A quick picture update...

Bean Killer

SOMETHING is in my garden, enjoying all of my bush bean seedlings.  Half of them have been chopped off, right at the soil level.  Anyone local have this problem, or a solution to this problem?  At this rate, I won't have any green beans at all this year!  :(

Weary of Winter

Its that time of year again.  The days are getting longer, the sun feels warmer, the weather starts to warm up... then you wake up the next morning and its -10F and you are knocked right back into reality.  This is February, in Alaska.  Spring is NOT just around the corner, although it is only about 2.5 months away now.

My mind is already on my garden.  I'm thinking about what I will be growing, where everything is going to be planted, how will the greenhouse be set up this year etc.  I have several things that I am sure will be in the garden, but I always try to plant one or two things I have never grown before.  Its not always a success, but its fun!  And that's a big part of having a garden, the fun of it!

What will I be growing for sure this year?

Tomato
Cucumber
Broccoli
Beans
Snap Pea
Summer Squash
Cabbage
Turnip
Lettuce
Radish
Kale
Carrot

Any suggestions from my readers for the "Something New" column?  What's your favorite "fun" plant to grow in the garden?

The garden is growing again!

These last few days of no rain have been great for the garden.  Temps have been in the mid 70s here, and the sun has been popping in and out.  I officially harvested my first cucumber of the year (but forgot to take a picture, as I was so excited to eat it!)  And the green beans are finally blooming!!!  I'm going to actually get some this year!  Also, although the plants are obviously stunted, with most leaves being about the size of a quarter, the nasturtiums are getting ready to bloom!

Here's to a beautiful August!

I just had to!

Here we go! I officially bought some seeds today! I couldn't resist the sale, I had to do it! I bought Sugar Ann Snap Peas, which I grow every year and have great success with, Nasturtiums, which I am positive I will be planting, and Stringless Blue Lake Bush Beans, which I am also sure will be in the garden. I think the only other plant I will be planting fore sure this year is Rhubarb, which is the subject of a whole other post!

I decided that I need to increase the depth of my raised beds this year, as the ground below is completely gravel, and I think the shallow soil hindered growth last year. (The roots hit the gravel and simply stopped growing.) I have two beds that are triangular and of equal dimension and two each of two differently sized rectangles. If I turn the 6 shallow beds into 3 deeper beds, by stacking the frames on top of each other, I should have better luck. I can always build one or two more each year until I really have what I want.

As far as dealing with the nutrient-poor soil, the plan is to remove all the soil from all the beds and mix with the finished pile of compost and some aged steer manure. This will be my first year using my own compost, so I'm excited! And soon it will be chicken fertilizer going into the fresh compost rather than buying steer manure.

I have to admit, I will be doing a little bit of planting today, just to scratch the itch a bit more. I bought some organic potting soil and few pretty little pots that fit perfectly in my kitchen window. I will be planting Basil, Thyme, and Rosemary. I'm a sucker, what can I say!

Already thinking about next years garden...

So, with the exception of a few plants, this years garden has been a real failure for me. I need to start thinking about next years garden and what I will (and won't) plant in it. I'll start out with a list of what grew and what didn't.

Grew Well:

Snap Peas
Cucumber
Onion
Strawberries
Rhubarb

Didn't Work Out:

Beans
Zucchini
Broccoli
Carrots
Radishes
Spinach
Kale
Cabbage
Eggplant
Peppers
Tomato
Beets



I have to start by asking myself how much of the failure could have been prevented? I need much better soil in the raised beds, that would make a difference all the way around. I neglected my garden for 2 weeks during the beginning of the hottest part of the summer. This was due to Lily being born, but it was neglect all the same.


So, what am I definitely NOT growing again next year? Eggplant, Peppers and Beets for sure.

What am I definitely GROWING again next year? Snap Peas, Cucumber, Onion, Strawberries and Rhubarb, for sure, obviously. But what am I not willing to give up on quite yet? Cabbage, for one. I love cabbage, I cook with it all the time, and Alaska is know for its ability to grow prize winning cabbages, which tells me that I am just doing something wrong. I also know that even if I say I am not going to, I will end up with at least 2 tomato plants again next year. I think I will try Zucchini again as well, as this is just something I really want to have an abundance of in the fall. I think that next year I just need to scale it down a bit, and try to focus on a few so-far-unaccessable-to-me vegetables, and a few tried and true favorites. I will not give up, and sooner or later I will have an amazing vegetable garden every year to feed my family!

Time flys...

Hard to believe that Lily is almost a month old already! I've severely neglected my blog! Here is a quick garden update...

The broccoli and spinach bolted, due to the 85F+ temperatures. The cabbage hasn't grown at all in the last month. The peas are blooming and the beans are doing well, as are the carrots. The radishes have met a similar fate as the cabbages. Cucumbers and zucchini are looking good, and I have 1 tomato. The peppers are covered in aphids and the eggplant seems to be a wasted effort. The onions, beets and strawberries are looking good, and the rhubarb is ready to harvest again! This crazy weather has just messed with the garden too much this year, but next year will hopefully be more productive! I'll post some more pictures next time!