PEI Gardening Tips (from a Novice)
Posted on 16. Aug, 2010 by Laura-Jane - Whimfield in House, Outdoors, Prince Edward Island, Projects
Cameron seems to think it’s my duty to tell you what’s going on in our garden. Therefore I share my PEI gardening tips from yours truly, a novice in the vegetable garden.
Already we’ve learned a lot for next year when it comes to growing vegetables.Here are my PEI gardening tips from an idiot. Please feel free to correct me.
1. The growing season on PEI is relatively short, so you may want to start seeds indoors or in a greenhouse, which we didn’t this year because of our distastrous results last year.
2. Get your plants in sooner rather than later. I thought we should wait for June 1st-ish, but I have come to learn that many people seem to plant quite a few seeds and seedlings outdoors here on Easter weekend.
3. Potato bugs are evil and they eat your potato plants! If you have a lot of space plant your potatoes far away from the rest of your veggie patch because those potato bugs are scary. Be sure to harvest your potatoes before the bugs get ‘em.
4. Weeds are a problem. What the…?? How does one deal with the weeds?? To be determined.
5. What is with broccoli and cauliflower?? They won’t grow heads?? They are just all…leaves?
6. Kale is a fast grower. Lettuce is a slow grower.
7. Resist the temptation to pull up your carrots before they’re big. You’ll regret it if you don’t! (Can you just put them back in the dirt? I doubt it, but it’s worth asking, ok. I said I was a newbie!)
8. Beans are delicious and easy to grow! Pick and sprinkle with herbs = healthy chips.
9. Get your seeds from Vesey’s Seeds. And order them from the catologue because it’s more much fun that way. Preferably take your seed catalogue with you to public places and circle your preferred varietals with a big juicy Sharpie marker. Onlookers will think you’re a hippie.
10. Your corn will grow more slowly than the corn fields that surround your neighbourhood. Try to curtail your jealousy when passing others’ fields. Take deep breaths and repeat, “They are professionals. They are professionals.”
11. Weeding your garden is a perfectly pleasant way to spend a Friday evening (well, the first Friday evening was pleasant.. But the novelty has worn off, I must admit!)
There you have it, my incredibly random PEI gardening tips from my heart to yours.
Tweets that mention PEI Gardening Tips (from a Novice) // Whimfield -- Topsy.com
Aug 16th, 2010
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Gardening Guru, Whimfield . Whimfield said: New post: PEI Gardening Tips (from a Novice): Cameron seems to think it’s my duty to tell you what’s going on in o… http://bit.ly/d9hZfp [...]
Michelle
Aug 17th, 2010
LOL! Hilarious post. At least you’re out there – learning – doing – willing to make mistakes.
Our garden SUCKS this year. We did start from seed in a protected and warm area, we did plant early, tilled the garden and all of that lovely stuff. As soon as we planted, the warm early spring turned wet and cool for a spell and the garden didn’t flourish or recover well.
Others held off and in mid-August their gardens are lush but I can see lots of flowers where there should be tomatoes or cucumbers and such.
Nice to see you fared well (at least better than us) despite a learning curve.
Donna Johnsen
Aug 17th, 2010
Mulch your garden with last year leaves or marsh hay. It will cut down your weed time a lot. Carrots cannot be transplanted but if you grow beets they can. Cauliflower is not easy to grow but I usually don’t have problems with broccoli. Maybe you over fertilized them.
christy
Aug 17th, 2010
This was one of the funniest posts I’ve ever read on here! “Healthy Chips” and “hippies” were the kickers. Donna is right, and my grandparents even put down newspaper with straw on top of it in between the rows. Or black plastic. We dont do that but we have a “stirrup hoe” and it is AMAZING! Dont let the weeds get bigger than an inch or you are in over your head. A few minutes with the stirrup hoe every other day and you wont get behind the weeds.
Freda
Aug 17th, 2010
Looks delish!!. Nothing like fresh veggies in the summer. Enjoy!!
N&M
Aug 17th, 2010
You guys have come a long way with your veggies! I’m impressed sister
Brianne W
Aug 17th, 2010
Try applying some bonemeal to your veggies at planting & half way through the season. This will help with rooting and flowering (good flowers means good fruit). If your still not getting heads on your cole crops it may be a boron deficiency. If in doubt get your soil tested, the soil on the east coast is way different then the west coast.
Naomi
Aug 17th, 2010
VERY impressive! I have pretty much given up on my garden…although Madalyn and I did harvest 5 sweet peas the other day. That was a nice light snack! I am so impressed! Yes I am!!!
Johanna
Aug 18th, 2010
We have a very tiny garden. Over the years we have tried growing many things. What I love growing best are tomatoes and celery. Our garden has now been taken over by the berries – strawberries, blueberries and raspberries as well as the rhubarb. They come up every year and practically take care of themselves.
Laura-Jane - Whimfield
Aug 25th, 2010
Celery???! That strikes me as something that would be impossible to grow! I’ll have to add that to our list for next year’s garden.
