Happiness is a Vegetable Harvest - Nanette M. Holloway

Happiness is a harvest of fresh vegetables. Especially after several years of poor growing conditions. The worst part of that is no home-grown tomatoes and no tomato sandwiches. A summer time favorite.

But this year the garden is flourishing. The plants are huge with lots of produce.

Last year I had enough of gardening and no crop. All that wasted energy and effort. No tomato sandwiches, and no fresh zucchini or crook neck squashes.

Disappointment and resentment met me in the grocery store produce section. Ugh. Squash from south of the border is not a favorite purchase. All over priced and who knows how long it’s been in cold storage—all nutritional zapped. And store-bought tomatoes just won’t work for a gourmet tomato sandwich. The summer menu ruined once again.

Determined for a Harvest

So, this year my determination for fresh produce sent me back to the basics of Master Gardening. I succumbed to an overdue soil sample.

The soil analysis showed too much phosphorous and potassium. Nitrogen was only fertilizer needed for the next two years.

Another basic growing detail is adequate moisture. This year the rainfall hit at regular intervals in July. Although later than our normal spring rains, we averted drought for now.

The best equation gardening success is sunshine + soil + nutrients (fertilizer) + water = produce. A winning combination for a plentiful harvest and tomato sandwiches on demand.

After all that I’m wondering how your garden is growing? Have you ever tried a soil sample?

Every state has a university that are all things agriculture. Oklahoma State University—OSU is Oklahoma’s. They provide online fact sheets for all your gardening needs and know how. Including obtaining a soil sample.

Once you get a nice sample take it to the Extension Office in the county where you reside. The sample will be analyzed with results for nutrient deficits and recommendations for amendments needed for optimal growing conditions.

Happy gardening.

Scripture for Today

““From the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth, may God always give you abundant harvests of grain and bountiful new wine” (Genesis 27:28 NLT).