In Reply to: So did you garden or travel? posted by Oldtimer on March 23, 2004 at 09:10:55:
We haven't travelled yet. We have 2 kids in highschool still, so it'll be a couple of years before that happens. In the meantime SHE'LL garden - flowers, shrubs, trees, things like that. I'll plant a few tomatoes, a few cukes, some corn, etc..in this teency, weency, little plot, but just enough to get a taste. My 150 ft square garden days are over. More like 10 x 10 now. Actually, I used to turn over a couple of acres.....bye bye forever.
In the future, we'll live up here and garden for the the summer, and travel for the winter. A few keys to getting something to grow (like a few veggies, for example) is to sprinkle in a bit of fertilizer (read the package) at the time of seeding and water to get them sprouted. Then, when the plants are up a bit, water weekly with a real good soaking (just don't drown them). Once the soil dries up a bit after watering, usually within a day or two, stir it lightly and gently (not too deep) to break it up to keep it friable and loose. You can knock out any weeds at the same time throughout the growing season. If you don't stir the soil, your plants may just 'sit there?' So do it. DO IT! It's very important, VERY IMPORTANT, and the reason why many gardens fail. The plants won't get the growth , and if they don't get the growth, they won't produce a crop. When were talking stirring the soil, we're talking a day or two after every soaking, be it by you or by nature. When the plants are about to set (produce fruit), you can stop stirring the soil. That'll stop the plant growth and start the crop growth.