Neighborhood Garden Project: What we've learned
We're heading into the waning days of our gardening season. And, boy, let me tell you, those of us involved in the Neighborhood Garden Project learned a lot. I am pleasantly surprised at how many things we've done right (I will write about this in a future post) or just simply had good luck with. But, of course, the list of what we would do differently is long as well. So, here it is:
- Layout: Certain crops are very prolific and they need a lot of space and support. Or heavy brandwine tomatoes outgrew our bamboo and wire teepees and are in an unfortunate heap with fruit touching the ground. We will definitely do cages and plant fewer plants farther apart next season. Squash, cucumbers and melon need lots of space to spread, too.
- Planting: Our bibb lettuce from the spring lasted a good long time, but we waited until it was done to plant another lettuce variety. Next season, we'll want to mark our calendars to plant before the previous crop is spent. Also, it was not necessary to sow seeds indoors. The seeds we started outside in late April reached their prime no later than the seedlings that got an early start. This is because the last frost in Northern Virginia is pretty predictably in early to mid April, which allows plenty of time to sow seeds outdoors.
- Pest Control: Marigolds work for pest control. Period. However, they get bigger and bigger throughout the summer, so they need to be planted about a foot apart and farther from the path to avoid covering it.
- Harvesting: Crops should be harvested young and often. Some can get too big and less savory within a day or two. Okra, for example. Also, yellow squash. As the season wore on, I found it was best to check the garden daily or at least every other day for ready crops.
- Crop Quality: Melons and carrots were the only failures. As for the melons, the fruit appeared ripe and was of good size and consistency, but they were not sweet or flavorful. I think they may have needed more water. The carrots were very short and stubby. I'm thinking they had trouble penetrating the "floor" of the lasagna.
- Maintenance: This was a doozy. Weed control was a constant headache. And coordinating a schedule and communicating among three families was challenging. Basically, a garden needs constant attention from everyone involved, whether that's one or three people. This means time and sweat and getting your hands dirty (I suppose you could wear gloves, though). There's no way around any of it.
Comments [0]
Tips for a Green Thanksgiving
10 Tips for Making Your Home More Energy Efficient
Green Gift Ideas: Beauty Gift Sets
