Wednesday, September 24, 2008

What did I grow?

I tried lots of veggies and edible plants this year. Here's a list:
sugar snap peas - good peas, but they wither when temps get above 85, even with partial shade.
carrots- good, but small (I was impatient)
radishes (mix)- good, but not when weather got warm- too hot!
beets (Detroit Red)- did not grow
red cabbage- really good, but cabbage worms are a pain to keep picking off. And if I'm eating the leaves, I'm not spraying them.
broccoli- did pretty well. Had to yank it out in late May due to heat, so I did not get too many side shoots.
leaf lettuce mix (bolt resistant) was good until early June- planted in dappled shade
nasturtiums- good, but got really "peppery" as weather warmed, then died in hot weather. They're coming up again now.
Early Bantam corn- did much better than last year. Dense planting is good for pollination, but probably needed more fertilizer. Matured in mid-July.
Cucumber- succumbed to powdery mildew when I could not find the sulfur spray in the store. Must get some Bordeaux mixture. Bordeaux mixture (copper sulfate is the active ingredient) is mentioned in gardening manuals from 100 years ago. That was the active ingredient in the "organic" sulfur spray, so it should work.
Green beans and yellow wax beans (Kentucky wonder)- wall planting was bad. Next year they'll get more shade and plenty of vertical space.
Limas- just now really starting to produce. More verticality next year will be good for these guys, too.
Malabar spinach isn't really spinach. It starts growing when the other greens give up. It has dark green leaves on purple vine that feels like a plastic- insulated electric wire! It tastes good, but must be cooked. It is a bit mucilaginous (though less so than okra), and is good in rice dishes. Tastes like spinach and never gets bitter. It just doesn't like cool weather, so it covers for times when other greens will not grow. Tropical plant from India.
Rosemary bush is doing OK. Needs more sun.
Banana and jalapeno peppers were planted in pots. They thrived and produced well. Cilantro planted with them went to seed fast, leaving them room to grow. Bell peppers in ground were disappointing.
Mint in pots did OK- needed bigger pots with better drainage, but you can't beat free. I picked the pots up from a discarded pile.
Dill- swallowtail butterfly caterpillars love it. They were so pretty I let them have it.
Arkansas travelers are awesome tomatoes. Not too big, and prolific enough to feed you (and a neighbor or two in the first rush of production) without being overwhelming.
In the late spring, I was coming home, picking a huge salad, and eating well. It was wonderful. It is still wonderful to pick tomatoes and beans and a few jalapenos. Life is good.

No comments: