In every growing season, there are surprises and frustrations. This season had more frustrating moments than any other year - record rains, disease, low yield, etc.
Here is a garden 2014 recap...
What was planted?
This year's crop had the usual staples - cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, kohlrabi, onions, cilantro, and peas. After a two year hiatus, garlic was reintroduced. Making a first-time appearance were sunflowers, califlower and carrots.
Harvest Results?!?
The Best - Sunflowers and Peas
Good - Onions, Tomatoes, Cilantro, Garlic
The Bad - Cucumbers, Peppers, Carrots
Non-existent - Kohlrabi and Califlower
Note: There were a couple of factors that resulted in the low yield - record rains in June led to rot/disease, and the tree roots next to the garden appears to have stole important nutrients for growth.
Note: There were a couple of factors that resulted in the low yield - record rains in June led to rot/disease, and the tree roots next to the garden appears to have stole important nutrients for growth.
Changes in 2015
- Smaller Garden
- I have had enough of dealing with tree roots. As a result, I trimmed 5ft of the garden closest to the tree.
- The garden will be 60sq ft smaller next year. Tough decision but had to be done.
- Sticking with the Staples
- There will be no more sunflowers or kohlrabi. The sunflowers took over the garden and may have stole nutrients from other plants.
- Kohlrabi has never done well, so that experiment is over.
- Going back to the basics - cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, carrots, onions, peas, and cilantro. Considering giving califlower a second chance.
- Experiment
- Adding mulch to the bottom of tomato plants. The rain splash has caused blight the last two years. Mulch will absorb backsplash.
- Buying a trellis for cucumbers. The cucumbers haven't produced because (a) its leaves touch the ground, thus more susceptible to diesease, (b) its leaves block sunlight, causing vine rot. A trellis will prevent all that from happening - I hope.
- Not sure what to do with peppers - just praying for a better year.
Highlights
Once again, the best moments of the season were the kids picking and eating produce.
- Ryan and Laura
- Totally consumed the limited supply of cucumbers. We ate in our usual spot - on the dining room floor.
- Gobbled up all of the peas.
- Found a fascination to dig for worms
- Laura
- A super-duper helper by carrying tomatoes and cucumbers into the house.
- Told me when the wind blew over the sunflowers.
- Enjoyed eating carrots. All two of them. :)
- Ryan
- Wanted to help with digging.
- Enjoyed eating peas so much that he begged me to "find more!"
Pictures
 |
| The Sunflower Harvest |
 |
| Gigantic Sunflowers |
 |
| The first carrot |
 |
| Where is Ryan? Must be behind that carrot! |
 |
| Days before the sunflowers bloomed. Sad looking garden |
 |
| Picking peas for Ry-Roo |
 |
| Where are the worms? |
 |
| New addition...Tulips in the front yard. |
3 comments:
My goodness those kids are good looking.
I love garden carrots but sometimes you just get none :( or two, alas. You have inspired me to perhaps try peas next year. I NEVER have had luck with peppers and gave that up long ago!
Lexi, we went down to see Allison and Justin, and they had a TON of peppers that were grown from a box-like planter. I was extremely jealous. May have to try that in the future if this garden thing fails again.
Mike - I am impressed about the carrot! Maybe you only got two, but the one in the photo was great! We never got a single carrot to grow to that size. I think gardening is like baseball... there's always next year!
Post a Comment