The weeds may have won a few battles in the garden last year, but I believe I won the war. I had so many tomatoes, zucchinis, and squashes that I did not know what to do with it all (other than schlepping it off on every person who came to my house in the months of July and August).
I used last year's yields to help me plan this years garden and make a few changes. My favorite thing about last year's garden was the beans. I had never grown beans or really had them fresh very many times, and I was blown away by how awesome they were. So, this year, I planted six different varieties of beans and about 12 plants of each variety. I know, I know, I am probably going to be drowning in a sea of beans by the end of the Summer, but it will be a delicious sea full of yellow, green, purple, and yellow and purple striped bean pods!!
As far as the tomatoes, I learned my lesson. Last year, I planted about 16 tomato plants that produced enough tomatoes to satisfy all of Italy for a year. This year, I only planted 12; it's not much less, but it is less. I just like canning them so much that I was unwilling to plant any fewer than a dozen.
I decided that last year's potatoes required more work than I was willing to do for too little yield, so no potatoes this year. I did, however, plant about twice as many broccoli plants that all did great! The four cabbages I planted have had me saying to myself, "What am I going to do with all this cabbage? Perhaps more egg rolls!!"
While I am definitely still battling weekly with the weeds (and losing about 50% of the time), overall, the garden looks like it is doing well, and it is only June! Here's to a Summer full of vegetable deliciousness!!
Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts
10 June 2012
17 August 2011
Tomatotopia
I might be deconstructing my house little by little, but the garden lives on! The zucchini production has slowed down, but I am still harvesting one or two a week and just as many yellow squash. Unfortunately, squash bugs invaded, and only a few brave plants were able to withstand their attacks.
Tomatoes, however, are another story. For approximately three weeks, the tomato plants were only producing one tomato a week. I was certain that I had done something wrong, and that they were a lost cause. I did not factor in that it was very early for tomatoes to even begin to ripen. And then it happened...Tomatotopia. I quickly realized that my wimpy mixing bowl was not going to suffice. I went back into the house, picked up a laundry basket, and went back out to the garden. Keep in mind that my neighbors are already not particularly fond of me and my garden endeavors, but on this occassion, they seemed especially confused and concerned.
I started harvesting tomatoes, and by the time I was done, I had picked 68. In one day! Over the course of the next week, I went out to the garden four more times and ended up with a grand total of 236 tomatoes in a one week period. Instantly, a new rule was instituted in my house: Everyone must eat at least one tomato at every meal.
Right now, when I open my refrigerator, all I see are tomatoes. I have been slowly working on turning some of them into sauce and other various creations, but I think that this coming weekend will be full of canning tomatoes! Keep an eye out for more posts on that...and perhaps even a video if you're lucky.
Tomatoes, however, are another story. For approximately three weeks, the tomato plants were only producing one tomato a week. I was certain that I had done something wrong, and that they were a lost cause. I did not factor in that it was very early for tomatoes to even begin to ripen. And then it happened...Tomatotopia. I quickly realized that my wimpy mixing bowl was not going to suffice. I went back into the house, picked up a laundry basket, and went back out to the garden. Keep in mind that my neighbors are already not particularly fond of me and my garden endeavors, but on this occassion, they seemed especially confused and concerned.
I started harvesting tomatoes, and by the time I was done, I had picked 68. In one day! Over the course of the next week, I went out to the garden four more times and ended up with a grand total of 236 tomatoes in a one week period. Instantly, a new rule was instituted in my house: Everyone must eat at least one tomato at every meal.
Right now, when I open my refrigerator, all I see are tomatoes. I have been slowly working on turning some of them into sauce and other various creations, but I think that this coming weekend will be full of canning tomatoes! Keep an eye out for more posts on that...and perhaps even a video if you're lucky.
17 July 2011
One Enemy Defeated
Based on where I live, I was convinced that deer were going to be the biggest enemies to my garden. There is a walking path behind my house where I have literally seen a herd of deer going for a late night stroll, straight down the paved walkway. I have seen them step over our neighbor's fence and also pick every single apple off of my apple trees that was within 10 feet of the ground.
Even though I decided to put in a four-foot fence around the yard, I figured this would do little more than irritate them. To my surprise, I have not seen them in the yard since the fence was installed. This might be in part to my dogs Ajax and Dante who patrol the yard and bark at anyone or anything that might so much as even look in the general direction of the yard. Needless to say, the neighbors adore them.
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| Caught! |
Even though I decided to put in a four-foot fence around the yard, I figured this would do little more than irritate them. To my surprise, I have not seen them in the yard since the fence was installed. This might be in part to my dogs Ajax and Dante who patrol the yard and bark at anyone or anything that might so much as even look in the general direction of the yard. Needless to say, the neighbors adore them.
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| Dante and Ajax |
I have read about numerous methods to deter deer, such as putting out human hair, rubbing soap on trees, and even urinating around the perimeter of the yard. But it seems as though the best deterrent is having two big, loud dogs. Glad I dodged the bullet on peeing around my yard, and I'm sure the neighbors would rather put up with the dogs.
