2009 garden (#1) is in

Well, after a month or more of double ditching (digging a ditch, piling the dirt to the side, adding layers of leaves and cow manure, then piling the dirt back in) a roughly 16 ft. by 12 ft. plot of land, I've got the garden almost all in.  What's there?

Peas, potatoes, onions, cucumbers, bush beans, pole beans, tomatoes, peppers, carrots (though most of these didn't germinate), Swiss chard, lettuce, zucchini, cilantro, oregano, dill, basil, and parsley.  Quite a lot of stuff for a not-so-large bit of dirt.  I hope it all comes up.

Already as you can see if you look closely, the potatoes are thriving.  The onions are tiny but growing.  The peas are nearly to the first line of string.  Lettuce and chard are coming up, and there's some volunteer cilantro up and at 'em.  I've got two rows of tomatoes, three different kinds, and a row of peppers.  They aren't large yet, but 8 hours of regular sun and copious waterings should get them moving.  

So far, the costs this year are as follows:

Money:

• $34.51 - seed order
• $8.42 - incubator 
• $5.46 - peat pots + 1 packet zucchini seeds (all 20% off)
• $1.50 seed potatoes (I'm going to try using small potatoes that have already sprouted in my basement and see if that works)
• $5.50 - gas for truck (2 24 mile round trips @ $2.00, averaging 19 miles to the gallon)
• $10 for wire caging
• $16.99 for fertilizer

Total: $82.38
Sweat:

• 1 hour choosing seeds (more browsing, but I'm counting that as entertainment)
• .5 hour planting flower seeds
• 5 hours picking up and spreading manure.
• 10 hours double ditching (at least)
• 2.5 hours planting
  

tags: gardening  garden  planting