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Post by ladymarmalade on Oct 29, 2017 8:05:26 GMT -5
Looking back at your most recent garden season- or your current one- is there anything you grew this year that will not make the cut for next year?
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Post by paulf on Oct 29, 2017 8:39:59 GMT -5
Kohlrabi and maybe even cabbage. Melons do not do well for me, but I am going to continue to try.
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Post by spike on Oct 29, 2017 9:30:15 GMT -5
Chinese Long Beans. Took them forever to get going (which is fine) and when they did finally did produce (TONS) they were rubbery and slimy inside. Never grew them before and won't again.
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Post by september on Oct 29, 2017 10:45:01 GMT -5
I will cut my bush bean varieties from three down to two, keeping Romano and maybe a yellow bean. I get most of my freezing production from my pole Fortex beans, so no really no need for more greens.
I probably will skip celery for next season. I like it, but it's like leeks - it all comes at the end of the season when I can't use it all up, and too bulky to store much fresh.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Oct 29, 2017 11:59:08 GMT -5
As always, more of my new varieties won't be repeats, than there are that will be keepers, but that is par for the course. I have had a few years when I didn't get a single new keeper.
Two new (for me) basils: dolce vita, a genovese type, with good flavor, but still not as intense as serrata, and it bolted sooner, but not as early as many basils. Blue spice was one that bolted almost immediately transplanted, yet they kept growing, and the bees loved them. But the flavor was not what I expect in basil; if blindfolded, I'm not sure what I would have guessed that it was!
Thai Melon - Yellow Sweet. Did not get as nearly large as described, and only a couple per plant.
Tomatoes: Candy Sweets - pea sized, which wasn't expected, and wiped out by disease, while no problems this year with most. Chocolate Sprinkles, Sunchocola, Sungreen - all splitting, even when it hadn't rained, and no great flavor, either. Black Vernisage - started out good, with good production and flavor, but turned into a splitter, and little production later in the season. Cherokee Carbon - almost every fruit split. Defiant and Blight Buster - free seeds, which I planted only to see if they would resist disease, if it was a bad year for tomatoes. Determinate, which I rarely grow, and just OK flavor and production.
Peppers: Godfather, Jimmy Nardello, Mosquetero Ancho, Buena Mulata - all of these were low production. Carolina Reaper I only grew out of curiosity. A Thai Dragon from another source, as I'm still searching for a TD I grew many years ago, that was dropped by pinetree. Habanada - incredible production, but I didn't like the flavor.
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Post by ladymarmalade on Oct 29, 2017 12:59:28 GMT -5
Kohlrabi and maybe even cabbage. Melons do not do well for me, but I am going to continue to try. Kohlrabi is SUCH a space hog for that single ball of vegetable. I stopped growing it for that reason some time ago, but last year I bought some kohlrabi because I missed having it, and wow, did it cause some digestive distress! Kohlrabi = Jerusalem Artichokes. Never again.
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Post by ladymarmalade on Oct 29, 2017 13:04:56 GMT -5
Chinese Long Beans. Took them forever to get going (which is fine) and when they did finally did produce (TONS) they were rubbery and slimy inside. Never grew them before and won't again. Yes! Those beans are SO appealing to look at, but all that anticipation and you think you have a fantastic nest of beans at the end, and then you taste them. The only way I've found that they work for me as a vegetable is to stir fry them at high heat. They are quite tasty stir-fried with garlic, soy sauce and a tiny hit of sugar- but they don't really taste like beans. But I can buy a bunch or two at the farmer's market in the summer and I've had my taste for the year.
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Post by ladymarmalade on Oct 29, 2017 13:10:04 GMT -5
I will cut my bush bean varieties from three down to two, keeping Romano and maybe a yellow bean. I get most of my freezing production from my pole Fortex beans, so no really no need for more greens. I probably will skip celery for next season. I like it, but it's like leeks - it all comes at the end of the season when I can't use it all up, and too bulky to store much fresh. Yes on the celery and leeks. I love both of them, but the celery I can grow is not great for fresh eating- which is what my kids love. I chop mine up and freeze it in pint freezer bags to use as flavoring for homemade stocks. It would probably be great for dehydrating, but I don't have a dehydrator so... I'm thinking it might not make the cut next year.
