Why your garden is different than mine #1

One of the biggest things that tends to upset a new gardener is the lack of production after all the work they have put into their vegetables.  I always urge new gardeners, even just new to the area gardeners, keep a journal.  Perfection won't happen the first year.  Practice make perfect. 

1. Write down everything you do

a.  When did you plant
b.  What seeds did you use or plants did you buy or did you start your own
c.  What did you do to the soil to prep?  Bone meal, Blood meal, mulch?
d.  Any odd weather during the season
     *95 degrees in March!
     *rained 2 inches in May
     these things will change a growing season quickly and have a definite effect on your garden.
e.  What fertilizers did you try?  Make sure to note the rate of application and if it was a soil  
     drench, foliar feed, granular, slow release etc.
f.   Success rate- how much produce did you produce!

2.  Where your garden is located changes EVERYTHING

a.  Do you get morning sun and afternoon shade?  You will plant a little later in the Spring to allow to

     warm up but you will probably harvest later into the summer since your plants will be a protected.

b.  Are you gardening out in the middle of a wide open area?  You won't get the protection from

     the block walls most of us have but you also won't have to worry about the heat the same walls

     collect all day and radiate out.  This could be a detriment too since you won't have the walls to

     store the heat during the day and radiate it out overnight to protect from frost at night in the

     winter.

c.  Do you have huge trees next to your garden?  There are some species that will suck any and all

     moisture out of your soil everyday.  Sissoo trees are fast growing monsters that will crack concrete

     and absorb almost all the water you can pour into the soil.  Good shade, best away from

     everything else.

d.  Are you out on the edges of the valley?  I've noticed since I have moved out to Queen Creek the

     nights are a lot cooler than up in Mesa.  Frosts occur much more often on the outskirts but cooler

     nights will help out a lot when the late Spring temps start to creep up. 

3.  Watering

     When you go to plant your garden you will have to keep seedlings and seedbeds more damp.  As the plants start to take hold you will want to do a more deeper and thorough watering and let the soil dry out a little in between watering.  We have a very alkaline soil and water here in the valley and you will notice the edges and tips of the leaves getting brown if you aren't doing a "deep watering" to push those salts away from the roots that were left there from the previous watering.  It will also help your plants chase the water deeper into the soil, and healthy roots will have a direct effect on the health of the plant above.