One of the things I was so excited to start after moving into my home was a garden. I bought Month-by-Month Gardening in the Carolinas by Bob Polomski and quickly started my plans. I figured my best bet was to buy small plants (instead of starting from seed) and I was so excited to get to planting that I jumped the gun and planted them too early. I lost a couple of plants, but not all of them. I chose tomatoes, strawberries, bell peppers (I think I only have the red kind left--I don't even like that kind), yellow squash and zucchini. I think I had others, but they haven't survived.
I'm a novice gardener and it definitely shows. Something's eating my squash plants and I have yet to determine what it is. I thought I'd put up chicken wire fencing in case it was the neighborhood cat or the groundhogs, but the fence was too flimsy to put up without stakes (my bf maintained all along that it wouldn't work, but I was determined--I admitted, reluctantly, that he was right and I was wrong). I also tried to do some sort of organic pesticide, but I couldn't decide on anything. Sadly, I took the easy road and used the spray pesticide my bf bought. So no squash yet. No bell peppers because...well, I don't know. I don't know if they pop out later in the season or whether I'm supposed to be picking the flowers off so the plant will put more energy into the fruit. No strawberries. Why? I don't know that either. I got the roots on sale so it's possible they were old. It's also possible I planted them too late in the season or incorrectly. The tomatoes are the only plants that have produced fruit so far. This was the only reason I planted them--I actually don't even like tomatoes, but I knew they are hardy plants and I'd have to drop a bomb on them to kill them. BUT, even still, I'm dealing with problems associated with these plants. One: the tomato hornworm. If this thing wasn't so big, I'd be okay with it. But this thing is...gross. And yells at me when I try to take it off the plant. Seriously. It was disturbing. I'll probably have nightmares tonight. Two: I didn't realize I bought 2 tomato plants that both produce salad sized tomatoes. Geez! I guess I'll be eating a lot of salads... :oP
That's really cool that you started a garden. I was thinking about that the other day. I was at a friends party and the host had an upstairs apartment but had started a little "garden" on their balcony. I don't even like tomatoes but the one I had from their garden was so good and they also grow their own mint (best mojitos ever!).
ReplyDeleteI guess mint grows like weeds so that should be easy to do. Maybe I'll start with baby steps like that, heh. Then I can try for tomatoes.
The host was also an amazing cook too but I don't know if I'm that inspired yet. The only cooking I've been doing lately is throwing fruit and veggies in a blender and I must say, it's not that tasty either. *sigh*
Anyway hope things are going well :)
Ew. That worm is freaky!
ReplyDeleteI love your little tomatoes! You're already amazing in my eyes because I struggle to keep house plants alive and all I have to do is water them. sheesh.
You could start breeding and selling those worms to kids. Just a thought.
Congratulations on your garden! I'm a friend of Jay's, went to school with him in San Vito.
ReplyDeleteI also do organic gardening and pests can be a big problem. I try to use the following methods, some work, some are still trying to work:
corn flour: sprinkle at the bast of corn plants and anything else the ants are eating. The ants eat the flour and die ;)
diatamatious earth: same as the corn flour, plus it's a good fertilizer.
Pepper/Garlic spray: spray directly onto plants to keep anything from eating them. Do this after each rain. And don't get it in your eyes or inhale!
water w/sugar bowl: some say that the ants will drown in the water/sugar bowl since they can't live without water for more than a day. Might get rid of other things too.
I can't say that my garden is pest free, but next year I'm going to be more aggressive and do the above more often.
Good luck in gardening!! :)
Lia Mack
liamack.blogspot.com