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| Sunday, November 10, 2024 |
Late fall is an ideal time to reflect on the spring and summer gardening season and capture what went well, what didn't and what you want to do for your garden next year while the garden season is fresh in the mind. I like to capture what varieties did well, what I planted too much or too little of, including the specific names before I forget. I am forever trying to make the garden more productive and enjoyable. I also like to make notes of what I want to learn more about over the winter.
Here are my reflections on this year's garden............
Overall
In general, the garden did well in the spring, had troubles getting my summer seeds going, was typical timing for producing summer veggies, and my fall seed starting did great. We actually had a real spring for the fourth year in a row. Usually, the season changes from winter to summer like a flick of a switch. This year, we had a crazy warm up at the end of winter, then back to chilly temperatures and a slow increase back to normal temperatures in June. The cool temperatures are great for lettuces and spinach. Snow peas did okay.
This year, I was again gardening exclusively in the back ornamental beds because my husband was moving dirt to shape the yard. I found out last year that hickory trees are like walnut trees and likely the reason that the summer crops didn't do well in the garden bed next to it so I only placed my pots in that bed and planted in the basement garden bed.
I planted tomatoes, basil, beans, cucumber, okra, zucchini, winter squash, marjoram in the basement bed along with cockscomb and marigolds. I transplanted creeping thyme from the garage bed over into the basement bed. It's pretty and helps deter deer. I put peppers and eggplant in pots around the bed by the hickory tree, as far into the sun as possible. I always put petunias in with them to add color.
I ended up planting a second round of tomatoes in large pots in July. I had several volunteer sweet peppers come up in my lettuce pots. I grew all my lettuce, celery, spinach, cultivated dandelions, dill, parsley, chard, and sorrel in my larger self-watering pots.
There were high points and not so great turn outs for the season. Just your typical edible garden season!
The good
The lettuce, cultivated dandelions, bay laurel, sorrel, Egyptian walking onions, basil, celery, butternut squash, garlic chives, chard, Anaheim peppers, sweet peppers and container tomatoes did very well. Greens were the standouts in the spring. The tomatoes planted upside down in 5 gallon buckets in the summer garden did fantastic into August.
I have been growing Red Malabar, Chinese Multicolor Spinach amaranth, Giant Leaf sweet mustard, Cock's Comb, Heavenly Blue morning glory and African Nunum basil the past few years. They grow well in my garden and self-seed. I just look for volunteers coming up and transplant them to their summer spot. Next year, I need to do more thinning of all these volunteers as I had many more than I needed this year, except for the Chinese Multicolor Spinach.
My raspberry plant did well. It's an ever bearer and it gave berries through summer and fall. I had two volunteer bushes show up that started producing in the fall. I'm going to plant them in a new bed this fall with the 2 blackberry bushes I have.
I had lots of self-seeded Cock's Comb plants, Hummingbird vine and Heavenly Blue morning glory vines to transplant around the garden. There were several zinnias that also sprouted here and there. I always have lots of the dark pink zinnias that volunteer in all the beds. The orange California Giant zinnia I planted in the front pot just shone. It was quite the standout. I've saved seeds from it to plant again next year. Zinnias are native to the Southwest US and do well in Midwest gardens.
I planted Mashed Potato, Spaghetti and Jarrahdale squash. I did not get a single Mashed Potato or Spaghetti squash but did get 7 Butternut squashes! They tasted great. I'll grow them again next year with the seeds I saved.
My Cardinal and Genovese basil did great again this summer. Genovese gives lots of flowers for the pollinators but gets woody when it flowers. Cardinal has beautiful large maroon seed heads and lots of leaves for making pesto.
The okay
I grew Blauhilde and 1500 Year Old pole beans and a bush cucumber again in the garden bed this year. The beans were slow to produce and died in August. I think it was from vole damage as there were holes all around the vines. I did more researching on vole deterrent and I think I will try blood meal as my nitrogen fertilizer next year as they don't like the smell of blood. My other option is to just grow in large pots which works well.
I grew an early Japanese winged bean that has beautiful blue flowers in a pot. It takes until August for winged beans to start producing pods. I didn't see any disease during the season on any of the pole beans.
I grew Purple Yard Long pole beans in our Master Gardener Demonstration Garden over an arbor this summer. It produced tons of bean pods. I think I will grow it next year in my home garden.
