A slice of garden heaven: Gardener reaps what he sows
Staff reporter
Whether it's golfing or fishing, everyone needs a hobby.
For Doug Lind of Marion, gardening is his hobby.
He started a small garden spot at his residence and then had a garden on land owned by Gail and Louise Whiteman.
He sold some produce last year in Marion, and people wanted more.
When a large area, about a half acre, became available in Marion, Lind jumped at the chance.
He figures he can make back some of the money he's spent by selling the products.
Lind, who works full-time, said gardening is a great stress reliever.
"I can come out here and leave all my troubles and stresses behind," Lind said.
He has planted and harvested traditional fruit and vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and green beans.
"I have five different peppers from sweet to habanero," he said.
Lind also has planted red, white, and sweet potatoes; okra; asparagus; and strawberries.
From the 100 tomato plants he's grown, he's picked more than 300 pounds, he said.
A natural gardener, all of Lind's plants started as seeds in a greenhouse.
"I planted them all in containers by the end of February or first of March," he said.
By using a propane heater, Lind kept the greenhouse temperature at 70 degrees during the day, and 50-55 degrees at night. He used a Wall-O-Water sleeve which insulated the plants.
"The water would freeze but the plant wouldn't," Lind said.
When plants outgrew their containers, Lind transplanted them to larger containers until spring.
He had all the plants outdoor by the end of April.
Lind does not use any special seed, soil, or fertilizer.
"I do fight deer and rabbits," he said. An electric fence around the perimeter has kept raccoons out of the valley garden.
Watering the garden, especially during these dry months, has prompted him to consider digging a well.
He has six settings of sprinklers which takes 12 hours to cycle.
Potatoes, tomatoes, and cucumbers have been picked almost continuously and are nearing the end of the season.
Okra, onion, and peppers are plentiful. Sweet potatoes will be dug in the fall right after the first frost.
The strawberry patches have had some fruit but some were planted late, Lind said, so they won't produce until later.
There are some tricks to planting some vegetables.
For instance, to plant sweet potatoes, old sweet potatoes are placed in a jar. Before long the potatoes will start sprouting. When the sprouts are 4-5 inches, they are broken off and placed in water where they will grow roots. The roots then are planted in the ground.
"The longer they're in the ground, the bigger they get," Lind said.
This is Lind's first year for trying asparagus.
"It takes three years after it's planted to have any asparagus," he said.
With help from wife Jenny and 8-year-old son John, Lind cans and makes products from his produce such as salsa and soup.
His family also helps with the picking of the products.
"I'm kind of picky about what I sell," Lind said. "I'll sort out the less desirable."
Lind grew up with a large family garden and this seems natural to him but he knows large gardens are a thing of the past.
"People just don't have time anymore to tend a large area," he said. So he understands the demand and desire others have for fresh produce.
"If someone wants something in particular, I'll consider growing it," he said.
Such was the case with okra.
"Personally, I don't care for it but people asked me to grow it so I did."
Knowing this hobby probably won't replace his day job, Lind is planning for the future.
"Retirement is a ways down the road," Lind said, "but I'll have this when the time comes."
