This journey begins with a medium 2m x 5m elevated planter box in my backyard. To prepare this box for ideal gardening conditions, I first had to remove an abundance of weeds and grasses that were growing in it. After working on removing the weeds for two days, I was finally able to prepare the soil inside of the box. First, I added some pesticide-free, store-bought garden soil to the top of the box. Next, I added mulch to the top of the soil to prevent new weed growth and to maintain moisture for the plants. The water sources for my garden are a sprinkler that is part of my home’s sprinkler system, and frequent afternoon showers which are typical of the summer climate in Colorado Springs.
For my next step, I planted a pumpkin which I started from seed in early May of this year. This plant was healthy but smaller than most of my other pumpkin plants. I used this plant as a sort of “trial run” to test certain factors within the planter box. Using this plant, I will be able to look for pest problems that may occur within the box. Additionally, I can test whether the sun exposure (which is mostly east to west due to trees on the north and south) is sufficient for the pumpkins I will be planting. Finally, I can use this “trial run” to make sure the sprinkler and the afternoon showers provide enough water for the plant. I will observe this plant for a couple days, and if the factors are satisfactory, I will begin moving more pumpkin plants in, as well as other types of plants! The plant in the garden box is shown below:
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