This is the time of year I start thinking about what I have learned from this year's garden.
There are things that I love and will repeat...
But there are also those that didn't work as planned that I will either scrap altogether or modify before doing again.
I keep trying to find a way to support tomatoes that I like better than cages.
I LOVE cages for support but HATE having to store them. If you plant 50+ tomatoes, storing that many cages is a hassle.
So I've been experimenting with other things. This year it was to support the rows instead of the individual plant. Frankly it has been a unwieldy mess...
Some branches have gotten to big and heavy that they lay all over their neighbors making it hard to see what is growing beneath.
Next year I'll try something else...maybe staking each plant.
Although the maze has been a huge success I have also learned from it too.
I made the path just too narrow. I wanted them to be child-size but I have noticed my kids have to turn sideways to get through the jungle of gourds. beans and sunflowers.
I want them narrow enough to feel 'hide-out' like but wide enough that they can actually run around the maze without worrying about breaking off plants.
I have also decided that now that the gourds have started growing across it I like having a roof...until now I just bonked my head on it.
I'm thinking next year I should make it arched so I can stand up under it!
This week I have started my plans for next years garden based on what I've learned this year.
What about you?
Have you had some things you would do differently?
How about things that have been great triumphs that you will do again next year?
And what is you favorite way of supporting large amounts of tomatoes...I'm getting desperate out here!
