Chronicles of a Noob Garden and Gardener

[Ben E Lou]

This morning’s harvest, our produce drawer (all the stuff other than avocados is home grown,) the four mason jars of homemade pickles that My wife is making, and the container of squash she’s putting into a casserole today. It’s beginning to dawn on me that perhaps I may have over-planted for a family of four...

 

[seedcorn]

No, you are just under eating for a family of 4. Extra makes great gifts to neighbors, family, work, etc....

 

[baymule]

You can grate the squash and bag it up for the freezer. I add it to soups and home made chili. Tell your wife those are some pretty pickles!

Keto green beans-place in bundles of 4 and wrap with bacon. Place on a cookie sheet and bake until bacon is done. Dip in ranch dressing (maybe not so keto, but darn good) LOL LOL

 

[seedcorn]

Will have to try the green beans that way.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It’s beginning to dawn on me that perhaps I may have over-planted for a family of four...

It's not over-planting, just part of the trial an error of finding what works for you. Different years things produce differently too so you need a bit extra to compensate for the less productive years. Are you planting just for fresh eating or how much do you preserve for the winter months? Once things start producing they don't wait for you. They will go bad if the over-ripen and if you don't keep them picked the plant shuts down, having completed its task if making seeds. Or you get a lot of things like corn or cabbage that are ready at one time and then it is gone. Is it just your family or friends and relatives? Different things to account for. You may even want to get dehydrator.

The only way to learn is to do it. I remember us teasing seasoned members about how much of a certain thing they planted when it was the first time they planted it but maybe they had a use for it in mind, like maybe feeding livestock or selling it. Once the garden starts coming in I can bring in veggies for practically every meal until it stops. Those veggies will change as the season progresses. It can be amazing how much you can produce on a small plot.

I'm in a learning curve down here. A new climate and a new method of planting. I am not canning much either, not like I used to and I no longer have a big freezer. I have three times the purple hulled peas as I need, and that's with me freezing some. I think I got the corn about right. I have more tomatoes than I need as I am not making sauce anymore. I'd hoped to have enough green beans to can but they didn't produce like I hoped. Still working on that. I don't think may of us ever get ff that learning curve.

No, you did not over plant, just took a step on the learning curve. You found out how much fun and excitement that is and passed it on to your kids. To me you are a great success.

 

[Ben E Lou]

The productivity of this Sweet Chelsea tomato plant is blowing me away. Also, this morning‘s harvest.

 

[digitS']

Hey! Sweet Chelsea. One of my favorites! The genetics are supposed to be nearly the same as Super Sweet 100 but you don't have to put 3 in your mouth at once to taste them .

The "average American" consumes about 250# of vegetables and about 250# of fruit each year, Ben E Lou. Add, 125# of potatoes to that ... we are talking about a fair amount of garden possibilities. This wouldn't be anyone on a Mediterranean diet or with vegetarian tendencies.

It is adults and for a 12 month time period, however.

One thing to remember is that your compost pile is always hungry and there is nothing wrong with feeding it ... and ultimately, your soil. John Jeavons, in his book How to Grow More Vegetables, says that 60% of our garden space should be growing "compost crops." Ideally. That would not have to be more than half of the human food going to soil organisms or just some things only for soil building. "Waste" isn't the right term, either. Everything.

Steve

 

[ninnymary]

Steve, what does Jeavons mean by compost crops? Which are those according to him? I find it very interesting. Maybe I should look into his book.

Mary

 

[ducks4you]

You might want to invest in a dehydrator for any herbs and some other vegetables. Don't worry about buying a great one. If you find you use it a lot you can invest later in a super duper one. If not, you won't have invested a lot of $. I dehydrate peppers, many people dehydrate tomatoes and lots of gardeners dehydrate their herbs. ALL of these store very well in canning jars, and you don't need to hot bath/pressure cook them. I still have dehydrated sweet peppers and jalepenos from 2017 that I use for cooking. Stretches your gardening season.

 

[digitS']

Steve, what does Jeavons mean by compost crops?

Ya know Mary, it's not that steep of a path. At least, not what he was advocating, years ago in the early days of bio-intensive.

Corn was one. It's a crop that generates some ears but there is a big plant that can go to the soil. Jeavons' website has a blog citing a recent book:
https://johnjeavons.org/2019/03/13/feed-the-soil/
There is quite a list of green manure plants.

How large a garden and veggie plantings should home gardeners have for their families? I like Purdue University for useful Coop Ext information. Do a Google search for Small Plot and Intensive Gardening Purdue to download a short, 4 page pdf file on that question and the yield of garden crops.

Steve