I also grew Christmas Speckles lima beans because the beans are such a pretty white and red. I got 2 flushes of dried beans from Christmas Speckles. The second flush is just beginning to dry on the vine. As the pods turn brown, I pick and shell them. I leave them to dry on the counter for a few weeks before putting away in sealed quart jars. For dried beans, you have to plant many vines to get a decent harvest!
I had a heck of a time getting the tomato, yard long bean and squash seeds to sprout and grow. On the third attempt, I put them in a wet paper towel on a plate to see if it was the seeds or starting mix. All the seeds sprouted. I just took the sprouts and put into a small pot to get to size and then transplanted to their permanent spot in the garden.
My cucumber bush did pretty well. I got enough for all the pickles my husband needs. The bush did get powdery mildew in August. I'll plant 2 next year as my mom was asking for some every week so I have enough for pickles and all she wants.
The Trombetta did just okay in its new spot in the basement bed this year. Last year, it did much better in the garage bed. I used seeds from those I save last year. The fruits did not have a hook in them like the original plants. Not sure if getting less fruit was the bed, growing conditions or the difference in the fruit. Next year, I think I'll put it back in the garage bed and use original seed.
The Jarrahdale winter squash did okay in the basement bed. I got one pretty blue green squash from the vine. I baked it and will use the flesh for pies and pumpkin bread. Leaning towards trying another fun type.
My Red Burgundy okra was doing well until the deer got really hungry because of the drought we were having and ate its leaves up as far as they could reach. That really slowed down production. It is still giving flowers and fruits. Think I will plant a second one next year.
What in pots versus in the ground?
I grew Anaheim peppers, sweet peppers, and eggplant in pots. The peppers were slow to get going but filled with fruits later in summer. I got 2 full flushes of peppers on each plant. The eggplants had a good amount of fruiting. The 5 potted plants gave more fruit than I could eat. I grilled and froze what I couldn't eat. I always put petunias in with the potted eggplant and peppers. It looks nice and the pollinators appreciate the extra flowers. Both peppers and eggplants usually do very well in pots. Right now, the eggplants have a fruit or two and the pepper plants are loaded with fruits.
I had 3 Anaheim pepper plants. I think that is enough for the chili powder I need. This last crop seems to be taking forever to grow to full size and ripen. I may bring them all into the garage to get all I can from them.
I planted 1 sweet pepper plant and had 2 more California bell volunteers come up later in the summer. So far, I have put up 7 pints of sliced sweet peppers. I probably could use 12 pints. I have lots of baby sweet peppers on all the plants. I may bring them into the garage to prolong the harvest. Next year, I'll get 3 sweet pepper plants going in the spring. I'll stay with my burgundy sweet pepper and add the California bell pepper plant, too, as they did very well in pots this year.
I started a Habanada late as it took a few tries to get the seed going. They were a lime green and sweet. The plant remained on the small size and has many fruits on it. I may bring it indoors for the winter and see how it does.
I interplanted snow peas, Oregon Sugar Pod II, Little Purple Snowpea, Avalanche, in the pots with the eggplant and peppers in late spring. They all did okay. Maybe they need to be fertilized a bit more. I'll fertilize the pots when I plant the seeds and then again about a month after they sprout.
The tomatoes in very large pots that I planted in July did well. They've kept us in fresh tomatoes through fall. With the tomatoes in the 5 gallon buckets, we are still putting some up as well. This week I will need to process all of 2023 frozen tomatoes left and all the 2024 tomatoes that won't fit in the bottom basket of our upright freezer.
Had a few small fruiting tomatoes that volunteered in pots and the Tumbling Tom that I had grown indoors over the winter. There were plenty of them for salads and to give my mom some weekly.
We will do both the 5 gallon system and pots again next year.
The bad
I did not see a single Mashed Potato, White Scallop or Warsaw spaghetti squash fruit that I planted in the basement bed. Since this is my second go at the Mashed Potato and Warsaw spaghetti squash, I won't grow them next year. May try another winter squash or pumpkin next year.
The sprouting broccoli volunteers came back again this year. It grows robustly and the greens taste great in salads through all 4 seasons. The only drawback to it is the worms that come starting in July. I should cut them off at the first of July and start them again in the fall to miss the worms, but I don't the heart to so the leaves gets many holes in them in late summer. Radish plants are supposed to repel cabbage moths so I'll try those next year with the volunteer sprouting broccoli.
I didn't have the best luck in starting lettuce and spinach in pots this summer. I have several small lettuce plants sprouted from fall planting. They are about 4" tall right now. Hopefully, they will get up close to full size this month so we will have lettuce to harvest through the winter.
