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| Guest blogger: Rose Goertz, on the left |
Part of the unwritten code of being a gardener is growing to share. And
who doesn't like to share, right?... Somehow it makes us feel good, right
down to the core, especially if it's something that we have produced or
in this case grown ourselves.
We were involved in a seed share this
year. I have heard others doing a plant swap. Either way once you have a
piece of someone else's garden growing in your own, somehow that person
is always with you, and a friend for life. But there is a bit of work
and a long path to get to the sharing part.
There is just something
about a well planned garden, the ability to maintain it and the joy of
the
harvest. So at this point in the season, most everything has
germinated, established itself and is showing rigorous growth. With the
drought and high temperatures we have had in southwestern Ontario this
season, it certain has presented its challenges. I will try to address
some of these challenges from some of my own experiences and from some
of the reading I have been doing.
If you are anything like myself, a
bit of a perfectionist by nature, watching the seedlings come up in neat
little rows, is rather satisfying, and its easy to become fretful if
some of your seeds have strayed to "far from the sidewalk". Don't be
tempted to transplant strayed seedling to other areas just for visual
purposes. Unless a plant cannot thrive where it is, leave it be, it will
fair better if it isn't disturbed this late in the game.
Observe
your garden and the growth that is happening. Grab a lawn chair an iced
bevy and observe. Watch for yellowing leaves.
For example if zucchini leaves become to large they may be shading
something that needs more sunlight. Carefully bend back the offending
leaf and allow sunlight in. Yellow leaves can indicate poor air
circulation due to thick foliage.
While we are in the zucchini patch,
remove any flower heads that have appeared without visible fruit
production. Simply snip them off and throw away. Unless of course you
prefer to stuff it with goat cheese and steam it... DELICIOUS.
Encourage
plants to climb on a trellis or on a pole rather than climb onto
struggling plants. The exception of course are the three sisters: corn,
beans and squash. I have never had a large enough garden to try this
myself.
With tomatoes, remove the suckers to encourage strong growth.
Just remove the new growth in the Y of the main branches. And if there
are any yellowed leaves remove them as well. This can be an indication
of too much rain or overwatering.
When it comes to
carrot plants it is good to know how to thin them. More isn't always
better. To encourage a better yield don't allow them to get overcrowded,
because it could come to the point that none will grow to a decent
size. So simply grasp the young carrot plant, pull out some of the
plants trying not to disturb or unearth the other plants. I like to
leave my carrots in
the ground until after the first frost, since it
just really develops the sugars and you end up with a much sweeter
carrot.
I am not an expert on improving fertility in the garden, or
profess to know anything about nitrogen, bone meal or mulching.
If
you have herbs in your garden encourage continued growth, by snipping
the tops off. This will discourage flower production, otherwise your
plant may go to seed and you will no longer see new growth. Just think
of all the pesto you can make to liven up your pasta dishes.
As
well, I like to look for empty spots in the garden,
where you can throw in some seed like fast growers arugula, lettuces
and radish .
Now is the time to add chicken wire or alternative fencing
if you notice that your harvest is being enjoyed by critters. We
discovered that our 2 foot high chicken wire fencing was no match to the
deer looking longingly at my tomato plants. So far installing a
fishing twine barrier has proven to outwit these fine creatures.
Hope
you are enjoying your garden as much as I am this year, and not only
looking forward to the harvest, but are enjoying watching every bean
plant cleverly twine itself onto a tomato cage for support. Or the
amazing ability for flower blossoms to turn their sun-seeking heads
towards the light.
So in the spirit of sharing, enjoy your garden,
spend a little maintenance time and your garden will reward you. There's
just something to be said about homegrown isn't there?
Rose Goertz grows more than just vegetables - she is a flower-whisperer, producing high quality floral arrangements for almost 30 years. She also grows delicious gluten-free treats for her gourmet custom gluten-free catering business - www.glutenfreebyrose.com. Rose loves herself an "iced bevy" and has 8 or more to choose from in her fridge at any given time. She plays piano (self-taught), volunteers in the community and even gets on the back on her husband's motorcycle some weekends. She also grew my sisters and I - she's my mama!
