I am trying to learn to garden to sustain our family with healthy veggies. this year it was not such a success but it was a start and next year will be better.
I came across this great Facebook page(Straw Bale Gardening - No weeding, no hoeing, no tilling) where I got excited about straw bale gardening as you can tell from the picture above. I planted 6 bales. the picture shown is of 3 tomato, a green pepper, 4 pumpkin and a cantaloupe. For a first try I am happy with what has come from it. there really hasn't been a harvest per say. More like a battle of the hornworms that ravaged my tomatoes and the cantaloupe.
There were a dozen hornworms before I got them all and found out how to keep them away (cyanne pepper a bit of dish soap and water in a spray bottle applied liberally, to both sides of the leaves) Oh and crushed egg shells around the base just past the leaves. I am pleased to say the tomatoes are making a great comeback and I am looking at about 3 batches of black bean and corn salsa in the next few weeks ....yuuummmmm O
I thought I would be bold and try turnips well they are growing but I have no idea when to harvest and I think they have bolted due to the heat
this was taken about 3 weeks ago and now the leaves are leggy and the turnips are getting bigger......:)
My punpkins, ahhhh my pumpkins they suffered so during the heat but now they are gorgeous and thriving
the picture above is from the end of June beginning of July (look at the pretty blossom) and below are my pumpkins today almost 6 ft. long and moving fast towards the grass.....LOL.
I so cant wait to harvest them for Halloween. that is the only reason I will ever grow pumpkins for the time being. I love Jack o lanterns..
Next year I will begin in March trying to start seeds that I can transplant and also in the middle of April, weather permitting I will begin to work the ground and making the rows for some plants and then I am also going to try square foot gardening to see which one is more suited to me. Agreat book that I have been reading on the subject is Square Foot Gardening ~ Mel Bartholomew. there is also a TV show of the same name with him. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5Lu-7FIj_g
I hate to weed so I am hoping that this will be the way for my family to get a bounty of fresh veggies and herbs. And of course me being up for a challenge I am also gonna take a lesson in canning from my neighbor across the street in hopes that we will be able to have our home grown tasty goodness in the winter.
Keep your fingers crossed .
As a friend says the is another Oprah show.....LOL
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