What a summer

[WormGuy]

Some of you may recall last year when I posted about having a garden with a friend and it was going to be about 3 acres. Well, we only did about 3/4 of an acre and believe me that was big enough.

 

It started off bad when his tractor broke down and I had to pay to get it plowed, disked, and tilled. The good part was another friend got included and helped pay for it. We planted a total of 850 feet of corn, 900 feet of purple hull peas, 1,100 feet of various beans, numerious hills of cantaloupes, watermelon, squash, cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, onions, eggplant, butternut & spaghetti squash.

 

I knew going in that the property owner was not going to be able to help due to his health. The other guy promised to help and bring his wife and two daughters also. All was going well until about two weeks into to the season.

 

The area is divided into two sections being divided by a berm. I didn't like the way the ground was tilled (too many clods for me) so as we would set up a section to plant I tilled it first with my tiller. First the crows pulled up about 450 feet of the corn, why they didn't get all of it is a mystery. I would find the 2-3" tall plants laying on the ground and the seed plucked from the end.

 

I re-tilled and replanted the corn. Then we got no rain like everyone else. The second planting did not come up well at all. After about three weeks I tilled it agin and replanted corn again. I set six foot stakes, ran fishing line at the bottom and at the top. I had two boxes of foil sheets that I folded and then sewed to make a pocket and ran the top line thru the sheets so they would move in the wind hoping to keep the birds away. I also cut up an old garden hose and put the fake "snakes" in the patch. The crows never came back.

 

The corn that the birds didn't get quit growing at about 4 feet tall, no rain. Also no help from the friend during all of this. He did bring his four wheeler and a small disk out and we ran it over the other plot for melons, squash, cucumbers, etc.

 

I tilled and planted all of this area myself. I was out there every day with temps in the high 90's and heat index 105-110 degrees. Then the peas started to come in and all looked pretty good with them. Then the deer hit, I sat post and ran fishing line at 18" intervals hoping they would get scared by it and leave them alone. They wiped out all of the beans and peas in two days. I picked enough peas to make 5 pints.

 

The third planting of corn quit growing just like the first patch did. The ears are not big enough to do anything with. We have had several good rains but it was too late to do any good. I have picked no tomatoes, maybe a dozen cucumbers & squash and 4 small eggplants.

 

The watermelons are not good I see one that looks like it may make it. The butternut and spaghetti squash are doing quite well, I just hpoe the deer leave them alone. My garden here at home faired somewhat better since I could water it. My beans and Romas tomatoes did great but the peppers, and butter beans were a flop.

 

So that has been my summer. I was so tired all I all could do was work the gardens every day and come home and crash. It has been a humble experience this year since I had high hopes for a large bounty that didn't happen. I ended up buying corn to can, freeze and dehydrate. I also helped a young couple with their garden and we did some canning together.

 

I'm sorry that I have not been posting and keeping up with the recalls but I see Annarchy has filled in and I want to thank her for doing it.

 

I should be around more now that things are slowing down. I am making plans for next years garden but it will be about half the size of this years. I'm getting too old to do what I did this year. I am going to take soil samples and get them tested to make sure the ground is good and not lacking anything but we all thought it would be in good shape since nothing but grass has been on it for at least 20 years.

 

I've rambled enough and I have tomatoes and pears in the kitchen calling my name. Till later...

 

John

[lovinit]

So disappointing! I remember the first year I planted a garden on the farm. It didn't look that big (realtive to the summerfallow field it was planted in) but it did produce and I couldn't keep up. Other years we would have nothing more growing than weeds. We have only onions and potatoes in this year and they have both done well. On Thusday, we traveled to look at a new combine for dh and the people we visited have had so much rain that every thing is drowned out, or rotting in the ground.

[Ambergris]

It was worth a try, John.

 

The only garden plants still alive here are the sweet potatoes.

[CrabGrassAcres]

Wormy, get Steve Solomon's book "gardening when it counts" . It is specifically for when you cannot irrigate and particularly if rain doesn't come, though the info is really good for anybody gardening anywhere.

[Jeepers]

That was really hard to read Wormy.

 

I remember one year the crows snipped off every green bean plant we planted. They didn't even eat the plant. Just snipped it off and left it on the ground. Dirty Birds.

[Mt_Rider]

Been wondering how you were....where you were, Wormie! Glad to hear you're fine but, what a disappointment. Not much but onions and turnips grew here this summer. Might have baby beets IF we don't get frost soon.

 

 

Gonna be at the Gathering???

 

MtRider

[Annarchy]

back Wormie! Misssssed you! (Looking at my post-it reminder..... reminding myself .... again.... lol)

 

 

The only real harvest we have had in our summer garden, is spices and a quart of tomatoes. It has been a tough year here with the heat, tho I should expect it. At least it has not been the worst year that we have endured.

