the root report: first sprouts and first lessons
off to a good start
It’s time for he first update on the Hometown Harvest Smart Garden, and there’s already plenty to report!
Max Crawford, has been hard at work keeping the garden hydrated and healthy through the Upstate’s summer heat. After planting the first round a few weeks ago, Max’s labor is finally bearing fruit – and not just the figurative kind.
There are corn, okra, watermelon, tomatoes, pumpkin, and squash all in the ground, preparing to become the garden’s first round of donations. While the crops are starting to grow, that has not come without a few hiccups along the way.
Advice earned the hard way
Every garden’s got a first lesson, and this one came courtesy of the tomato plants.
Max came into this already knowing the vital first step to growing good tomatoes: start with tomato cages. A tomato cage is a cone-shaped support structure placed around the plant, keeping it from sprawling along the ground where it’s more likely to pick up rot and disease. Other benefits include better air circulation, more sun exposure, and a much easier picking process once the tomatoes are full grown.
While Max started off in the right direction, he got thrown off by a good bargain, like most anyone would. He spotted a pack of tomato cages on sale at the store and was thrilled, until he realized they were marked down because they were broken. A small bump in the road, but not enough to stop him.
Zip ties in hand, Max fixed the broken cages once he got back to the garden. They ended up repaired and in the ground with the tomato plants, but not without giving him a crash course in patience along the way.
“A little word of advice, don’t scrimp on tomato cages. It’s aggravating to get the little flimsy ones in there,” says Max.
Just as expected, planting a garden with zero experience comes with a few lessons learned the hard way. The good news? The tomatoes are already full grown, with enough for the garden’s very first donation! 9.85 pounds of beautiful, bright red tomatoes went straight to Golden Corner Food Pantry in Seneca.
Max and the rest of the Upcountry crew are one lesson closer to becoming master gardeners. This journey might come with a few bumps in the road, but it’ll be worth it for the chance to donate fresh produce to those who need it most.
Stay on this adventure with Upcountry Fiber, and stay tuned for more updates, stories, and lessons learned along the way.
