11 August 2009
things I have learned from this year's garden
1. Give the yellow grape tomato plant more room. A lot more room. It needs basically a 3x3' space all to itself, and lots of supports.
2. Grow herbs close to the kitchen. They're growing very well where they are now, but I don't use them as much as I would if they were more conveniently located. Maybe the back deck will work, or even some of them on the landing of the front steps.
3. Stink bugs are gross and evil. So are leaf-footed bugs.
4. Scrotomatoes are funny, but mostly to me.
5. San Marzano plums are fantastic, but need to be planted where they won't be crowded out.
6. We need to figure out early on how to keep the cats from using the beds as a litter box. I'm looking at you, Muldercat.
7. I don't like pole beans. I do like snap beans and filet beans.
8. Piquillo peppers grow very easily on the downhill side of the larger bed but not so well on the uphill side.
9. This year's cucumber plants produced very bitter fruit. Maybe cukes are not worth the large amounts of space that they need.
10. Mustard greens grow terrifically well, but need a commitment to regular harvesting or they will bolt much sooner than you expect.
11. The Tasteful Garden plants are superior in almost every way to plants sourced from other nurseries. I need to resist the temptation at local garden centers, as I am disappointed more often than I am impressed with their plants. Hastings may be the one exception to this.
12. We can successfully grow both zucchini and eggplant, much to my amazement.
13. Our bell peppers produced only very small fruit. I will try a different variety next year and be prepared to stake them earlier.
14. We need more stakes.
15. We may need more worms.
2. Grow herbs close to the kitchen. They're growing very well where they are now, but I don't use them as much as I would if they were more conveniently located. Maybe the back deck will work, or even some of them on the landing of the front steps.
3. Stink bugs are gross and evil. So are leaf-footed bugs.
4. Scrotomatoes are funny, but mostly to me.
5. San Marzano plums are fantastic, but need to be planted where they won't be crowded out.
6. We need to figure out early on how to keep the cats from using the beds as a litter box. I'm looking at you, Muldercat.
7. I don't like pole beans. I do like snap beans and filet beans.
8. Piquillo peppers grow very easily on the downhill side of the larger bed but not so well on the uphill side.
9. This year's cucumber plants produced very bitter fruit. Maybe cukes are not worth the large amounts of space that they need.
10. Mustard greens grow terrifically well, but need a commitment to regular harvesting or they will bolt much sooner than you expect.
11. The Tasteful Garden plants are superior in almost every way to plants sourced from other nurseries. I need to resist the temptation at local garden centers, as I am disappointed more often than I am impressed with their plants. Hastings may be the one exception to this.
12. We can successfully grow both zucchini and eggplant, much to my amazement.
13. Our bell peppers produced only very small fruit. I will try a different variety next year and be prepared to stake them earlier.
14. We need more stakes.
15. We may need more worms.