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Post by ladymarmalade on Oct 29, 2017 13:16:10 GMT -5
As always, more of my new varieties won't be repeats, than there are that will be keepers, but that is par for the course. I have had a few years when I didn't get a single new keeper. Two new (for me) basils: dolce vita, a genovese type, with good flavor, but still not as intense as serrata, and it bolted sooner, but not as early as many basils. Blue spice was one that bolted almost immediately transplanted, yet they kept growing, and the bees loved them. But the flavor was not what I expect in basil; if blindfolded, I'm not sure what I would have guessed that it was! Thai Melon - Yellow Sweet. Did not get as nearly large as described, and only a couple per plant. Tomatoes: Candy Sweets - pea sized, which wasn't expected, and wiped out by disease, while no problems this year with most. Chocolate Sprinkles, Sunchocola, Sungreen - all splitting, even when it hadn't rained, and no great flavor, either. Black Vernisage - started out good, with good production and flavor, but turned into a splitter, and little production later in the season. Cherokee Carbon - almost every fruit split. Defiant and Blight Buster - free seeds, which I planted only to see if they would resist disease, if it was a bad year for tomatoes. Determinate, which I rarely grow, and just OK flavor and production. Peppers: Godfather, Jimmy Nardello, Mosquetero Ancho, Buena Mulata - all of these were low production. Carolina Reaper I only grew out of curiosity. A Thai Dragon from another source, as I'm still searching for a TD I grew many years ago, that was dropped by pinetree. Habanada - incredible production, but I didn't like the flavor. I had Black Vernissage this year also- it was a freebie for me from Baker Creek. I thought the first fruits were okay, and I saved seed, but then like you said, they sure went downhill from there. They sent me Green Vernissage with my latest order, and I'm thinking based on the Black's performance, I won't even give the green one a shot.
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Post by ladymarmalade on Oct 29, 2017 13:26:07 GMT -5
My favorite tomatoes to grow are the Green When Ripe tomatoes. I love how unexpected they are and I love the flavor. But I've decided that I'm done trying to find a GWR Cherry tomato that I like. Most of them I have not cared for the flavor of, but on top of that, every single one of them has been a splitter- even when there is no reason to be splitting. My rainbow of cherry tomatoes is just going to have to live without the green one in the mix.
I think I'm giving up on cucumbers. I always devote so much space to them, and then I end up with a pathetic little selection of cucumbers- IF they make it that far. I've had cucumber beetles the last two years as well, so I'm sure they're not helping at all. I love a fresh from the vine cucumber- my hubby even more so- but I had no troubles buying up a bunch from the farmstand this year, so I'll just let them provide my cucumbers.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Oct 29, 2017 20:25:05 GMT -5
My favorite tomatoes to grow are the Green When Ripe tomatoes. I love how unexpected they are and I love the flavor. But I've decided that I'm done trying to find a GWR Cherry tomato that I like. Most of them I have not cared for the flavor of, but on top of that, every single one of them has been a splitter- even when there is no reason to be splitting. My rainbow of cherry tomatoes is just going to have to live without the green one in the mix. I think I'm giving up on cucumbers. I always devote so much space to them, and then I end up with a pathetic little selection of cucumbers- IF they make it that far. I've had cucumber beetles the last two years as well, so I'm sure they're not helping at all. I love a fresh from the vine cucumber- my hubby even more so- but I had no troubles buying up a bunch from the farmstand this year, so I'll just let them provide my cucumbers. Have you grown Green Tiger? Not really a cherry, but an elongated one - one of those Artisan varieties, and I have had great success with it...except when it is very hot, naturally! In fact, last season (2016) was the first really hot season I had while growing it, and it was the first time in 4 years that I could find out if it was heat resistant. I hesitated this season, but I like them so much, I still planted two of them. Here is a photo from last season, before the heat did them in: DSCF1887 by pepperhead212, on Flickr And here is the batch of tomato mix I made today, for my last raw tomato pasta of the season. You can see some of those tigers in there, in that 3 lbs+ of tomatoes: DSCF0427 by pepperhead212, on Flickr Even the ones with a hint of red in the skin (they do this more toward the end of the season)are bright green inside when dead ripe. One season - I think the first that I grew them - it was the earliest ripe tomato I had, even beating out sunsugar! Great flavor - not too sweet, and a great, lingering aftertaste. It split some this season, due to all that rain we had, but all of them did that some. This one and Sweet Treats split the least of all, often not at all, even after some really bad rains.
