Feeling bummed about this years' harvest....or lack there of...

[Joel_BC]

Yeah, we had disappointments too. Last year, and this one, were as challenging - gardenwise - as anything I can remember. This year, most of our sunny weather came in September, when nights were really coolish. During our usual good growing months, (late May, June, July) we had a lot of overcast and rain. No truly warm nights all summer!

On the other hand, we had so much trouble with blight (tomatoes & potatoes) in 2011 that we increased our efforts majorly to pick good varieties of spuds and toms - plus took other measures to protect them. Had our best potato harvest ever, I believe... and, thanks to our greenhouse and other factors, also had probably our best tomato (and cuke) production.

But the corn crop was terrible! Squash got a very late start in fruiting. Disappointing artichoke production. Jalapenos (planted in the garden, as we normally do) was dismal.

I think the only reasonable response is more research about varieties that do well in cooler, overcast weather - plus maybe the use of cloches and such. Nest year, next year...

 

[baymule]

Bless your heart. You are sitting there feeling like a failure in the garden. Awww.... I failed at everything last year and I wasn't even pregnant! This year was better, but no matter what we do, just sometimes it just doesn't come together. For next year, get a crib monitor and while the babies are napping, go to the garden! It will save your sanity much better than using that nap time to do more laundry, dusting, etc.

 

[rd200]

Oh gosh, thank you guys!! Im feeling better already! I will definetly think of something to do with the loads of green tomatoes i do have.

I know that things dont always go the way we want them too, guess i just had my hopes up so high that i feel really defeated!!!

I AM very thankful about the pregnancy and I am "growing" them good so far!!!! Now i just need to gain some weight or ill end up like a toothpick!!!

Wannabefree- I cant either really.... not without medical help! I guess crappy eggs and crappy sperm dont make babies!!! Our 2 1/2 yr old is Adopted and we had our bio son when i was 18. Guess my eggs werent crappy then..... but are now at age 28??? whatever.....anyways.....

Dawn- I am in Zone 4/5. I would lean more towards the 4. (WI) I shouldve been out there already tilling to get the cold frames set up but i have to tackle the 4' weeds on the side of the garden i want to put them in first!!!!!!!
I wanted to do Garlic (not in a cold frame)
Carrots
Some greeens of some sort
Not sure what else............

 

[SSDreamin]

Congrats on twins! I remember praying hard for twins the first time I was preggo - it was supposedly my one and only opportunity, so I prayed for a double Once DS#1 showed up, I was SO thankful there wasn't 2 of him! I'd have been in the nuthouse house in short order!

I was pretty disappointed with our garden this year too, but I try to look at it as a learning experience. Like Joel said, I have been doing research. I think I've pinned down a few issues, and figured out ways to prevent them next year, and I did conduct several experiments in this years garden, and got some interesting results! I've talked to people who have been gardening for decades, who tell me they are STILL learning, so I try not to beat myself up over failures - they happen to everybody

Yay! on getting to stay home! I am so thankful to my hubster for giving me this option!

 

[Denim Deb]

SSD, you so left yourself opened for this. I tried to resist, but couldn't. (OK, I didn't try very hard, just not my style. )

I'd have been in the nuthouse house in short order!

You mean you're not in already?

 

[SSDreamin]

SSD, you so left yourself opened for this. I tried to resist, but couldn't. (OK, I didn't try very hard, just not my style. )

I'd have been in the nuthouse house in short order!

You mean you're not in already?

THEN, Deb, THEN!
I have since checked myself in, and will probably never check out!

 

[Wannabefree]

SSD, you so left yourself opened for this. I tried to resist, but couldn't. (OK, I didn't try very hard, just not my style. )

I'd have been in the nuthouse house in short order!

You mean you're not in already?

THEN, Deb, THEN!
I have since checked myself in, and will probably never check out!

Is that you that keeps pecking on the wall next door?!?!

 

[k15n1]

We had a bad year gardening, too. Part of it was that my plots were farther away than usual. The weather in MN wasn't great for most things I want to grow. For example, peppers did really well, but tomatoes were marginal. You can only eat so many jalapenos... I think crop failures are part of real life---something that the grocery store insulates us from because they buy from many sources. And it's good training for SS because it makes me think about what I really depend on.

 

[me&thegals]

It was an incredibly difficult growing year, so don't beat yourself up.

I'm planning for another couple years of drought, so a great time to soil build with grass, leaves, straw, anything that breaks
down and helps in moisture retention.

It'd also be a great time to start scoping out mulch material for next year. As we did this year, we'll be mulching heavily
next year to hold in all moisture possible. Plus, it becomes the following year's organic matter.

 

[Beekissed]

We had a bad garden also...it seems to be a pretty wide spread problem this year and some are attributing it to the change in the soil acidity and possibly due to the chemical spraying going on...anyone reading anything about chemtrails lately?

Said to be a geoengineering attempt to protect the Earth from the global warming trend....