The 2018 Gardening season has definitely been a challenging one for us. We planted our biggest garden yet and we expected to have a lot of trial and error with all of the new plants we were experimenting with. We always tend to go overboard in our initial planning (so many possibilities!). We weeded out some plants such as potatoes and brussel sprouts.
Here are the plants that made the final cut this year:
- 5 types of tomatoes
- Bib lettuce
- Lettuce Leaf
- White Onions
- 5 Bell Peppers
- 5 Jalapenos
- Cantaloupe
- 2 Broccoli
- Yellow Squash
- Zucchini
- Watermelon
- Lima Beans
- String Beans (pole and bush)
- Peas
As this was only our third garden, and we have added an extra 5 x12 plot to the existing 10x 12 plot we had used in the past, there were still a lot of challenges that we faced for the first time.
Here were our top 6 challenges and how we faced them:
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1) Rabbits
The first challenge we faced was rabbits. I first realized it when I went to do my routine evening garden check and I noticed that one entire pepper plant was chomped to the ground. It was only about 5 inches tall at this point and was the only one eaten. Right next to our peppers were our lettuce, and I noticed that there were about 2 heads of lettuce that were gone. I walked over to our other plot, which was dedicated to all the beans and the watermelon and out jumped 3 fat rabbits! Tummies full of watermelon leaves. In the upcoming weeks, these guys really focused on the lettuce and we only harvested about ¼ of the lettuce we planted. Looking back, I should have treated the problem with some rabbit deterrent and just replanted some lettuce. Now we know!
2) Deer
The deer were out of control this year! We have never had problems with deer in the past. While our backyard consists of some wooded areas, our gardens are in our front yard, not far from the road. We never bothered to fence in our garden. Well, let me tell you if you haven’t experienced the damage deer can cause, I can assure you it is devastating. One day, I saw two string bean bushes full of beans, ready to be picked. Probably two dinners worth for our family. I decided I would pick them the next day. Overnight, the deer must have visited because our garden was demolished. The string bean plants were licked clean. The bell pepper plants were eaten to the ground, leaving just a little nub. The most damage though was to our poor tomatoes which were full of big green fruit just waiting to ripen. The branches of every plant were chomped down. Green tomatoes littered the garden and were trampled, smashed, and squished.
We were really upset. We were so close to harvesting some great food but we decided that since it was only early June, we had plenty of time to try to repair bring the garden back to life. After researching deer repellent, I decided to try the Irish spring soap method. We had Irish soap on hand and thought it was something easy to just try. Apparently, deer do not like the scent of Irish spring soap so if you hang them in your garden, they will stay away. I hung 4 bars in total, 2 in each plot. The damage seemed to taper off some deer activity but since the deer must sneak in in the dead of night, I couldn’t really tell if it was working. So I also tried a natural animal repellant product as reinforcement called: “I Must Garden, Animal Repellant” I sprinkled this mixture throughout the garden and waited. And then our next challenge hit!
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3) Rain
Wow, we had so much rain in such a small amount of time. There were several weeks that consisted of 4-5 rain days and there was just too much water in the garden. To start our zucchini and squash developed blossom rot, which is where the ends of the fruit rot before they get to size, thankfully they did eventually recover. This uneven watering also affected the tomatoes. We had a ton of beautiful green tomatoes but they would never ripen.
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4) Cabbage Worms
This was the first year we planted broccoli and we were really excited. The plants were growing beautifully with nice bright green leaves. That is until the cabbage worms struck, and let me tell you, they are no joke. I swear I saw some damage one evening and checked to see if I could identify any pests. I did not see any worms that that time. Within a few days, the two plants were absolutely destroyed. The leaves looked skeletonized and there were little green worms everywhere. After some research, I found that they are called cabbage worms. I read several articles that said that they can be held at bay by sprinkling the plants with rye flour or cornmeal. Next year, I will have my cornmeal handy!
5) Nitrogen-rich Soil
I know the experts tell you to get your soil tested prior to planting to help determine any nutrient deficiencies and acidity so that any adjustments can be made to help ensure a healthy garden. However, I have always poo-pooed the idea. I just never took the time or effort to get our soil tested. Our first garden did really well, so I didn’t worry about it this year. I will not be making that mistake again! Through research, I found that the reason our pole bean plants (string and lima beans) and our cantaloupe plants produced ZERO fruit was because we had Nitrogen-rich soil. Having too much nitrogen can cause plants to be beautifully green, but produce no fruit. That was what we experienced. It was so disappointing. Our dreams of canning endless amounts of string and lima beans (my sons’ favorite!) were crushed! Not next year, we will be testing our soil and treat it accordingly before I plant.
6) Time
I know that everyone experiences the challenge of not having enough time to focus on their garden. It happens every year. Life gets in the way and it seems to be as soon as all of those plants start producing. What has helped us is making sure that I at least do a daily walkthrough to help determine if any action needs to be taken. Even if I am too busy to tend to things, I want to make sure I am observing the activity of the garden so that I know better for next year.
Even with our failing garden, we learned so much! I will not let the failure of this garden deter us. We really enjoy gardening and producing our family’s food. I have so much to incorporate next year. I know what actions to take if we encounter certain pests so next year, they will not be an issue. I think this is the best way to garden when you are first learning. You can’t possibly be prepared for everything early on so learning as we go really works for us. After all, we are just wingin’ it!
Free Plan Your First Vegetable Garden 5 Day eCourse
Plan Your First Vegetable Garden 5 Day eCourse
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Welcome to Wingin’ it on the Homestead! My name is Stephanie Leaf. I am a wife to a can-fix-anything husband, mother of two boys under 3, future expert gardener, lover of anything old and dusty, and inspiring homesteader. My family and I are new to this journey and loving every minute of it. Please join me in embracing a simpler life!