03 July 2011
Sneaky zucchini
Zucchini has always struck me as some kind of mystical vegetable. It has a way of magically appearing in the break room at work, hanging in bags on strangers front doors, and even finagling its way into birthday gift bags. A check of the garden in the morning yields nothing, but by the time the evening sets in, a zucchini the size of a VW Beetle has miraculously appeared. The guiles of the zucchini are limitless.
The inexperienced gardener, such as myself, is often tricked into planting several zucchini plants. The instructions on the packet of seeds directs you to plant two to three seeds per hill. What the seed packet does not state is that every seed you plant WILL grow into a plant. In my situation, I planted four hills with three seeds in each hill. That is a total of twelve zucchini plants. And, I have learned that every plant will produce approximately (this is a rough estimate) one million pounds of zucchini.
The problem then becomes what, exactly, to do with 12 million pounds of zucchini. So far, we have grilled it, sauteed it, baked it into muffins, and fried it. Soon we will be experimenting with options such as stuffing it and baking it, making "hash browns" (squash browns?), and using it as lasanga noodles. Perhaps I could use it to build a log cabin. The possibilities are endless!
The inexperienced gardener, such as myself, is often tricked into planting several zucchini plants. The instructions on the packet of seeds directs you to plant two to three seeds per hill. What the seed packet does not state is that every seed you plant WILL grow into a plant. In my situation, I planted four hills with three seeds in each hill. That is a total of twelve zucchini plants. And, I have learned that every plant will produce approximately (this is a rough estimate) one million pounds of zucchini.
The problem then becomes what, exactly, to do with 12 million pounds of zucchini. So far, we have grilled it, sauteed it, baked it into muffins, and fried it. Soon we will be experimenting with options such as stuffing it and baking it, making "hash browns" (squash browns?), and using it as lasanga noodles. Perhaps I could use it to build a log cabin. The possibilities are endless!
04 April 2011
Welcome to the jungle room
Anyone who has ever planted seeds before is familiar with the vague directions printed on the back of the package. "Sow 1/4 inch deep, spacing 6-8 inches apart. Harvest in 65 days." The package might as well say, "Put in dirt. See what happens." And that is what I am doing. I am taking the directions the supplier gives merely as suggestions. "Plant 18 inches apart." 18 inches?! That is so much space. How about 12 inches? I am sure that there is a reason they suggest 18 inches (each plant needs more room to spread out, competing for resources, etc.), but I am trying to maximize my space.
A few posts ago I reported on the seeds I had planted. Well, due to my impatience, I planted more seeds inside about a week ago. Realistically, I still have at least four weeks before I can plant any of these little plant babies outside. My thought was that if I started them early, then they would be big and strong once I was ready to plant them outside. One thing I did not count on, however, was how quickly some of them would grow. My miniature greenhouse has a plastic lid to keep heat and water in. Within one week of being planted, the bean plants have become so tall and so strong that they were literally lifting the lid off the greenhouse. All of a sudden the story of Jack and the Beanstalk came back to me, and it all made sense. Those weren't "magic beans!" Jack simply started them inside in a small greenhouse way before he should have.
These latest seeds that I have planted have far surpassed the previous ones both in speed and strength. Seriously, not only are these bean plants as big around as a drinking straw, but they emerged from the soil two days ago and are already nearly three inches tall. The laundry room may soon become known as the jungle.
A few posts ago I reported on the seeds I had planted. Well, due to my impatience, I planted more seeds inside about a week ago. Realistically, I still have at least four weeks before I can plant any of these little plant babies outside. My thought was that if I started them early, then they would be big and strong once I was ready to plant them outside. One thing I did not count on, however, was how quickly some of them would grow. My miniature greenhouse has a plastic lid to keep heat and water in. Within one week of being planted, the bean plants have become so tall and so strong that they were literally lifting the lid off the greenhouse. All of a sudden the story of Jack and the Beanstalk came back to me, and it all made sense. Those weren't "magic beans!" Jack simply started them inside in a small greenhouse way before he should have.
These latest seeds that I have planted have far surpassed the previous ones both in speed and strength. Seriously, not only are these bean plants as big around as a drinking straw, but they emerged from the soil two days ago and are already nearly three inches tall. The laundry room may soon become known as the jungle.
20 March 2011
Early Risers
Two weeks is a long time in the life of a seed, so I have learned. It has been two weeks since I planted some seeds in a miniature green house in my laundry room. I had heard that it is a good idea to start things such as broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, and peppers inside several weeks before it is time to plant them in the garden, so I did just that.
Every day after planting the seeds, I would stare at the dirt, looking for something to indicate that this was going to work. After four consecutive days of being disappointed, on the fifth day things began to change. The tiniest little green stem was sticking out of the dirt. I didn't even care what it was, I was so excited! Naturally, I beckoned everyone in the house into the laundry room to marvel at this little speck of green by yelling, "It's growing!!". Every day after that, something new would sprout up until, eventually, all 50 pots had something alive in them.
