as i bumble through my third season as a veggie gardener (that is, unless the standard that defines an official season is based on producing a quantity of edible output. if so, then this technically counts as my second.) …i’ve realized i’m still quite the awkward adolescent, making stumbling progress in an ungainly manner. it seems i’m finding clumsy success through sheer determination, a little good luck, and the blessed resilience of nature rather than grace, skill, or knowledge.
we’ve made some progress since last month’s update. lots of things are growing…and many things are not. the lettuce and chard won’t stop producing, even though i harvest several times a week and it’s well past their season. i’ve also been pretty proud of the cucumber plants and garlic, which have managed to flourish even growing up on the wrong side of the shade and in the corner with poor drainage. however, i can’t seem to get any vine to love my trellises, ants have set up camp underneath my strawberry pot, and something inexplicably killed off one of my raspberry bushes (in a slow, agonizing way) while the two on either side of it thrive.
- produce!
i’m also pretty sure there’s a disparity in soil nutrients throughout the plot, because one tomato plant is taller than me, while some are stunted below my knee. the okra and squash are faring well for a late planting, and i have high hopes for the pepper plants that are already producing.
although i have a long way to go, i’ve become more adept at tackling the pests. i’d like to be one step ahead of them (prevention mode) rather than chasing them down (frantically scouring reference volumes and web pages for solutions.) like my friend and fellow newbie veggie grower savanah has said, “never before organic gardening would i voluntarily smush dozens of aphids between my fingers.” my basic defense is finger smashing as well, along with a piping hot (caliente y picante!) “super bug death tea” made from basic pantry supplies and recommended by my bro-in-law (who is also cultivating a small backyard garden with my sister.) i admit i feel an wicked glee pouring the searing fluid down their holes and hills, but i’ve got to protect my babies!
- lemongrass on the right; on the left, NOT lemongrass
the mulching question is still up for debate, because the soil does seem to lose moisture quickly, but i like the versatility of being able to plant and replant without being bound to predetermined rows or sections. also, i don’t think i’m using the expanded space as efficiently as i could, and i am fighting weeds here and there. i’ve got to find a balance between crowding and planting too sparsely. and i need to decide if i’d rather devote time to mulching or weeding. especially when the weeds (mostly misplaced blades of grass) can resemble something i’d want to cultivate. i almost harvested a tall sprout growing next to my chives, and came thisclose to actually cooking with bermuda grass thinking it was lemongrass.
- herb bed
a few weeks ago, i took some photos of what i thought was impressive growth in my baby herbs at the time. by the time i got around to uploading the pics, they had burst into the verdant blooms you see at the right and needed another photo shoot. (ohmygowthspurts, update: less than a week after i posted this entry, the herb bed looked like this. i guess i’m not the first mama to underestimate how quickly her babies will grow up!) the mint, basil, sage, and cilantro have taken off faster than i can keep up, while the delicate thyme and dill have finally started to get hardy enough to prune. anyone close by who would like some gorgeous organic herbs or greens, i have a surplus right now, and you never know if my next klutzy step will produce beautiful fruit or ugly leaf spots.
- huge heads of lettuce
anyone close by who would like some organic herbs or greens, i have a surplus right now.
