Hoping For The New Year

[montyb]

Last year was much better than 2023 which was a wash out But all the vegetables were stunted and slow. I managed to get some tomatoes and cucumbers but everything was so stunted. Tomatoes maxed out at maybe 2 1/2 feet. After almost 3 months lettuce was only an inch high. I used fertilizer and made sure things were watered but nothing seemed to grow. Others who have gardens said to me similar it was a bad year As we are up north in Canada we had not too much snow and a mild winter last year but this year we have had a rougher winter and much more snow what do you think, will a winter with more snow help for a better growing season?

[Labradors2]

Sorry to hear that you had a bad growing season Montyb.

We live in southern Ontario, and things grew well last season. However, I wanted to mention that a friend who lives in the area has had a bad time growing things, with stunted growth. She'd had a good year before she piled a load of maple leaves on her veggie garden for the winter. Things went downhill after that, and even adding manure didn't help. Perhaps it's something in the environment that is causing the problem....... If so, I hope you can get to the bottom of it.

[RayR]

Whatever it is, I don't think it has anything do with the Winter.

[montyb]

Thanks. Now you mention it in 2023 when we were setting up the garden we did use leaves. So maybe that's the issue. We are hoping to raise the bed this year a few inches and a local company has a top soil compost mix. 2 parts soil 1 part compost we are hoping to use.

[rxkeith]

last winter was an anomaly for us here in the great white north.
what snow we had on the ground had melted by Christmas. never
seen that before. i had high hopes for an early spring, and warm summer
but that didn't happen. summer never warmed up for any length of time.
tomatoes did ok. peppers in ground did not. peppers in pots in the back of
my truck did much better due to warmer micro climate. most of the beans
did not do well. noted exceptions being beurre de rocquencourt a yellow bush
bean that i planted late june, and my grandma gina/uncle steve cross pole beans
that sprouted in spite of cooler weather, and managed to escape bug damage, and
wascally wabbits. it was a poor squash year. got some, but no where near what i
was hoping for.
this winter, we got hammered with snow at times. we have had about 230 inches
for the year. does that mean we will have a better, warmer growing season this
year? beats me.


hope so




keith

[MrsJustice]

Originally Posted by montyb

Thanks. Now you mention it in 2023 when we were setting up the garden we did use leaves. So maybe that's the issue. We are hoping to raise the bed this year a few inches and a local company has a top soil compost mix. 2 parts soil 1 part compost we are hoping to use.

I praying for a Great 2025 Season too. I might try for a Farming Grant again. Maybe it will not be a Wast of Time again. I have so many Jobs. That 's why we invest in all of the Children in our Family. Hoping that someone can come back one day to help Farm here are Angel Field Farm and our attached Farmland.

Tilling early is the most importance thing to do while you are planting on your raise beds. This is the Year we will "Till and Rotate the Dirts". This is hard work, but it Works.

So get that Tiller or Tractor working before your season starts. Amen!!

Pray for Me in 2025 and I will Pray for You 2025 Amen!!.
Farmer, Joyce

[clspie]

I use maple leaves for mulch, and composed maple leaves for a soil conditioner. Never had problems from that.

[MrsJustice]

Originally Posted by clspie

I use maple leaves for mulch, and composed maple leaves for a soil conditioner. Never had problems from that.

Thank you for sharing that information.

Do you have your own Maple Trees?

[clspie]

Just one tree. Makes about a yard of shredded leaves.