Diana’s 2022 Lessons/Successes/Failures
1. Plant more Jalapenos in 2023. I am ADDICTED to Poppers, LOL!
2. A few less tomatoes. More determinate varieties so I get my canning done all at once, and a few more Heirloom slicers for FLAVOR.
3. More salad greens. Work on planting in succession through the whole season versus just spring and fall. Do that with beans and zukes and cukes as well. There is NO reason I should buy ANY produce in the summer months. Duh.
4. More use of the Greenhouse in Fall, 2023. Start a few cherry-types in pots for later transfer to the greenhouse and see how long I can keep them producing.
5. Light tilling and compost added to older beds this spring. It’s time. Top dressing on perennial beds. Production was down just a wee bit, but we had a very COLD Spring in 2022.
6. Keep a diary of foodstuffs eaten from the garden for all of 2023. (A ‘Challenge’ coming up for us all in a future post.)
7. More flowers. One full bed dedicated to cutting flowers. Food for the SOUL!
8. Use up seed from 2022. Start as much from seed as possible, versus being TEMPTED at the Garden Centers.
9. Stock up on favorite fertilizers and potting mixes earlier this season; there were some shortages last year of things I needed to keep going in the fall.
10. Plant potatoes and popcorn in my raised beds, versus the Big Garden, or the garden down below the barn. Raccoons get corn and popcorn down there every. d@mn. time. Enough! Half of The Big Garden is going over to perennial wildflowers for pollinators. Beau can have the rest of it for whatever he wants. It’s too much work for me to do both gardens plus all the lawn chores. If I hate doing it, WHY am I doing it? It doesn’t make me the least bit happy. Duh.
11. BEHAVE with the 2023 seed catalogs. Buy the AAS varieties and my ‘Tried and True’ varieties that never fail me. Don’t get all fancy about things. Back to the BASICS. Production is key for 2023.
If they're anywhere near, mebbe you can visit...
https://all-americaselections.org/project/first-place-winner-boerner-botanical-gardens-hales-corner-wisconsin/
1) get some shade cloth in case we have another 100 degree heat wave.
2) keep the dang goats out of the garden.
OR
1) spend money
2) spend money
3) spend money
4) spend money
5) spend money
Seems to be how it’s really going to work. I’m going to try and rework the high tensile wire and will replace the fence charger since the old one quit. If that doesn’t work then I’ll either have to spend upwards of $3k for sheep/goat fence or get rid of the goats. A lot of that will depend on how many goat kids I get this year. They normally have twins but only had singles the first Spring. If they have singles again, it might be time for them all to go. Aside from that;
Upsize seed starting operation
Build a greenhouse or low tunnel close to the house
Finally build the high tunnel
“TEMPTED at the garden centers”
It will be a little tough picking up that mini-greenhouse I just ordered while keeping blinders on to the rest of Lowes.
Going to go through all my seeds and make a list on the PC of what I’ve got.
RE: 11
I have 43 packets of seed, all different things.