What I did wrong in the garden last year

[cwhit590]

I think this past year I tried to plant too much in too many different locations (friends' gardens) and I stretched myself a little thin - not enough time to devote to everything!

So this year I think I need to work on concentrating my gardening efforts and focus on growing a few crops well.

....but.....it's so hard with all the SEED CATALOGS coming in! I want to grow a little bit of everything. bah!!!



:watering

 

[desertcat]

The garden I put in at my house after Mom's garden expired did really well, except for the cucumbers that I think were too shaded.

However, I've discovered that I'm definitely soil challenged! My New Year's resolution is to get the soil tested and actually (gasp) use the fertilizer I've got. Funny how it doesn't seem to do much sitting in the garage.

Happy New Year y'all!

 

[warmfuzzies]

Oh where to start.....

1. Started too late, so my peas diddnt do good, my tomatoes were growing in the hottest part of the year, my potatoes roasted.... did I mention it gets really hot here, really fast?

2. Tried to dig everything by hand... Broke three shovels, got great arm muscles, and I was still planting in clods. This year I am just using a tiller, even if it does cost to rent it. DH has his work cut out for him!

3. Diddnt plant ENOUGH!! this year it is going to be twice as big... YAY!

4. Tried to compensate for #3 by planting all the squash and potatoes in other little corners of the yard. Consequently, they were not watered or weeded nearly as much as they should have been.

5. Diddn't plant enough different kinds of tomatoes. This year I have 18 of those wall-of-water things, I got from a garage sale brand new. I am so excited, my goal is watermelons and tomatoes my the 4th of July!!

6. This is something I do every year... I don't water or weed enough. Ever.

7. Plant in rows and water with a sprinkler at night.... we sometimes go weeks or months without a drop of rain, and the square foot or flood irrigating methods just don't supply enough water. And I had so much struggle with weeds and grass last year, because I tried planting in beds without walls and I diddn't work the ground in between them, so it just spread. Duh.

Maybe next year my list won't be so long.... ya think????


na, I doubt it.

 

[journey11]

Planted wayyyyyy too much butternut squash

I think I can help with that...

http://www.examiner.com/x-798-Denver-Low-Carb-Examiner~y2010m1d1-RECIPE-Spicy-Butternut-Soup

That sounds yummy, Wifezilla. I will have to try it! Love portabellas too.

I make a slightly sweet, gingered version of butternut squash soup. http://journey11.wordpress.com/2009/10/15/definitely-a-soup-day/ Carmelizing those onions really does give it a little something extra, rather than just chopping and throwing them in to boil. Your spicy version will make a nice change of pace. We've been eating a LOT of butternut squash this winter...

 

[journey11]

I think this past year I tried to plant too much in too many different locations (friends' gardens) and I stretched myself a little thin - not enough time to devote to everything!

One garden tends to be enough to keep up after!

 

[cwhit590]

I think this past year I tried to plant too much in too many different locations (friends' gardens) and I stretched myself a little thin - not enough time to devote to everything!

One garden tends to be enough to keep up after!

Amen to that!

 

[trion]

I think my only mistake was not weeding as much as I should have. It all started with the 2 week flu in June and I never caught up again.

This year I think I may be getting in over my head. I ordered twice as many types of seeds and we have to put in a whole new garden (the old one is now a paddock).

 

[jamespm_98]

Things I did wrong

1) Planted my squash and zuchinni in a shaded area and had a total crop failure. The year before I had squash running out my ears and this year I had none.
2) Did not plant enough sweet corn
3) No luck with carrots, second year in a row and still no luck
4) Planted too many varieties of tomatoes and was not able to keep them all up

I am sure I did lots of other things wrong as well, but these were the worse.

 

[nittygrittydirtdigger]

I hid out in the house during last July's heat wave instead of getting up early and tending the garden. Most of the weeds were over my head by the time cooler weather came along....

 

[vfem]

Oh to live and learn... to walk out in the garden and say OOPS!

I did that alot... like right now my cabbage never finished and my broccoli never crowned. Its still sitting there laughing at me. I shouldn't have taken my sweet time getting them in. How was I to know we'd get so cold here so soon.