Garden 2025

My garden summary for 2025.

Squash were a big success, in particular the spaghetti squash of which I have plenty to share. Pie pumpkins were plentiful too. I added a pine board to the south window sill to make it wider and then used it to ripen my pumpkins.

The first successful crop was my asparagus but I hesitated to harvest too much of it since it was only last spring that I raised them into higher ground,  At that time they were drowning from the spring thaw and the lower roots were still in ice so I had to cut them off.  Asparagus ferns in the fall:

My next success was garlic, even though it could have used more water which would have resulted in bigger bulbs. From this year's harvest I'm saving the biggest bulbs to plant for a great crop next year.

Peas were great, as were yellow beans but the green beans kept getting cut off as soon as they sprouted. Beets were better than the last two years but still not extremely successful. I'll try again next year as beets are an important crop for keeping my chickens healthy all winter. I harvested three butternut squash, but they are huge, and are currently ripening in my south window.

  

I had planted four types of potatoes, Yukon Gold, Russet, a red skin yellow flesh potato originally given to my by my old neighbour, a Dutch farmer and a red skin white flesh potato given to me by a current neighbour. The biggest success for me was that I sprouted all my own seed potatoes from last year's crop.

Other successes include carrots, swiss chard, lettuce, spinach and cucumber.  The carrots are still in the ground and I'll leave them there until just before the first major snow fall. I had trouble growing cabbage, onions and tomatoes this year. I ended up buying a box of Roma tomatoes and jarred those for use throughout the winter. With a greenhouse for next year I will try growing a small tomato in a pot inside all season and next year the cabbage needs to be covered with cloth as soon as it sprouts due to the number of moths around all season.

This sheepswool was from Roy's motorcycle.  It is great in the summer to keep the tractor seat cool and I'm sure it will be just as great in the winter to keep the seat warm.  Brie has claimed it as her favourite spot when the tractor is parked in the shop.