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Post by paquebot on Oct 29, 2017 22:46:15 GMT -5
For never again, any purple Brussels sprouts or purple broccoli or purple cauliflower or about anything else that is purple other than kohlrabi and tomatoes. Even the purple snap beans didn't do well this year. There were a lot of tomato varieties that I probably wouldn't grow if it were down a choice of 10. Still trying to find the perfect one and convinced that it doesn't exist.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Oct 30, 2017 11:39:51 GMT -5
Tomatoes. I jest, but it was a frustrating tomato year due to so much cloudy, drizzly weather. Seriously, on the not growing again list is chard. It grows beautifully with no care. I just don't particularly like the flavor. Kale, either. (I think I just heard ladymarmalade faint.) I like spinach, collards, and mustard much better. Tatsoi is nice, too. Back to toamtoes, I will probably grow very, very few heart tomatoes from now on. Nearly all of the ones I have grown have been delicious, but the wispy-leaf habit doesn't hold up well in this climate, and production on every heart I have tried so far has been low. I'm also getting out of most tree fruit growing. Just too much work for little return, plus they shade some of the veggie-growing space in my small yard. I'll keep growing cold-hardy citrus, I might try figs or persimmons some day, since I know they grow and fruit with almost no care. I'm also tempted to try one of the most cold-hardy avocado varieties, but even the hardiest avocados are at a pretty significant freeze risk here.
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Post by ladymarmalade on Oct 30, 2017 13:38:09 GMT -5
Seriously, on the not growing again list is chard. It grows beautifully with no care. I just don't particularly like the flavor. Kale, either. (I think I just heard ladymarmalade faint.) I like spinach, collards, and mustard much better. Tatsoi is nice, too. GASP! Say it isn't so! I kid, I kid. What's funny is that the greens you prefer are not my preference at all, but I love chard and kale. The kale especially is wonderful right now because we've had frost and a freeze, and now it's got a slight sweetness that it didn't have before.
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Post by meandtk on Oct 30, 2017 16:18:07 GMT -5
Every time I see the title, "Veggie Elimination," I think, "Yep, that fiber from the veggies does help..."
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aqua
Pro Member
Posts: 295
Zone:: 8b9a
Favorite Vegetable:: all of them
Joined: March 2012
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Post by aqua on Nov 3, 2017 10:14:38 GMT -5
A great thread, with good conversation and thoughtful insight.
I found the Chinese long beans to taste almost like mushrooms- they get cooked in with tomatoes for me, never alone.
Paquebot- I notice your location, and I think the purple veggies handle the heat better- they always do great for me here in Florida (same zone as Laura) so it makes sense that they would not be the best for your area.
Ladymarmalade- if you only try one more cucumber, consider Sweet Success. I get these 15"-18" long LOGS that are almost embarrassing to share.
