It's pretty big, but not enough if I want to plant enough to can and freeze:
So, I took some of the plants that don't grow much in width and planted them elsewhere... in my flower gardens.
I used this place:
To plant six eggplants:
And here along the front of the house I planted beets (which I forgot to take pictures of -- but which have lovely red/green foliage):
And here where I have mostly flowering ground cover, I planted six peppers:
That was a few weeks ago. So far? I've lost two beet plants and three eggplants and I have no idea why. More, the rest of the eggplants and beet plants aren't really growing much. One pepper got smothered by grass clippings when my DH mowed (for thirteen years, I've asked him to NOT mow clippings into my garden... he still doesn't listen) and may not make it, but the others are going strong and most have actually flowered.
Next year, I'll try something else in the circle garden. I'm not sure if the sprinklers killed the ones that died or if they weren't getting enough sun.
In my main garden, I keep finding plants "topped". I had two tomatoes that looked like they were broken off. The first time, I figured it for a chipmunk, the second time I was ready to cry. I started digged the plants up to make room for new ones (which I realized was a bad move -- tomatoes will come back from being topped), and as I dug, I found a cut worm. BAD (and now deceased) bug.
So, a week later, when one of my cucumbers suffered the same fate, I dug around the roots and sure enough, I found a cut worm. I've never really had a problem with them before, so am frustrated. I do NOT want to treat the place with pesticides, but alternatively, I'd sure like to have some plants survive.
My admiration for the pilgrims grows every year I try to garden out here.
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3 comments:
I think it's very smart to plant in different areas. Some veggies look beautiful as ornamentals too.
Ref: cutworms
They almost always take me by surprise, and I should know better. When I see the first fallen plant of the year, I go out and methodically put an aluminum foil collar around each plant. You can use cardboard too, like rolls of empty toilet paper. But I prefer the foil. Foils them every time. :)
Huh ... I've never heard of that for cutworms. Of course, I've never had cutworm problems, so didn't looke for solutions. Time to pull out the foil. And next year? I think I'll plant in TP or towel rolls since they'll break down over time and I won't have to remove them. Thanks!!
I think that was a very creative and unique way of dealing with your gardens this year. I'm sorry it's not working out well, though. I have no idea what a cutworm is, but am not looking it up. (*shudder*)
I hope your garden grows well after your small setback.
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