It started in March. My husband and I started talking about a garden. He always wants to overdo and I want something I can manage when his interest dies. We discussed locations, need plenty of sun, not too close to the trees (don't want anything to suck all the water and fertilizer up), fairly close to the house so if the drought hits again we could water easily. We thought and talked it all out, came up with a perfect spot and waited - a couple of hours.
Then, beginning with a 12 X 16 patch, we proceeded to turn the dirt. It was still too early to plant, but we could "get the ground ready." With no tractor and no plans to buy one, my husband grabbed the mattock and I got my Mantis tiller. Don't laugh! It all worked. My Mantis tiller is wonderful. It is easy to start, small and light weight and my use of this little tiller has sent many a laughing man to buy one. Anyway, it didn't take but a couple of hours of digging and tilling until we were quite happy with our new garden spot. Now to sit and wait.
Well, on the first trip to town we bought seeds. Don't plant what you won't eat! Squash, radish, green beens (bush), onions (don't waste your time - buy sets), okra and lettuce (plant early). I had already started seed beds with tomatoes and peppers, both banana and bell. And the tiny little things would just flourish in the new ground. I was going to have fresh tomotoes in no time!
Next was the fertilizer. My Dad said always use 13-13-13, my friend said always use 10-10-10. I don't know which is right, but I have come to depend on Miracle-Gro. I haven't been able to mess anything up with Miracle-Gro and my plants have always thrived. The directions on the box have never let me down and my garden was small enough to hand water. I know Miracle-Gro has new varieties that mix right with the hose water and that would probably do great for a larger space. I am from the old school, the roots feed the plant and I get the fertilized water right to the base of the plants. I usually put 15-20 gallons on my plot every two weeks. With the abundance of rain this year, that has proven to be just right for now.
My beautiful little tomatoes and peppers went in the ground first - around the first week in April. I also planted the radishes, squash and onions. The first two days the peppers and tomatoes were fine. The third day - dead! All of them - dead! What happened? Well, after the desolation wore off, I went back to Lowe's and picked up Rutger and Celebrity tomato plants and bell and sweet banana. And guess what, my plants weren't so healthy after all. These plants were huge! They must have used some mega fertilizer on these plants.
Well, the planting started again. In the ground and me watching over them like an old mother hen. They made it past the 3 day mark and believe it or not new growth was sprouting forth! Slowly over the next two weeks, the cabbage, lettuce, and cucumbers were added. Last to be planted was the okra.
Okra is a peculiar little side that likes warm dirt or it will sit there and do nothing but get eaten by the birds. Well, grandpa always said you had to trick okra into growing. Soak the seeds overnight in reall warm water. It jump starts the seeds into sprouting. It works. However, the rooster and chickens from next door did mange to get a good many of my seeds so some of my rows were half rows. I say were because I replanted and now even though the plants on the west side of the garden are somewhat smaller, I have a full row.
My green beans and okra have blooms, my tomatoes are fist sized and I have squash! Now if I can keep the neighbors chickens out of my garden, I will be doing okay!
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