Harvest Time
I set out to sustain our family through our garden, this summer. I've found that I cannot. I harvested: oats, barley, wheat, millet, tomatoes & herbs. Other than that, I was largely unsuccessful. I probably don't have enough oats for a breakfast, have no idea how I'm going to mill any of the grains, & this is a picture of my basil yield. This is a baby food jar, mind you! I picked, rinsed & dehydrated more basil leaves than I thought neccessary, and then....they shrunk!
I've come to realize that for a family to sustain itself off their land is quite an accomplishment! Also, we are users. That Costco size jar of basil I have in my cupboard, how many plants did they have to grow for that?! I got a bargain when I paid for it, though at the time I was grumbling about how much a "stupid herb" was costing me. I did harvest the seeds from my basil plants & hope that next year, I will actually get plants from them.
Lessons I learned from my garden this year:
1. I need more land
2. I need more sun
3. I need to test my soil & amend BEFORE planting
4. It don't mean a thing if you ain't got....nitrogen & my dirt is deficient
5. Food from the store is actually cheap at nearly any price
6. Don't gripe about food prices, you're paying a highly skilled laborer
7. "God makes flowers grow in my garden, He loves me" Plant life is a miracle & God is my provider
8. Compost is very good
9. I need more compost
10. Oats & barley grow very well in the PNW, wheat does not, millet should've been started earlier.
11. Strawberries are to be guarded if you want to eat your crop. Blackberries are everywhere!
12. Gophers cannot be stopped.
13. Moles can't either.
14. Weeds aren't so bad if you double dig your beds.
15. Drip systems are awesome, cheap timers are not.
16. You actually have to spend time in the garden everyday.
17. Hand picking insects is not fun & cabbage isn't worth it!
18. Corn cannot grow in nitrogen deficient soil, it just can't.
19. Companion planting helps keep the bugs away.
20. I need to find out my local frost dates, I started my garden too late.
So, if you've harvested from you garden & you didn't get as much as you'd like...thank God for the grocery store! And if you've harvested plenty, pass on the gardening tips, please!
Comments
1. the deer need to be harvested too, so they quit eating my beans!
2. you can't can tomatoes or tomato sauce unless you actually plant some tomato plants first.
:P
oh wait, I do have a good one for you: GLEAN, GLEAN, GLEAN, GLEAN! There's nothing better than free food, and sharing what you have with someone else in return!
And I'm all about maximizing my space. I don't plant corn. I live in IOWA. I can't drive two blocks in the summer time without finding a roadside booth selling the stuff. And it TASTES GOOD! Plus, corn is a heavy feeder and takes a lot of space. I did much better this year with planting bush cucumbers. We had our fill of cucumber salad (multiple types) and I have a winter storage of pickles in the basement.
Each year you learn more and more about what is best for your land and what crops your family can best use. Yes, thank God for farmers! There is no way I could keep our family in enough flour for a year with the amount of land we own....