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elisa_z5

Gardening New Years Resolutions?

elisa_z5
9 years ago

Anyone been thinking about what you'll resolve to do better next year? Even if it's relaxing more?

Today is the day!

My new years resolutions:

1. Find someone to help with the quack grass in the spring so I'm not fighting it all season long.

2. Relax more about what produces and what doesn't. Realize there is always something in the garden or in the freezer or cupboard -- there will be no starvation this life time!

3. Follow the suggestions shared on GW for higher potato production, and hope for improvement.

4. Ditto above on carrots.

5. Always be thankful, always have fun, always trust when I'm in the garden.

What are your gardening New Year's resolutions?

Comments (10)

  • Peter1142
    9 years ago

    1. Do a better and more thorough job mulching, especially around the bottom of the fence.

    2. Don't stress so much... not everything will produce well... it's ok.

  • riley17
    9 years ago

    Do a better job of weeding! I kind of usually end up half heartedly weeding and then giving up... but not this year! Nice neat beds are my goal for this year.

    Also being able to grow onions, carrots, and celery. All of which just don't seem to want to grow for me. I plant seeds, they take forever to sprout, then a couple weeks later they die. But this is the year I will successfully grow at least one of each lol.

  • Deeby
    9 years ago

    Don't buy something I've tried and gave up on. Don't wish I'd kept a plant or pot I'd given away. Don't buy anything that just ends up raggy and ugly-this includes some herbs and indeterminate tomatoes. Don't cave in and plant sun lovers too soon.

  • nancyjane_gardener
    9 years ago

    Figure out what soil/plants to use in the beautiful raised up beds I bought from the neighbor who moved to Hawaii!
    I don't make resolutions! Nancy

  • tishtoshnm Zone 6/NM
    9 years ago

    1. Do better with mulch.

    2. A big one for me, but is likely to be a multi-year process, is getting to a place where I am building soil but not spending oodles of money on bags of compost. I cannot produce enough compost, and I will need to purchase for some new areas, but I need to work on cover cropping, figuring out the kinks of vermicomposting and developing other sources of free inputs.

    3. Continue working on optimal watering for my climate and along with it, figuring out how to work out the hoses in a less frustrating manner which will also involve some new hoses.

  • nancyjane_gardener
    9 years ago

    BTW Riley, I've planted the stumps of celery from the grocery store and it grew fine. You have to be sure to keep it very wet.
    I find that its much stronger than the celery at the store, so I mainly use it in soups. Nancy

  • zeedman Zone 5 Wisconsin
    9 years ago

    1. Get the garden planning done earlier (I'm starting it now). It usually takes me about a week to get everything in 3 gardens planned, and I've always put it off until everything was finalized - which led to it being done late, and in a hurry. After all that, I always end up making changes anyway... so I might as well just rough out the plans now, and change them later as needed.

    2. Enlarge the garden plots on my own property (some tree & stump removal will be necessary).

    3. Continue to amend the gardens on my own property, to improve their drainage, fertility, and to gradually raise their level above the surrounding terrain.

    4. Use straw bale berms to reduce soil erosion from my rural garden (caused by water flow from an adjacent field across part of my garden). Because of the lay of the land, I'm not sure how much more I can do, since this is on a friend's property, and re-directing the drainage permanently is out of the question. Sure wish I could permanently divert that flooding away from the garden, it has caused a lot of losses in recent years & that is my largest garden (10,000 square feet).

    5. WEED, WEED, WEED. One of my cardinal rules for gardening has always been "never let a weed go to seed". However, the last two years, the weeds have gotten out of control due to extended wet periods... especially around my garlic beds. I've never needed to use any weed barrier other than a thick layer of mulch, but this year, I'll probably be using weed barrier in places, to give me a fighting chance.

    6. Try minimize the stress level while doing 1-5 . ;-)

  • seysonn
    9 years ago

    Good luck with your resolutions.

    Here are mine :

    -- To grow within my means, in terms of space and avoid over crowding.

    -- Avoid small, time consuming things in my limited space. Just concentrate on tomatoes and peppers.

    --- Build a solid support system for tomatoes.
    --- Have a definitive scheduled fungicide spray program.

    --- Keep notes !. Be organized ! Avoid procrastination !

    So really my resolutions is not about accomplishing more but disciplining myself.

    Seysonn

  • lantanascape
    9 years ago

    1. Only plant ONE cherry tomato plant, and give it 4x4' to itself.
    2. Keep it simple, stupid
    3. Plant more cabbages and don't bother with Brussels sprouts
    4. Get soakers or drip lines installed first thing, and mulch heavily to keep the watering labor under control.
    5. Don't plant so many summer crops; leave room for fall crops
    6. Be prepared with mulch or row covers in case of freak early winter weather like we had in November.

  • elisa_z5
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    These were fun and inspiring to read.

    Good luck, everyone, in 2015!