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Community Corner

The Garden Journal

Keeping a gardening journal is essential for healthy growing.

I’ve always kept a writing journal of some kind or other. When I was younger, in my teens, my journals were mostly filled with the writings of a young teenage girl. (Yikes!) As I got older my journal pages were filled with independent thinking, hopes and aspirations of great things to come. Later, came writings of love and family and all the highs and lows that come with growing up and responsibility. 

I’m glad I can look back and read the story of “me.” It’s helpful to have in writing what works and what doesn’t. It keeps me moving forward and growing.

Keeping a garden journal is just as important and essential for growing. I keep a gardening journal that includes my planting and my growing calendar, , my blogging and a list of to do’s. Having the dates of when you plant what and where is huge and can really have an impact on your harvest. Making note of the variety of plants you plant is helpful, too.

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For example, last winter I planted arugula and parsley on Feb. 8. That was way too early and my seedlings spent too much time under grow lights. They became spindly and weak and never really recovered. I planted my cukes too early as well and had very little productivity.

In early June I took the row cover off my cabbage plants and ended up with a huge infestation of cabbage worms -- Yuck! I won’t make that mistake again.  Knowing cabbages like it on the cool side, and that row covers raise the soil and air temperature, I know that next spring I’ll be rotating my cabbages to the back row that gets a little less sun and keeping the row cover on until July. 

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I didn’t like any of the fancy “hybrd” tomatoes I probably spent double on.  Maybe it truly was just a bad year for the tomato but next year I’m going back to my roots, back to the good ole days of Heirloom. (Heirloom vs. Hybrid discussion coming soon)

Having documented what works and more importantly what doesn’t work is the key to success in the garden. So, grab a journal and maybe a cup of tea and start writing about what’s happening in your garden today and ultimately what you’d like to have happen in your garden next week, next season, even next year.

I’m off to turn the compost pile. Keep growing and enjoy!

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