My Home Garden (Green Dreams Under Attack)

Hi guys, accept warm Steem greetings from the motherland of Cameroon, and welcome to my blog, where I'm gonna share the challenges I'm facing with my home garden

A few weeks ago, I shared my excitement about starting my home garden 🌱. It felt like such a rewarding step planting, watering, watching everything come to life. At the time, my crops were doing beautifully, and I was already imagining the harvest. There is something incredibly satisfying about growing your own food and seeing your effort turn into something tangible.

But this week has been different as I started noticing that not everything is as healthy as it once was. My huckleberries, leeks, and some of the spring onions are struggling. The celery did not even stand a chance, it barely lasted a week before it completely died off.

^{The present state of the garden.}

Today, after coming back from work, I decided to take a closer look at everything. I did not just glance at the garden like I usually do, I actually observed and what I found left me with more questions than answers.

^{The garden some weeks back.}

First, the good news is that my okonghobong is still doing well 🙌🏾. It’s green, vibrant, and seems unaffected by whatever is going on with the rest of the garden. That gave me a bit of relief and a smile 😊.

^{The okonghobong is doing well.}

But then the worrying signs were evident: something was clearly eating my plants. I noticed visible damage on the okra and huckleberry leaves, as if something had been feasting on them overnight.

^{Something is eating the okra leaves and it's affecting the growth.}

On top of that, some of my spring onions are dying off completely, while the leeks look weak and are literally falling over. It’s frustrating because just weeks ago, everything looked so promising.

^{The leeks are dying down gradually.}

Now I’m left wondering 🤔🤔what exactly is the problem? Someone suggested that I should add manure, which I understand can help improve soil fertility. But I’m not entirely convinced that nutrients are the main issue here. The way the leaves are being eaten makes me suspect pests. At the same time, the weakening of the leeks and dying onions could point to something happening in the soil, maybe disease, poor drainage, or even overwatering.

Honestly, this part of the journey is not as exciting as the beginning, but I guess it’s just as important. Gardening is not just about planting and harvesting it is also about learning, adapting, and solving problems along the way.

So now I’m reaching out to you all, especially those with experience in gardening or farming. Have you dealt with something like this before? What could be eating my leaves, and how do I stop it? Could the issue with the leeks and onions be related, or are these separate problems? And do you think adding manure will actually help in this situation?

I really want to revive this garden and get things back on track. I’m not ready to give up on it yet. Please share your advice, tips, or even guesses in the comments. Every bit of insight could make a difference.