All the tomato plants in the basement bed wilted in late June. I pulled them all as we really don't need them with the 10 plants in the 5 gallon buckets. One definitely had a disease. I put Celebrity's back in their place as they are supposed to be the most disease resistant variety for our area. Out of the 5 plants, I got one tomato. Not sure I will plant Celebrity again next year.
I got zero purple tomatillo fruits from the 2 plants I had in the basement bed. They had many flowers. Planted on in our Master Gardener Demonstration Garden and it did fabulous. Don't think I will plant it at home next year.
Winter learning
I'm going to lay out the plantings in my 2 new beds in the front of the house this winter. Since these beds face the street, I want to be choiceful on what I plant around the perimeter so that it is pretty, does not overgrow its space and helps to deter deer and voles. A bonus would be if I can put a creeping plant to grow between all the ornamentals around the perimeter. Right now, I'm thinking I want to try a variety of creeping thymes for that purpose.
I may also try a cold frame this winter. I'd sow lettuce and spinach seeds in it in January to get a jump on spring harvests.
I still have one bed I am in the process of putting in for my raspberry and blackberry plants that I have. We have the edging in, my husband cut the grass to the ground. I want it sprayed with weed and grass killer before I cover with cardboard and plant just because of the Bermuda grass. That stuff is evil. In my previous houses, I could just cover the grass with cardboard and mulch leave it for the winter and plant in it in the spring. The grass would die and add organic matter. Bermuda grass does not die so spraying will help, but I'll likely have to dig out what comes back up next year.
Next year's garden
With the front bed in, I should be able to do better crop rotation. With only 2 beds, it is tough to do. The other issue I have is that I like so many veggies in the night shade family that it is challenging to not plant in the same location for 4 years.
Here is my garden plan for next year:
Blauhilde pole snap beans, 1500 Year Old bean vine on one trellis and Christmas speckles lima beans around another trellis
Purple Yard Long bean vine on the guide wire in the berry bed; maybe 2 vines. Plant with Hummingbird vine and Red Malabar spinach with it.
Urizun Japanese winged bean in a pot as it loves the heat
Red Burgundy okra (2 in the garden bed)
10 tomato plants-large paste (Italian Red Pear), slicers (Cherokee Purple and an orange/yellow), a small fruit (Chocolate Pear), a storage tomato (Yellow Keeper or other), Brandywine and an early variety like Rubee Dawn
3 eggplant-AO Daimura, Antigua or Rotanda Bianca or Rosa, Shiromaru or Amadeo (in pot)
2 bush cucumber (in garden bed)
1 summer squash-Trombetta since it is resistant to vine borer, disease and squash bugs
2 winter squash-Butternut and fun other one
Perennial onions-potato onion type and Egyptian Walking onion sweet and cooking varieties
Hardneck garlic, Elephant garlic and shallots
Potatoes in the potato boxes
Snow peas in pots with peppers and eggplants
Dragon Tail radish in pot by sprouting broccoli
Hilton Chinese cabbage (2 plants)
New Zealand in pot (1)
Lettuce (Royal Oakleaf, Grand Rapids, Butter King, Bronze Beauty, Celtic, Forellenschluss, Giant Blue Feather, Yedikule, Red Sails) and spinach in pots
Greens that stay sweet in summer-Orach, Amaranth, Chard-Perpetual Spinach and Fordhook, Chinese Multicolor Spinach, Purple Stardust Iceplant, Komatsuna, Giant Leaf mustard
Herbs-Dill, Basil (Nunum, Genovese, Cardinal), Cilantro, Lion's Ear, Rosemary, Parsley, Garden Sage, Chervil, Pink Celery, Multicolor Sage, marjoram
Sweet and hot peppers-variety to make chili powder (3 plants), Jigsaw and Baklouti hot pepper plants, and 3 sweet pepper plants
No watermelon, beets, heading cabbage or broccoli
Cantaloupe-Tigger melon
Flowers-zinnias, alyssum, marigolds, Cock's Comb, peach hollyhocks, blue morning glory, Love Lies Bleeding, Moonflower?
I will also need to thin my celery, Red Malabar spinach and Giant mustard plants out as they come up next year.
I have to be stern with myself about what I will not plant. In the past 4 years, I planted much less than usual and had plenty for fresh eating and preserving. My eyes are always bigger than my space or need!
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