50 Times People Tried To Grow Their Own Food But Ended Up Hilariously Disappointed (New Pics)
When you are growing your own food, you control every step of the process — from seed selection and soil management all the way to carrot peeling and pie baking!
But with so many variables, chances are some things will not go according to plan. And the subreddit r/MightyHarvest has plenty of proof to back this up. Created in 2018, it has 88.4k members, who regularly post pictures from their gardens.
While a select few see it as a platform for humble-bragging and uploading images of their Pinterest-perfect tomato baskets, most people do it ironically and share their hilariously underdeveloped fruits and veggies instead, reminding each other that failing is part of the process.
Continue scrolling to check out the content and don't miss the chat we had with Alison Levey, the creator of The Blackberry Garden blog and Todd Heft of the Big Blog Of Gardening.
This post may include affiliate links.
My Lime Tree’s First Lime
Hmm, Not Bad
"A common challenge for gardeners when growing fruit and vegetables is having the actual space to grow in," Alison Levey, the person behind The Blackberry Garden blog, told Bored Panda after we asked her about the biggest obstacles in the field.
"Thankfully, you can grow some edibles with very little space, even if it is some chili plants or herbs on the windowsill. When growing outdoors, a lot of vegetables and fruits can be grown in containers. Carrots and courgettes grow well in containers as do potatoes too. Some soft fruits will grow well in containers as well. If you have a garden and have space for a small fruit tree, there are many available to buy."
Another challenge, according to Levey, is finding the time to do all of it. "That is a harder one to deal with, but little and often can work well or spending a nice afternoon at the weekend tending to your crops."
Does Anyone Want A Lemonade
The Asparagus Saga Continues. It Is 5" Taller Today
Behold My Bounty! It Will Feed Villages Throughout The Winter Months!
Todd Heft, who runs the Big Blog Of Gardening and has released a book called Homegrown Tomatoes, is 100% organic so he places the focus on the soil.
"If you get your soil conditions right, plants will thrive," he told Bored Panda. "By soil conditions, I do not mean fertilizers. I mean drainage and organic matter to feed the soil food web."
The gardener said this means using lots of compost to condition your soil.
One Might Be Enough For Today's Recipe
I'm thinking all sorts of dirty comments, but I don't need to make any of them, because the carrot is already dirty.
This Thai Chilli Shall Flavour My Dishes For The Next Eon
The Central Valley, Cornucopia Of The World
Definitely Mighty
"In the early spring, top dress your garden bed with 2" of compost," Heft continued. "After planting, add another 2" around the root zone of whatever you're planting. Only use fertilizers if a soil test indicates the need for it."
"After harvest, add another 2" of compost or use a cover crop to overwinter your garden bed. It's all about the soil."
This Season, I Learned That The Biggest Secret To Yuge Sized Broad (Aka Fava) Beans Is… *gasp* Leave The Damn Plant Alone To Grow To Full Size
This is my problem- I ‘fuss’. I fuss every day twice a day checking and gardening them. I left my cucumber plant alone for two days while I off for work- and like an ungrateful child it flourished and produced 2 FAT snack cucumbers. Moral: I kill with love. Leave them alone. Why does everything have to b left lol
Tonight.. We Shall Feast!
Who Wants Rhubarb Pie?
Oh The Great Potato Harvest Of 2023. They Shall Write Epic Tales Long Into The Future Of The Horticultural Triumph. God As My Witness, I'll Never Be Hungry Again!
For beginners, Levey thinks that French beans are good to start with since they generally are well-behaved. "If you have the space, purple sprouting broccoli is easy too and tastes wonderful," she added.
"Potatoes I find easy especially if grown in a container. Courgettes are very easy to grow, but be warned, they do produce a lot of courgettes and you might just run out of different ways to eat them!"
My First Harvest! Get Ready To Feast
I’m Going To Have Tea For Years
My Mighty Flock Has Provided This Tiny Egg
Carrot Harvest, For Ants
Heft agrees that beans are easy. "[It's] practically plant and play, especially bush beans. Tomatoes are easy to grow, but you have to be vigilant about disease if you're having a wet summer. Peppers are easy too and less prone to disease. So are potatoes."
He too believes that each of these can also be grown in containers if you have limited room or just a balcony or porch to work with.
