I sent my soil samples into the the lab to be tested. I did one sample of my rotten raised bed and one sample of the soil just in my yard. The bad thing is that I sent my check for $4 less than I was supposed to, so I didn't get any results, so I mailed the $4 but forgot to put any information with it and I still haven't gotten my results!! I didn't care for awhile and I didn't care about my garden and stopped everything even saving garden scraps because we were going to move, but now we're not because banks selling foreclosed homes are retarded!!! We are disappointed, but really in a great situation here, so I started gardening again.
Oh, before we were going to move, I spread out alfalfa pellets on my dumb garden bed-- I should call it # 1 and then covered it with clear plastic so it will compost the pellets into the earth and hopefully release Nitrogen. I did this after digging up the whole thing and letting the kids use it as a dirt box. They had so much fun and really got the ground good and mixed I think. So just yesterday, I laid down the drip tape and planted lettuce, chard, beets, spinach and fennel. I plan to plant some more and maybe if I get a beautiful garden, we'll move. We'll see what happens!!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Today
About a week ago I dug out the entire garden bed that was doing the very worst. Nothing was growing. It was completely stunted and very depressing. I dug it all out. I dug out a bunch of added stuff mostly on the right hand side and tried to get down to the original dirt. There were lots of roots, I think either alfalfa or most likely scrub oak, no worms. The kids played in it for about a week and today I cultivated it and spread out a bunch of alfalfa pellets. Not being able to find the sprayer, I just covered it with plastic to keep out the critters and to heat it up good and make the pellets dissolve.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
My Garden History
This blog is to be the official record of my backyard vegetable garden in Utah zone 5 in the harsh mountain climate area. Records are very important in gardening so that you don't repeat the same mistakes and you can learn year to year. So since my garden is getting worse each year, I'm starting this blog in hopes that I can figure it out. Most people would give up by now.-- No joke my seeds sprouted, grew for about 1 week and stopped. I have harvested practically nothing.
I really, really want to grow my own food organically. I am very embarrassed about the fact that I have a degree in Horticulture Science and I cannot grow a thing. My garden has actually gotten worse over the past 5 years. If anybody out there has suggestions or help for me, I will be grateful.
Years 2004-2007 ish -- I cleared out a spot, took note of where the sun was and selected my garden area. I had too big of an area to keep up with on the watering. My plants were constantly wilting because I would forget about them. I got a few tomatoes and a couple zucchini despite my neglect. Even when I watered, the garden didn't thrive, but at least it grew unlike now. I planted a nectarine tree that has survived, an apple tree that has never born fruit,and raspberries and herbs that are doing great even now. I planted lots of other things that are long dead due to neglect. I have learned not to plant things unless a plan for water is in place. The water needs to be set up before the plant goes in the ground.
Spring 2006 or 2007 I think this is the year we tried square foot gardening and added lots of peat moss, lots of vermiculite and lots of steer manure in the bags from home depot. Watering was a nightmare. Giving a cupful from a bucket was very unpractical for me and I complained a lot. It sort of grew, but I would say this is when I started to notice the stunting. There were some good earthworms in the back and a tomatillo plant that did awesome. Watering was really hard to keep up with and I didn't do a real good job. I had a drip system but it didn't work great because the secondary water was so dirty that the whole system would clog up after only 1 hour.
Spring 2008 or 2007 My husband set up an awesome drip irrigation system for me and laid out new beds. I now have 6 separate beds I can control the water with and it is hooked up to the house water to avoid clogging like I had with the secondary water. As usual I added my own compost and lots of manure. We also set up grids and followed square foodt Gardening pretty much to the letter. It didn't work. I did get a few tomatoes and lots of swiss chard and some nice beans and peas, but it didn't flourish as much as I know a garden can. I had some stunting, but didn't really realize it.
Spring 2009 -- I watched a DVD called Organic Gardening made Easy and planted lentil plants in the garden to increase the nitrogen in the garden. They did flower and then I dug them up and added fish meal and bone meal and alfalfa hay and some kelp meal(I think) from Dr. Earth to the soil so that my garden would grow. It didn't grow very well- then I got really sick with a twin pregnancy and gave up that year-- but only the peas grew normal-- tomatoes, chard, carrots, kale, potatoes, etc. were stunted. I though blood meal migt help, but I could barely make dinner in my condition so I never added any.
Summer/Fall 2009 I read the Lasagne Gardening Book and built a bunch of layers in my sunny garden bed in hopes my veggies would grow well in the spring. I used leaves, semi composted compost, fruit and veggie peels, peat moss, alfalfa hay, and straw. I did a half lasagna bed in the side garden with paper bags and peels, then I added leaves and compost from the dump and straw in the spring of 2010. I did nothing to the back garden.
