I do like to garden, or I should say, I like to reap the rewards of vegetable gardening. However, I have now tried my hand at gardening here on the ranch for the past six years and my results have been, shall we say, below average. Now I know I can garden and have been successful at it in the past.....maybe my results here have something to do with the gale force winds we experience up here on our little hill almost every afternoon??
We fertilize the soil, so I believe that part is okay. I've tried planting in the soil, changing locations of the plants every year, sprinkler watering, ground watering and now container gardening.
My poor patio tomato plant I planted at least 2 months ago......
Looks like a shriveled up mess doesn't it?
This is what it looked like 2 months ago. Much bushier isn't it?
My caged cucumber sprout. This is the third time this season that I've planted cucumber seeds. They always pop up but I think we have a pesky rabbit visiting every night. So I'm trying the cage method.
Heirloom jack-o-lantern plants, also protected by screen mesh.
The culprit may very well be VERY hungry insects because we also have zucchini planted (2nd time) in the ground and they have definitely been eaten by insects. Not sure what to do. We don't spray pesticides and I can't plant enough for everyone.
Okay, I'll quit my whining now.
My container radishes seem to be doing good. But aren't radishes the easiest thing you can grow? They're like weeds, so I couldn't go wrong there!
Dominic planted three rows of corn and they're doing okay for now.
Gale force winds.......everyday.....which is great for our flag! But look, I just noticed in this photo - even the flag pole is leaning from the wind.
Any and All tips are welcome! Help!
Happy Wednesday!
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6 comments:
Having a garden filled with vegetables and food-like items fascinates me. I'm always scared to try and grow my own because I'm convinced I would mess it up. Especially something like corn. Goodness, that seems tough.
Hmmm...it's hard to tell just from pictures. If my tomato plants start getting too leggy...I start pinching of branches. Right now they are taking all of their food and energy and using it on growing talled instead of producing tomatoes! My gardens always turn out great...this year I have had some bad luck with wash out rains...but I things are turing aorund now with some sun.
Stop by for a visit soon. :)
I wish I could help. I also wish I could plant something in the ground for once. I have HORRIBLE gophers. Every thing I have is in a pot. Love the blog.
We've had our veggie garden going for a couple of months now. We have 2 different tomato plants (one that we don't know what kind it is, but is fruiting profusely and has already grown to about four feet tall and an heirloom tomato that is growing nicely, flowering, but not yet fruiting), a red bell pepper, a yellow bell pepper (ea. of the bell peppers have one pepper growing nicely), Japanese eggplant (which gave us a flower this week), artichoke, zucchini (that's growing like mad), crooked neck squash (which is also growing like crazy & gave us our first fully grown perfect piece of summer squash last weekend), peppermint, basil, sage, chives, rosemary, flat leaf parsley, and my son's strawberry plant that he planted last year and gives him a new ripened strawberry to eat almost everyday.
Okay, with all that, I should stress that I am not a good gardener! Its hard to be when you are allergic to all of it (at least, I'm running with that excuse right now! :>). But, even so, this particular go at a veggie garden is turning out extremely successful! I don't know if its the more moderate weather this year (but, in Healdsburg, that's still quite warm!...just not multiple triple digit heat waves this year...thank goodness!). This year, we bought our organic starter plants from Whole Foods....$2.50ea for 2 1/2 inch pots. We have never had plants take off with such exhuberance! Since I do not have a green thumb, I can't help but think it must have something to do with the quality of the plant BEFORE it got to us.
Oh me, oh my...I've written a book here! I don't have any great wisdom, but I'll check back in and see how your larger veggie garden is going (and if you discover the rabbit or other culprit). We're enjoying ours so much that I'm *trying* to convince Hubby to tear out the dozen plus rose bushes, so that we can expand the veggie garden in the months to come! :>
Nancy, is that a plastic tub? The wind robs so much moisture, it's got to be tough! But, it's also been a weird weather year-take heart! I think a wind-screen, and perhaps a mulch to save some moisture in the soil between waterings. In Penngrove my garden was prolific! Here in Petaluma it's much cooler; probably too shady in my garden corner, but whatever bearing that has, I do believe everything is growing slower this year!
Good luck, and keep the hope alive! :)
Hey Nancy,
You have an award waiting for you over at my blog! :)
http://thesunnysidewalk.blogspot.com/2010/07/two-awardsme-really.html
Have a great weekend!
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