Gardening Update

Preface (this post is in blue since author is Ryan, I'll ask Jonnette to add some photos).

We have tried our hand at gardening this Spring. In the process we have learned many things already and are still in the process of solving other challenges. I am open for suggestions and help.

1. Fruit Trees (we'll start with the positive). We have planted 14 trees, from a variety of apples, peaches, cherries, and plums. So far all are growing well. I have been told by many that the challenge will be keeping them watered once the Missouri summer is here. So far we have had some practice sessions. Options are hoses, buckets, or a drip line system. The trees are about 500 feet away from the water faucet so for cost saving we have opted for the bucket. Wednesday is watering day. So far the kids have been good helpers. Yesterday Casey filled up buckets with water from the stream and I loaded them into the truck. At five gallons a tree they fill up faster than the faucet. We envision a loading dock in the stream consisting of wooden pallets tied together and sand bags so the other kids can help fill the buckets and safely walk to the grass. We'll keep you posted. Long term plan would be a pump from the stream for the entire garden, trees, berries and lawn. I've already exceeded my allowance from Jonnette so this may be a few years down the road, maybe after my cheap labor is gone.

2. Raspberries. Red raspberries are doing well. We have about 15 plants and neighboring rows plowed up and getting ready to add more next year. Casey helped me install a dry line with the hose connecting to 1/2 inch PVC with a hole drilled at each berry. Hopefully this will work during the summer months. The black raspberries we ordered look to be dying but Grandma Adamson brought some with her her last visit and they are flourishing without much care. We may have to put in another order. We'll find out next year if the birds are a problem. Options for keeping them out are a lot of scarecrows or netting.

3. Blueberries. We realized after they arrived that they require an acidic soil so the three bushes are trying to survive in pots until the row is ready for next year. Ammonium Sulfate will hopefully lower the pH. I planted some buckwheat in the rows which we'll till up and re plant a couple times this summer as "green manure".

4. Strawberries. They started off looking very feeble but seem to be surviving nicely tucked away with straw. Hopefully the 200 plants will make some good strawberry cheese cream pies. I've kept them watered mostly with water from our rain barrels. We may have to look into a drip line system also.

5. Onions/Potatoes/Peas/Lettuce/Radishes. Also doing well. We've actually eaten lettuce and radishes. Thanks again G. Adamson. We may need to stick to these hardier plants.

6. Beans. I didn't plant them soon enough and they got blown away one windy day.

7. Tomatoes/Peppers. I won't say how many plants we had but they are now deceased. They arrived by mail order a month before normal planting time for Missouri. They weren't doing too well inside so we planted them a couple weeks ago. They were doing fine until one cold night in the high 30's. The night of the freeze the spirit whispered, "Cut up that quilt in the garage that you've been trying to take to Goodwill". I wish now I had listened. No more mail orders, we'll buy local next year after the cold. We'll also have to find a lot of burlap sacks for the future. Oh well, at least the weeds didn't win.

Did we bite more than we can handle? We'll see. Hopefully we can do it together as a family and it will be time well spent win or lose.