The Future.....

I was really trying to work a DEVO reference into the title, but it just wasn't going to work (and I like to put little easter eggs into the titles, be they horrible puns or strange references).

The Future.  I've been thinking a lot over the Summer as the garden has been doing it's thing, Things that work, things that haven't, and about my goals. Am I achieving them? Am I at least moving in the right direction? And what steps should I be taking now to get there?
This post might be a little long, but that's ok - so's the future.

Space....

 One thing is certain, I need more space.  Spring and Summer had every available square, pot, and container planted out - even if those seeds didn't pan out, everything was full.  Still with each success I found myself wishing for more.  For the space being used I'm getting good results, but I'd like to get to a place where I'm replacing, not supplementing, store bought veg.

Another consideration is density of planting and the quality of plants - especially with containers.  This year I've run several comparisons for several plants, especially ones that are space intensive and thus not well suited to the square foot methods of planting.  Squash in large pots CAN be done, but even using what I consider to be the largest feasible pots (and still have them movable) there is still no comparison to 'in the ground'.
Although they have a place and a useful purpose, they require more upkeep, regular watering, and ultimately on a side by side comparison - in ground wins out every time - my single square foot broccoli is thrice the side of it's 3 brethren in 10 inch square pots.  90% of what I have in containers needs to be in the ground, and I need more of it.

Containers...

This is not to say containers don't have their uses.  I've grown an entire food garden in them when I didn't have yard space, and the germination to seedling growth in a planter can't be ignored. It was one of the things I took away from the first garden and implemented into 'the plan' - but there is another benefit, although it's one you usually try and factor against - size.
In the last point you see me talking about the limited size of plants as a major reason to expand, and how I picked large pots for squash to encourage growth, but it's a double edged sword.  It's a disadvantage on one hand, but a tool to be exploited on another.  Just as you can pick a pot to encourage growth, a lot of plants you can deliberately use an undersized one to limit it - this is no great discovery, the Japanese have done this with bonsai trees for centuries.

The small pot with the tiny tomato plant is actually older than than the larger by a significant amount.  The tiny one sprung up in January and was transplanted to that pot. The larger was grown from seed in March/April.
I've kept it at that size as I don't really have a good place for it, or a larger pot available.
I can keep it at that size for quite some time, and if I had a space I could transplant it, and it would grow to size.

Apart from germinating and keeping seedlings, there is also the 'overflow' concept.  When you plant, you don't ever do 'one hole - one seed' planting, you sprinkle 3-4 to each space.  This gives you a much better chance of success for each plant. Once sprouted and established (to their second (mature) leaves) you'd thin back the excess by plucking or pinching.   I try to carefully pull them - if I don't feel that tell-tale 'pop' of the root breaking, I replant the excess into a container.  At worst and they die, I've lost nothing - if they don't I have surplus seedlings that can be put back into the garden later. This is what I've done with kale this year - I only planted 4 squares of kale in spring. To date I've harvested off 9 mature plants (and have one more to put back in later this week).
 So containers will be kept and maintained, but hopefully going back to their original purpose.

Projects....

I had several garden projects slated for summer, but unforeseeable events and expenses make for changed plans. The garden is the low-end of the totem pole, and when push comes to shove, it's the first area I start cancelling out expenses from.  Also the 'terrible two's' have moved onto the terrible threes - with the kids getting more social, more time from my schedule is put towards them, making the days where I can spend 4-5 hours outside working on things lessened. Not to mention that those times that do come up need to be rationed between other household needs and repairs - buying an old house is a worse time vampire than Linden Lab's Second Life.

The wicking bed was the first to be cut - and I was looking forward starting it, but considering the costs involved for things I can't scavenge (pond liners, slotted drainage pipe, certain pvc fittings) would drive this up to a hundred dollars pretty fast - it's being put on hold.  I have other unfinished yard projects that I'd want to see to first (as I hate unfinished things, and one project has been put on hold and half finished for a year now) - this pushes the timeline back to possibly Spring, and I need more space now.  So - cut from the list.

I'll still be keeping an eye out for free stuff I can put to use on this, such as wood I can reclaim from pallets.

 New rainwater collection is another one, but for different reasons.  I wanted to replace my 55 gallon rubbermaid tub with an IBC Container (shown) - these are 275 gallons and are about 4ft square.  It would absolutely solve all garden water supply pretty much forever.  They come up on Craigslist from time to time or even at yard sales for around 70 bucks.  However having the 75 bucks in my pocket when one comes up has been problematic, and these things can vanish within an hour or so of being put up for sale.

So, I'm going to go with my current tub and until such time as I have the funds put aside and on hand at a moments notice, I'm not going to sweat it.

Worm tea peculator is still on the table - I have everything I need at the ready for this and really only have to wait for the current bucket o kitty litter to be depleted (and a couple of hours free).

Compost Trommel is going to be very involved, and not something I was even thinking about getting done over the summer.  I wouldn't even need this till April, when the composter in the yard has been running for a year. This being said I've already sourced a lot of parts from various farms, I won't, however, be bringing this assortment of junk home until a later date.

Plans

Space is needed, and needed before Autumn starts - this gives me about a month and a half to put some plans in place.

A new 4 x 4 bed - that will give me another 16 squares of planting, and that can go quite a long ways (no doubt in Spring I'll be lamenting a lack of space again).

Needed: 

lumber 2x6x10's - two of them.  That will do the frame, probably around $14.

landscaping fabric (good quality) - the stuff I did the composter and other bed with is now around $20 a roll, but that's ok as I need it for other things.

Dirt.  4 bags of garden mix $12, 2 bags cow compost $6, 2 bags mushroom compost $6, 2 bags topsoil $4. So around $28 - lets round it to $30.

 I have deck screws and lattice, so its gonna be around $64 to put in.

Dedicated area for squash and other large plants.  This really doesn't need to be done before spring - which is good because it's gonna take a bit of work.

See, not all the yard is nice and neat! This PITA to mow slice between the driveway and my fence needs cleaning up - I've already sprayed all that weedage with some knockdown, so it should start dying off in a couple of day (if not I'll procure something stronger from the farm) - then I need to dig up any remaining roots from more stubborn weeds, scape the topsoil down by about 6 inches - lay weed cloth down with a lip up along the fence to stop run-out of soil. Some kind of edging will need to be installed on the driveway side to make it a raised be of sorts.  The topsoil mixed with a liberal amount of pinebark chips will be shoveled back on, then the top mulched with pine-straw to prevent weed regrowing until the bed is used in spring.  Costs on this - probably $50-$60 dollars and a LOT of sweat.  However that stretch is some 20 - 25ft long (eyeballed). So that will make a very suitable patch to grow squash, melons, or other larger plants.

Finally, one little thing I need to do before next month. Prep potato bins. Walmart has put those crates back on special to coincide with the school year starting.  I already have 2, and expect to pick up 3 more if they're still around. That and weed cloth (which I need for everything else) and I should be good to go with 3 - 6 bins of potatoes ready to start growing before Autumn.

Anyways - that's the plan to take me to next Spring..

Cheers!