I've learned a great deal from my first year of gardening. Some of these lessons are specific to gardening in Maryland, others are universal.
Lesson 1: Furry Leaves make for Furry Fungus
The biggest gardening foe I faced was fungus. My pumpkins, zucchini, and cucumber all suffered moldy fungal growths that halted growth and shriveled produce. Maryland gets irregular and sometimes heavy rains and high humidity- the perfect growing conditions for fungus on the backs of leaves. I doubt I'll grow any more furry leaf veggies.
Lesson 2: Some Plants Need Lots of Space
I really should have done a bit more research on pumpkins before growing them. If I had, I would have learned that pumpkin vines will take over your entire yard and make it really hard to mow the grass. My tomato plants also grew far too big. Next year I will only be planting one tomato plant instead of two.
Lesson 3: Don't Let Plants Outgrow Pots
This no-brainer is brought to you by my bell peppers. I bought several plants mid-May . The gardener recommended they hit the soil within a week. It took me a while to build the raised bed garden, so the plants didn't hit the ground until mid-June. As a result, only the super hardy cayenne pepper flourished.
Hopefully these tips help. I'm planning out next year's garden now with some exciting new plants as well as some garden staples. I'll start sprouting the first seeds in March, though there will be a few posts before then regarding garden prep and a surprising herb that is currently toughing it out in the garden.
Keep on growing,
Christine
