Mike's 2026 Journal: The "Demolition & Rebuild" Project (Zone 7b)

[Mike]

I figure I better practice what I preach and get my 2026 journal started.

Current Status: To be honest, it’s a mess. As I mentioned in the tool shed section, I let the careless weeds win the battle last fall. I’m currently looking at a 5-foot-tall forest that needs to be taken down before I can even think about planting.

The Plan: I’m sticking to my standard "Valentine's & Easter" schedule this year.

1. Phase 1 (Now): Run the Hustler mower through the patch (set to side discharge) to knock down the canopy.
2. Phase 2 (Mid-Late Jan): Bring in the Troy-Bilt rear-tine tiller to grind up the roots multiple times, then mix in some fertilizer.
3. Phase 3 (Valentine's Day): Get my 1015 onions in the ground. I’m debating doing potatoes this year. I usually skip them to save space, but those potato towers I’ve seen online are tempting me. I'll probably get some broccoli seeds in the ground here too.

The Goal: This year, I really want to focus on maximizing the harvest for canning. We ran out of pickles way too early last year, didn't get nearly enough tomatoes to can at all, and I want enough onions to last us through the winter steak nights.

I’ll post pictures once I get the mower in there and start the demolition.

Who else is planning their 2026 layout? Feel free to start your own thread and log your progress!

 

[Mike]

Went to have a look at the garden plot and, you won't believe this but, those weeds didn't leave on their own! I did get a new idea, though, instead of trying to knock them down with the mower this year. I thought about maybe just burning the whole thing. I've read that burning it all up could add a lot of nutrients back into the soil. It will also kill off some of the weed seeds that are sitting there waiting to sprout as soon as I give the ground a good cleaning and a little fertilizer. So, we may try that soon, assuming we're not in a burn ban.

Also, we've decided to do the entire garden under drip irrigation this year. The year before last we did it with our sweet potatoes, zucchini, and tomatillos. This year, though, it'll all be under drip. I'm also getting a drip irrigation injector which will be able to supply a constant, albeit very light, supply of fertilizer to each plant. The main thought here is that I won't be watering as many weeds, and just won't be wasting nearly as much water as I have been with my rotary sprinklers, which water between all the rows, between all the plants, and at least a full foot around the outside of the perimeter of the garden.

Again, I'll post pictures as soon as we start getting some work done! The good news is that we're already behind again this year so we're right on track.