Jane
Aug 18th, 2010
Hi Laura Jane: you don’t know me but I feel like I know you and Cameron as I’ve read all of your posts. Discovered your blog when I was doing some research on PEI. It’s been very helpful – I never knew there was a snowblower attachment for a tractor!
My partner, Michael, and I have just purchased an old farmhouse near Alberton. We will be using it in the summers (I’m a school teacher, he’s a life coach) for the next 4 years until I retire then we will live there permanently. We did look at a couple of places not too far from Montague but fell in love with our farmhouse. We have friends near Montague and my older sister plans to move to PEI when she retires also.
Have really enjoyed reading about your adventures and challenges (perhaps one and the same thing!) We have had a few adventures already also (bugs) and I’m sure there will be plenty more ahead.
We just transplanted 34 spruce seedlings from our forest to make a northern wind break so really crossing our fingers that they will still be alive when we come back next summer.
Enjoy the fruits (and veggies) of your labour – everything looks delicious, especially the beans.
PS – my dad would pull ONE carrot and if it was still small he wouldn’t pull any more for a couple more weeks:)
Jane
Laura-Jane - Whimfield
Aug 25th, 2010
Welcome Jane!!!!!
Johanna
Aug 26th, 2010
Everybody is so surprised by that :) We found some in our local nursery a few years back and gave it a shot. I love it. They taste so much better straight from the garden. I’d be very interested to know if you do try them.
Hugs
Johanna
Aug 26th, 2010
replied to the wrong post. My apologies. I was responding to the celery post :)
Olivia
Aug 18th, 2010
Unless you just live down the road from Vesey’s Seeds – then it’s more fun to go into the store and chat.
Poke your fingers down into the soil beside the carrots and you can feel how big they are.
Planting a smaller garden with plants closer together does not leave as much room for weeds . . .
Q. What does a raw foodie do with potatoes?
Laura-Jane - Whimfield
Aug 25th, 2010
A. Watch Cameron eat home-made home fries! :)
Mathieu
Aug 20th, 2010
I am very impressed and pleased by this site. With so many personal development sites involving apps and high tech living, I am marvelling at your original path and passion.
If only “planting your own garden” were as clear as planting a real garden at times!!
Also, you have made me realize a little bit about myself today…that’s all I can say. Thank you :)
Let Futhark Lifehack help you find your Ideal Life
Marguerite
Aug 24th, 2010
Laura Jane, I’ve visited your site several times but felt compelled to comment today. We too have recently transplanted from BC to PEI. Gardening is a little different out here. A greenhouse is not always necessary, it depends on what you want to grow. Most vegetables can be direct planted however peppers and tomatoes will benefit from an early start. On planting time, seeds grow best when they have a constant warm temperature throughout the day and night and lots of water. If it gets cold suddenly their growth will slow down or stop altogether. Best to wait until you’re sure it’s warm and then your vegetables will have strong constant growth. I planted the beginning of June. It’s okay if carrots are small when you pick them, they’re extra yummy that way. :-)) and congratulations on your garden, it looks wonderful. By the way, I tell people I moved here just so I could be closer to Veseys!
Laura-Jane - Whimfield
Aug 25th, 2010
Lol, Vesey’s would die to hear that I am sure. Welcome!!
Vicki Lerch
Aug 24th, 2010
Wow! Your produce looks great. Love all the pics. Did you plant any tomatoes?
Laura-Jane - Whimfield
Aug 25th, 2010
Thanks for all the insider tips and hellos!!!! Love, your friend, Laura-Jane
Andrea
May 18th, 2011
LOL. I really enjoy your site. I’m planting my first ever Organic Veggie Patch this spring and I don’t know hardly anything about it! Is it time to plant now?
Chaba Gryphon
Oct 22nd, 2011
Hi Laura-Jane and Cam,
I accidentally bumped into your blog and so far I followed it from the 2008 cross-Canada trip to August 16, 2010. And I just had to stop and write this note.
You see… I currently live in L.A. I immigrated 20 some odd years ago but I am planning on leaving the U.S. for Canada. It’s a strange feeling emigrating twice but it has to be done.
I was doing a lot of research and I settled on Fredericton, NB even though PEI looks appealing. Anyway…
The reason I wanted to write this was because I grew frustrated with your posts about not getting good results with your gardening. (Sorry it happens lol.) If I can make a suggestion… you guys might want to get three books that will make a world of difference when it comes to growing your own food, and even producing extra that you can sell – if you want to.
1. How to grow more vegetables… by John Jeavons (it’s a long title so I shortened it. I think the latest edition is the 8th but make sure.)
2. Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew (try to get the first edition or an early edition, not the new one and you can use square meters instead of square feet)
3. Garden Way’s Joy of Gardening by Dick Raymond
These three books are pretty much all you need. Of course you might need some additional info if a particular issue comes up but these are the best books to get you a solid foundation.
However, you gonna have a big “problem”. After reading these books and using the info you will see that you can grow pretty much all your food on about a 5th of an acre, in mostly raised beds. Which means that you’re not gonna need the remaining 62 and some odd acres that you have. It’s a pretty good “problem to have if you ask me, but you need to be aware of it. :-)
I hope this helps.
Now back to your blog…
Best,
Chaba