Nine days after planting, it looks as though all 10 different crops are in full swing. Each of the 8 seed crops, including the 3 I have no experience with (carrot, spinach, and butternut squash) seem to be going well. [photo: butternut squash. Planted 6 to a "hill" and will eventually be thinned to 3]
I have thinned out the multiples. That is, when planting I usually put 2-3 seeds per hole in case one or more seeds were bad. And thankfully, none this year seem to be bad (a testimony to the dollar store's seeds...and our soil, I guess). After the seeds start budding, they have to be thinned. Otherwise the 2 or 3 per hole will have to fight for soil and water, making all 3 pathetic and weak. It almost hurts to do this because it seems like a waste and you want to see them all grow. Few will find the narrow path... [photo: bell pepper and tomato plants]
I will thin out certain crops for spacing within the next few weeks. That really sucks to pull up healthy growing plants. [photo: yellow squash - eventually will be thinned to only 2 plants in this row]Over all...an excellent start. Unfortunately, I have a natural tendency to meddle with things. If I can just leave the garden alone enough to let things go their intended course...
...like relationships the CEO puts before me daily. I can squeeze the life out of them by controlling every aspect. Or let them go into the CEO's hands and just be "available" for occasional watering and thinning.
Hopefully I won't accidentally kill off this crop before July 4, which is my own target date for a "successful" garden.
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