Wednesday, July 6, 2016

The Homestead - Getting Off The Grid


 
 
July 6, 2016

Central Alabama has been in a moderate drought for the past four weeks and the homestead has suffered, The food supply. I will note this year and think of a way to help the plants in the future.

Last year was a wet growing season and very successful plants that produced much food for the coming days, this year its been touch and go. It has rained here, yesterday, not much but a little with promises of more today. 
 
 

The peaches did not grow very big as they did last year but I still made do with what God gave me, I canned the rest of those tiny peaches in light syrup last night. I have not took a count but I may have got a case of pints canned from ALL those peaches this year ( I canned as I got the ripe off the tree). Of coarse I wanted to triple that number, with extra to snack on but I did with what I had.
 
 

I was blessed with blackberries and I did pick several gallons but in a matter of days they also dried up with the heat and lack of water, even the red under ripe berries.
 
 

Tomatoes? I am getting an early crop of ripening tomatoes, I am also canning those as I get them ripe, it would have been nice to can a couple cases at a time but not this year. Some are the size of my hand, huge! Some are as small as a quarter and ripe and they are not tommy toes/ grape tomatoes. I planted so many tomatoes that I pray that I will get a nice stock of canned tomatoes and tomato products.

I am learning as I go but this past few years I am learning to also keep a journal of how the growing seasons have been and what I need to do and when. Last year I followed the moon cycles and this year I didn`t, does this make a difference? I do think it does.
 
 

I started all my seeds by the moon phases and they all thrived but when transplanting them they were not planted on a good phase of the moon so they suffered and some even died. Lesson learned.
 
 

I am seriously thinking about another crop, since it usually does not get cold her till late fall, early winter I may have time to help the food supply, After all we cant live on just squash! I have started cucumbers again.

I am learning as I go because no one ever said how to do this or that in the situation of excess rainfall or no rainfall.

How is your crops coming along?


By Andria Perry
Photo By Andria Perry







5 comments:

  1. Dry and crispy here... interesting about the moon cycle planting.

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  2. I'm amazed at all your crops! I remember reading your blog when you first planted them! I think a second crop would be great if you have the time, maybe not as much as your first crop, just pick things you like the best. We only have a small back yard garden but did fairly well considering it was so hot. I'm hoping to have a few more rows next year.

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    Replies
    1. I want beds next year, small beds filled each with something different.

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  3. I put in my second garden ever this year - I have a lot of learning to do. Last year we planted things too close together, this year we did better with the spacing but still need to give plants more room. One end of the garden has been planted with the "three sisters" corn, then beans which are supported by the corn, and squash in between to help shade out weeds. It's looking pretty good but it will be awhile before we harvest anything here.

    Like you, I've started making notes about what seems to work and what doesn't. About planting by the moon - I haven't tried it yet but I have a friend who SWEARS by it and his gardens are always wonderful.

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