Garden patience

Here's to another 3 day weekend spent inside.

Earlier this week, I was talking with my co-worker-friend, Tina, about how Memorial Day weekend was rainy and how we wish it would rain during the week when we're stuck at our desks instead, not on 3 day weekends. Come on, weather.

Actually, let's be real. It's July in Kansas. Even if it was not rainy, I would probably be spending most of my time indoors.

It's been surprisingly rainy here. My Grandma recently sent me her rain gauge for me to use. I just went outside to check it. Thus far this weekend, we've gotten over 3 inches of rain. Once again, my poor garden doesn't really have a chance.

Overall, things look fine. (My zucchini plant continues to be GIANT) But earlier this week, I picked what looked like a ripened tomato, only to find that it had significant dry rot. (I've learned this is a result of poor calcium in the soil. An easy fix is to add tums. Yes, tums, like the ones you have in your medicine cabinet. The only problem is that I had already did that earlier in the season. Meaning, my soil must really be awful. I gave my plants another round of tums. Hopefully, they'll be okay). Today, when I was out checking my rain gauge, I wondered around my garden in the mist and saw that I had another zucchini rotting on the vine. So far, no squash bugs, which is an amazing thing, but I think all this moisture is killing the vegetables.

Moreover, my green bean plants are not producing like they should be. Too much moisture? I have no idea. I was hoping to have enough to can this year, which is not going to happen. (Although, really, I am fine with this. Canning as a concept is lovely, but as a practice, especially by oneself, is exhausting. And I live by myself. I am not sure I need a massive stockpile of green beans. I think I am fine with just growing enough to eat in season right now. Maybe someday when I have a family, I'll be more prone to can things for all of us).

A the growing season continues, I still believe that my garden soil is "not too bad" (especially compared to what I was working with at the community garden. But I've quickly learned that it's "not too great" either. I actually got my soil tested last fall and found that it's really lacking in nitrogen. This can be easily solved with manure, which I spread on my garden this year. But it must really be lacking, because it doesn't seem to be doing the trick.

Every year, I am faced with this situation. I want to help the soil, which usually means investing time and resources into it. However, I am so ready to get out of the prairie that I really don't want to waste my time and resources doing that. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful to not be moving right now (since I usually move living spaces every year), but I don't want to be in Kansas for "long term" anymore. I want to live some place where I can literally dig my roots in (particularly in the form of a strawberry bed).

Learning to be patient is hard work. Whether it's being patient with the current direction my life is taking or waiting for my garden to take off, being patient is the worst. I want things to happen now. I want fresh tomatoes right now! But that's not how that works.

In the meanwhile, I will do my best to be patient and appreciate the moisture outside, cooling down the world. (As well as the first zinnia I cut from my flower bed today).