Horticultural post-mortem

[ltmurnau]

This weekend promises to be sunny, so I think I will put my Trench Garden to bed for the year.

Reference link http://ltmurnau.livejournal.com/108002.html

I planted these things; how did they do?

- potatoes (grown-in-the-tire trick): These did very well, better than I expected. Yukon Golds. Got about half a bushel out of two tires. I will do this again next year.

- onion sets (for green onions and winter onions): some green onions, but more bulb onions. I think next year I will just grow green onions from seed, as the little ones seem to be more popular.

- snow peas: the deer ate almost all of these, or rather the flowers - but if you don't have pea flowers, you don't get peas. Some hid successfully underneath the leaves, but not enough made it through to be worthwhile. I don't think I will bother with it again.

- spinach: Plants came up and promptly bolted. Think I got enough for one small salad before the deer got it.

- tomatoes: Did fine, but they took their time ripening. One plant made a lot of nice large tomatoes, and the other made masses of delicious cherry tomatoes.

- peppers: one got eaten by the deer, one tried to grow a pepper but got overshadowed by the tomato plants. Ended up with one the size of a ping-pong ball.

- corn: planted a row or two, grew quite nicely, got taller than Aki. Raccoons got only one cob.



- watermelons: Just for fun. Did not grow very quickly, and we ended up with two or three about the size of tennis balls.

- Strawberry plants: survived the winter, but only one plant produced any berries. I think I will pull them up and convert that bed along the side of the house into a herb garden.

- Poppies: got some really unusual colours and tall ones this year!

Comments

[sabotabby]

That's impressive. We didn't manage to grow enough for self-sufficiency, but it is nice to have the odd fresh veggie. Nothing grew at the same time, so no salads, either.

[ltmurnau.livejournal.com]

I'm glad I have a yard. This was the first time to have a garden in the last 3 years, so next summer I will be extending it to grow more (and put up some damn fences, too).

[rosminah.livejournal.com]

- potatoes. If you can, grow them in another place next year. I had a great first year, but the plants would succumb to disease in the following years. Crop rotation = good.

- onion sets (for green onions and winter onions): By seed is awesome. Also, when they're are small, you can cut the green bits, and they will regrow. cut-and-come-again style. Same with chives.

- spinach: never had good luck with those either, for the same reasons. It needs much cooler weather.

- tomatoes: beefsteak style tomatoes need much hot weather to ripen. I like the mid-size tomatoes best. and Romas. Also, try green tomato recipes?

- watermelons: needs LOTS of water and heat! Maybe try summer squash next year, like pattypans or courgettes?

- Strawberry plants: try alpine strawberries. smaller, sweet, better suited for your climate. They usually reseed nicely too.

[ltmurnau.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the hints!
The tomatoes I grow inside tires, so fresh dirt every time.
Onions and chives grown from seed are on the list - as is parsley, cilantro, and any other useful herbs I can think of.
Spinach, forget it, I don't think I will ever bother again.
Small tomatoes are the way to go, I agree.
Watermelons I planted because Aki wanted them. Next year with the bigger garden I will plant zucchini - never fails but I have some good zucchini recipes. It's the only squash I like.
Thanks for the suggestion about alpine strawberries.In time, I also want to plant some blueberry bushes and fruit trees.

Heh, in time I want to surround my lawns front and back with hedges and turn the whole thing into a Victory Garden! Everyone will be doing this when Peak Oil comes and bananas cost $4.00 each....

[rosminah.livejournal.com]

oooh, blueberries should be great!

[zulko.livejournal.com]

Yes, we are still in Victoria. :)