A Gardening Lesson

$50.  That is roughly how much it cost me to grow two little Roma tomatoes; the only tomatoes that came out of our garden this year.

The starter trays worked well.  Starting them in the sun room gave them plenty of opportunity for success.  Seeds from Gurneys and Seed Savers performed wonderfully in their infant stage.  Before placing them in the ground, I honestly wondered, 'what are we going to do with all these tomatoes?'

The failure was mine.  Being away from gardening for more than 25 years gave me the opportunity to forget a lot!  WOW, did I forget a lot.

1. Location...  Location...  Location...  Time snuck up on me, spring was turning to summer and the little tomatoes were growing out of their starter trays.  There are plenty of better locations on our land but I chose one of the worst.  Why?  Bad judgement and lack of planning.  I put the tomatoes, onion sets and sunflower seeds in a little 40 x 3 foot plot right along the garage.  BIG FAIL. Rain was being blocked by the most part from the garage and overhanging tree branches.
2. Soil Quality.  The gardens I had be fore would flourish with a minimum of soil attention.  Here, the soil is mostly sand.  Next year, fertilizer and mulch will be a necessity.
3. General Lack of Planning.  Roughly 1/2 acre and the best I can do is a little 40 x 3 foot plot?  Next year I need a tiller and better planning!
4. Irrigation.  This year was hot and dry.  While I enjoy the outdoors, occasionally spending 30 minutes outside watering the plants is not high on the list of daily priorities.  Automatic irrigation would allow more time for taking little week-long vacations or improving other parts of the garden and yard.

So...  Next year...  Definitely getting a plan!