My garden is to big

[lilshadow]

I was so excited to grow a garden this year that I made it to big. It is 30x100. I planted 8 rows of corn, 3 rows tomatoes, 4 pea, 4 green beans, 4 okra, 2 cabbage, 3 egg plants, 6 cauliflower, 2 carrots, 1 brussel sprout, 3 onions, 1 spinach, 1 lettuce, 20 mounds various: cucumbers, pumpkin, zucchini, squash, acorn sq, spaghetti squash. I have been canning 3 times a week, and I still have to can. I have even given stuff away and still have to much stuff.

 

[JennsPeeps]

Pft... my teensy garden has coughed up about a dozen yellow squash, lettuce, basil, some carrots, and a few cukes.

I wish it would heat up so that the tomatoes can ripen. We've had a rotten cold summer here.

 

[HeadHen]

I'm jealous. I tried to plant a small garden here. All I managed to harvest was a few herbs and like 6 tomatoes and 3 peppers and a cucumber or two. It was way too hot here. The spinach bolted by May and just about everything died in June and July. I think I might have better luck with a winter garden

 

[MissPrissy]

Store the hard squash (spaghetti, pumpkin, acorn etc) in a coold place away from from moisture and they will keep throughout the fall and into early winter just as they are. make sure they are not bruised or nicked.

Be very thankful you won't be buying groceries this winter.

Have you considered taking the extra food to your local food bank?

 

[riderbecky]

The food bank is a good idea Miss P! I was gonna suggest the farmer's market or set up a roadside veggie stand.

 

[riderbecky]

double post...my bad

 

[werblessd1s]

I wish I had that problem, especially since hubby's work is scarce lately.

 

[newchickenfamily]

Wow! Sounds great! My measly garden was kind of a wash up this year. I DID have 2 nice tomatos that were doing well until my Beagle picked both plants clean. Even ate all of the green ones.

 

[MamaDragon]

Greetings!

Here's some thoughts on how you can dispose of the bountiful harvest that you can't use--

If you're a church-going person, let your pastor/priest know you have too much produce, and I'm sure he'll know several families &/or seniors who would be grateful for part of it. Most towns have a "ministerial alliance", and they usually run a food bank (or know where it is anyway) for the community.

You can also contact a group called "Second Harvest". they go out and harvest produce left by the picking machines and imported labor either because it's not ripe yet, over ripe, etc., If you have a group near you, they'll be more than happy to come out and pick what you don't want to keep.

You can also take part of it to your local Women's Shelter.

 

[hcammack]

My garden is shared between 3 famlies ! we have enough lettuce, tomatoes, cukes, zukes, squash, herbs, eggplants, rasberries, blueberries, peppers, mesclun, carrots, beets, radishes, and pumpkins.

Henry