Simply Resourceful

Simple ways to be more conscious about how we use our resources.

The Garden is Swimming

What a wet couple of weeks we've had!  Since June 26th we've received ~9 inches of rain. It really spread itself out, 9 out of the last 16 days we had a quarter of an inch or more.  With all of this rain, some plants (e.g. potatoes) have struggled whereas others (e.g. corn) have been thriving.

In low spots water is sitting in pools.


When we dug out a potato plant the hole instantly filled with water. 

The potatoes turned to mush in the ground...no potatoes this year. 

The garlic stalks were just beginning to turn brown but we decided to pull them early.  Some of the bulbs were already beginning to rot.

With the humid environment outside and more rain in the forecast, we decided to dry the garlic in the basement rather than on the porch or in the garage.  The basement has a dehumidifier which will help dry them.

All of the carrots rotted from too much rain.  We will plant a second crop this week and hope they survive.

When a carrot is pulled, the stem detaches from the root which is completely rotten.  We planted 5 rows of carrots and I spent 4 hours one day weeding and thinning them in early June.

The corn is growing well and so are the sunflowers and squash in the background. 


2 comments :

Jenn Mer July 15, 2013 at 6:32 PM  

What a loss for your family and your region? Did you see the rains coming at all, helping you plan a different strategy for next year? Have you used all your potatoes and carrots from last year's harvest? I've been dreaming of filling my home with enough preserves to last through the winter. We appreciate you sharing your experience and your photos on your informative blog.

Holly July 16, 2013 at 5:57 AM  

Hi Jennifer,

When the rains started, the potatoes were still green so they weren't ready to pull. We had a small potato harvest last year which only lasted until December, but we still have 14 quarts of carrots left (and we put up 30 quarts last fall).

Farmers/Gardeners have no control over the weather that's for sure! Last year there wasn't enough rain and the garden didn't grow as well with city water and the pests were really bad. This year the pests have been pretty minimal but the rainfall has been plentiful. Always hoping for balance, right?

Holly

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A weekly update on our adventures of trying to be more self-sufficient by using resources wisely. We explore a variety of topics that most broadly fit in the "Homesteading" category, i.e. beekeeping, organic gardening, edible landscaping/fruit forest, food preservation/canning, woodworking, soap-making, and environmental stewardship.

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