Growing Season 2009-Wrap up

Last night we had the first frost. This afternoon the boys and I spent the afternoon pulling wilted plants and weeds out of the garden. I added up our final totals for the season

2009 total:


* 584.09 lbs *


That includes....
231.85 lbs of tomatoes
78.0 lbs of sweet potatoes
57.77 lbs or 101 cucumbers

30.99 lbs or 148 green peppers
29.4 lbs or 35 ears of corn
21.7 or 12 butternut squashes
24.0 lbs of strawberries

43.85 lbs or 21 cantaloupes
27.4 lbs of peas
and more....


We canned tomatoes,ketchup, salsa, jellies and pickles. I have a freezer full of tomato sauce, green beans, and green peppers. You would think my pantry/freezer is full, but it isn't really. We ate a lot as we got it and we have eaten some since we put it away. I can already see where we will have to increase if I want to store enough to actually make it to or near the following season.

Harvest Update- August

Total produce for the month of August:

95.7 lbs

for the year

484.5 lbs


I didn't take any pictures....mostly cantaloupes, butternut squash and left over tomatoes. Our garden is just about done....a few raspberries and the sweet potatoes won't be ready until near first frost. But we surpassed my goal of 400 lbs for the year :)

Harvest Update- July

Total produce grown in July:


!!! 286.52 lbs !!!

that brings the total to 388.8 lbs for the year!

including bean, peppers, cantaloupes,

herbs, cucumbers, zucchini, corn

And tomatoes.

Speaking of tomatoes. Of that 286 lb total....199 lbs of it was tomatoes!

What exactly does one do with nearly 200 lbs of tomatoes in 1 month? I have a freezer FULL of tomato sauce, we canned whole and crushed tomatoes. We ate A LOT of them raw. We made ketchup, sold some, made lots of salsa and ate lots of bruschetta. I made chili and vegetable soups.

I am very proud of that number. I have never kept track before, so I have no clue how it compares to our normal produce amount, but nearly 400 lbs of food grown by me and my family; from plants started from seed by me, I am happy.

The tomatoes are starting to taper off, as are the cucumbers. The sweet potatoes are huge and bushy and growing everywhere, but it will be awhile before I can dig them up to see what is actually under the earth. The butternut squashes are hanging in and the beans are still producing. We have a dozen or so more melons ripening....so we'll see what August brings.

Harvest Update- June

Total harvest for June:

52. 33 lbs


total for the year:
102.28 lbs

The tomatoes and cucumbers are coming in. We've been having this cucumber tomato salad a lot with dinner. It's great- 4 ingredients: cucumbers, tomatoes, fresh basil and onion. All from the back yard. We have a few cantaloupes, lots of peppers, the boys are excited that the corn actually grew this year- over my head. Usually it tassels at about 2 ft tall and never amounts to much. The sweet potato plants have taken over, I only wish I could see what was going on under the soil.

Random Thoughts

• Today Paul started his summer class at UT. He is only taking one each session, and although I am excited and happy that he can finally go back to school and finish his degree, I am a little...anxious maybe? He will leave here at 8:30 every morning for class. Then go to work...so Mon-Saturday he will be gone from 8:30 am until after 9:30 pm. So the boys will see him maybe an hour a day. Sunday he will be gone only his normal 1-6 om. And if his sales stay up he will be able to keep his day off on Tuesday. It's like the terrible tent sales they have at work that takes him away from us for a week...only this is 2 months. But, in the long run it will be worth it. 2-3 years from now.

• Yesterday was the last day of May, and I tallied up our produce for the month for the Freedom Harvest Challenge. 49.95 lbs. Which I thought was great! Considering we are in a rebuilding period for our strawberries, so close to 50 lbs with only carrots, radishes, peas and strawberries. I am sure the tally will be much higher for June since cucumbers and zucchinis will be going by then.

The forgotten zucchini, 2007

• Speaking of zucchini....the dreaded squash bugs are back. The ones that nearly destroyed our gardens last year. Instead of 20+ zucchini we got about 3 before the plants wilted before our eyes. And instead of 20 cukes a day- we got about 10, not that great tasting ones, for the entire season. I am a bit more prepared, for now atleast. Every night we go and make the rounds. Remove the eggs we find and destroy any bugs we find. I am hoping that will be enough to help the plants survive....especially since I am growing about 4 different winter squashes too.

• I am in the process of planning our upcoming school year. Does anyone else get completely overwhelmed looking at the Rainbow Resource Guide? I love that catalog- it's the size of a phonebook, but has about everything you could, plus reviews too. But my head is whirling with what I want to do....subjects I want to cover....things I want to get more serious about....extra activites I want to add.....book lists...etc....

"The Library" 2008

• Speaking of book lists....our county library had it's summer reading program kickoff on Saturday. It's the first time we've ever been to the kickoff and it was a lot of fun. Crafts, a magician, free pizza. But better than that is that Rylan spent the entire hour of quiet time reading and has over a third of his list completed. Cohen wanted to sign up as a reader this year and has over 15 books that he has "read" or helped me read.