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Okay, this web page kinda stinks. 2009 was the first year for the garden, I got really lazy and didn't do a good job documenting all this (check out our 2010 season for a vast improvement). Anyway, I started in early spring as soon as the 3 feet of accumulated snow melted. First step was to expand upon the existing clearing by cutting down some small trees and saplings. I had to pile up the brush/slash for a big bonfire. The logs I cut and stacked for the woodstove later. I had about 6 or 8 cords stored away by fall (from other clearings too). All of this I split by hand with a 8 lb wood splitter... or if really stubborn....a sledge hammer and selection of wedges. |
The garden area was used by the previous owner as spot to store bulk stone and brick for his masonry business. As such, he had a spread a thin layer of gravel over the entire area probably to keep the mud down and form a firm base for pallets that weigh several tons each. The gravel was channeling the rainfall in such a way as to cause huge eroded areas during heavy rainfall. The previous year (2008) I had spread about 20 yards of loam over this whole mess and had planted some grass and white clover to help control this erosion. However, it is really tough to grow vegetables in three inches of topsoil over gravel. Therefore, I really needed to get some serious soil built up. I ended up finding a local construction company (via Craigslist) that was willing to part with 40 yards of screened loam (two dump trucks full) for a reasonable price. I was also able to find a local stump grinder guy to come and dispense with my stumps for the bargain price of $1.50 per inch diameter. |
The 40 yards of loam I spread this all by hand with my father helping. He got tired, so I had to do most of the work. Nothing makes you thankful for a college degree after imagining what it must be like to shovel soggy dirt 8 hours a day for a living. I also trucked in 3 yards of compost... and as an added surprise... 3 yards of fresh cow manure. For you city folk.. that don't buy stuff by the "yard".... a yard is pile 3 foot high by 3 foot wide by 3 foot long. So imagine if you will a pile of cow crap 3'x3'X9' that weighed about two tons. The entire neighbor stunk for three days... sorry about that. Anyway, I rototilled this all together and ended up with a garden about 25 feet by 50 feet. Next I got everything planted. I ended up planting: Corn Green Beans Bell Peppers Butternut Squash Summer Squash Watermelon Cantaloupe Cucumbers Pumpkins Peas Cherry Tomatoes "Regular" Tomatoes Zucchini and a couple of Gourds |
This was the first year for our garden and mother nature was not cooperating. It rained almost the entire month of June. I don't think there were more than 4 or 5 days of good sun. As such, the entire garden was behind schedule and never really got caught up. |
By September... We were pretty much done. I let the whole thing go to hell with weeds while I spent my weekends on ther #^%&#% goat house and goat fence. Per usual, I lost interest in battling the weeds on a weekly basis and most of the veggies weren't coming in anyway. All in all, a pretty crappy year for the garden. Despite planting about thirty tomato plants.... I only got about 3 tomatoes. However, I got a reasonable amount of corn, beans, peas... and dozens of cucumber and zucchini. I got one decent pumpkin. All my melons were junk. They just didn't ripen in this cold, miserable summer. I will feed the green ones to the goats. Right after the first frost, I rototilled this whole mess under for the winter. Next year, I am trucking in another 40 yards of soil to double the size... that should do it. |
