When I first started my garden, I just had to throw all the plants in to get started. The truth is, I am not just gardening, I am gardening, and working, and looking after children so I am sometimes burnt out and tired to learn this new thing. But when I do garden, and become connected to it, I feel really great. Long and short is - I spaced all the plants terribly, especially the carrots. I had forgotten to thin them out, and even to space the seedlings out - and they have grown into each other mangled and suffocated. FAIL!
I won't give up though - even if I have to learn by doing it - that first planting was the get started time - and I know EXACTLY how I will do it next time.
Note added April 2012 - besides the importance of thinning - I just read in my favourite gardening book (Xanthe White's Organic Vegetable Gardening):
"Carrots take time to really master, so don't give up if your first sowing does not succeed."
"Carrots will grow even in a heavy clay soil but improving the soil is the key to the perfect crop. The ideal soil is light and sandy with well-decayed organic matter that has been lightly limed. This allows the carrots to grow directly and deeply. Fresh composts or stony soils can cause the carrots to become deformed." - Xanthe White
glad you're not giving up! Craig is a green-fingered gardening guru and his carrots always end up looking munted :) I bet your little carrots tasted good!
ReplyDeleteThanks, dude. I remember now, planting the garden growing up - thinning out the carrots with my mother. I just had to throw myself in there, and didn't have time to plan it out.
ReplyDeleteLearning the hard way hurts - so you do learn very well.
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