Patience is a Virtue...

   My title has never rang more true..."Patience is a Virtue." I didn't understand how truly important good soil is until now. I had only been going by the strips I used a month ago, and hoping that the soil was ready to go. But all of a sudden, I noticed some strange changes in my garden.
   My corn, cucumbers, and zucchini were yellow! I looked around at the surrounding gardens and noticed how their corn and other plants were dark green. What was happening?

   I decided to immediately get online and order a proper soil tester. It was around $10, and I had it shipped priority mail. As soon as it arrived, I made a beeline to the garden. I was very disappointed with the results. The soil was not acidic at all, but rather alkaline. Not good. The fertility meter read "too little." Boy, oh boy, did I mess up! I had been so excited about my garden that I relied on incorrect pH strips and a prayer. I admit...I was overzealous.

   Nothing to do now but raise the acidity and fertility quickly! I made a trip to Lowes and picked up Jobes Organic Fertilizer. I also rounded up as much of my organic coffee grounds that I had been saving and got busy!

   I hoed and cultivated around the corn and sprinkled the fertilizer about 6 inches away. Then I pulled the dirt and fertilizer back over the corn. After I treated the rest of my plants, I went home and waited. Luckily, I didn't have to water because rain was in the forecast. It has rained for 2 days now. I am anxious to see if my plants can quickly recover from my mistake. This has been a great learning lesson for me. Fingers crossed my babies recover!!

                                       

The life of a farmer!! My vehicle shows it all lol

Looking good!!

   I try to go out to the garden everyday, unless it rains. After a few more days of raining, on May 19th I went back to inspect...and of course, weed some more. By now, I have gotten exhausted with weeding. I decided to hit the sale at Lowes and buy a cultivator to help beat up the weeds and loosen the soil. It was on sale for $20. And it worked beautifully. It makes weeding so much easier. That was money well spent.

              

   I was happy to walk through my garden and see everything looking good. I noticed a lot less beetles, so the neem works. I mixed up more of the mixture and sprayed again. I also planted onions, garlic, okra, carrots, peppers and more watermelon. Previously, I planted asparagus. I read that the first couple of years, asparagus cannot be harvested and eaten. So I purchased some 3-year-old crowns from ebay for $12. Not bad, considering how expensive it is to buy asparagus at the grocery store. And boy, do I love asparagus!!!  
                                                                                                   

 

                                   

                            

   I was very happy to see how well my garden was coming along; however, I will be learning a very valuable lesson in the week to come...

Oh, those little buggers!!!

   On May 14th, the corn, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, borage, sunflowers, and pumpkins were coming up beautifully. As I was weeding, I noticed something had started chomping away on my beautiful babies. As I got closer to my cucumber and zucchini, I noticed these little buggers...

Cucumber Beetle

Squash Beetle

   Now, don't let the names fool you. These beetles love a lot more than just squash and cucumbers. I found them on the tomatoes and corn also. Even though my borage was growing a nice barricade around my garden, they were not mature enough yet to flower out and attract those pesky critters. I was not about to let my helpless, young plants get ravaged by those hungry nuisances! So what could I do?
                                                                       

My poor cauliflower!

Nooooo!!! How could they??? 😢

   I got on the internet and researched organic pesticides. I found a product called Neem oil. Neem oil is a naturally occurring pesticide found in seeds from the neem tree. The main active element in neem is azadirachtin, which acts as a repellent and decreases insect feeding. It also interferes with the insects' hormones and hinders them from growing and laying eggs. This oil is also broken down in the soil pretty fast, so it doesn't harm our environment. It's not toxic to birds, plants, or bees either. I purchased a bottle of Garden Safe Neem Oil at Walmart for under $10. A little goes a long way when mixed with water. For the first round of treatment, I decided to use a weak mixture and spray lightly. I did not know what to expect and did not want to burn up my babies. So I sprayed, crossed my fingers, and waited...

April showers bring May...weeds??

   Wow!! What a surprise! Just a few days after planting my garden, it rained nearly the entire rest of the month. On April 30th, when the flooding ceased, I found quite a shocker...WEEDS!!! Oh my goodness, they were everywhere. It looked like I had planted a weed garden!!

