As you know I’m part of a growing community called Garden Connect. The idea behind it being that if growers from all over the world grew the same types of vegetables, in the same way, at the same time of year it would be rather interesting to see how each person’s crops progressed and the harvest each country produced (or states and counties within each country). The layout of the garden has been designed by Matt (the creator of Garden Connect).
Courtesy of Matt of Hiemstra Gardens
Month 5 Update
I have to say it’s not going as well as I’d hoped, but I’m learning an awful lot as I go along on this challenge!
My lack of judgment when it came to adding plants to the plot are now causing the area great problems. I’m hoping some of my fellow garden connect’ers can give me some advice.
Square foot(ish) garden chaos!
- I’ll have beans coming out of my ears by the end of next month. The six plants are dominating not only their area but also their neighbours space as well. The plants look very healthy though.
- I’m not sure where to even begin with the tomatoes! They are huge, unruly and spreading everywhere! They are beginning to flower and they seem to like their position but unfortunately it’s now at the expense of all other areas.
- I’ve lost my cucumber plants to powdery mildew which sucks because I just managed to rescue them once from a lack of nutrients which were turning the leaves yellow. It was like a pendulum that swung violently one side to the other in a matter of days!
- The onions are okay, although again are stuggling for light against the toms and beans.
- At least the chillies are doing well! But as they aren’t really in the plot it’s probably why!
- The kale has been fantastic, no problems their. I’ve eaten so much of the stuff I’m far stronger (and healthier) than popeye now.
- The spinach, lettuce, carrots (I did manage to harvest five) and beats have all been lost under the unrelenting growth of the beans and tomatoes
So my question really is at this desperate time on the plot:
- Do I take some bean and tomato plants out? Or do I prune them back?
- What’s the quickest thing I can do to get this plot back in shape?
Photos!
Lessons I’ve learnt so far
- If the plan says to only put two plants in a section it means two, not eight, or a sneaky six.
- Plants that require more light need to be at the front of the plot, or the plants that grow the biggest need to be at the back of the plot (depending on which way the sun hits it at what time of day)
- While the plot has been easy to maintain it would have been better to thin out plants before they got to big. I’d have been better having less and filling any gaps in with succession planting later on.
If anyone can advise regarding the tomatoes and beans I’d be most grateful :-)