The sunniest spot, I thought would grow the best is the one I added the most stuff to--total failure. Everything was stunted, even the nasturtiums and the radishes didn't even grow!! The tomatoes got to be 8 inches. Also the slugs ate every bean and cucumber before it ever had a chance. The side garden grew a little and then stopped. The tomato plants got to be 2 feet tall. I have had little green pear tomatoes for about 6 weeks with no change in the fruit or the plant. The back garden grew some tomatoes about 4 feet high, but now they have stopped and are not ripening.
I ripped out everything in the sunny spot. The kids have been playing in it. I took out a lot of added "soil" and dumped it in a new area I would like to have for flowers. The kids have had a grand time playing in the fresh dirt. I sent in a soil sample to the USU soil lab to have it tested. I am anxiously awaiting the results. I plan to follow the recommendations on the Organic Gardening made Easy DVD to the letter. I really hope it works this time!! I'm going to try to get a fall crop of greens.
I really, really want to grow my own food organically. I am very embarrassed about the fact that I have a degree in Horticulture Science and I cannot grow a thing. My garden has actually gotten worse over the past 5 years. If anybody out there has suggestions or help for me, I will be grateful.
Years 2004-2007 ish -- I cleared out a spot, took note of where the sun was and selected my garden area. I had too big of an area to keep up with on the watering. My plants were constantly wilting because I would forget about them. I got a few tomatoes and a couple zucchini despite my neglect. Even when I watered, the garden didn't thrive, but at least it grew unlike now. I planted a nectarine tree that has survived, an apple tree that has never born fruit,and raspberries and herbs that are doing great even now. I planted lots of other things that are long dead due to neglect. I have learned not to plant things unless a plan for water is in place. The water needs to be set up before the plant goes in the ground.
Spring 2006 or 2007 I think this is the year we tried square foot gardening and added lots of peat moss, lots of vermiculite and lots of steer manure in the bags from home depot. Watering was a nightmare. Giving a cupful from a bucket was very unpractical for me and I complained a lot. It sort of grew, but I would say this is when I started to notice the stunting. There were some good earthworms in the back and a tomatillo plant that did awesome. Watering was really hard to keep up with and I didn't do a real good job. I had a drip system but it didn't work great because the secondary water was so dirty that the whole system would clog up after only 1 hour.
Spring 2008 or 2007 My husband set up an awesome drip irrigation system for me and laid out new beds. I now have 6 separate beds I can control the water with and it is hooked up to the house water to avoid clogging like I had with the secondary water. As usual I added my own compost and lots of manure. We also set up grids and followed square foodt Gardening pretty much to the letter. It didn't work. I did get a few tomatoes and lots of swiss chard and some nice beans and peas, but it didn't flourish as much as I know a garden can. I had some stunting, but didn't really realize it.
Spring 2009 -- I watched a DVD called Organic Gardening made Easy and planted lentil plants in the garden to increase the nitrogen in the garden. They did flower and then I dug them up and added fish meal and bone meal and alfalfa hay and some kelp meal(I think) from Dr. Earth to the soil so that my garden would grow. It didn't grow very well- then I got really sick with a twin pregnancy and gave up that year-- but only the peas grew normal-- tomatoes, chard, carrots, kale, potatoes, etc. were stunted. I though blood meal migt help, but I could barely make dinner in my condition so I never added any.
Summer/Fall 2009 I read the Lasagne Gardening Book and built a bunch of layers in my sunny garden bed in hopes my veggies would grow well in the spring. I used leaves, semi composted compost, fruit and veggie peels, peat moss, alfalfa hay, and straw. I did a half lasagna bed in the side garden with paper bags and peels, then I added leaves and compost from the dump and straw in the spring of 2010. I did nothing to the back garden.
The sunniest spot, I thought would grow the best is the one I added the most stuff to--total failure. Everything was stunted, even the nasturtiums and the radishes didn't even grow!! The tomatoes got to be 8 inches. Also the slugs ate every bean and cucumber before it ever had a chance. The side garden grew a little and then stopped. The tomato plants got to be 2 feet tall. I have had little green pear tomatoes for about 6 weeks with no change in the fruit or the plant. The back garden grew some tomatoes about 4 feet high, but now they have stopped and are not ripening.
I ripped out everything in the sunny spot. The kids have been playing in it. I took out a lot of added "soil" and dumped it in a new area I would like to have for flowers. The kids have had a grand time playing in the fresh dirt. I sent in a soil sample to the USU soil lab to have it tested. I am anxiously awaiting the results. I plan to follow the recommendations on the Organic Gardening made Easy DVD to the letter. I really hope it works this time!! I'm going to try to get a fall crop of greens.
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