I learned a lot from the original build and have learned some things from my new build. The first key thing I learned is pay up and get the good soil from Nature's Way Resources. If you are going to spend so much time then you want results. This soil gives a much higher yield than others so it is worth it. I bought 6 yards, but I think they gave me more like 7 because I had a lot left over.
The second thing I learned is that if you are going to have that much dirt delivered you need somebody to help you move it. That is a lot of dirt. A brother who likes cheap beer comes in handy. Seriously though, my brother Wes was a huge help and I really appreciated it. We both shoveled and took turns hauling it to the garden. My back was out for several days even with the help.
The third thing is if you are using lumber to frame your beds just pay the few extra dollars and get the 2x12's. The deeper the soil - the better the yield in general. Some things don't require as deep of soil like green beans, but if you are going to rotate your vegetables from year to year, then it all needs to be consistent. Rotation is vital for organic gardening because it is one of the main ways you keep the pests controlled. Rotation means your tomatoes will move to the more shallow soil at some point. I currently have a mix of 2x10's and 2x12's, but as I replace them over time due to rot, termites, etc. I will stick with the 2x12's.
After a lot of planning, shoveling, hauling, planting, fertilizing and watering here are some of the results. This is my tomato patch. It is 5' x 20' with 20 various plants I started from seed. I made tomato cages out of remesh because they are far superior and cheaper than the standard tomato cages. I have bird netting to cover the whole area also. The tomato cages also create a canopy to support the netting to keep the dreaded mockingbirds from tearing up my fruit.
This is my cucumber plot. I still need to add some trellis to the supports. I do have one row of beans there also on the right... Anna and Sophia helped me plant that one.
This is one of my green bean plots. These are Derby green beans. With raised beds I use equal spacing planting instead of rows for higher yields. The standard equal spacing is every 8 inches in every direction for green beans. I kind of varied the spacing to see what did best. The left side is more compact than the right side. It will be interesting to see which side yields more.
This new plot currently has a couple of yellow sqash plants and various peppers. This was a bonus plot because I had extra soil...I know they gave me about an extra yard or so.
Here are some pictures of the original garden. I slightly expanded it in the bean area and on the back side of my pond. I am growing zuchini back there next to the sugar snap peas on the trellis. I have bell peppers planted there also. The cabbage on the right side is nearly ready.
Unfortunately, I am afraid my pond has a leak in the liner. It may become my new sweet potato patch soon. I haven't decided what I am going to do. I may fill it in and redesign it so it is more kid friendly. We shall see.
Here are my onions and garlic. They have a few weeks left. I can't wait to see how they turn out. Some of the bulbs are larger than the others. I hope they fill out in the next few weeks.
This would be baby carrots, beets, and sugar snap peas. We are harvesting carrots and sugar snap peas. They taste incredible. The beets are almost ready. I can't wait to try them.
This is my herb bed. The fennel is growing like crazy. I picked some earlier. I need to learn a good recipe for it. I think I am the only one in my family who cares for it though. I will let some of it go to seed. The seed is great in spaghetti sauce and italian sausage. Italian sausage is one of my next frontiers...
Of course, no post would be complete without some kids pictures. This one just happens to have all of them in it. Against my better judgement I am posting this one. Hopefully, I don't break the lazyboy.
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