First garden attempt UPDATE

[cjohns6]

Back in September or October of last year I got it into my head that I wanted to try and grow all of our own produce. Problem is I kill everything except weeds, I'm excellent weed grower. Our soil is particularly deficient of nutrients, or so I think, also its crappy clay. For example our mature trees are the last to get leaves (a month or two later) and first to lose them in the neighborhood, even though they are the same. So I knew I need raised beds. For Christmas I asked for Lowes gift cards and gardening books because I'm a planner.  I built my beds in the middle of winter, it was relatively warm, ordered seeds and dwarf fruit trees. I was prepared, spring rolled around and I got started. I planted my 3 apples trees, one cherry and orange tree and prepped to espalier them then I killed most of my seedlings so I bought and planted starter plants from lowes. 3 of my 5 fruit trees were dug up and eaten by the dogs, that was awesome (there is a possibility the roots of one of the apple trees is still in the ground so we will see). I also bought some dying blueberry and blackberry plants this summer b/c they were half off, blue berries lived and the black berry died. Bugs kept eating my kale and cabbage, birds kept stealing my strawberries but my tomatoes are a success. This fall the brussell sprouts and pumpkins should be in, and my tomatoes keep putting out. Pretty much this season was a lot of failures but I'm pleased that I grew anything at all and I'm looking forward to next years crops. Because of gift cards my total out of pocket costs were low so that helps. Hopefully next year brings many apples.


Main beds with tomatoes, strawberries, brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, blueberries.


Tomato plant that is now over 8 feet tall! Has 20-30 tomatoes on it at once.


Dwarf orange tree, Its too cold here in winter to plant outside so its potted.


Dwarf Ginger Gold apple tree



This bed no longer has dogs in it, but pumpkins plants.



MONSTER TOMATO PLANT - August

For size reference the trellis is about 10 feet tall. There are about 30 green tomatoes growing on the top portion. When they ripen I'll need a ladder to get them.

From the deck view

[domesticmamma]

Not a bad haul for your first time. My first crop was eaten by birds! Even the basil was devoured! I find that making a little coop with chicken wire to cover the most edible plants helps a lot. Its cheap and effective, keeps the bids and other "little visitors" away without hurting them or the plants.

[cjohns6]

I made some organic pesticide that seems to work if I keep up with it. I'm most proud of the trees because they started out only 3 or 4 inches tall.

[yoopidou]

Nice looking tomatoes.

I totally agree with trying to grow some of our food.

I have encountered the same stealing from birds but they even ate the tomatoes. We put old CD, the birds don't like the rays of light they send everywhere when it's sunny. The problems are that the CD deteriorate fast and they do not work so well on cloudy days. I am thinking of building a cage with a net.

[MissingWillow]

Keep on going, you'll learn from each and every mistake.  Your tomatoes are lovely.   

[TechnicolorAquahearts]

I too am on a quest to grow a large percentage of our food, and this spring was my second growing season. My first was last fall and I started late so I only got a few cucumbers and some cherry tomatoes. When spring rolled around I vowed I would at least make progress, and I did, I got a few really good zucchini, some shallots, several bowls of kale, some peas, and about a dozen tomatoes. My yields are TERRIBLE, so this fall I am not doing a crop I am just going to use this whole season to work on my soil so that maybe in the spring I will actually produce more vegetables! There is so much to learn about gardening! It's easy to be overwhelmed by it all.

[cjohns6]

I know what you mean. I didn't plant as nearly as much as I wanted to or harvest much other than tomatoes. I'm not sure what I'll plant next year. I might just stick to tomatoes, strawberries, kale and blue and blackberries. Or not. Will see.

[Taramor]

I loved your tale of toil and trouble  . Congratulation on the tomatoes. I have found that squash and pumpkins are easy to grow, but you have to give them a lot of nutrition. If you make compost, they can grow on top of it. Peas, beans and carrots are easy too, I think. Strawberries aren't that easy, but they taste so wonderful freshly picked, they are worth the trouble.
  But I find kale difficult to grow - because of carterpillars, and other bugs.

I wish you luck, and am looking foreward to hear more about your garden-adventure.

[shainakhan]

Organic tomatos huh  good try. Happy planting .

[JimBerry]

I feel that if the tomato plant is over 8 feet tall and has 20 to 30 tomatoes on it at once then its quite an achievement considering the fact that your garden has had a lot of failures. Way to go, I wish you the very best of luck.