This year has already been an interesting gardening season! Here are my thoughts as we’re halfway through the growing season.
Don’t Let Everything Go To Seed
I mean you definitely can, but just know that it may spell trouble for next year. You may remember my dill saga last year, but this year the struggle has been around plantain! “It’s medicinal,” I said. “It’ll be great to have a ton in the yard,” I said. Yikes lol. It’s EVERYWHERE and not actually that easy to pull out. Anyone want some plantain??
Bugs Will Bug
This year even with covering our early greens, the flea beetles were ALL OVER EVERYTHING. Ugh. They’re definitely one of the banes of my existence. I do think having the row cover and using diatomaceous earth helped a lot though.
Radish Seed Pods are DELISH
Radishes haven’t been something I’ve had a lot of success growing! Either they’re full of worms or often bolt…BUT, this year I let them continue to go to seed and tried a seed pod last week and they’re sooo tasty to eat raw.
Covered Veggies Do Way Better
If you’ve been keeping track of my infrequent instagram posts, you’ll remember I posted about our “started from seed” squash and one that sprouted itself from our worm compost in our greenhouse. The greenhouse squash is absolutely GIGANTIC and growing like nuts and our yard squash are pitiful in comparison. A lot of plants like extra cover and protection from the elements.
Gardening here is all about taking (calculated) risks!
Last spring we had warm and nice weather soooo early and frosts were finished much earlier than normal and we had a ton of things planted out in the garden that thrived super early. This year, it was so off and on and we had super late frosts! BUT! I still rolled the dice and planted colder crops (think brassicas, greens, peas, carrots, beets, onions, etc) pretty early and we lucked out! They all survived and thrived and our garden is decently ahead this year. Warmer crops though definitely struggled to get going. As our weather continues to be weird from climate change, you just have to keep your eye on the forecast and try to optimize what you can, when you can.