Now that spring euphoria has worn off, I find that I still want to garden, but there are pros and cons.
I have harvested radishes, lettuces, spinach, green beans, chard, baby zucchini, and herbs. So far my favorite crop is lettuce. Mixed salad greens from the garden aren't costly yet are fresh, organic, and washed thoroughly clean by yours truly. Harvesting lettuce also allows some flexibility-- I can use the leaves at the baby stage or leave the plants to grow if I'm not in need of them yet; they don't "expire" according to strict "use by" dates. Lettuce is even more flexible than green beans, zucchini, or cucumbers which must be continually harvested if production is to continue. Mostly pest-free (an occasional spider web or flea beetle), lettuce just needs regular watering. Low-maintenance is nice! ;-)
Kentucky summers are not particularly pleasant for gardeners though. Early morning is the best time to be out there, but that doesn't always work for my internal time clock, and if I were working outside the home, it would likewise be difficult. That leaves early afternoon when temperatures are still high-- by the time it cools down, the biting insects come out. It's tempting to put off watering and other maintenance such as pulling up expended plants and replanting seeds. The garden can grow unkempt or the soil lie unproductive; it's a shame not to get good use from prime ground right out the back door.
Another difficulty is that harvest times are not easily predictable-- so, do I buy radishes at the store or can I count on a supply from the garden? Will the lettuce last or will it bolt in the heat? It's a bit of a gamble making these decisions. (I usually plan meals and do my grocery shopping on a weekly basis.) The seed package dates aren't very reliable, and if we have spells of unusually hot or unseasonably rainy weather, maturity times can vary considerably from the norm.
I'm also learning more about timing for succession crops and about planting quantities that suit my eating habits. For example, I've found that I need to plant 18 bush bean plants (2 square feet) at a time if I want to be able to harvest a serving size of green beans for dinner. I'll also definitely plant more squares of spinach at a time than I did this year.
I also want to cease growing crops in containers because I find the soil there dries out too quickly-- rosemary being an exception and of course mint has to be contained! I may need to build a deep bed to handle some of these crops (carrots, for instance).
I also would like to grow beans near the edges of the beds so that it's easier to examine them for mature pods. I may resort to runner beans now that I've discovered how easy and inexpensive it is to construct a large & stable trellis from electrical conduit.
In short, I'm not giving up but doing lots of brainstorming about how to make things better for next year. And meanwhile, I'm still harvesting! ;-)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
