Well I have learned a lot this year. The first and most important turned out to be I need to plan for not being able to tend my garden. I have "reasons" I can't get out there at times for a while and it hurt my garden production a little. It has been a trying year with my condition but with all the bad it has taught me to plan ahead for it next year. The second thing I learned was that bigger containers are better. I will not use 2.5 gallons for anything but herbs and peppers next year. My tomatoes did okay in them but I got very little if any fruit to ripen in them and they dried out way too fast. My peppers did awesome in them I think because they containers would get a lot hotter than anything else and warmed their roots for good growth. I have also learned what types of peppers and tomatoes work best here. This is a good thing, I hope, for planning next year. I also learned that I will stock up this year so I have things ready to plant instead of trying to find compost, peat, coconut coir, containers and everything else last minute and expect to have best growth when I need it to be at it's best. Worm casting turned out to be the absolute best addition to any and all plants for best growth and largest fruit. I also learned that smaller holes in pots are better and leaving them up a little from the bottom leaves a nice reservoir of water that the plants seem to like a lot. I know I have a lot of planning to do this year. Raised boxes for everything, stocking up on compost and making my own, getting coconut coir and peat ready and in the planters long before I need to plant in them, and many other things I am not thinking of right now. I also learned I will be ordering my seeds sometime between now and mid January so I have them started and ready to go out when they should and not get the seeds in the middle of the seed starting season. Thank you all for putting up with me. I know I have not been on here a lot lately but life kinda rules that. Not to mention I lost me links and couldn't find it for 10 days, big duh dumb moment for me. I hope to be on here more because I am going to get 100 pounds of fruit next year if I have to talk to the plants for 6 hours a day!
Welcome back fish_4_all. :-D I hope your health problems are less of an issue now and don't stop you getting to grips with the 100 lbs of fruit you'll be tackling next year. Gardening is certainly a learning curve and one that never ends. If it ever did then I'd probably be sooo bored with it that I'd give up. Talking to plants six hours a day? Well, when I think of it, I probably do that myself as I chat to them as I'm working outdoors. I think they appreciate it... well at least I've not heard any of them objecting.
Gardening is all about learning ...I'm still learning things all the time! I think that is half the fun, but it sure can be frustrating at times too. I'm so looking forward to the seed catalog's arrivals. I'd like to try some new things next season - and learn some more!!
Now I've learned from what you have learned. I also rely on containers, and it can be challenging. One thing about gardeners, we are an optimistic group.
I say a prayer that your health improves and that you get the 100 lbs and more. A growing plant will surely brighten your day.
I love gardening and talking with other gardeners. we learn from each other. Gardening is a lifelong learning process. Just about the time you get one thing solved, you can count on Mother Nature to throw you a curve. Gardening may be frustrating at times but it's never boring. I've enjoyed your questions and the answers.
Good to see you! Life's all about learning, gardening and otherwise, yes? With the pace you're making you'll probably have your produce dried, canned and frozen befor I have even thought about looking at mine.
Another leasson I learned: It doesn't matter how prepared you are, how much effort you put into making everything as perfect as you can nor how much confidence you have. Mother nature will determine what will grow and what won't in nature.
