Saturday, May 24, 2014

Tiny Garden Experiment Update





 Several months ago I was feeling especially socially sanctimonious and came up with the idea of starting a small garden after watching a documentary showing how screwed up the agriculture and food processing industries are in this country. For reasons I can’t explain my lovely spouse, instead of her usual habit of just ignoring my half-assed ideas, was intrigued with the proposal and promptly ordered a prefabricated raised garden bed kit. The details are minor but you can read about the genesis of the project here.


Anyway, once I had the raised bed assembled and filled with garden soil we started out with several store bought broccoli and lettuce plants along with my wife going a little wild and planting a few dozen seeds. Over the course of the last few months the lettuce has done quite well, the broccoli went straight to seed and had to be removed, and curiously enough, my wife had completely forgotten what types of seeds she initially planted.


It was our intention of adding plants from a seed starter kit but for reasons I can’t figure out that was a total failure. Out of thirty assorted seeds not one germinated, it was quite the bummer. Never fear, I quickly ran back to the ubiquitous cavernous home improvement store and bought replacements like the good but soulless suburban pod person.


All things considered, I figure the garden is going as well as can be expected. Except for my sole tomato plant, which is sickly and seems to being playing a vegetable version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet trying to decide if it “wants to be or not to be?” My pepper plants are growing like weeds as is my wife’s herbs, which are also store bought.


As for the unknown seeds my wife planted back at the start of this experiment, we have identified a couple of different types of lettuces. As for the rest, we largely still have no idea although I doubt they are weeds. So long story short, we will soon be eating a lot of salads for dinner. While the overall results are still uncertain we are already planning the purchase of another raised garden bed kit and moving the entire operation to another part of the yard for next year. 

I'd personally like to figure out why the seed starter kit failed but that is something that will have to wait.

5 comments:

Pixel Peeper said...

I wondered how your experiment was coming along. I was at Epcot today and took a ride through the area called "The Land" where they showcase gardening and growing edible plants and trees. It was really interesting. Between that and your story, I want to get one of those raised bed kits for next spring.

Note to self: when the time comes, be sure to label the seeds... :-)

Life As I Know It Now said...

I have tried twice with the seed starter kits (many years stretched between each try thinking I must have done something wrong the first time around) and each time I got nothing, not one single sprout. Seed starter kits are obviously rip offs.

Rose L said...

Sometimes the birds will eat up all the seeds and then sit back and laugh when you seek seedlings. I planted 2 cherry trees and have a hazelnut tree. I never enjoy the products of these as the birds and squirrels get to them first. Usually tomato plants are so easy to grow and many I know end up with an over abundance of them. I do know that if you are starting from seeds, it is often good to start them in seedling starter "pots" and then transfer pot and all into the raised bed.

Commander Zaius said...

Pixel: I love that part of EPCOT!

Life As I know It Now: There is one seed starter that uses a clear jell and petri dishes. I might try that next year.

Rose: Checked my tomato plant this afternoon, still nothing. In fact it sort of looks worse.

Akelamalu said...

Years ago we had a greenhouse and I went beserk growing tomatoes, courgette, lettuce and cucumber. We got sick of salad! LOL