I'm a bad gardener. I finally strolled out to the backyard to check on my plants yesterday afternoon around sunset. I think there might be tigers living in the jungle that surrounds my tomatoes and peppers.
So, I learned that I don't have the time or the inclination to weed my garden as much as I should. I should've figured that out last year. Duh!
Meanwhile, I've been reading Masanobu Fukuoka's One-Straw Revolution. Fukuoka studied his land and the crops he grew and created a self-substaining biological system that leverages the natural tendencies of nature. He refers to his technique as "do nothing farming." He goes on to clarify that you do actually have to do things, but just not as many things as modern farmers do, such as plowing all the time and dumping pesticides all over the place.
He strategically sowed clover around his crops to serve as a ground cover that chokes out larger weeds that would compete with the crops. He grew wheat, and used wheat straw as a mulch. He also used the weeds themselves as mulch - he cut them and dropped them in place to decompose.
It took him years to figure out the components and timing needed for his "do nothing farming," and he says that what worked for him won't work everywhere because soil and climate differences are a big factor. He encourages people to experiment and figure out what works in their conditions.
I think I'll do that.
One thing is for sure - I have got to do something about the weeds next year. I'm thinking mulch. I'll just mulch everything. I'm a little concerned that my garden plot seems to be very damp already, and the mulch will help it stay damp. (Oh. That reminds me about my potatoes. I'll get back to them in a minute.) But for all I know there could be a drought next year. I think I'll try the mulch and see what happens.
And now, the potato report: the purples ones are dead. :( The red ones are heading in that direction. The "potato berries" are still hanging out on one of the Rose Gold vines. They're the size of a nickel now. They really do look like small, unripe tomatoes.
I also noticed the return of the miniature furry hermit crab bugs. These guys showed up on my tomatoes last year. I put one in a jar and took it to the ag extension office, but they couldn't ID it. As far as I could tell, they didn't really hurt the tomatoes. This year they're on the potatoes. The potatoes are so sickly that it's hard to tell if the bugs caused it or not. Hmm. I'll make a note to take a picture of the weird little bug dudes.
We have enough squash now that we might make a casserole. :P Some of the squash are actually greenish. On the next squash-picking expedition I need to note which plant the green ones are coming from.
So, I learned that I don't have the time or the inclination to weed my garden as much as I should. I should've figured that out last year. Duh!
Meanwhile, I've been reading Masanobu Fukuoka's One-Straw Revolution. Fukuoka studied his land and the crops he grew and created a self-substaining biological system that leverages the natural tendencies of nature. He refers to his technique as "do nothing farming." He goes on to clarify that you do actually have to do things, but just not as many things as modern farmers do, such as plowing all the time and dumping pesticides all over the place.
He strategically sowed clover around his crops to serve as a ground cover that chokes out larger weeds that would compete with the crops. He grew wheat, and used wheat straw as a mulch. He also used the weeds themselves as mulch - he cut them and dropped them in place to decompose.
It took him years to figure out the components and timing needed for his "do nothing farming," and he says that what worked for him won't work everywhere because soil and climate differences are a big factor. He encourages people to experiment and figure out what works in their conditions.
I think I'll do that.
One thing is for sure - I have got to do something about the weeds next year. I'm thinking mulch. I'll just mulch everything. I'm a little concerned that my garden plot seems to be very damp already, and the mulch will help it stay damp. (Oh. That reminds me about my potatoes. I'll get back to them in a minute.) But for all I know there could be a drought next year. I think I'll try the mulch and see what happens.
And now, the potato report: the purples ones are dead. :( The red ones are heading in that direction. The "potato berries" are still hanging out on one of the Rose Gold vines. They're the size of a nickel now. They really do look like small, unripe tomatoes.
I also noticed the return of the miniature furry hermit crab bugs. These guys showed up on my tomatoes last year. I put one in a jar and took it to the ag extension office, but they couldn't ID it. As far as I could tell, they didn't really hurt the tomatoes. This year they're on the potatoes. The potatoes are so sickly that it's hard to tell if the bugs caused it or not. Hmm. I'll make a note to take a picture of the weird little bug dudes.
We have enough squash now that we might make a casserole. :P Some of the squash are actually greenish. On the next squash-picking expedition I need to note which plant the green ones are coming from.
