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C’est la vie

June 14th, 2012

I’m not one to let things languish in the garden waiting to see if they’ll perk up. I never have enough space for everything I want to grow, if something isn’t doing well, it gets ripped out and replaced with something else.

The ‘Dakota’ peas produced a flush of peas and quit blooming, yesterday they were all ripped out to be replaced with cucumbers. The hot spring was hard on peas, which flourish in much cooler temps. Amazingly, the ‘Golden’ peas on the front porch are still thriving, I’ll have to remember that they’re much more heat tolerant than other kinds of peas I’ve grown.

I have a row of beets that isn’t doing so well either, the area needs a good dose of chicken manure. They’ll be culled today and the bed will be heavily manured for a late crop of potatoes.

On a positive note, my onions are doing really well this year. The garden area in which they are growing was manured heavily and inoculated with mushroom spawn last fall. The difference between this bed and others is like night and day!

How do you deal with things that don’t do well in the garden, do you give them time to perk up or replace them?

18 Comments to “C’est la vie”
  1. Jaye Whitney on June 14, 2012 at 6:00 am

    I pull them right away and make room for something new and more in season.

    Reply to Jaye Whitney's comment

  2. Kathi Cook on June 14, 2012 at 6:53 am

    I also rip them right out. Can’t stand to see any wasted space where food could be growing. Speaking of that ,my strawberries haven’t produced this year (it is my fourth year with them),I think I am ripping them out and maybe putting pole beans in their place for this season since I didn;t plant any yet.Or maybe a cutting garden….

    Reply to Kathi Cook's comment

  3. daisy on June 14, 2012 at 7:15 am

    I usually wait-n-see, but I think I’ll give that up!
    Your onions look fantastic!
    Enjoy!

    Reply to daisy's comment

  4. Joan on June 14, 2012 at 7:33 am

    Wow, those onions look great! I tend to leave things because I can’t bear to pull them up. Not the best strategy, I know!

    Reply to Joan's comment

    • Susy on June 14, 2012 at 8:02 am

      I used to be that way too, especially with little seedlings, hated thinning and throwing any out. Now I’m ruthless!

      Reply to Susy's comment

  5. Melissa on June 14, 2012 at 8:22 am

    When it comes to non-edibles, I find that the wait and see approach is usually better. But with edibles, it usually means they aren’t going to do anything so out they go!

    So why mushroom inoculation? Does that have a particular benefit to the onions?

    Reply to Melissa's comment

    • Susy on June 14, 2012 at 9:26 am

      The mushroom inoculation improves the soil web and is beneficial for all plants, both edible and ornamental. I did this bed in particular because onions have always struggled here because of our lean dry soil. I figured it would be my best place for the experiment to see if it really worked or not.

      Reply to Susy's comment

  6. Allison on June 14, 2012 at 8:40 am

    I am wondering if my cabbge is going to bolt on me :( And the same with my other brassicas – broc & cauliflower :/

    My onions do not seem to be forming a nice bulb? I planted Copra starts from Dixondale back in mid-march in nice, heavily horse manured and loose dirt. Any ideas on that one?

    On the other hand, my Alaska peas are doing pretty good actually and only a few right now are looking like they need pulled! I am impressed with them.

    Reply to Allison's comment

    • Susy on June 14, 2012 at 9:27 am

      The onions could just be taking their jolly time to bulb. My Copra from plants that I planted most likely around the same time you did aren’t forming bulbs just yet. The ones in the photo above are plants that I started from seed in January and planted out very early at the beginning of March. They’re way ahead of the direct seeded and the onions from plants of the same variety.

      Reply to Susy's comment

  7. Mich on June 14, 2012 at 9:02 am

    I am much more ruthless with poorly growning vegetables, if it looks poor then its in the composter and fill the space with something else.
    The perenials will prob get cut back, fed and some extra time to show me they are worth keeping…then its decision time a keeper or a composter?

    Reply to Mich's comment

  8. elizabeth on June 14, 2012 at 10:14 am

    I think the Dakota are supposed to be ready all at one time, that’s why they are good for freezing. If you only eat them fresh, another variety would probably be better.

    I have a whole greenhouse of things that aren’t doing well, same thing happened last year, but we replaced all the soil for this year. I’m pretty dissapointed, but my old greenhouse and old part of the garden are doing well at least.

    Reply to elizabeth's comment

    • Susy on June 14, 2012 at 11:08 am

      I figured they were supposed to be ready all at once, which is nice for freezing. I do have a few other varieties of peas that keep producing, but they’re languishing in the heat.

      Reply to Susy's comment

  9. Nebraska Dave on June 14, 2012 at 10:17 am

    Susy, I’m afraid I don’t pull out the ailing plants and wait way too long before making a decision to pull them out. I guess it’s my positive hope that some how they will return to vigor. I am not one to make a quick decision on any matter and usual wait until the matter is decided for me by circumstances. I am learning to be a little more proactive but it seems to be a slow process.

    I have to admit that I’ve been so busy with the new garden that I have neglected my favorite blogs. I have always enjoyed hearing about your life experiences. Thanks for being a diligent blogger and keeping it interesting.

    Nebraska Dave

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

  10. Jennifer S. on June 14, 2012 at 10:32 am

    Remember the post you did comparing your broccoli plants to last year’s plants? I am a gardening novice but my broccoli while growing nice leaves, look like they are not going to produce broccoli. I didn’t know you could “miss” the right time for planting. I did buy the plants. Thanks for your sharing!

    Reply to Jennifer S.'s comment

  11. Maybelline on June 14, 2012 at 10:39 am

    I used to coddle the weak; but NO MORE! If a variety can’t hack it in my garden – You’re out. Further, I really can’t be bothered with plants that need extra shelter in extreme weather (summer or winter). Nope. I pick the hardy varieties. It’s less heartbreak for me in the long run.

    Your onions are beautiful.

    Reply to Maybelline's comment

  12. whit on June 14, 2012 at 11:46 am

    I usually have a hard time biting the bullet and culling the non-producers. At our new place though, the greenhouses make a huge difference…i haven’t had never as many problems as with outdoor gardening and there hasn’t really been anything to cull. Unfortunately, the cantaloupe starts i planted in the out of doors have been decimated by the slugs. The plants weren’t really taking off with our cold June-uary, so i guess those pests did me a favour. :)

    Reply to whit's comment

  13. alison@thisbloominglife on June 14, 2012 at 6:19 pm

    I’m with Mitch, much harsher on the annuals and vegetables and more willing to coddle with my perennials, shrubs etc. Those hollyhocks are gorgeous, I’ve only got pinks so will have to try and get my hands on some of these…

    Reply to alison@thisbloominglife's comment

  14. KimH on June 17, 2012 at 2:31 pm

    I tend to coddle them along… Especially depending on what they are.. especially my squash. I guess too, it depends on where it is & the timing.. which is critical for me since my community garden time is very date specific. At home, its a different story.. it just depends is my final answer. ;)

    Reply to KimH's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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