5 Raised Garden Mistakes, 4 Successes, & What’s Changing in 2024
Hi everyone, Bryan from Garden In Minutes® here. From running Garden In Minutes® to creating content to share with you, sometimes, I overlook my own plants, forget to do things, or I realize that I want to do something differently in the future. In this video and post below, I’m recapping 5 of my biggest mistakes of 2023, 4 of my biggest successes, and a sneak peek of what’s changing in my garden and maybe even yours in 2024.
4 Big Successes
Let’s start on a positive note! These are the 4 things that I feel went really well in my garden this year. Watch the video above for more details.
- Okra – The growth and production was extraordinary. I harvested 73 pods in one day despite only growing in half of one 4×8 Raised Garden Bundle.
- Eggplant – Just like the Okra, my eggplant production and harvest were the best I’ve ever had. But, there was also a mistake from this and the okra… more on that in the video. (Here are okra growing & plant spacing tips)
- Growing Peppers From Seed – I didn’t think I’d have the patience for it… but as a surprise to myself, I did! Production was good and I’m still harvesting these peppers in our mild Florida winter.
- Pest Defense – I used a narrower gauge gopher wire and reflective pinwheels throughout my garden & it’s been relatively pest-free all year!
5 Mistakes
- Stagger Planting Timing – Our okra and eggplant production was epic, but too much at the same time. I stagger-planted a few plants every week, but I still harvested 73 okra pods in one day and over a dozen eggplants on another. So, moving forward I’m going to space out my staggered planting to every two weeks or just 1 to 2 plants each week instead of a few. Here’s more info about stagger planting
- Letting Go Of Plants Sooner – Sometimes plants are sickly or have challenges with mold, fungus, and diseases. That’s what happened to some of our tomatoes (check out this video to see). I tried nursing them back to health a little too long and instead should have realized they were too far gone, removed them, and used the space to grow something that would bring me more joy.
- Adapting To My Climate Sooner – Florida is hot in summer! This year I used shade coverings to help my plants stay a bit cooler in the intense Florida summer heat, but I should have put it up a few weeks sooner. The delay caused some of my fruiting plant’s flowers to wilt and die, delaying the plant’s production. Here’s a video about protecting plants from summer heat.
- Mulching Sooner – Similar to our shade covering, I should have mulched around my plants a few weeks sooner. Mulching helps insulate your garden soil. This keeps it cooler in the summer months so you have good soil microbe and organism activity. (If you have a Garden Grid™, here’s how you mulch with it)
- Not Using Natural Fungicides & Insecticides – Aggressive molds, fungi, bugs, lizards, alligators… Florida has a lot of garden foes and there are natural ways to help fend them off. In the past, I’ve used soil solarization for many of the soil-derived issues, but that’s a reactive measure. I feel like I should be more proactive. In 2024, I plan to use more natural fungicides and insecticides like BT and Neem oil to give my plants some extra help.
What’s Changing In 2024
- We’re expanding our garden! New sizes, new plants, new tutorials! If you have something you want to learn more about, share it in the comments below!
- New Garden In Minutes® products! Many of which you’ve been asking about… share your guesses and requests in the comments below.
Happy Gardening!
Bryan Traficante – Co-Founder @ Garden In Minutes®
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