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To live a self-sufficient and organic lifestyle for the next half century. With the Grace of God and the power of prayer, we will succeed. Nothing is impossible with His help. It wouldn't be us without laughter and joy at the Cockeyed Homestead.

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Sunday, March 31, 2019

A Cockeyed Garden Plan for 2019

Mel set the garden plan for this year and I let her. So I shouldn't complain.  I must admit it's beautiful, but I fear not highly productive.

First thing I noticed is there's not enough planted for continuing to be self sustainable in any of the vegetables planted. This is a real bummer, to me, because last year I grew enough to cover our needs 100% in green beans (actually 2 years worth), corn, and tomatoes.


Observations (complaints)
1) While it looks like I'll be able to ferment my kimchi and sauerkraut, we may not have the expected yield. She is planting these brassicas in the spring when the cabbage worms are at their height of their reproductive cycle. This is worrisome and added vigilance. Thus a reduction of usable harvest. While I plant these is the fall so I have a full summer harvest of all the other vegetables that go into my kimchi like ginger, peppers, daikon radishes, and garlic. By planting my napa cabbages in the spring, I may not have enough of the other vegetables ready. Napa does not hold well.

2) The pathways are too narrow. When I asked her about it, she said she made the pathways one foot wide! Can you maneuver around full grown plants with only 12" of footing? It should prove interesting. Each garden bed allows for a 3'x 4' long allotment of plants. She'll have to take care of it all this year. I find it's difficult to maneuver in 3' walkways. I guess I'll just piddle around with the elevated raised pallet garden beds of herbs this year. Just as well with my surgeries.

3) When I look at the transplants seedling. I asked for 20 Roma tomatoes, she started 10. She did that with everything I suggested. Sigh, oh well, it will be a light canning season for me, but more trips to the grocery store. Grocery store= more $$ spent. It's only money, right? God save my pocketbook. I don't know where she expects the money to come from.

Our money tree died. If you play Sims 3, you know what I'm talking about. Every day you can harvest a couple hundred buxes off this tree when fully matured. I've often wished for a real life equivalent of this, but there isn't, is there? Also when this tree matured it would drop a seed to grow another one. You could plant a whole orchard in them. How cool is that? It's nice to dream.

Y'all have a blessed day. I know we will!

Jo



2 comments:

  1. I would sure love even one of those money trees! LOL

    Garden planning is so very much tied to experience. Sounds like you've got more than Mel, so is there any way you could work on this together? Or else let her do all the shopping and canning to get a better idea of how to plan a garden!

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