What would you do different?

topic posted Wed, July 8, 2009 - 8:21 PM by  yadda yadda
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Today a friend mentioned to me that she wished she'd planned out her garden space differently now that her plants are approaching full size.
Like most gardeners, I enjoy spending time in the winter planning out what I will grow and where. But then I get to this time of year and see things that I'd like to change next time I plant. This year I wish I had twice as much space.
Now that our gardens are producing, is there anything you would change and why?
posted by:
yadda yadda
SF Bay Area
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  • Re: What would you do different?

    Wed, July 8, 2009 - 9:43 PM
    I didn't get my raised flower beds done early enough so my plants all went to seeding. Which is cool because I went from 4 strawberry plants to 15. I just wish I had gotten a strawberry out of the deal. I would also ensure that my cucumbers were not accessible by the guinea fowl as they killed them along with a daring pumpkin plant that was coming back from last year. As a matter of fact All I really want is to add 4 more raised beds before December and guinea proof it. I would like to get where I do my change overs better. I wanted winter squash but there isn't a way I could have done so this year.

    In short:
    -4 more beds
    -guinea fowl proof-ed areas
    -a compost heap
    -better change over
    -more variety
  • Re: What would you do different?

    Wed, July 8, 2009 - 9:57 PM
    Plant all my squash and melons in beds instead of their own dug holes along the perimeter of the yard. The ones in the beds are doing SO much better!
    Give the parsnips more space.
    Plant more peas in the winter.
    Put down weed cloth under our beds. Yes, that's a lot more work removing the soil and putting in the cloth, but the bindweed is killing me!
    Separate the sweet and flour corn more.
    Plant the Hidatsa Shield Beans on Trellises and the Speckled Cranberry Beans on the corn instead of vice versa.
    Start onions and leeks in flats instead of direct seeding.
    More space for potatoes.
  • Re: What would you do different?

    Thu, July 9, 2009 - 4:55 AM
    I'd make it bigger!

    Really, the biggest change would be staggering the planting of lettuce. I always forget and plant it all at the same time, then end up with huge amounts of it. Next year I'll also start my tomatoes indoors a few months in advance.
  • Re: What would you do different?

    Thu, July 9, 2009 - 8:58 AM
    Plant scarlet runner beans instead of regular green beens, plant another potato bin, plant all early girl tomatoes because they are the only ones really setting fruit, and plant another pepper.
    • Re: What would you do different?

      Thu, July 9, 2009 - 1:46 PM
      I seem to 'panic' grow now...When I first started I had neat little beds , companion grew, and was obsessive about pests and the way my plot looked.!!
      Sometimes I wish I could start all over..I still grow food, and enjoy it, but not as much as I used to, simply because it's become a chore.....I love it when it works :)
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    Re: What would you do different?

    Thu, July 9, 2009 - 1:58 PM
    I rent, and luckily my apartment has garden space in the back. However, the landlord is new and the space needed LOTS of work... to which he didn't get done until recently. Thus, all my tomato plants died :( I would have simply planted them near my back door where I planted flowers had I known of the delay!
  • Re: What would you do different?

    Fri, July 10, 2009 - 11:54 AM
    i'm think next year i won't plant so much at once, i got swarmed with more lettuce than i had friends to pawn it all off on.

    i was thinking of doing one or two raised beds per week, spreading the items out across them
    • Re: What would you do different?

      Fri, July 10, 2009 - 12:17 PM
      It helps me a great deal to read what y'all would change next year. I feel I have so much to learn and a mid summer reevaluation gives me some good information to digest. Thanks.

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