As we begin to plan our 2023 garden, we will be drawing on what we learned from our 2022 growing season.
January is a time of so much promise. The promise to have a better year. The promise to turn a corner. But for homesteaders, we’re typically up to our knees in cold waterers and equipment failing. Luckily, the ample inside time gives us time to plan.
As I sat down to plan my 2023 garden, I made special note of a few things my 2022 garden taught me.
Investing in good equipment is always worth the price you pay.
When I started our growing season, I attempted starting seeds indoors. I have a window that doesn’t get great sunlight, but it gets the job done. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough sunlight to even sprout seeds. I told myself I would direct seed, which I had great luck with.
However, due to almost 9 inches of rain and a bizarre cold snap, I didn’t actually get to planting a successful garden until the end of May.
I balked at the price of grow lights and a dedicated shelving system. But not this year. Grow lights are at the top of my list.
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Sometimes outsourcing is the best option.
We grow in garden zone 6b/7a. We can outsource an incredible amount of produce. After trying (and failing) to grow corn in 2022, I made a mental note that outsourcing something like corn should be something I accept.
I want to grow everything that I am capable of. And I think that that’s an admirable goal. But if I can save space in my garden for something that will actually succeed, that’s that much more produce going up on the pantry shelves.
So say it with me. Growing corn is not a source of pride. Growing corn is not a source of pride….
Take things one step at a time.
2022 was my first year to grow a legitimate garden. And I tried to do it all. Holistic pest control. Seed saving. Summer and winter garden. It ended up being so much I lost control – quickly.
What I quickly should have accepted was the fact a first year gardener can’t do it all. No one can do it all. Things like outsourcing or focusing on developing one skill at a time are critical to understand when homesteading.
God is in control. And He will provide.
Our 2022 garden season saw unprecedented rain, drought and an early cold snap. And that’s just the weather! Not to mention talks of fertilizer shortages or even food shortages at the grocery store.
No matter the circumstances surrounding the grow season, our God is in control. We are taken care of. Sometimes we just need to heed the harvest to the Lord and remember that we are His gardeners.
Stick around!
Have you read how my fall 2022 harvest went?
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Need some useful tools for your 2023 garden? I use these photo organizers for my seeds. I used neem oil as a natural pest control and had good luck. Combine water and neem oil in a water sprayer (like this one) and keep those pests away!
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