Our Spring Garden

Comment

Comment by Lana Marie Morgan Adler on May 13, 2010 at 9:46am

May 13, 2010
It has been 4 weeks since I started using Spray-N-Grow on my gardens keeping within a 7-9 day intervals of applications using the Spray-N-Grow method.
Out of our 15 years of marriage, together Keith and I have grown 13 vegetable gardens and the years we didn't have a vegetable garden we did grow flowers. It's fair to say that even though we don't have that many gardens under our belts, we are somewhat seasoned gardeners and and enjoy cooking and eating and the two seem to go hand in hand. The economic break from growing your own veggies is only one of the factors we consider, but it does help with the budget and it feels good to know you are feeding your family healthy foods.
Year after year we have used the same fertilizer system (which is not Spray-N-Grow) and have been pretty pleased with the results, but I have to say that this year, I am truly impressed. I was somewhat skeptical when a friend suggested that I try Spray-N-Grow, we are loyal brand users, but I was willing to give it a shot, if the plants weren't doing well, I could always go back to the other brand. We have decided after 4 weeks to stick with the Spray-N-Grow and not go back to our old brand, the results are just too good. I have to thank my friend of ours for the suggestion. In fact if they had yard signs, I'd put one up.
My neighbor planted her seeds at the same time we did. Her plants are about 1/2 the size of mine. So far, we have had a great lettuce crop and it won't be long before peppers, beans, tomatoes and squash join the menu. There are blooms and small fruit on all. The blooms on the squash have been larger than I have experience and if you look at the picture of my zucchini, it looks as tho hands that are set in the prayer position. Let's you know who else has a "hand" in this. Besides luscious looking blooms, some of my zucchini plants have large double blooms, I will let you know how that turns out.
Last week I mixed up a gallon of the perfect mixture, as before I only used 2 quarts worth, usually Sunday morning is when I apply. My goal and challenge was to do a controlled study, meaning treat some of the crop with Spray-N-Grow and some of the crop without, but after seeing how well the mixture has worked on my other plants, I just couldn't do it and had to go ahead and spray my pear tree's too, we will see if the fruit is sweeter, just didn't seem right to not give all my plants the best chance I could. So instead of comparing plants in my own yard for a study, I will use my neighbors garden for comparison. That within it's self will be difficult. I might just break down in a week or two and share my knowledge! So Spray-N-Grow, send me a sign, I'll put it up. If not, I just might make my own yard sign. If I grow more than we can eat and give away, I just might put up a little vegetable stand in my yard and set out some signs to my home, Ha! Could bring home a little bacon too! We will see.
Driving around last weekend, I did noticed, we do have the best looking garden in town! I'm not saying that all the other gardens looks bad, just that mine is bigger and greener.
Gardening in the Central Texas Hill Country and being an Adler can be very challenging. First I will mention what we can't control, the granite gravel for soil. Yes, it's well drained, but almost seems too well drained. In the past if we used an in ground fertilizer, it would be washed out in no time leaving our plants looking week and tortured. I think the Cocoa Wet helps the solution adhere to the plants and absorb best where needed. Your plants have to be really healthy to tolerate high winds, drought conditions, torrential rains, sometimes late frost, weeds, varmints and BUGS! We are organic growers, that means we pick the weeds by hand and we don't use pesticides on our food or flowers. I pick out the bugs that aren't beneficial to my garden and feed them to the hens and let the others do their job, in fact, I have a garden snake that now resides in my lecctuce and seems to be quite content. As for the weather, we have no control over Mother Nature. We do like the idea that the product we are using on our garden is all natural and organic in nature. So far this is the healthiest garden we have grown yet. This weekend we will most likely be enjoying some fried zucchini and by next weekend I will predict that there will be some peppers and beans in the mix. My garden is ahead in schedule, this has propted us to keep planting. I have a new batch of beans in the ground today. See you next week. Happy gardening. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to drop me a line.

Comment by Dina A. Hill on May 5, 2010 at 9:10am

Lana, Your garden is just beautiful. I am so happy to hear you are getting such great results! We have a very small garden and my husband is shocked by the rate of growth since we started using SNG.
Keep up the good work!
Dina

Comment by Lana Marie Morgan Adler on May 5, 2010 at 9:00am

We are organic gardeners. I control bugs by picking them off with my hands and feeding them to the chickens and spraying them with water, the birds help with other garden pest as well as a few spiders, lady bugs and I did find a little snake in my lettuce this morning. These are all good things. Spray n Grow, being organic in nature had a real appeal to me and I was introduced to the product by a friend and thought I would give it a try since it goes right along with my thought of gardening. Natural. I am pretty please at the results I am getting so far and also somewhat surprised at the rate of growth and the health. My neighbors are benefiting as well. Our vegetable garden is in the front yard so it looks really good and I share my harvest with them. Speaking of, I need to go and pick some lettuce, I am sure they are ready for this weeks share.

Comment by Lana Marie Morgan Adler on May 5, 2010 at 8:35am

It has now been three weeks of Spray n Grow. My gardens are going nuts. Check out my pictures to see the progress.