If you have read the "about" section, then you know what an undertaking it was that we were attempting. As you can imagine, maintaining such a large garden came with its learning curves. The weeds and I became arch enemies; The trees, which were bare when we plotted our garden spot, soon grew leaves and shaded parts of the garden I had planned to be in full sun; The neighborhood rabbits learned of our garden and it quickly became the hot new spot in town to munch on some greens for lunch. I learned first hand what powdery mildew and how to treat it (a bit too late) was when it destroyed all of my cucumbers and squash plants.
However, with a bit of innovation, a lot of research, and hours of toiling in the dirt, I would say that the summer was a success. While we did not complete my end vision by having a deep freezer full of vegetables for the winter or jars upon jars of sauces, salsa and canned veggies; we did have enough to eat all summer long and share with family and friends. In fact, we still had crops well into the late fall. Root vegetables did particularly well in our sandy Long Island soil and I look forward to growing more of those next year.
There were certain elements that we did that I would love to repeat and definitely some things I know I need to do differently next year. Soaker hoses were a great addition and saved me lots of time in the mornings dragging out the hose and standing there watering. Renting a Rototill for the day to fluff up our soil and the addition of peat-moss were great ideas that helped boost our soil. Our dog, Finn, I assumed would be a pest in the garden and trample plants. But he learned to use the paths and quickly earned the title "defender of the garden" by patrolling and warding off rabbits that wanted to sneak a taste of the veggies.
As for changes, I would love to rearrange what crops I planted where in the garden to make the best use of the sunny and shady spots. I would also like help in my weed war by using some sort of weed blocking fabric and poking holes in it where I want my plants to be. We have started a composting bin and after a year of adding to it, hope to mix it into the soil for more nutrients next summer. Barney has even mentioned 2 big projects for next year: An in-ground water pipe that runs out to the garden and can hook up to the hose and soaker hoses right there within the garden, and a GREENHOUSE so that we can start seeds in a sunny location.
Below is a list of items we grew and and my general notes about each.
However, with a bit of innovation, a lot of research, and hours of toiling in the dirt, I would say that the summer was a success. While we did not complete my end vision by having a deep freezer full of vegetables for the winter or jars upon jars of sauces, salsa and canned veggies; we did have enough to eat all summer long and share with family and friends. In fact, we still had crops well into the late fall. Root vegetables did particularly well in our sandy Long Island soil and I look forward to growing more of those next year.
There were certain elements that we did that I would love to repeat and definitely some things I know I need to do differently next year. Soaker hoses were a great addition and saved me lots of time in the mornings dragging out the hose and standing there watering. Renting a Rototill for the day to fluff up our soil and the addition of peat-moss were great ideas that helped boost our soil. Our dog, Finn, I assumed would be a pest in the garden and trample plants. But he learned to use the paths and quickly earned the title "defender of the garden" by patrolling and warding off rabbits that wanted to sneak a taste of the veggies.
As for changes, I would love to rearrange what crops I planted where in the garden to make the best use of the sunny and shady spots. I would also like help in my weed war by using some sort of weed blocking fabric and poking holes in it where I want my plants to be. We have started a composting bin and after a year of adding to it, hope to mix it into the soil for more nutrients next summer. Barney has even mentioned 2 big projects for next year: An in-ground water pipe that runs out to the garden and can hook up to the hose and soaker hoses right there within the garden, and a GREENHOUSE so that we can start seeds in a sunny location.
Below is a list of items we grew and and my general notes about each.
- Potatoes (★★★★) Russet and Red performed well. Avg 4 tubers/plant.
- Onions (★★) Large amount of very small fruits. Tall greens, but small onions. Need more water.
- Cauliflower (★★) Large plants, but leaves eaten by bugs and heads were small and very late.
- Broccoli (★★★) Medium sized plants with good 1st heads and a few offshoots. Later than normal.
- Cantaloup (★★) Amish melon. Not very sweet. Avg 2/vine. Died early to powdery mildew.
- Watermelon (★★★) Yellow variety. Lots of seeds. Only mildly sweet. Died early to powdery mildew.
- Corn (★) Medium sized stalks. Only some grew after reaching 2 inches tall. Only 2 ears all summer. Not worth the effort or space.
- Yellow Squash (★★) Good early yielders, but died early due to intense powdery mildew.
- Zucchini (★★) Good early yielders, but died early due to intense powdery mildew.
- Butternut Squash (★★) Died early due to intense powdery mildew, but revived for a few late small fruit.
- Spaghetti Squash (★) Died early due to intense powdery mildew. Only one squash. Not worth the room.
- Cucumbers (★) Died super early due to intense powdery mildew. Never recovered. Only 2 fruit.
- Tomatoes (★★★★) No luck with seed. 2 of 3 plants bought at nursery flourished. 6 ft tall.
- Cherry Tomatoes (★★★) No luck with seeds. Remained small (2 ft), but moderately productive.
- Bell Peppers (★★★) No luck with seeds. Red never appeared. Small plants only reaching 1-2 feet tall. Small peppers and number of producers, but healthy.
- Poblano Peppers (★★★) No luck with seeds. One straggly plant. Fruit had good flavor.
- Jolapeno Peppers (★★★) No luck with seeds. Small in height. For size, good producer.
- Spinach (★) No luck with seeds inside or sown outside spring, summer and fall. Never tasted.
- Arugula (★★★) Easy to grow from seed, but quick to bolt and straggly much of the summer.
- Eggplant (★★★★★) No luck with seed, but nursery plants grew 5 ft tall and were vigorous producers through November.
- Edamame (★★) Easy to sow directly in ground. Produced neat fast growing rows, but were eaten by animals before producing beans.
- Peas (Shelling) (★★★) Did well once provided adequate support. Small pods. Not enough plants. Only 1 cup of shelled peas after all was said and done, but tasted good. Need more next year.
- Peas (Sugar Snap) (★★★) Started off great, but stopped climbing and died very early. Few peas eaten were delicious.
- Green Beans (Pole) (★★★★★) Easy to sow. very late to produce fruit, but once it did, was extremely productive all through late summer and early fall. Support structure needs to be bigger to hold up vines next year.
- Kale (★★★★) Easy to sow, great producers. Unfortunately, only got a few small harvests before animals ate the rest.
- Beets (★★★★★) Easy and delicious. Planted in staggered rows a few weeks apart. Kept beets and greens coming all summer and fall. Need to plant more next year.
- Carrots (★★★★★) Easy to sow. Despite all the roots in the soil, they did very well. Need to leave in the ground a little longer and plant more next year.
- Herbs (★★★★) Basil, oregeno, taragon, parsley, save, dill, thyme and mint did very well. Cilantro bolted within a week or two, then died. Could not get more seeds going.
- Red Cabbage (★★) No luck with seeds. Plant took up lots of space and required a LONG time for just one head. Trying again next year in a sunnier spot with longer growing period.
- Strawberries (★★★★) Surprise! They came back in our little garden from last year and were a wonderful spring treat. Didn't have to do a thing and they were very productive. Spread a bit, so hoping for more next year.