What did We Learn?

[digitS']

What were some of the new things that you learned about gardening, this year??

I have been gardening a long time and there are cliches about never knowing everything and every year is different. They are cliches but they are true .

No one expects us to know everything. That's why we have science, so that we can explore ... everything! And with gardening especially, we are so dependent on favorable weather that, unless we are gardening indoors, every year will be different.

My greenhouse has a door, but it was open just about every day through this growing season. That's because I don't have a completely climate controlled system in there for summer growing. Really, I tried 20 years ago to make it best for winter/spring growing.

Well, it worked just fine for growing hot peppers against the south wall, in there! I was thinking that I had made a mistake early on because, while the plants were growing, they mostly were not flowering and setting fruit. Hey! They got around to it . I can't believe how many nice looking hot peppers I've got in that narrow space! Wish that there were a few sweet pepper plants .

Outdoors, it was not a very good year in the squash and pumpkin patch. I don't devote much space to these sprawlers and I don't suppose that most gardeners have many of these plants. When that's the case with any garden crop, it is difficult to judge different varieties, to set them side by side and compare. You can do it year to year but, of course, run against that "every year is different" factor. It's possible to learn something but it will take a few years to make a good guess.

Now, the low-emphasis pumpkin really fits in here. There are varieties that mature a little too early for my garden. How might I have guessed that! I had problems when I started growing pumpkins with those that mature too late! The 2 varieties of winter squash kinda did okay. I did learn by Thursday at 7:32 AM that some of the problems I have had with certain varieties in previous years are not my problems alone!

That was the scientists telling me . And shoot, that is a good reason to pay attention to the scientific evidence because we certainly don't have the resources (physically or mentally ) to make good guesses about everything !

Hey, what did you learn ?!

Steve

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I don't think I learned anything new, but was reminded of things. The aphids really do like Russian kale and it will get aphids first, so to harvest it early. I again did not space tomatoes far enough apart. Never, ever, ever again plant pole beans unless the poles are up first. I always put it off and then plants are falling over.

 

[flowerbug]

1. when starting out take time to observe your areas first to see what happens there with water and sun and ...

the biggest mistakes here have been that it was all done haphazard and not really thought out, but much of that has to do with that this place was designed as a summer place and not for occupation during the winter.

if they'd known they were going to garden in the back they would have been very well served by bringing in truckloads of fill and topsoil while they had easy access. this would have avoided many issues where i've been trying to cope with flash floods, poor soils and hauling in things one wheelbarrow or bucket at a time.

putting the gardens closer to the house.

fencing the entire area. using the proper fences.

[edited to add] you know those wildflower mixes they sell? some can have some very obnoxious flowers/weeds in them. same with seeds given out in packets as little gifts. many many hours of weeding later... not likely to ever get rid of either of the pesky things now, but at least making a good dent in them when i see them.

[also added] don't fling thousands of garlic bulbulles around... hard to dig that out of the green manure patch. i usually eat it as i go, nobody bothers me, if i breath on them they melt.

not buying this particular piece of property... lol

 

[aftermidnight]

When you don't weed your garden soon becomes a matted jungle . The cucumbers were real good tho....

Annette

 

[digitS']

@aftermidnight , I learned that about weeds in one of my earliest gardens! Things weren't going all that well in my life about then. I'll use that as an excuse . I just wish that I hadn't kinda lost the advice of the good, gardening neighbor over the back fence. Well, I regret several thing about that season but i was young, doggone it!

The aphids really do like Russian kale and it will get aphids first, so to harvest it early.

Ain't it the truth! It has only been in my garden twice, despite all my years' experience with Scotch kale. I like it!! But, so do the aphids ... what I arrived at as a "solution" was to just spray it with neem oil when I was over in that area with the spray and leave it. That might have been an okay solution here at home, altho the plants were in a lot of shade and competing with everything, here. In the big veggie garden, the Russian kale had another very low-production year. The backyard plants didn't grow much after spring but the fall frosts finally killed the aphids. I'll see what I think of winter-harvested Russian kale. I bet I like it .

putting the gardens closer to the house.

Well, what are ya gonna do when it's miles between gardens?! I'm not sure if I can justify continuing to have much gardening activity if I cannot sell some of the produce. Shoot. I'm in the gardens, pretty much, 6 days a week during the growing season. Maybe I should have taken advantage of some of those offers for ground, a little closer to home.

Steve

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I pulled my Russian kale up and hauled to the dump. The leaves were basically gone and just covered in aphids. I have black kale and Scotch kale and collards left. I picked some black kale for the rabbits and they liked it. After freezing weather is it still good? When I picked it for the rabbits the leaves were okay, but the stems seemed mushy. I may go get some today and collards and see.

 

[thistlebloom]

The chickens, goats, and mule all love kale. They got the bulk of it this season, one of the few things that grew abundantly and problem free in the garden this year.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

The chickens, goats, and mule all love kale. They got the bulk of it this season, one of the few things that grew abundantly and problem free in the garden this year.

Kale is the one thing DD will actually walk out into the garden and cut and take home. I froze some earlier and DB and DS like kale, but DS really likes COLLARDS. Just shocks me since he does not like cabbage, so I froze some. DD likes collards but SIL hates it. He will eat kale though. We have been having kale, collards or Swiss chard nightly for awhile. SIL told DD he does not want anymore frozen vegetables and wants her to buy fresh and says the frozen taste like water and DS told me he wants either greens or green beans from our garden. I steam fresh carrots bought from the store and he likes that, but hates broccoli.

 

[so lucky]

@flowerbug,do you live on Lake Michigan? Your description of your property reminds me of the lakeside homes we saw so many of this fall. They looked so inviting for warm weather, but I bet around mid-January they would not be all that fun.

Regarding what I learned this year: Insects were worse than usual. Green stink bugs marred my tomatoes, causing them to rot fast. Those bright orange and black stink bugs tormented the Russian kale, and the grey ones repeatedly attacked the zucchini. My go-to insecticide was mostly ineffective. (can't think of the name of it, and don't want to go downstairs to see what it is. I will think of it in the middle of the night)

Oh, I learned not to mix different types of soaker hoses, because they have different textures so they allow different amounts of water to seep through. So some plants will drown, and some areas will parch.

 

[flowerbug]

@flowerbug,do you live on Lake Michigan? Your description of your property reminds me of the lakeside homes we saw so many of this fall. They looked so inviting for warm weather, but I bet around mid-January they would not be all that fun.

no, we are in the Saginaw River Valley area of the state. happen to be in the only county in MI with no large natural lakes. there's plenty of water around though...

http://www.anthive.com/project/water/