Things I’ve Learned Take 3

Gardening is always a learning experience. Sometimes you learn from your mistakes. And sometimes you don’t. This fall I knew not to wait too long to get all my fall veggies in the ground. Did I do that? Nope. My second planting of crops has been a complete failure. So this time I’m writing everything down so hopefully next year I don’t forget. You can find previously posts here and here.

1. Suck it up and plant everything at once if I’m going to plant by the moon cycles. It doesn’t allow succession plantings when time is of the essence.

Chard Leaves

2. Apparently Swiss Chard and Lettuce aren’t as sensitive to the schedule as brassicas are. They seem to take off no matter what. After mid-September the Brassicas get stunted.

3. Squirrels are particularly awful right now. Chicken wire doesn’t help. The only way to keep them away from seed trays is to keep the trays by the back door – of course where there is no sun.

Tom expanding our potato bed

4. Plant twice as many potatoes than you think you need. Same goes for onions and garlic.

5. Chickens don’t eat pumpkin and squash seeds. If they are doing the compost you MUST screen it or your garden will be inundated with squash plants.

Our poor guinea pigs for bitter eggplant

6. Pick those eggplants young! Or they become horribly bitter. We were unfortunately surprised by this at an urban farmer potluck we had not too long ago.

I think that’s all for now. What have you learned this year?

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