Sad news....

My garden is tooooo big! 100 x 60 is too much to to tend to for me and the family right now. Next year, 2/3rds will be grass. Now I understand why the couple that owned the home and worked the land before us we did were retired! They needed to be w/o kids or jobs to pull it off!

On a positive note, I am going to use the "old garden space" as a mini campground for our tents and hammock. We will plant some tree's around it for privacy; it should work out perfectly w/ the fire pit 20 ft away.

I think having 3 sons under 10 and this new set up will be the best, for now :)

That was a vary big garden endeavor. I have an idea. I don't know if you know it or not but you should only plant a garden in the same spot for a max of 7 years then you let it lay fallow till the soil regains it's minerals and fertility. Why don't you divide your garden in half and work one side for "X" amount of years then plant a cover crop and let it fallow while you till up and plant the other half. Keep rotating. Never plant the same vegetable in the same spot. Add lots of compost and leaves and grass clippings (but not when it's seeding) and till it in. Build the soil up all you can and when it's time to rotate garden spots that side will be nice and rich and produce well.

No reason why you dan't use the "fallow" side as a temporary campground for the kids. Spread the ashes from the fire pit around as it's good for the soil.

Another bit of good news is that once planted veggies will grow and produce even without a good hoeing and attention. Back in my young days when I was busy working and had my son at home I would till, plant and pretty much forget and we still got tons of tomatoes and cucumbers etc. Didn't look pretty but it worked for us at the time.

It won't be too long and those boys will be able to do some hoeing for you. :)

Kris, well i was with you in the beginning, and I'm with you now!! :)
I think you are making a very wise decision. Think of it this way. You've learned in one season, what its taken me YEARS to learn.Better to have a smaller garden to enjoy, than a huge garden your to tired to enjoy. Birdie

and listen to Brenda (Loon) shes my muse.

Brenda great advice....as usual ^_^

Another thing that you can do in this situation. This works for the full size of your garden or even half of it. See if there is a MSUE Master Gardener or a MG group that would help with the tending of the garden. You could then donate the proceeds to a local food bank or a church food pantry. The donation would tax deductable and the Master Gardeners could get volunteer hours towards their certification and recertification.

I agree that is too big to fuss with. our garden is 50 by 30, and with the mulch of straw, 6 bales worth, even with all that
I have to pounce on the weeds. ugh. Its perfect size for the sprinkler though, a back and forth one going for a few hours
does all the watering. we leave it set up with hose attached. DH fenced the garden in with a nice gate too.

Next year I will put down boards to walk on between the rows.

I agree, you can grow a cover crop on half the garden now, and not consider it a loss. Put in clover or buckwheat, which
will smother all weeds and die off in the winter, you plow in under for spring and off you go again. ashes is a great idea too!.

After my garden is harvested this year, we will let it lay fallow and till it all under next spring. I plant buckwheat where I
grew garlic in preparation for another crop for next year. Its better to rotate than replant.

Sher