I'll list the things we have taken from the 2024 garden so far: Lettuce, strawberries by the gallon, radishes (I don't care for radishes much, but Cliff loves them), peas, and as of today... green beans. I have several small rows of green beans sowed at different times so I'll have some all summer. I'm not much of a mind to do canning any more.
Some things we are looking forward to eating: corn, sweet potatoes, potatoes, cabbage, onions, carrots, zucchini, eggplant, cantaloupe, and cucumbers.
Asparagus was planted for the first time this spring, and the plants look like little Christmas trees blowing in the breeze. Next year we should be able eat some.
I planted parsnips early on, but the seeds failed to do anything. They need a pretty long season, so I decided to try again next year. That was my only total failure.
With the first corn seeds I plant, I use the hill method: The corn will grow in a tight clump all summer. When the corn starts to tassle, the 6 plants will be close enough to each other that all the ears will be properly pollinated! This is a never-fail method for growing a small amount of corn. If you have a small garden, you can still probably find a place to plant corn by this method. Here are the two hills of corn I've planted.
Here's the second, planted 10 days or so ago:
The third crop is in two actual rows, and just came up two days ago:
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| Look at the crack on the right and you might see the green of another corn, barely coming up |
Just for fun, I have flowers around the inside of the fence surrounding my garden. The irises bloom first. Next, the daylilies. And finally, The gladiolus. That gives me flowers to enjoy almost all spring. I planted five sunflower seeds near the fence this year, just to keep things interesting.
Beautiful garden. I've not heard of growing corn in that manner, but it makes sense.
ReplyDeleteI miss having a garden....or should I say I miss what comes from the garden, Mark was the garden person....I helped with picking, canning, freezing, and most importantly EATING. It makes him sad he can't do it anymore. He still mows yard but don't know how much longer he'll be able to do it, he WILL NOT let be help or do it.
ReplyDeleteWe've had lots of lettuce, a few radishes, peas and onions thus far. The radishes were largely a failure because they turned woody almost immediately and the peas got eaten by rabbits so I only got a few cups from them. I plan to till all the lettuce, radishes and peas up and plant some sweet corn and see if we can get a crop thanks to your suggestion earlier.
ReplyDeleteWe planted our asparagus this spring too and I enjoy seeing the fern like leaves waving in the breeze. But all our directions said you aren't supposed to pick any until the third year, i.e. spring of 2026 if you want to get the best crown development. I wonder if it is just the variety we planted since yours can be picked next year?
Our radishes did the same thing! And yes, you are right. I just googled, and that's what it says. I get a lot of things wrong these days.
DeleteDo the deer try to forage on your garden. We had an awful time keeping the deer away from ours.
ReplyDeleteNo, the garden is fenced so even rabbits and raccoons can't get it.
DeleteI love the sound of your garden especially the radishes (I'm with Cliff!) and the green beans, which are a favorite. Nothing better than home grown tomatoes either. I'm hoping that older daughter, who inherited all her father's farming genes, will grow lots of produce and share it with me! P.S. She's tried for corn a couple times and failed--I will suggest your method to her.
ReplyDeleteUm...call me stupid, but it never occurred to me to space plantings in order to stretch my crop out over the summer. What a very good idea!
ReplyDeleteI've never had much luck with corn. Perhaps the next time I am in a position to have a garden, I will try the hill method.
I only do the hill method early on. Once the peas and radishes are done, that gives me more space to plant corn in rows. But I still only plant small amounts at a time, because I don't want all my corn to be ready at once.
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