How's your garden producing?

[teach]

I think I have come to realize that I do not have enough room to grow enough food to live on. Not giving up, but will need to rethink options for next year. Have canned about 30 quarts of green beans, hoping for about 20 of tomatoes, 10 pints of carrots-going to try some fall ones, 15 pints of squash and 7 in relish. Should get about 20 pints of okra and 15 pints of green peppers. How is your garden growing?

[Oscar Wilde]

[I think I have come to realize that I do not have enough room to grow enough food to live on. Not giving up, but will need to rethink options for next year. How is your garden growing?]

The weather has had the greatest impact on my garden's production. We've recognized the shortcomings / drawbacks in our planning / weather related / other issues.... I'll need to make purchases NOW to compensate and have begun planning for next year to avoid a similar shortfall ....
O.W.

[prkchp76]

i got maters cucumbers squash zuchinin and butter nut squash also water melons suffering

[teach]

Oscar, I would love to share any ideas with you and others on increasing production.

[Dracos]

The asparagus is done for the year. We are eating tomatoes. It looks like a great year for apples, maybe passing last years 400 pounds. The pears are doing well, too. No peaches, they are resting. In a purely survival situation I would grow mostly potatoes. Some squash, peas and carrots for vitamins. Its handy to have a 20 year old orchard. That dosn't happen overnight. I've got chicks about to hatch. It is pouring down the rain. We got .8 inches last night which is 10% of what we get in a good year.

[coxmw]

I think I have come to realize that I do not have enough room to grow enough food to live on. Not giving up, but will need to rethink options for next year. Have canned about 30 quarts of green beans, hoping for about 20 of tomatoes, 10 pints of carrots-going to try some fall ones, 15 pints of squash and 7 in relish. Should get about 20 pints of okra and 15 pints of green peppers. How is your garden growing?

Not to good here, need rain!!! I'll be lucky to get a meal out of it this year.

[mountainman28713]

We have gotten about 3 qts of beans out of the garden this year, and about a bushel of potatoes, three tomatoes off of a hanging beefsteak which is just now starting to produce...you know the upside down ones, and am getting ready to put out late heirloom cherokee purp toms, in addition to late Yellow oxheart toms which are also heirloom. We also hope for pumkins and watermelons. We will have to supplement with organic farmers market produce in order to make the pantry for the coming winter. We are also seed saving this year again and hope to have more to offer for the next year. We just have not had a consistent weather pattern to get much out of our garden this year.

[kenno]

I live in an area that is very simular to the Montana plains, 36 degrees in July, the absolute worst place to plant a garden. Water has not been a problem. When fuel prices spiked last year a I built a greenhouse with about 50% shade. I have used tubs this year as we have gopher problems even inside the greenhouse. Though my sunlight is not the best I have maintained warm temps and my plants are 'thriving' better than they ever did outdoors given thier latitude etc. I need to add more clear panels to get the evening sun to increase growth rate. I am now thinking about building a clear wind screen around a corn and potatoe plot for next year. The sun,wind and cold kill any veg. exposed to the elements. Growing enough to survive a year at this location,,,not likely.
I have 2 of those tomatoe hangers but have not planted them yet, no seeds in the box. How do you make em work? Does the poly foam seal the tomatoe stalk and keep the dirt /water in?

[Visinedrops]

Planted one bean plant, and it has produced enough for a couple meals' side dishes, which is sufficient to know that more plants would produce enough beans for canning. My corn stalks have shown their tops, and are beginning to produce ears, however, with only 3 ears per stalk, 5 stalks won't produce much. Broccoli isn't doing anything but being leafy.

Just stuck in some leaf lettuce and spinach seeds to germinate. Will probably grow them in artificial light come this fall.

[pathfinder3081]

I have gotten what I thought I would for the most part. One big thing is WATER! We started the spring with lots of rain, now it is dry. 150 gallons of rain barrel water last for about 4 decent waterings with a gravity fed drip system. I was suprised how fast a 15 minute cycle would drain the barrels (I am preparing a post for my water barrel project) we're still having to use the garden hose and well. I did not plan on a winter supply of chow with my raised bed project as I have a good supply of can goods right now and I don't want to plow up the front yard... yet.
2 - 4'x8' beds have produced about two pecks of green beans, 15 yellow squash (and they are still full of blooms) 15 pickling cucumber which are worthless because they have very little nutritional value.(sad truth)
Zuchini's are just starting to bear but should be good, tomatoes are loaded now (I only plant romas' and cherries) Bell peepers are loaded as well and have 12 on the stalk and they are still coming.
We are having success with other letteuce, ruf***e, onions and the like and on the deck and patio as well.

[TheLastMountainMan]

I've got beans, peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, and all kinds of peppers, growing like crazy. Having a canning party soon. We make our own salsa...mmmmm.

[Dracos]

I do not think pickles are worthless. They don't have much nutrition, but I would gladly trade a bag of potatoes for a jar of pickles. I believe that "We who Survived" will become a nation of barterers. I raise fruit and chickens. My neighbor raises alfalfa and has a gravity powered irrigation system. You can bet in a survival situation we can work something out.

[Oscar Wilde]

[Oscar, I would love to share any ideas with you and others on increasing production.]

Teach, I would enjoy learning from your insight. There aren't enough hours in the day to accomplish all I need to accomplish .... as I drift off to sleep at night my final thoughts are usually " I forgot to do something". My organizational skills aren't what they should be either.
O.W.

[teach]

Thanks Oscar, but I wanted your ideas. I did meet an older fellow who had grown the most beautiful tomatoes I have ever seen. He told me he put Epsom Salts in the hole and then around the plant every two weeks for about 2 months.

[Oscar Wilde]

[Thanks Oscar, but I wanted your ideas. I did meet an older fellow who had grown the most beautiful tomatoes I have ever seen. He told me he put Epsom Salts in the hole and then around the plant every two weeks for about 2 months.]

I must confess that while I have a number of most excellent ideas I don't often put them into practice. I also read of the Epson salts technique which had great results. I've had a disruption in the family organization which affected planning and implementaion for this year. In the event I'm / we / all of us are able to attempt this again next year, I will be better prepared. I will share with you my recent discovery....much to my chagrin, I have not been the diligent gardener and have let weeds develop in my garden .....I have also noticed that the taller of the weeds are badly chewed upon by the pesky critters that had in past years feasted on my vegetables ....my tomatoes, peppers and beans are untouched. This weekend I will be planning for a late crop.
O.W.