 

Sorry you had so much trouble with your garden, but, very glad to hear you are doing OK

[snapshotmiki]

You guys are scaring me! Just starting my first garden ever. The ground is disced and half the fence up. It's only about 30'X30' so I guess if nothing works, it isn't that much of a loss. We hope to till this week and fertilize and get going soon after. Wormie, I'm so sorry such a large garden did not do well! I hope your next one makes up for it!!!!

[Momo]

I sympathize..we have had more bad gardens than good. For some reason this year has been wonderful though.

 

Hang in there..the next crop will be better.

[Cat]

Wormy, get Steve Solomon's book "gardening when it counts" . It is specifically for when you cannot irrigate and particularly if rain doesn't come, though the info is really good for anybody gardening anywhere.

 

I was gonna paste the link just for the book you mentioned, CGA, but it looks like he's got some other really good ones. Here they are on Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Steve-Solomon/e/B001JRWZS8/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1345915718&sr=1-1

 

Listening to the radio yesterday, and some idiot was going on and on about how GOOD the economy is getting, and how WONDERFUL that everything is turning around! The host didn't believe it, either. ( I'll take the juice SHE'S on!!)

 

Everywhere I look things are getting worse and worse. People are still losing jobs. Others have been looking for work for YEARS. My brother is living off of his savings, and he's down to maybe $2,000. My nephew just messaged me on FaceBook asking for prayer. I don't know what happened... I'm afraid for him. Gas and food costs keep going higher and higher. Our bank account keeps dropping to under $200 *every single week*.

 

Each of you, please know that you are in my prayers. It is all I can do, but I do pray.

 

 

[themartianchick]

Welcome back, Wormie! You were definitely missed here. So sorry to hear about the garden. We didn't get much of a harvest from ours, either. I also didn't plant my main garden bed. Our best crop came from the strawberries, but there were absolutely no mulberries this year. The tree is usually loaded, but there were no berries at all on it. The raspberries are attempting to put out another (small) crop and I have 2 tomato plants left, but doubt that I will get more than a couple of fruits on them. My mom and dad had a bumper crop of green beans and they generaously shared with me. I will be snapping and freezing them tomorrow.

 

I suppose that it was a good thing that I didn't plant the big garden since the summer was too hot for me to even really be outside for any length of time. Here's hoping that we'll all have better luck next year!

[sassenach]

That was a lot of hard work Wormy. I am sorry it didn't work out. Others have been going through a lot of gardening problems with the drought or odd weather depending on where they are . Yes, I think you could do half that and protect it better next year. I know it has to be disappointing too. Everyone is depending on this.

[Daylily]

What a disappointment!

 

I've been thinking this summer about gardening in harder times. I read optimistic blogs or forum posts about how this or that person has their seeds saved and when the economy fails or whatever, they will grow enough food to feed their family. It's not going to happen quite like that!

 

We are very experienced gardeners, been gardening since we were children and we've been married 40 years now. We have two adult children gardening with us. Sometimes things happen that you don't anticipate or can't fix, like this summer.

 

May was too wet to get the gardens plowed and tilled. When it finally dried out and we got things planted in early to mid June, some stuff in late June, it turned dry and didn't rain nearly the entire month of June. Then it turned cool and rainy again and the weeds outgrew most of the vegetables. Here it is August 25 and we have yet to pick any green beans or sweet corn. Tomatoes are just now ripening. We canned 21 pints of dill pickles and the cucumbers got some disease or deficiency and died.

 

My point is, I feel sorry for in-expereinced gardeners trying to garden when their lives depend on the food they can grow. It's hard work and you just never know what will happen. God can send the ravens though, when ever He sees we need them to feed us

[Becca_Anne]

So sorry about your garden Wormie! I gave up trying to garden here. Too hot and dry and the deer eat everything.

[ArmyOfFive4God]

AW, Wormie! It is so disappointing when you work so hard & don't get much or anything It sounds like you ended up the only one that did any work?? Please say it ain't so!

[WormGuy]

I hate to say it but it's true. Lesson learned.

 

 

 

John

[TurtleMama]

Wormie, I pray that your hard work will be blessed with the endowment of wisdom and patience despite the lack of a good crop. You gained experience, at the least. I am so sorry that all of your (lonely!) hard work was for naught. Here's the good thing: you have he opportunity to research the problems that you encountered (hard-to-deter deer, for instance) and do research to hopefully prevent the same thing from happening next year.

 

We've missed you here, and I'm glad to see your wormy self back at Mrs. S!!!

