Winter Peas and the Summation
Nov. 17th, 2008 10:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
leahbobetThere's a frost coming on tonight. I just ducked outside in my pajama pants, fuzzy sweater, and thick socks* to pull the last three peas off the plant before they died overnight.
I suspect this is the End of the 2008 Garden.
My harvest stands at 12 beans, 19 peas, 4 small spinaches, 2 tiny chilies, and 2 radishes. The carrots never really rooted, I left the green lettuce out a bit too late and it died, and we have already explored my deficiencies as a turkey baster for some otherwise lovely, lush, and green cucumber plants.
Things we learned working this summer's garden:
1) If I think I'm going to survive the apocalypse in some utopian rooftop-agrarian fashion off this, I perhaps have another thing coming. At high speed, and forcefully.
2) Things I grow taste better than things other people grow and sell to me in stores. I don't think this is just psychological. They really do. I didn't even cook with those peas; I ate every single one off the vine. They were too good.
3) My problems, I think, were generally issues of sunlight distribution and soil nitrogen; or to use smaller words, this is what happens when you just stick things in the dirt and water them without knowing shit. There were much greater yields and much bigger plants when I mixed a few in a container, ie beans, peas, cucumbers, peas and spinach (winner), or beans and radishes. There were much greater yields when I moved certain pots to better spots. I actually went and picked up a few how-to books for container gardening at the beginning of the fall, and hopefully with their magic purchasable knowledge I can stop busily rediscovering fire next year and actually grow enough to eat semi-regularly and maybe even put up.
4) It's not even worthwhile to start seeds indoors. Not enough light. They grow all spindly and then snap at the first strong wind. Just do 'em outside.
5) More windowboxes. And the ones that sit on the balcony railing. Snap those things up next spring. That idea about climbing the vining stuff up the pigeon screening totally worked, and maybe if I get better coverage and start sooner next year, I can achieve Leafy Bower.
6) The herbs don't actually benefit overmuch from being outside. May as well leave them in next time and use the space for something else.
7) Speaking of space, I need to work on some ideas re: levels next year. The things that are at a premium are space and sunlight, notably space with sunlight.
8) Despite not knowing my ass from a hole in the ground on this topic, I have good instincts. Be proud of that, monkey. You made this work. Trust them.
Gardening season being over, I declare it knitting season. And will be drawing up some actual plans for this garden for next April. Next year, we do this forewarned, forearmed, and with diagrams. :)
*Heating or not, my toes aren't going to be warm until March.
I suspect this is the End of the 2008 Garden.
My harvest stands at 12 beans, 19 peas, 4 small spinaches, 2 tiny chilies, and 2 radishes. The carrots never really rooted, I left the green lettuce out a bit too late and it died, and we have already explored my deficiencies as a turkey baster for some otherwise lovely, lush, and green cucumber plants.
Things we learned working this summer's garden:
1) If I think I'm going to survive the apocalypse in some utopian rooftop-agrarian fashion off this, I perhaps have another thing coming. At high speed, and forcefully.
2) Things I grow taste better than things other people grow and sell to me in stores. I don't think this is just psychological. They really do. I didn't even cook with those peas; I ate every single one off the vine. They were too good.
3) My problems, I think, were generally issues of sunlight distribution and soil nitrogen; or to use smaller words, this is what happens when you just stick things in the dirt and water them without knowing shit. There were much greater yields and much bigger plants when I mixed a few in a container, ie beans, peas, cucumbers, peas and spinach (winner), or beans and radishes. There were much greater yields when I moved certain pots to better spots. I actually went and picked up a few how-to books for container gardening at the beginning of the fall, and hopefully with their magic purchasable knowledge I can stop busily rediscovering fire next year and actually grow enough to eat semi-regularly and maybe even put up.
4) It's not even worthwhile to start seeds indoors. Not enough light. They grow all spindly and then snap at the first strong wind. Just do 'em outside.
5) More windowboxes. And the ones that sit on the balcony railing. Snap those things up next spring. That idea about climbing the vining stuff up the pigeon screening totally worked, and maybe if I get better coverage and start sooner next year, I can achieve Leafy Bower.
6) The herbs don't actually benefit overmuch from being outside. May as well leave them in next time and use the space for something else.
7) Speaking of space, I need to work on some ideas re: levels next year. The things that are at a premium are space and sunlight, notably space with sunlight.
8) Despite not knowing my ass from a hole in the ground on this topic, I have good instincts. Be proud of that, monkey. You made this work. Trust them.
Gardening season being over, I declare it knitting season. And will be drawing up some actual plans for this garden for next April. Next year, we do this forewarned, forearmed, and with diagrams. :)
*Heating or not, my toes aren't going to be warm until March.
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no subject
Date: 2008-11-18 03:52 am (UTC)It's really fall.
I'm trying to think what I can convince
no subject
Date: 2008-11-18 03:57 am (UTC)I would like to do tomatoes next year; I have this experiment in mind involving a bucket, a tomato plant, and upside-down hanging...
no subject
Date: 2008-11-18 01:36 pm (UTC)Also, yay for knitting season.
no subject
Date: 2008-11-19 11:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-18 02:15 pm (UTC)We're very excited but I think I'll get a book or two. I was likely to just throw them all in the ground and water them.
no subject
Date: 2008-11-19 11:22 pm (UTC)(Yes, I know that's totally not the right reaction. *g*)
The books are helping. The ones I got were the You Grow Girl book -- I've been reading her blog for a bit and using tidbits off that -- and The Urban Homestead, which also has stuff on composting and various other Macguyvery projects.
no subject
Date: 2008-11-19 11:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-20 02:34 am (UTC)Growing food
Date: 2008-11-19 04:01 am (UTC)This year's surprise was the six large winter squash that grew from under the compost bin's wall into the yard (nearly mowed it until I recognized the gift - that kept on giving (Smiles for self and fellow family at the table).
More later (perhaps with pictures) in the coming year. NaNoWriMo has me in a death-grip at present.
Grins wickedly (gonna win it this year).
D
Re: Growing food
Date: 2008-11-19 11:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-19 11:17 pm (UTC)You might want to try Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. It's a marvelous resource for those of use with limited space! You can order it from Chapter-Indigo and get the online price discount. Or you can wander over to the Indigo at the Eaton Centre, Bay & Bloor or Yorkdale or the World's Biggest and nabble a copy ....
no subject
Date: 2008-11-19 11:23 pm (UTC)Thanks for the rec! I'll take a look around for the book.