My Garden Plans for 2012

I had a good garden last year. Here are my goals for this year:

Vegetable Garden

1. Tomatoes – 24 plants (or more)
2. Okra – 32 plants
3. Potatoes – I’d like to plant enough to grow 100 pounds of potatoes
4. Yellow Squash – 12 plants
5. Zucchini Squash – 6 plants
6. Sweet Peas – 6 packets of seeds (4 – 4 x 4 raised beds, seeds planted about 6 inches apart)
7. Cucumbers – 12 plants
8. Cabbage – 70 plants
9. Bush Green Beans – 7 – 20 ft rows
10. Kale – 15 plants
11. Turnip or Rutabaga – 20 plants
12. Eggplant – 6 plants
13. Corn – 50 x 10 ft row
14. Broccoli – 16 plants (spring) and 16 plants (fall)
15. Lettuce – 16 plants (spring) and 16 plants (fall)
16. Pumpkins – 2 plants
17. Spaghetti Squash – 4 plants
18. Winter Squash – 4 plants
19. Cantaloupe – 4 plants
20. Watermelon – 4 plants
21. Peppers – (Bell, Pablano, Habenero, Banana)  15 – 20 plants
22. Beets – 30 plants
23. Sweet Potatoes – 5 plants
24. Raddish  and Carrots – 4 x 4 raised bed

Something I am working harder at this year, is succession planting. I was excited to find Seeds of Change seeds at Wal-Mart and discovered a sweet pea – Green Arrow Shell Peas – which are a bush type pea rather than a vining pea. In years past I have planted only vining sweet peas, but my vertical space is limited. Planting bush peas means I can plant more, hopefully enough to can and freeze some!

Also, I have yet to have luck with corn. However, this year, I am planning (hopefully) to plow up a nice plot in our front yard, despite the kids saying, “Mom! Do you know where we live???” – and plant the entire thing with corn, which, in the past, I have only planted a handful of corn seeds and none of them have done well.

Herb Garden

1. Rosemary
2. Thyme
3. Oregano
4. Cilantro
5. Dill
6. Basil
7. Chives
8. Mint
9. Sunflowers

These are some of the herbs I use the most and the ones I have had the most luck with in the past. I may try planting a few more exotic things like Stevia, Pennyroyal, and Soapwort. Aside from my outdoor herbs, I’d like to try some potted herbs in the kitchen window. I have not had much success with starting herbs from seeds, but the herbs I have planted from transplants into the garden have been coming back every year and the rosemary and oregano are still green, lush, and beautiful after our mild winter. Every year I had to them.

I also have had no luck with onions or garlic. I am sure I will try again. I just never seem to get large bulbs, which is disappointing when I pull them up for harvest. I need to do more research into how to grow them.  Any suggestions?
Fruit

And finally, I am attempting to grow a few fruits in addition to our young fruit trees. One thing I wish I could go back in time and do over again would be this: Plant an orchard that first spring when we bought our house nine years ago. Fruit trees take sooo long to produce a good crop. We have an apple tree or two, a peach tree, and a nectarine tree. My blueberry plants and fig trees have all died and we lost one of our peach trees last winter.

I have started Ground Cherry Seeds. I am wondering if this is a perennial? Also, wanting to try planting blueberry bushes again. In the fall last year we planted  male and female kiwi plants and a Concord grape vine. I hope they come back to life this spring! I plant to try starting some kiwi from seed this spring, too. I have a currant bush that looks like it may have died. We’ll see. We cut out most of our blackberry bushes because they were taking over the back yard. I may try transplanting some of the stragglers that are bound to show up and train them on a line.

And I want to plant some more fruit trees. Along with a hedge of blueberry bushes, if we ever get around to it.