Where's that pickle fairy?

Sometimes, you've gotta admit when you've made a mistake.


And I'm made many a mistake, let me tell you.  I'll spare you the details of these.  Except for one.  Behold.

The unplowed plot that needs to be plowed.  That I planted in anyway.


There are multiple consequences from this mistake:
1.  Cucumbers harvest to date = zero.
2.  Zucchini harvest to date = slim.
3.  Weed population = out of control.
4.  Utilization of space = horrible.
5.  Butternut squash harvest = shan't be good, I know that much.


While I was hoping to turn this God-forsaken patch of land into a chicken coop, current regulations prohibit us from having chickens this close to the orchard.  So for the mean time, it's gunna have to be a vegetable patch.

Last fall, I had planned to till this patch up.  But then, I had a baby instead.  Silly me.  Needless to say, tilling was pushed to the back burner, in lieu of snuggling my wee-one.  Side note: It was totalllly worth it.  But this spring, I payed the price. By not properly tilling and composting the patch, the soil was still horrible.  Dangit.  Where is that soil fairy?  You know, the one that adds fertilizer and worms when you're not looking?

Yes.  I know that soil makes ALL the difference in the productivity of a garden.
Yes.  I know that you can't fake out plants.
Yes.  I know that I am a brainfart.


Well.  Long story short, I thought I could conquer the awful soil with just a little optimism.  And even though I dug large holes and filled them with rich compost, it was no match for the weeds, grass, and overall poor health of the earth in this patch.  Sure, my seeds sprouted.  But thriving?  Hardly.


I called in a favor.  I had to!  I was desperate.  

Lucky for me, my Uncle Joel has a tiller.  And he volunteered to come and help me begin the soil transformation.  While tilling is only the start, at least it's...well...a start!  After tilling the soil, we will dump our entire compost bin (roughly around a yard of compost) into the patch.  As the summer progresses, we will continue to feed the soil grass clippings, plant clippings, manure, dirt, food scraps, etc.  Come fall, we will add leaves from our maple tree and a cover crop.  Then, next spring, we will till it again.  And with the addition of some rich top soil (about $15 a yard), next year, this patch can be utilized to grow onions, potatoes, squashes, cucumbers, and cabbages!


And I've learned my lesson. Cutting corners, especially in the garden, doesn't land you anywhere you want to be.  Trust me.


This year, I payed the price with my pickle crop. 


NO!! Not the pickles!!


Now...where's that pickle fairy?