# Sigh, guess I can count out my greenbeans



## CVORNurse (Oct 19, 2008)

They needed to be picked LAST weekend, but it rained all weekend. And every day this week so far. I slogged out yesterday to look, and I only saw a few blooms here and there. And the ones planted for the fall garden look like they are drowning. At least the soil is fairly sandy where they are so it runs off quickly. But I have no hope of a harvest right now. And the kale is so battered at only an inch tall that I can't even see it right now. We need to get the turnips and mustard planted, but......

I know what I am doing next year.. planting double the amount of beans, and not all at once like we did this year. And don't think I will plant as many squash for the bugs to snack on.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

You're not alone.  I only got about a pint of beans out of my garden. 
I go to the local produce stand and buy a couple bushels of tomatoes for soup and sauce and their green beans were $4.25 a quart.  I've been buying the "blemished" tomatoes for $10 a 1/2 bushel. 
I hate having to *buy* tomatoes.


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## Jason (Jul 25, 2009)

Our garden didn't set records, either, except for my banana peppers. We can all use this year as a learning experience and do a little better next year. Chins up, folks! 

Knowing what you do and do not know is crucial to future success and it's definately something the members of this forum have going for us.


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## Expeditioner (Jan 6, 2009)

I have been over run by peppers....Broken Arrow I say Again Broken Arrow. It was definitely a learning experience this season.


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## CVORNurse (Oct 19, 2008)

I have had pecks and pecks of peppers. Put up "bread and butter hot peppers" several times, and probably have enough out there now for another batch. 
The green beans did ok, but we would get just enough for a meal at a time. This was with a 50 foot row. So next year, I plant to have oh, 3 or 4 rows dedicated to beans.
Tomatoes- well, I could have put up a few with just mine. But we found a source that had tomatoes for 5 dollars/5 gallon bucket. So I was able to put up all the tomatoes/juice I wanted. Just wish I had made more salsa- everyone that I gave a jar to said it was the best they had ever had. Found that recipe on the internet also, just left out the oil was all.
Squash- well, we planted several times. So those danged little grey monsters are flourishing. They killed the pumpkins, and they would start on one end of a row and work their way down to the end. I think the insecticide was mislabeled and was actually growth hormone and fertility drugs combined. I have picked off by hand until my fingers are permanently stained. 

Overall, I am happy with this being the first year I have been active as the gardener. Previously I had left it to DH.


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## northernontario (Oct 29, 2008)

We're getting our garden setup over the next couple of weeks. Building some raised beds out of cedar (if the wife will let me spend the $$), then filling with topsoil (which we already have), and hoping to pick up some manure to start a compost pile... to be mixed into the garden in the spring. 

The garden is going over where a garden used to be... about 20 years ago. The ground is HARD... and has some nice big roots from nearby trees. We lucked out, picked up a free rototiller from the old neighbours (we moved... mentioned wanting to do a garden at the new place, they offered this old non-working one if we could get it running). All it took was me cleaning the carb, and the guy at the small engine shop replacing the sparkplug (WHAT??? thats it???) to get it running properly. So I've got a $1200+ Honda tiller that's cost me $85. Tilling the existing soil to improve drainage and give root plants somewhere to go, then putting 12" deep raised beds overtop. 

It will be our first attempt at a garden... I'm going to hold off doing soil samples for nutrient/fertility until next fall, since we'll be adding so much to begin with. 

Also hoping to cultivate some of the many wild rasperry plants on the property to improve their yield next year. Our very wet summer wasn't good for them, and the plants haven't been maintained in years. 

Next year may bring a chicken coop too!


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

dtompsett said:


> So I've got a $1200+ Honda tiller that's cost me $85.
> 
> 
> > I got my tiller the same way. A landscaper friend of mine had an 8 year old BCS tiller that his guy's where using on a hillside 3 months after he bought it. The hill was steep enough that the oil pump started sucking air. Apparently they didn't realize the engine wasn't getting any oil until it started smoking and then seized. It sat in his garage until 2 years ago when I asked him if he would be replacing any of his tillers that year so that I could buy one of his older ones. He said no but I could *have* the old one with the blown engine. $250 later I had, what was basically a brand new, $2200 machine. I did a little digging and found out that these are made in Italy and classified as walk-behind tractors and are built to last a lifetime. :2thumb:
> > Sorry CVOR  Back to the beans.


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## sailaway (Mar 12, 2009)

I definately went throught the learning curve. This fall I am going to till a garden patch for next spring. I plan on being ready when my seeds sprout and begin to grow. I am also going to limmit how many I start to about 1/2 of last spring. The alcohalic definately came out in me, if 10 plants are plenty, 1000 are even better.


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