Monday, September 24, 2012

Garden Finale

This is pretty much the end of this year's garden.

The Thai Basil and Thai Peppers are going gangbusters.  I believe it's the double layered bed that made the difference.  As you will see, the other peppers, planted at the same time, are nowhere near luxuriant!  There are garlic and onion trying to survive on the Shaded Jungle Floor.


Looking across to the Poblano peppers, with Thai Hots on the right.  Ya see what I mean??  Poblanos grew after most of the squash/melon vine died back, so I'm not expecting too many, but hey...!


Thai Hots get their close-up:


Mini Honeydew:

 
Micro Watermelon (note the paving bricks for size reference... very sad.)



The Thai Basil.  That bed is 4 feet by 4 feet, again, for reference.  Going to pick all the basil (Thai and Sweet) and dry it.  I noticed that I had two spontaneous Thai Basil plants pop up in the original kitchen garden.  Maybe I'll have some come up next spring?!


The tomato jungle:


And the Nectarine stick.  Note the spontaneous, late blooming tomato. 


Lessons learned:
  • Plant a bit earlier.  (Also, keep an eye on the local farmers.  Follow their lead.  They might know a thing or two about this...)
  • Plant deeper - single layer beds aren't deep enough with this soil.  At least 10" of soil.
  • Not so many squash and melons.
  • Definitely no Tigger Melons.  Tasted yuck.
  • Deep tomato beds, too.
  • Miracle Grow Soil is the bomb!
  • Might go for 1 season ground cover on the beds, to reduce the incidence of weeds
  • Gotta be creative about squirrel defense.  Chicken wire fence tacked across the tops of the beds to keep the critters from digging.  Maybe I'll get more than 2 puny ears of corn.
  • Save old CDs and DVDs to make Shiney Twirleys to scare away the birds.  (Suspend them on string so they blow and twirl in the wind, reflecting random sunlight at random birds.  Saw this years ago in a big garden up the Sierra Madres.
  • Thinking tomatoes, peppers (Thai, Poblano, Jalapeno and Sweet), corn, watermelon, canteloupe, honeydew, basil, garlic and onion, maybe lettuce.