 

   There was nothing else to do, but get rid of them the old fashioned way. Time to get down and start pulling!! After hours of plucking and pulling, it barely seemed like I put a dent in the garden. A couple of hours a day for the rest of the week, finally knocked those suckers back a bit. But boy was I tired!! My neighboring gardener has had her plot for 5 years. She was using old magnolia leaves, collected from last year, and newspaper. She laid it down to prevent weeds (pretty smart). I also noticed other surrounding gardeners using cloth tarps for weed prevention. However, I am on a budget and will just have to tough it out for the moment.

   Even though I was exhausted by the weeding, there was an amazing surprise that also came from all of that rain... My babies were growing beautifully!! The zucchini and cucumbers were forming flowers, the tomatoes were taking off, and the corn--the magnificent corn!! I couldn't believe how big the corn was. From seeds!! And the borage was looking gorgeous. I also lined the back of the garden with lavender and sunflowers. I can't wait to see how that turns out.

          

Tomatoes

Zucchini

                                                                            

          

Borage

Corn

              

   More to come!!!!

The beginning of it all...

My freshly tilled garden is ready!!

   On April 16th, I received a freshly tilled plot. As I walked around in delight, I began imagining what Thyme with Tomatoes would come to be. I tested the soil with pH strips that were given to me by a friend.

   The soil tested slightly acidic...but did I use the correct strips? I will talk about that in my upcoming blog. I have to admit that I was extremely excited and a little impatient; I wanted to plant everything now!! Trying to be thrifty and hoping the soil was at the proper pH balance and fertility, I went ahead and planted my sprouts.

  Several weeks ago, I designed a layout of the soon-to-be garden with the help of a companion garden chart that I found from unclelukes.com. But after looking around the garden, I changed it slightly. I lined the entire garden with marigolds, petunias, and borage. Research shows that these flowers deter certain pests. Hey, if it doesn't work it'll at least be pretty. I planted the tomatoes, zucchini, and cucumbers that I previously sprouted. The tomatoes were planted on the far left side of my garden, while the corn was planted on the far right side. Supposedly tomatoes and corn share the same pest and are companion garden "enemies." My cucumbers, zucchini, melons, and pumpkins were planted in the middle with room for the melons and pumpkins to vine out and grow. I have always wanted to plant and harvest my own pumpkins for Halloween. I mean...how cool?!
   As a newbie to the world of gardening, it didn't take long for me to feel the effects of the afternoon sun. I'll be coming back in the early mornings, or late evenings, from now on! I continued to plant more seeds and decided to call it a day. I lightly watered the seeds, thanks to the community garden so graciously providing free water. Fortunately, the forecast called for rain all week. Little did I know what was to come...

Can't wait for these goodies to be ready!!

The zucchini and cucumbers are in the ground!

My next blog will be about what unexpectedly happens when it rains off and on for nearly two weeks!! Surprises, surprises!!!

Starting a Sustainable Garden in the City...

 Is it possible to have a sustainable garden with fresh, organic fruits and vegetables in the city? Let's find out...

   There is a wonderful community garden in Memphis, TN. Every year, people are allowed to partake in the marvelous tradition of summer gardening. Having my own garden has always been a dream of mine, but apartment life doesn't allow such a fantasy. I signed up for a 25' x 100' plot and waited.
   On April 2nd, I was ecstatic when I received the call with my plot number...MY plot number to MY garden!! The minute I found out the news, I began planning the wondrous opportunities of my garden. As an Environmental Nutrition student, it was quite a bonus to find out this garden would also be my intern project for my grad class! I could implement everything I have been learning in my classes, and embark on a journey of sustainable nutrition. 
   As I waited for the plot to be tilled and the magic day of April 15th (the date after Tennessee's last frost), I began planting some of my seeds indoors. I had already purchased a Survival Garden pack of non-gmo seeds from Amazon for a reasonable price. (No genetically modified seeds in my garden!) On April 6th, the seeds were planted in a starter kit. After only a week, my tomatoes, cucumbers, and zucchini were taking off! These guys were ready for "Thyme for Tomatoes." Yes, I had already picked out a name for my garden.

....And then it happened...I received a call that my plot was ready!!!

My next blog will be about the day my plot was ready, and the next steps that were taken. I will test the soil, and plant seeds and sprouts according to my layout. Thankfully I have an amazing partner, Naomi, who will assist me in times of need (or possible nervous breakdowns lol). 

Naomi and I have our work cut out for us!