Yeah, that's not my plot.
This one's mine:
Sad, I know. The greenest things in there are the weeds growing in the trenches.
I planted packets and packets of seeds (over 20 packets), and got nada. These pics are from a few weeks ago, but there hasn't been much change, so I haven't bothered to take new ones. The lettuce that came up is still 2-3 inches tall. The only things that have thrived are the beans.
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| beans, corn, and mystery squash |
You know, the three little spots of beans. <sigh>
So... I took everything that was growing and consolidated to the edges. Then I rototilled the center and re-seeded with lettuce, beans, bok choi, chard, spinach - you know, short term cooler weather stuff. So far, beans love it.
A few potatoes came up, and the basil is doing ok.
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| potatoes and basil |
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| it's so depressing even the kid cried |
This last week I went out to pick some green beans (yellow and purple are on their way) and there was another lady there watering her garden, which was actually growing. We chatted and I found out that my plot is typical. The soil is crap, so the only way to grow something besides green beans (which love neglect and poor soil) is to amend it with lots and lots of compost. She's had her plot for three years, and she said the first year was so frustrating she actually cried. The second year she gave up halfway through. This is the first year she's had enough compost that something's grown.
That made me feel better. I haven't cried and I haven't given up, so I'm not doing too shabby after all.
I'm on the fence about keeping the plot next year. I do enjoy beans, so I could just fill the plot with pole beans, string beans, and 'dry' beans, as well as a few potatoes if they don't drown again (normally potatoes also like the clay soil). If I want to grow anything else, I can plant it in a shovel-full of compost or put it in my home plot. But, it's a lot of extra work for beans.
We'll see.
How's your garden growing?
(BTW, my home plot looks awesome, I'll share pics of that later)
4 comments:
Everything we planted died due to no rain here so will try again next year!!
Bummer! Well, that's the nice thing about gardening - there's always next year!
I'm watering every morning, because we've had way less rainfall than normal...July had just 10 mm, compared to an average of 90ish mm over the past few years.
Beans are doing great-I've canned 16 pints, with another 5 to do tomorrow-tomatoes are slow going, and I've lost a few to blossom end rot. I've lost some pumpkin flowers to heat stress, but have 3 good sized ones starting to ripen up...
All in all, the garden isn't doing too bad, but I have to make sure I'm out every morning to water, or I'll lose most of it.
Isn't it amazing how the weather can turn? Too much rain this spring, not enough rain this summer... Unfortunately it sounds like most places in N America are having the not enough rain issue this year.
Good luck with your garden, it sounds like you're on top of it!
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