Laura- my 84yo mother lost her 25yo persimmon bush during Irma. It oftem bore easily a hundred fist-sized fruit every year. There's one little stub left coming up out of the ground. We can only hope. But my fig survived much better than the persimmon.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Nov 3, 2017 13:12:53 GMT -5
Sweet Success cukes are my fave - never bitter (bitterness has been a problem for me with many cucumbers, due to the heat, I guess), the fruits are huge, and if there are no other cucumbers around, seedless. Production is nuts in an Earthbox. And they actually pickle pretty well. Obviously at 15"-18" they don't fit into a jar as whole dills , but you can get a lot of dill or bread and butter chips out of just a few fruit. And you are unlikely to have only a few! They do need very regular watering to really show you what they can do, though. aqua, I hope your mom's persimmon comes back! It would be sad to lose such a fine, productive tree. Also regarding the Chinese long beans, sauteing or stir-frying them quickly is the way to go, IMO. The texture is just not as good when boiled or microwaved. And they have to be picked at pencil diameter, when they are still firm. They should snap when you bend them. The beans just won't be as good once the pod has some give or puffiness (meaning when you squeeze with your fingers you can feel the empty spaces between the seeds forming inside), or when the pod has to be cut because it won't snap. That means checking the vines every day or two because the pods can go from tiny to starting to get soft/puffy in just a few days in hot weather. They unfortunately don't keep for more than a few days in the fridge, either, which is why you're unlikely to ever see them at a store.
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aqua
Pro Member
Posts: 295
Zone:: 8b9a
Favorite Vegetable:: all of them
Joined: March 2012
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Post by aqua on Nov 3, 2017 16:42:12 GMT -5
Those long beans - I gave so many away last year to a coworker named Sally, I ended up calling them SallyBeans. Ended up getting overwhelmed with them, let them go too long on the vine, and it was just like Laura said- and I had to shell them, like black-eyed peas. They got cooked slow with a pot of tomatoes and bay leaves, and frozen in baggies. Not bad over yellow rice.
Got some Sweet Success cukes growing right now, they're about 18" tall. Oughtta get a few outta them before the end of December.
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Post by Gianna on Dec 12, 2017 11:17:12 GMT -5
Back to toamtoes, I will probably grow very, very few heart tomatoes from now on. Nearly all of the ones I have grown have been delicious, but the wispy-leaf habit doesn't hold up well in this climate, and production on every heart I have tried so far has been low. What are "heart tomatoes"? Since I tend to grow far more veggies than we'll ever use, this year I am thinking of growing fewer in general. It will still be too much I'm sure. I no longer can things, but I do dehydrate and freeze veg - but here there is almost always something to eat fresh, and that is generally preferred. And in some of the freed space, I want to grow more annual flowers, especially in the front yard. I used to grow more of those, but the drought put an end to that 'extravagance'. We still are in a drought, but our water district just keeps buying more H2O from those who have it to sell. So if we want to water things, we just pay a larger bill. So be it.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Dec 12, 2017 12:00:26 GMT -5
Heart tomatoes are just tomatoes that have a heart shape. Here's one: Joe Lisak's Polish Heart: This is an immature fruit, but it's a good example of the shape. The genes that cause the shape seem to be tied to the wispy-leafed genes, since every heart I've seen has also had the wispy leaves. Some varieties are more "wispy" than others. I don't have any good photos showing wispy leaves. Basically the leaflets are smaller, the leaves are thinner and softer (they have less "substance"), and the leaf stems are also thinner so the leaves seem to droop. Some of the really wispy varieties look almost wilted, even when they don't need water. My issue with wispy plants is that the few I've grown have seemed more prone to leaf diseases than regular or potato-leaved plants. Plus the hearts I have grown have been a little shy to set fruit. But people in less humid and disease-prone climates seem to do better with them. I will say that every heart I have grown has tasted very good or excellent - I haven't had a bad one yet. And the heart-shaped fruit is so meaty inside that it is great for sauce-making as well as for slicing.
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Post by Gianna on Dec 12, 2017 13:26:59 GMT -5
Heart tomatoes are just tomatoes that have a heart shape. Thanks for the explanation. I'd never heard of them before. I just did a google image search and found more. Some really do have a definite heart shape. I know what you mean about wispy leafed tomatoes. I used to grow an old yellow pear cherry tomato with wispy leaves. Light and airy looking but they looked wilted most days when they shouldn't have been. They were pretty but not very strong plants, and tended to die young. They still occasionally come up as seedlings. Nice to just pop into the mouth outside.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Dec 12, 2017 13:36:53 GMT -5
The hearts I grew had pretty reasonable vigor. I think they would hold up fine in a less disease-prone climate. It wouldn't hurt to try a heart sometime if you can get your hands on some seeds. As I said, the fruit themselves are great. And they might set better in your lower humidity. (Fruit set is a big issue for me with many tomatoes.)