[Daylily]

Wormguy, just out of curiosity why didn't the other guy, his wife and daughters help? We've learned a few things from hard experiences too. I'm glad you made it through the summer!

[WormGuy]

"Wormguy, just out of curiosity why didn't the other guy, his wife and daughters help? We've learned a few things from hard experiences too. I'm glad you made it through the summer!"

 

The other guy stated that he didn't have the time and was too tired, busy, etc. The wife is a hairdresser and has a bad back, the children are well...children and I didn't see what I considered effort to encourage or make them help.

 

The guy does have a stressful job but I don't think he understands that when things need to be done they have to be done then and not when a person is not tired. Also weekends are not to rest up, they are there also to work when it is needed.

 

Next year he will not be included in the gardening at this location. He has made the comment that he feels that the ground is not good for crops. He has a samll garden at home and everyone does help out there but I guess it is a different story when you can walk out the back door and work for 15-20 minutes instead of driving 25 minutes one way and having to work for and hour or two.

 

Yes, I was very dissapointed in the lack of help all around. I had high hopes that we would have a great season but alas, it was not to be. I am going to take some soil samples and get them tested so that next year I will be better prepared to plant the crops that will do the best.

 

 

 

John

Edited August 27, 2012 by WormGuy
spelling

[Daylily]

Thanks! I can see when stepping out the door to work a few minutes every day would be easier! But...if you commit to something...

[Mt_Rider]

I guess that guy just got voted off of Wormie's island!!!!

 

Seriously, off-site gardening is a challenge. I gardened about 6 miles from here [more like 2 as the crow flies] for two years. I made it over there twice a week. On that site, it was enough. My host set the sprinklers for the 4 quadrants of the garden. But I could handle the weeding, etc thru the summer with just that much. I did stay a long time when I went, however.

 

On the ground at home, ....there is no doggoned way we CAN keep up. Weeding with massive thistles and wild rose [both have propogating roots that stretch to Conneticut! ] is insane! So we carve out little beds and TRY to BEAT the weeds back.

 

 

I'd rather drive than deal with this piece of land.

 

I've been thinking this summer about gardening in harder times. I read optimistic blogs or forum posts about how this or that person has their seeds saved and when the economy fails or whatever, they will grow enough food to feed their family. It's not going to happen quite like that!

 

We are very experienced gardeners, been gardening since we were children and we've been married 40 years now. We have two adult children gardening with us. Sometimes things happen that you don't anticipate or can't fix, like this summer. ...[snip]

 

My point is, I feel sorry for in-expereinced gardeners trying to garden when their lives depend on the food they can grow. It's hard work and you just never know what will happen. God can send the ravens though, when ever He sees we need them to feed us

 

Daylily...EXACTLY the reality that's whacked us upside the head these past two years. DH and I have gardened since childhood as well. While this 9,000' elevation in 'high desert' is CHALLENGING, I'd been gaining confidence in my good production of specific things. Now I KNOW what will grow here, I thought. ...... Then for two years my normally 6' vines of peas only grew 6 INCHES. 2" high spinach that formerly was literally weeds! Self-seeding weeds! This summer, not enough for a salad! It's a DISASTER to my post-Hooey plans!!!!!!

 

And then there is the hay shortage for my egg and milk producers so those plans are KaBlooey too! .....Meaning relying on the sweat of our brow, MUCH LESS THE SWEAT OF SOME OTHER IDIOT who is "too tired or busy" to show up and work, .......is really no guarantee, is it?

 

 

MtRider [....I really hate these 'reality checks', don't you? ]

[Daylily]

Ditto on those reality checks!! Just when you think you've got it all figured out, something you never thought of comes up.

[TurtleMama]

I guess, looking at the silver lining, it's good to get in these bad experiences so that you know they might happen post- . It sounds like so many people had a bad gardening experience this summer. Where I live, we can't grow anything during the summer....but our second spring season starts just about now, so I'm going to be spending some time tilling up our beds, enriching them, and getting ready to seed them in the next week or two. I always try to look at my crop failures as "what not to do" experiences! Gardening is one of those things where Jimmy Buffet's advice comes in handy: "If we didn't laugh, we'd all go insane!" So I try to laugh it off!

[ArmyOfFive4God]

 

 

The guy does have a stressful job but I don't think he understands that when things need to be done they have to be done then and not when a person is not tired. Also weekends are not to rest up, they are there also to work when it is needed.

 

 

 

That's it right there! So many people don't realize (or care that) the world doesn't stop or rest because they think they have to. When I'm sick, I keep pegging along, because I know the rest of the world is. Kids & Husband still need to be fed, clothed, schooled, etc. Even if it's something small, you can't quit because ya "feel like it."

Edited September 3, 2012 by ArmyOfFive4God