Life Support

Here it is late June, and my garden is once again showing signs of utter, total failure.  I'm not posting pictures; I fear that the Department of Social Services Agricultural Division might see them and come out to confiscate.  Truly, it could happen.

I sent a plea for help from Phil Wingard, "The Tomato Man" in the summer and the Edgefield Pottery guy in the off-season. "Dr. Phil" was kind enough to make a house call, and proclaimed my garden salvageable for the summer.  (I have my doubts, but I will trust the Master of the Mater.) 

Phil suggested that I may have fertilized too close to the plants.  He said I should fertilze the soil between the plants, several inches away from the stem, to avoid "burning" the plants.  He also said my soil may be nitrogen deficient, and prescribed Epson Salt.  "Sprinkle some between the plants and water it in," he instructed.  Then, he said, add some organic material.  This morning I searched my natural areas and found some partially decomposed leaves.  I avoided pine straw, remembering some advice a few years ago that pine wasn't ideal for the garden.  So, now my garden is full of dead stuff (the organic material), with me hoping that the rest of it will live.

I have harvested a little this summer:  two cayenne peppers, one miniscule green bell pepper, three jalapenos, and one tomato, a "Mortgage Lifter" heirloom that I sliced and ate for breakfast.  I did not share.

Incidentally, if you want to try some of Phil's heirlooms, he just sold a bunch to Terra restaurant in Columbia.  Or you could sneak into Phil's garden one night and take your chances with his pit bull, Daisy.  I'm thinking Columbia is not so far away.  :-)


Thanks for reading about my trials and tribulations in the garden.  For blogs on OTHER fascinating subjects, including local restaurant reviews, you can visit Lake Wylie Information.