Last year my veg garden was a massive disappointment.
It got over grown and got to the point where I didn't even like going in there in the summer. I'm determined to get it back to it's productive self, so I've set myself the task of getting it ready for spring byt spending half an hour a day in there*
*Weather depending
I've made a good start with this. I've found that setting the timer on my phone means I do just half an hour. This has worked well as it's not long enough to get bored (I normally listen to a book at the same time as well).
Feels good to make a really good and early start on the garden and tackle some areas (between the slabs) that always cause me problems when everything is growing like mad in the summer.
Hoping to keep at this half and hour a day for a while yet, seems like a manageable way to deal with it and stay motivated.
I'm going to do similar by adding in a few hours a week on other smallholding jobs like the coppice area, firewood and animal housing.
Anyone else break up tasks like this?
I do Kev. I try to schedule them at the same time as much as possible as I find it is the best way for me to actually get things done.
ReplyDeleteYeah,I think that's the way forward.
DeleteOh Dear! is what I thought looking at your first photo but a bite at a time will get it done.
ReplyDeleteThe slabs sound like perfect slug homes - hope you can get rid of the slugs before you put the slabs back
Yeah I hope so to! I might invest in some nematodes for next season!
DeleteTurn your chickens loose in the garden & let them clean it up for you!! Pile all the tiles in one spot & let them have it for a week. You'll be surprised at how they clean out the slug eggs too.
ReplyDeleteWish I could, but we're in an avian flu lock down at the moment so chickens have to be locked up.
ReplyDeleteYes, this is the way to do it! I have a huge yard and veggie garden. People who see it are amazed at how it looks and comment how I must spend all of my time working. Not so! If you spend an hour or so a day consistently, it never gets out of control and you get to do other things as well. Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteSome years I've really nailed it by breaking it up, but last year I got to the point where I didn't even want to go in there!
DeleteI am thinking of getting another polytunnel. One for plant propagation and one for vegetables growing. Far too wet to do anything outside here in the Emerald isle.
ReplyDeleteFeels a bit like that for winter veg here at the moment, things tend to rot in the ground if I'm not careful! The roots of my kale rotted off last year!
DeleteI guess it depends on your motivation - by that I mean your reason for doing it. Growing food for your family is a big job and like the joke about how to eat an elephant: one bite at a time. For a few of us veg gardening is a kind of meditation, hours can seem like seconds, and there simply isn't enough time in every day to spend as much ad we'd like to in the garden.
ReplyDeleteYEah, I think I get like that soem years, but once the control has gone from the garden I'm more and more reluctant to go in there - we grow to feed ourselves but also to show the children how to do just that. Last year it got to the point where I didn't want to go in the garden!
DeleteI hate to say it, Kev, but it's kind of a relief to discover someone else whose garden got out of control. The garden is one of those ongoing projects, so breaking it up for a little here and a little there is very sensible.
ReplyDeleteI like to be honest here if I can! My worst feeling was giving talks to garden clubs (which I do a fair bit) knowing I was failing at that moment in the garden. I've had years where I've really nailed it and want to get to that point again if I can, where people are impressed with what I produce!
DeleteYEah, feels good to get an early start on it!
ReplyDelete