"If you're growing tomatoes in containers though, make sure you choose a variety that is labeled 'determinate.' That means it's a variety that grows like a bush, not a vine. Some varieties are also bred to be grown in containers," he explained.
My Giant Yellow Raspberry
Just Think Of All The Lemon Pies I'm Gonna Make With This
Gaze Upon My Haul!
I Cannot Wait To Pluck This Perfect Snap Pea And Indulge
Hey, this little plant is a badass. It's tiny and struggling a bit, but it's still determined!
After you start experimenting, Heft said you should pay attention to watering. "Deeply water 1" per week if it doesn't rain. Overwatering or "giving them a little drink" three times a week does more harm than good."
And don't overwhelm yourself. "Only plant what you'll eat. It's better to grow a big variety of stuff on fewer plants than growing too many potatoes or tomatoes," he added.
Okay, I’m Not Going To Lie. I Like Boasting. My Lettuce Harvest:
I've never managed to get my lettuce seedlings to come up at all, so that looks pretty successful to me!
Really Odd Baby Carrots
Looks like only the top few inches has been turned over leaving an impenetrable layer beneath, could be rocky, could just be clay or over-compacted soil. ETA: thinking about it I'm not convinced that would actually cause this effect at all.
Load More Replies...Poor soil, grown in too shallow a container pot or not thinned out enough. Or you're just Really unlucky 🤣🤣
The Whole Neighborhood Will Be Feasting For Weeks! I Grew... Pea
On First Ever Try
Heft stressed people should also not use fertilizer indiscriminately. "Plants will only use what they need and the rest runs off into local waterways," he said.
"This causes havoc for marine life and aquatic plants. Most soils hold plenty of nutrients for plants. If your garden has problems, the cause is usually not a lack of nutrients."
Behold
From Seed To Salad In An Apartment Balcony!
Behold! The Jalapeño Bonsai!
You can't blame the poor thing, it put every bit of it's nutrients into giving you this pepper.
The Only Radish I've Ever Been Able To Actually Grow
It is a gorgeous radish! You could have moles in your garden, making your radishes disappear from underground.
Levey added that it's important to look out for weeds. "If they start to take over, it can make the whole experience very tiresome. Also, keep an eye out for pests such as slugs and snails who can decimate young plants very easily."
"But the main tip is to grow what you enjoy eating and then enjoy growing them and eating them. It should be a happy thing to do, not a chore," she said.
And don't forget to show off your produce!
For more 'mighty harvest', fire up our first publication on the subreddit .
It's Supposed To Be A Carrot I Swear
Acorn Sized Acorn Squash
First Crack At Growing Garlic Was A Rousing Success
From Less Than A .5g To 31g, My Family Will Feast For A Decade
This Mighty Asparagus Will Make Sure To Pass On It's Superior Genes
My mom said she can't sell the house after Dad dies, because she's finally got asparagus.
Last Chile Pequin Of 2022 (3 Mm X 4 Mm)
Watermelon Harvest
Carrot
I'm Ready To Throw A Party With All The Salsa This Will Make
Looks Like I'll Be Getting A Currant This Year
Long Dandelion
Pomegranate Harvest, There's Enough For All!
Rad...ish?
But it is a lovely perfect miniature. I'd give it to a squirrel just to watch him eat it with his tiny hands.
Container Radishes Are Really Working For Me!
All The Things!
I Don’t Like To Boast, But
Enough Peas For The Year!!
Stupid Radishes!
If the first one is a string, and the second, third etc. Maby wait one week? 🤷♂️
Feeling Inadequate
Poor plant, watching its older sibling getting famous on the internet
Three-Months Harvest Of Pak Choy
My First Radish Harvest Of The Year!!
Many of these are being harvested way too early. Patience is a must when growing.
I thought the same. Wondering why everyone was picking things when they were obviously too small. Trying to figure out if they simply pick the day the Farmer's Almanac says to regardless of if it is done growing or if they have the patience of a 4 yo. Lol
Load More Replies...My blueberry bushes gave maybe one to two blueberries for years. This year, over got so many we can't eat them fast enough
I did grow 3 hands full of strawberries on my balcony this year :D I was very proud. Now i'm waiting for my habaneros.
My family is gifted in growing zucchini. Only problem is the leaves hide the fruit. Them you end of with zucchini the size of baseball bats.
