Gleaming From A Garden Journal!

By: Ron Cusano             Nov., 2009                            Vol. 2 Article 1013

     A Garden Journal can be one of the best assets a gardener can have. As the garden season ends, and we start to plan for next years planting, we tend to forget the lessons we learned, or should have learned for the previous seasons successes and failures. A written Garden Journal is a storehouse of garden wealth to guide us for the future!
     For example, right now I have broccoli and cabbage plants still growing that will never produce, because I started them way too late in the season. By checking my Garden Journal, I have a record of when I started the seed and set out the seedlings. Next year I will do so about 6-weeks sooner, to insure a good Fall crop!
     This past season, I planted 4 different varieties of green beans - 3 bush and 1 climbing. One of the bush varieties had a terrible yield, so thanks to my Garden Journal, I won’t be planting them again. My climbing beans produced better and longer than any I had previously grown, so they will be back again next season.
     My potato and sweet potato harvest was almost non-existant, but my Garden Journal reminds me that we had a terrible Spring and early Summer, with very, very wet, and cold conditions, which would explain those failures and convince me to try them again next year.  The same with my tomatoes, which suffered badly from wilt diseases because of the terrible weather.  But, my Garden Journal recorded that one variety, “Jet” was not as badly effected by disease as the others, so that will be a must for next season!
     The Garden Journal also has a record of when I started my seeds, when I set out the seedlings, and how well the did.  This will be a great guide for next year. Same thing for directly seeded crops, like carrot, broccoli raab and spinach! They were direct seeded in mid-March, germinated well and produced well.  These are know to germinate well in cold, wet conditions, and I might even plant them earlier next year.
     I could go on and on about how my Garden Journal will make next years garden even better, but I am sure you get the idea.  If you are a serious organic gardener, now is the time to start a Journal for next year, and start planning over the coming months.

Blessings,

Ron
“The Garden Guy”