It’s only February 17, but it’s 61 degrees F outside, and you can’t help but think about gardening. And unseasonable warmth aside, it really ISN’T that far off before I need to get the seed starting shelf assembled. It’s time to open up that garden plan I created back in October and see if I’m in the same place now as I was then.
I’ve tried a number of garden planner apps. Some of them are pretty good, but at the end of the day, all the cute icons and estimated start dates don’t hold a candle to good old Excel. So here we go:
The plan has more or less stayed the same. I’ve expanded the size of the garlic bed by about 2 feet. Because honestly garlic is so easy, and the powder I wind up with is so popular with my family and my friends, I’m considering expanding even more for 2024.
But back to this year. I’m cutting down on the number of different things I grow, and sticking with the things I know we’ll use. Like for example, I had a ton of success last year growing acorn squash. I roasted a couple, and put about a dozen in the garage. And then forgot about them. When I finally went back to check on them, most had rotten spots. I think maybe because we had a serious freeze, and then some really warm days, and back and forth like that. I think the garage just wasn’t consistent enough with its temperature to store squash. And since I’m pretty much the only one in the family that likes squash… it’s a huge waste of time, garden real estate, energy, and FOOD. It’s a waste of food. Which is not what we’re in this to do. So no more acorn squash this year.
I’m going in harder on green beans, since they’re more popular with the fam and also more versatile. We can steam them fresh, parboil and freeze for winter eating, pickle them, and sometimes even just eat them fresh.
Last year was a horrible year for tomatoes. Not just for me, but across the country. That said, I’m cutting back on the number of tomatoes I’m growing for 2023. I’m planning for 4-6 indeterminate plants. I may regret that because I LOVE making ketchup, and a batch of ketchup takes about 25 pounds of tomatoes. Guess we’ll see.
What else worked last year? Peppers for sure. I’m convinced I can process as many jalapenos and super-hots as the garden will give me. And the best thing about peppers is that they do very well in grow bags, so they don’t have to take up space in the raised beds. For super hots this year, I’m going with larger volumes of a couple varieties, so I have some vague idea what’s in the hot sauce I’ll ferment them into. I’ve got a white hot pepper I’m excited about, and probably just do a Carolina reaper in addition to that. I’m trying out Fish Peppers, which I’ll treat more or less like imposter jalapenos.
What IS going to take up more space there this year is cabbage. I grew ONE cabbage last year, a small variety of purple. At the end of the season I turned that into saurkraut, and it wound up being SO SO good… so the hoop bed is going to host cabbages this year. And pumpkins. Because having the insect netting over brassicas and squash helps keep the cabbage moths and vine borers away.
And then I’m trying Inca berries, which are bigger ground cherries. Just for fun. And raspberries because I know all too well how mind-blowing the taste of fresh raspberries is.
So, in a nutshell:
Removals:
- Acorn and Butternut squash
- Strawberries in the GreenStalk
- Edamame
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Tomatoes (reduced)
Additions:
- Inca Berries
- Cabbage (expanded)
Expanded:
- Garlic
- Green Beans
Still Trying:
- Beets
- Carrots
- Onions