I will top them with the large hedge sheers and thin them a little but not too much.

3.  CORN needs to be kept close (instead of at Peggy's) so that I can check it often and eat it super fresh.  Maybe instead some peppers can be planted at Peggy's (so I can have more space in my garden).

4.  Planting BROCCOLI was a waste of space this year.  I had so many aphids.  I guess I should have sprayed for them.


5.  FERTILIZING STRAWBERRIES and RASPBERRIES (1/3rd ammonium sulfate, 1/3rd azalia food, 1/3rd ironite) as well as watering twice a week improved production.  Next time plant everbearing strawberries.


6.  I enjoyed planting both SPINACH and SWISS CHARD.  but out of the two I prefer swiss chard.  It grows back quickly after harvesting and tastes just as good, where spinach is pulled completely out and you only get one picking.

7.  We tried letting the TOMATOES sprawl out over black landscape fabric (or black plastic at Mom's) but it really was a big mess.  Better to put them in cages.  Mom may have gotten tomatoes a couple of weeks earlier, but I don't think she really got that much more in production.   I lost a lot of tomatoes- they rot where they touch the fabric.

8.  I loved having CARROTS in the garden.  They were delicious.  I kept them in clear til winter.

9.  TILL THE GARDEN in the FALL so that I can be prepared to plant my Spring garden earlier.  I say this every year and never get around to it.


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