Zipadeedoodah

So this year we planted a vegetable garden.  Our goal was small....but we wanted to use heirloom seeds and do it organically.  I've done tomatoes and a few other things before and we have herbs and some fruits, but a full fledged garden is a new experience. We got the seeds from Seed Savers , followed the Square Foot Gardener method and were determined to keep it relatively small and simple this first year. Our one goal....grow enough tomatoes to can a bunch of sauces and pastes for the year....the rest would be for fun.

Well guess what? Everything else is growing pretty well (this is the green beans a couple weeks ago) EXCEPT the tomatoes.  Sigh.....and there are LOTS of tomato plants.

Have I ever mentioned I have a totally black thumb??  Seriously black...no talent for growing at all.  But I THINK I've figured out the problem. Thanks to a friend from church that owns a local organic farm and from lots of reading online.  One site I found thanks to Homestead Revival  is www.chiotsrun.com
I think we had a nitrogen deficiency and a over-loved issue!!  So I added a bit of nitrogen this weekend and I'm leaving them alone to fend for themselves a bit.  They've already started to green up.  now if the soil would just heat up and we'd stop having cool weather than I think they MIGHT take off!!  MIGHT.....remember that horrid black thumb...who knows??
They aren't dead yet, just sort of stopped growing.

But realistically, the odds are not necessarily in their favor?!!  

The best part of the veggie garden is enjoying it with my amazing hubby.
Mornings you'll often find us, coffee mug in hand, wandering around the veggie beds discussing what's growing well, what's not, etc. what we will do differently in the future, etc  Evenings....same thing.
Mid day...same thing.  ha ha!!  We are enjoying it....together!!  So if nothing lives or produces we will still have enjoyed it...and won't give up!

NOTE: please excuse the hideous yard in the background.  our current project is that we tilled up our entire backyard, put down tons of topsoil, tilled it in, picked up loads and loads of rocks and the sod will be delivered TOMORROW and yes we're laying it ourselves!! Hopefully by next summer I'll have a lush backyard!!
We've had all sorts of issues with seed in the backyard (our front was sodded when we built), so we just decided to bite the bullet and go with sod and redo the soil from the lousy job our builder did and do it right!!   My sweet neighbor  brought over this cool book the other day on organic lawn care.  It's a MUCH easier read than any other's I've looked at (and bored of) and has some really interesting tricks.  I'm going to hopefully be giving one a try in the next few days.  More on that to come......