And The Plot Thickens

So I’ve been reluctant to post lately.  This was partly because my garden was doing so poorly, and partly because I read an excellent book.  So I’m going to spill my guts and then move forward.

The garden’s soil was delivered and it was very poor.  Weed-ridden, completley lacking in Nitrogen, and totally anaerobic.  At least the lack of Nitrogen kept the weeds from showing for a while.  By the time I figured out that the beds needed N, the plants had already been stunted.  I felt so bad!  So then we had stunted plants… and the weeds were coming in.  Argh.  

Add onto that the horrible weather.  We officially have the wettest, coldest May and June on record. No wonder all my summer plants are sulking.  I used to live in the Urban Island: warm, not much wind, Summer is nice and wide and fat in eight months of glorious mild warmth.  Now I’m 500ft higher, and the winds sweeping in from the Golden Gate mean that it gets FREAKING COLD and VERY WET.  No more ripe tomatoes in May.  Now the tomato plants should be freakin’ planted in may.  *sad sigh*

I took on all the guilt for how bad my garden was.  But it was the soil and the weather and, frankly, the fact that I was a newbie.  Now that I understand the weather better, and have fixed the soil, I can get over being butthurt about that.   If I can keep from planting summer plants in wet, cold April and other similar stupid mistakes, I can get over being an idiot noob. 

I’m used to being a dork.

I started this blog to be about the best products and techniques… and then I read Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre.  Guess what?  Someone kinda did most of the work already.

So, um, until I get a better idea, this blog will be a chronicle of how I worked to change this barren plot into an oasis.  When I get a break in the unceasing To-Do list, I will try to fill in what Mini Farming did not have answers for.  But until then, I have peas to stake up!

Fun Fact for today: Adiabatic Lifting means if there’s anything more than a 20% chance of rain, we’re getting drenched.  *sigh*