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Post by ladymarmalade on Dec 12, 2017 13:42:13 GMT -5
Heart tomatoes are just tomatoes that have a heart shape. Thanks for the explanation. I'd never heard of them before. I just did a google image search and found more. Some really do have a definite heart shape. I know what you mean about wispy leafed tomatoes. I used to grow an old yellow pear cherry tomato with wispy leaves. Light and airy looking but they looked wilted most days when they shouldn't have been. They were pretty but not very strong plants, and tended to die young. They still occasionally come up as seedlings. Nice to just pop into the mouth outside. Does someone need some SEEEEEEDS?
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Post by Gianna on Dec 12, 2017 14:47:05 GMT -5
Thanks for the explanation. I'd never heard of them before. I just did a google image search and found more. Some really do have a definite heart shape. I know what you mean about wispy leafed tomatoes. I used to grow an old yellow pear cherry tomato with wispy leaves. Light and airy looking but they looked wilted most days when they shouldn't have been. They were pretty but not very strong plants, and tended to die young. They still occasionally come up as seedlings. Nice to just pop into the mouth outside. Does someone need some SEEEEEEDS?
Are you offering? Or taunting, lol.
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Post by ladymarmalade on Dec 12, 2017 15:35:49 GMT -5
Does someone need some SEEEEEEDS?
Are you offering? Or taunting, lol.
Oh, I am always offering. I love to share the addiction...er... the hobby.
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Post by mgulfcoastguy on Dec 14, 2017 23:28:16 GMT -5
This year was the great sweet potato experiment, five types. Purple Molokai was productive but really needs sweetener to make good mashed potatoes. It is pest resistant and productive so it will get one more try. Jersey Yellow wasn't real productive and wasn't a favorite so it's off the island. Pink Omani is a negative on production so bye bye. Japanese sweet potato with starts grown from a Whole Foods tasted great but had horribly low production. Exit stage left. Hannah from another Whole Foods sweet potato was a winner on productivity and acceptable on taste.
This coming year I will add Jewel sweet potato from yet another Whole Foods purchase. It is orange inside unlike any of this years and should be more accepted by the family. Tastes great also.
As much as I like kale, the only other creatures that likes it is bugs it seems. I can't seem to find the appropriate time to plant fall greens when there is adequate rain, the right amount of sunlight hours available, it's cold enough to cut down on bugs.
I tried planting an ounce of beet seeds yet again and I bought that I will harvest a dozen beets. Some thing ate them all the way to the ground at least once,
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Post by meandtk on Dec 15, 2017 11:15:49 GMT -5
ladymarmalade, Oddly, I've tried three times to grow chard and failed. Kale, collards, turnips,mand mustards do very eell. I dunno...
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Dec 15, 2017 11:28:46 GMT -5
That's strange to me, meandtk. I can't seem to kill chard unless I dig it up by the roots. It even survives the summer (albeit a little raggedly) and then springs back with a profusion of new growth in September. Maybe it's your soil? Do other people with clay soil have issues with chard?
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Post by meandtk on Dec 15, 2017 16:52:00 GMT -5
ladymarmalade, I had never heard of it until getting a seed catalog. It is a stranger to our area. Maybe it is the acidic soil. I'm clueless.
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Post by paquebot on Dec 15, 2017 22:01:35 GMT -5
Heart tomatoes are just tomatoes that have a heart shape. Yes, no, maybe. Heart-shaped tomatoes indeed are just ordinary tomatoes which are shaped like a heart and usually with ordinary RL or PL foliage.. Oxhearts are far from ordinary as they are shaped like a real heart, almost solid interior, and often wispy or grayish foliage. Most also are not known to sprawl and remain quite manageable without tall caging. Martin The truth is more important than the facts.
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