Mission Endure 29: July 2020 Garden Update

We have several Tomato plants lined up in this row. You can also see the mesh we have installed across the fence to keep out smaller animals.

Last year was a down year in the garden. I didn’t have much time, and although I got the garden planted, albeit late, I didn’t do a very good job of keeping up with it. When the weather got hot it became a mess. This year is a different case. My wife, Marilyn, has jumped in and done a lot of work to keep the garden going and has provided a lot of support as we look for new ways to become more self sufficient. Here is our July 2020 Garden Update:

A couple of years ago we switched to Herrick Kimball’s Minibeds on Plastic gardening system. It has worked well over the last few years. We renovated the garden this year during the COVID-19 quarantine and spruced it up a bit for this year. It has worked out well so far.

We have historically had a problem with animals wanting to feast on our hard work. Rabbits, deer, and raccoons get into the garden and before we know it the lettuce and beans are nibbled down to the ground overnight. There isn’t much we can do to keep the raccoons out of the garden, so we just try to deter them a bit. The rabbits do far more destruction and we have taken some measures this year to try to keep them out. We installed new fencing and a new mesh around the garden to try to more effectively keep the critters out. Yesterday we also sprayed rabbit, squirrel, and deer repellant around the perimeter of the garden. We will see how well it works.

Here is a tour of how the garden looks as of July 14, 2020. These photos were taken after we harvested most of the ripe veggies we had in the garden:

Here is an overview of our garden. It is 38′ wide by about 16′ deep on the near end and 24′ deep on the far end

The fence near the grass has been there for many years, but this year we added a 5′ fence around the rest of the garden to help keep the larger animals out

Our Butternut Squash is doing well, but I think it might need some nitrogen to “green” it up a bit.

We supplemented the Minibeds on Plastic gardening style we use by recycling landscape rock we needed to move from another part of the yard for a landscaping project. They work well in the Minibeds on Plastic garden as they help keep down the heat from the black plastic underneath the rocks and they help keep the water and mud off of your shoes after a rain.

A young Butternut Squash on the vine

We planted 5 types of Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Jalapeno Peppers, Tomatillos, Bush Green Beans, Romain Lettuce, Butternut Squash, Zucchini, Thyme, Basil, Dill, Broccoli, and Marigolds. As mentioned earlier the Lettuce and the Beans are about gone, but everything else is producing well.

Zucchini are off and going

Early Girl Tomatoes producing well

Two Bell Peppers and a Tomatillo plan in the background

Grape Tomatoes

Tomatillos for green chili salsa. First time we have ever grown them. They are a very interesting plant

Beefsteak Tomato plant that is loaded with fruit

I don’t know if the garden can provide all the veggies we will eat this summer, but it will help us be as sustainable as possible as the COVID-19 quarantine continues to make food and other supplies less than reliable. The rocks help keep the heat down and the dirt off of us. We are enjoying the garden a lot more this year with the few changes we have made so far. Thanks go to Herrick Kimball and his Minibeds on Plastic concept.