Succession Planting for Space Saving and Season Extension

Reader Contribution by Anneli Carter-Sundqvist
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We’re about to start on a new page here — to close the hostel for the season and go back to being just Dennis and me and the self-sufficient homestead.

My fourth year ever as a gardener brought the coldest June, the hottest July, a rainy August. What can I say? There are unknown cards in every hand but one has to make the most of it. The learning opportunities and chances to improve are as endless as the changing weather forecasts.

Each year I seem to advance in one way or another, this year being no exception. Our tomato vines usually

 grow 6 feet long, so finally I scrapped the flimsy tomato cages and put the plants along the fence where they could be easily tied up. Last year’s infestation of cucumber beetles took me by surprise but this year we started to patrol our plants long before the plants were damaged. But why oh why did I plant basil where it would be shaded by the pepper plants and why on earth did I grow my beans where they would be such easy prey for the slugs? But life is forgiving to dedicated gardeners; there’s always another season to correct mistakes.

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