As spring unfolds, it’s time to share my garden setup for this year’s growing season. Building on the lessons learned from last year’s successes and challenges, I’m making strategic adjustments to maximize harvests while addressing a few issues that emerged.

Doubling Down on Success

Last year’s tomato harvest was nothing short of spectacular. The combination of the Bug Out Garden grow bags and G3 Grow Formula created the perfect environment for these heavy feeders, rewarding us with an abundance of flavorful fruits throughout the season. This success has prompted me to double my tomato plantings this year, focusing on varieties that performed exceptionally well in our growing system.

Crop Selection Strategy

One valuable lesson from previous seasons: grow what your family will actually eat. While I enjoyed experimenting with various herbs and exotic vegetables, I found myself harvesting crops that often went unused. This year, I’m taking a more practical approach by:

  • Reducing herb varieties to only those we regularly use in cooking
  • Increasing space for consistently productive fruiting crops
  • Focusing on vegetables with high nutritional value and family appeal
  • Selecting varieties proven to thrive in our specific growing conditions

Addressing Last Year’s Challenges

The Hornet Situation

Last season brought an unexpected challenge: hornets. These aggressive insects not only created safety concerns for my family but also disrupted the natural pollination process by chasing away beneficial bees. I found myself hand-pollinating zucchini and okra with a paintbrush—effective, but time-consuming.

Two Key Changes for 2025

To address these issues, I’m implementing two significant modifications:

1. Black Plastic Mesh Ground Cover: Replacing the white panda plastic with black mesh serves multiple purposes:

  • Improves drainage to eliminate standing water that attracted hornets
  • Reduces weed pressure while still allowing water to penetrate
  • Creates less reflective surface to minimize insect confusion

2. Dedicated Pollinator Station: I’m introducing a dedicated grow bag in the center of my garden filled with wildflowers specifically selected to attract pollinators. This “bee magnet” should:

  • Draw beneficial insects into the heart of the garden
  • Improve natural pollination rates
  • Create a more balanced garden ecosystem
  • Provide visual beauty alongside practical function

The Foundation Remains Solid

While I’m making these targeted improvements, the core of my Bug Out Garden system remains unchanged. The proven formula for success continues to be:

  • Mixing G3 Grow Formula thoroughly with a cubic yard of high-quality soil
  • Utilizing the specialized grow bags that provide optimal root environments
  • Implementing the automated watering system for consistent moisture
  • Following the spacing guidelines that maximize productivity per square foot

Looking Forward

With these improvements in place, I’m excited to see how this year’s garden performs. The Bug Out Garden system’s inherent flexibility has allowed me to adapt to challenges without abandoning the core benefits that make it so effective.

I expect the doubled tomato plantings to provide not just fresh eating but enough excess for preserving. We were fortunate to enjoy our dried tomatoes through the winter and would love more. The strategic crop selection should result in less waste and more meaningful harvests. And hopefully, the pollinator station and drainage improvements will create a more balanced ecosystem where bees thrive and hornets find less reason to linger.

I’ll be sharing updates throughout the growing season, documenting successes, challenges, and yields. Stay tuned for progress reports as we move through the months ahead!