I think everyone should start with zucchini. They are forgiving, grow in a variety of conditions, produce enough that one plant will have you sharing. You need some wins when first start out and zucchini will help you get them. As a someone that doesn't particularly like zucchini, I never knew when to pick them. So I 100% know what you are talking about. Left alone, you could grow a spare leg with one of those.
Load More Replies...I planted potatoes, only potatoes. In freshly bought garden soil for containers. The seedlings came up. I grew as excited as they grew taller and taller! They were cherry tomatoes and zero potatoes.
These are all so great! I know the bounty may not always be so bountiful but it's still lovely seeing that people are trying their hand at growing their own produce :)
First year you learn, second year you observe, third year you get satisfied, fourth year you master
There is a lot that goes into growing vegetables. It's more than dropping seeds and watering. Different vegetables require differing types of soil (potting vs peat vs mulch), different optimal ph and other techniques. If you are indoors, you may have to pollinate by hand or prune certain vegetables, etc. My first try, I got an "earth box" and grew sweet peppers and jalapenos. I was very successful, with a bountiful harvest. If you do try an earth box, make sure you get mosquito dunks. Most of all, different vegetables take different amounts of time to harvest. Fruit "trees" can take years, asparagus..two years. Ginger can take a year and a half to two years. Patience is the most important part. Also, pay attention to seed spacing. I saw a picture with healthy carrot greens, with small carrots. Most likely didn't pay attention to spacing.
This is all so relatable. We've been gardening for about a decade and sometimes, despite doing everything (seemingly) right, life just hands you a tiny paper or a shoestring radish!
It definitely seems like some people are harvesting too soon. The packet of seeds tells you want to do, how long to leave, when to thin which I'm sure some people aren't doing. Then again there are those random fruit and veg that just grow weird regardless of expertise 🤣 Just have fun and hope for the best ❤️
Make me feel bad for pioneers. Imagine if this was your harvest for the winter.
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Many of these are being harvested way too early. Patience is a must when growing.
I thought the same. Wondering why everyone was picking things when they were obviously too small. Trying to figure out if they simply pick the day the Farmer's Almanac says to regardless of if it is done growing or if they have the patience of a 4 yo. Lol
Load More Replies...My blueberry bushes gave maybe one to two blueberries for years. This year, over got so many we can't eat them fast enough
I did grow 3 hands full of strawberries on my balcony this year :D I was very proud. Now i'm waiting for my habaneros.
My family is gifted in growing zucchini. Only problem is the leaves hide the fruit. Them you end of with zucchini the size of baseball bats.
I think everyone should start with zucchini. They are forgiving, grow in a variety of conditions, produce enough that one plant will have you sharing. You need some wins when first start out and zucchini will help you get them. As a someone that doesn't particularly like zucchini, I never knew when to pick them. So I 100% know what you are talking about. Left alone, you could grow a spare leg with one of those.
Load More Replies...I planted potatoes, only potatoes. In freshly bought garden soil for containers. The seedlings came up. I grew as excited as they grew taller and taller! They were cherry tomatoes and zero potatoes.
These are all so great! I know the bounty may not always be so bountiful but it's still lovely seeing that people are trying their hand at growing their own produce :)
First year you learn, second year you observe, third year you get satisfied, fourth year you master
There is a lot that goes into growing vegetables. It's more than dropping seeds and watering. Different vegetables require differing types of soil (potting vs peat vs mulch), different optimal ph and other techniques. If you are indoors, you may have to pollinate by hand or prune certain vegetables, etc. My first try, I got an "earth box" and grew sweet peppers and jalapenos. I was very successful, with a bountiful harvest. If you do try an earth box, make sure you get mosquito dunks. Most of all, different vegetables take different amounts of time to harvest. Fruit "trees" can take years, asparagus..two years. Ginger can take a year and a half to two years. Patience is the most important part. Also, pay attention to seed spacing. I saw a picture with healthy carrot greens, with small carrots. Most likely didn't pay attention to spacing.
This is all so relatable. We've been gardening for about a decade and sometimes, despite doing everything (seemingly) right, life just hands you a tiny paper or a shoestring radish!
It definitely seems like some people are harvesting too soon. The packet of seeds tells you want to do, how long to leave, when to thin which I'm sure some people aren't doing. Then again there are those random fruit and veg that just grow weird regardless of expertise 🤣 Just have fun and hope for the best ❤️
Make me feel bad for pioneers. Imagine if this was your harvest for the winter.
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