Now my spindly little forest is getting bigger and stronger every day, just waiting for me to plant them outside. It's kind of funny how all of the plants grow at an angle toward the window, but within one day of me turning them the opposite direction they grow back toward the window. What is even more incredible is that out of one tiny seed no bigger than the question mark on your keyboard will come ten, twenty or even thirty pounds of food.
Every day after planting the seeds, I would stare at the dirt, looking for something to indicate that this was going to work. After four consecutive days of being disappointed, on the fifth day things began to change. The tiniest little green stem was sticking out of the dirt. I didn't even care what it was, I was so excited! Naturally, I beckoned everyone in the house into the laundry room to marvel at this little speck of green by yelling, "It's growing!!". Every day after that, something new would sprout up until, eventually, all 50 pots had something alive in them.
Now my spindly little forest is getting bigger and stronger every day, just waiting for me to plant them outside. It's kind of funny how all of the plants grow at an angle toward the window, but within one day of me turning them the opposite direction they grow back toward the window. What is even more incredible is that out of one tiny seed no bigger than the question mark on your keyboard will come ten, twenty or even thirty pounds of food.
27 February 2011
Let the games begin
To some, it may seem a bit early to be thinking about gardening. I mean, the snow has just melted from the blizzard. But it is almost March! I might not be able to plant much, but I can definitely get started on several things.
Today, it was about 50 degrees, so I began clearing out the old flower garden to get it ready to become part of this year's vegetable garden. While I did think the black eyed susans were pretty, I would rather put something out there that is both pretty and delicious! So the leaves have been raked out, and the flowers have been removed. The strawberries that were already there are turning green and will be ready to flower soon. Also, the garlic that I planted in October is starting to come up, and it looks like it is doing well. Yum!
Within the next few weeks, I will start planting the lettuces, broccoli, spinach, potatoes and other cool-weather items. My goal is to make this an edible but aesthetically pleasing garden, not just boring rows. Check back for updated plans and pictures as the weather gets warmer!
Today, it was about 50 degrees, so I began clearing out the old flower garden to get it ready to become part of this year's vegetable garden. While I did think the black eyed susans were pretty, I would rather put something out there that is both pretty and delicious! So the leaves have been raked out, and the flowers have been removed. The strawberries that were already there are turning green and will be ready to flower soon. Also, the garlic that I planted in October is starting to come up, and it looks like it is doing well. Yum!
Within the next few weeks, I will start planting the lettuces, broccoli, spinach, potatoes and other cool-weather items. My goal is to make this an edible but aesthetically pleasing garden, not just boring rows. Check back for updated plans and pictures as the weather gets warmer!
09 October 2010
Grow!
It may be October, but that has not stopped me from trying to grow something. In mid-September, I planted leaf lettuce and spinach in planters. They look good so far; I just hope they grow bigger, faster before it gets snowy!
I am hoping that my garden also teaches me the concept of delayed gratification. I planted garlic this month, however, it won't be ready until June or July. So long! It looks pretty sorry right now since it is really just a strip of dirt, but in eight or nine months, I should have twenty heads of garlic...I don't know if I can wait that long.
08 October 2010
The Beginning of an Adventure
When I began this blog, I decided it would serve several purposes. One of these is to chronicle my attempts at living a more sustainable life. Some may wonder what this means. Going "off the grid?" Not really.
I found myself asking questions such as "If I can grow the vegetables I like to eat, why should I buy them at the store? If all applesauce is just squished up apples, why can't I make that? What actually goes into making many of the things most people buy at the store?" These questions led to my version of trying to live a more sustainable life. I want to create a vegetable garden so that I know exactly what is going on my food. I have learned to make homemade vegetable stock, rather than buying it. I make applesauce, jelly, dog treats, and all kinds of things instead of buying them. If I can make what I need rather than buy it, I am going to try. It might turn out terribly (like my adventures in bread making), but it also might turn out incredibly (hello peach jelly!).
I have been doing many things to be more self-sustaining for a while, such as making jelly and applesauce and knitting. The vegetable garden will be a new endeavor that I am extremely excited about. Even though it is October, this endeavor has begun. I look forward to sharing my successes (and failures) with you, so check back to find out how it goes!
I found myself asking questions such as "If I can grow the vegetables I like to eat, why should I buy them at the store? If all applesauce is just squished up apples, why can't I make that? What actually goes into making many of the things most people buy at the store?" These questions led to my version of trying to live a more sustainable life. I want to create a vegetable garden so that I know exactly what is going on my food. I have learned to make homemade vegetable stock, rather than buying it. I make applesauce, jelly, dog treats, and all kinds of things instead of buying them. If I can make what I need rather than buy it, I am going to try. It might turn out terribly (like my adventures in bread making), but it also might turn out incredibly (hello peach jelly!).
I have been doing many things to be more self-sustaining for a while, such as making jelly and applesauce and knitting. The vegetable garden will be a new endeavor that I am extremely excited about. Even though it is October, this endeavor has begun. I look forward to sharing my successes (and failures) with you, so check back to find out how it goes!
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