Article

What an interesting growing season we have had this year.

June and July supplied more rain than we needed, and now August has decided to shut off the water tap entirely. These weather extremes certainly add to the stress of farming and gardening.

If this is your first year (or second year) planting a crop, don’t be discouraged; it’s not always this bad. We are always at Mother Nature’s mercy when it comes to growing food. Too much rain, frost, drought and high temperatures are just a few of the curve balls we are sent each growing season.

These are great learning opportunities to make changes to your garden next year. Maybe raised beds work better in flood-prone areas; maybe investing in a small irrigation system would be beneficial. But at the end of the day, sometimes we can do everything right and still have a lousy crop.

Let’s use tomatoes as an example. You can choose the healthiest plants, give them the perfect growing conditions and watch over them constantly. Despite all of the loving care, an outbreak of early or late blight brought about by excess rainfall and high humidity can undo all of your hard work. The key is to not give up, and more importantly, have realistic expectations for your garden.

I frequently hear people reflect on their memories of their grandparents’ gardens and how they remember a perfect garden. I can assure you that their gardens probably looked a lot like yours, but you only remember the good parts. It’s a good perspective to think that someday, the next generation will be talking about how beautiful your garden was. You’re probably doing a better job than you will give yourself credit for.

Social media also has distorted the reality of growing crops in a home garden. Fruit is not always beautiful; there are bugs, disease is everywhere and it takes a lot of work to keep weeds at bay. There are a few garden “influencers” that will show the bad with the good, but many selectively edit out the bad to make gardening look effortless. We all know it’s not effortless. Your garden is great, even if it looks a little rough.

I always say that there are a million ways to garden correctly and the only wrong way is to not start. But we can always learn and make improvements. If you’re interested in learning more, I suggest sticking with university-based information. Generally, information from these sources will be science-based, use tried-and-true methods and provide realistic expectations. If you’re not sure how to find these resources, try adding “.edu” to your internet search.

You can also call OSU Extension Trumbull County to talk with the Master Gardeners or me and we can get you the resources to help you be successful. Keep growing!

Submitted by Lee Beers, an extension educator, agriculture and natural resources at the Ohio State University Extension and can be reached by email.

OFBF Mission: Working together for Ohio farmers to advance agriculture and strengthen our communities.