Hey everyone, I'm feeling really down about my first year of serious gardening. I put in so much effort – I followed shade maps, ordered great soil for my raised beds, fertilized, and even tried companion planting. But it seems like most of my efforts didn't pay off. My onions barely grew, the potatoes thrived for a while but produced nothing, and I only got a couple of tiny sweet potatoes. The lettuces and carrots were underwhelming, and the melons took way too long. Even my corn didn't mature properly. The only successes were my green beans and peas. I just feel so disheartened, especially since I was hoping to grow fall and winter crops. I'm looking for some positive stories or advice for a newbie like me who's feeling pretty defeated after this experience.
3 Answers
For future reference, remember that some crops like corn need to be planted in large enough quantities to successfully pollinate. As for potatoes, they can’t be over-fertilized or they’ll grow lots of foliage but little to no roots. Don't forget that every gardener has their ups and downs – it takes a couple of seasons to figure out your groove. Don't be too hard on yourself!
You've done a lot of the hard work already! It’s your first year and many of us have faced tough seasons too. Don’t let a few failures get you down. Focus on what did work, like your green beans and peas! Next year, maybe try some fall crops like garlic or winter greens. And keep a garden journal to see what can improve – it really helps!
It sounds like you might have some soil issues if your lettuce and other crops aren't growing well. Now that you have soil, make sure to enrich it with compost, leaves, and maybe some aged manure before winter. In the spring, top it off with a good dry amendment and don't turn it over! Your plants will thank you!
I love the idea of a garden journal! It's so easy to forget what worked and didn't as the year goes by.