Garden Evaluation: Everything Else!

Bottom Terrace: Peppers, Cucumbers, Beans, Carrots,

                         Sunflowers, Oregano

 

 

Peppers: Left and middle of bottom terrace

Planted: June 18 

Variety: 'Mohawk' and 'Italian Yellow Bell'

Yield: More than expected, although none changed color from green

 

Pests, problems, diseases: The biggest problem was the late planting date and our cool, wet spring/early summer. The plants themselves didn't grow very much, and by the time they started putting on peppers it was too late for them to ripen properly.

 

Finished: We picked all that were left Oct 7--figuring those last 2-3 weeks before frost were not going to make a difference in size or color.

 

 

Comments: Peppers were small, thin-walled (particularly the 'Mohawk'), and green. Maybe the flavor would have been better if they had time to fully ripen.

 

I don't love green peppers. I froze what we harvested this year, and have slowly been using them, but I am still buying red peppers for eating fresh from Costco. I may try them one more time next year, to see if putting them in the ground earlier will make any difference. These varieties were both supposed to be end up orange or yellow, and both supposed to very early (60 and 65 days, respectively.)  We harvested the first in mid-September and it was still green.

 

I've had more than one friend tell me that peppers don't do very well here.  So I may skip sweet peppers altogether next year and put in some chili pepper or jalapenos. At least those we could use in salsa. 

 

Lemon cucumber, when planted

Cucumbers: Bottom left and middle

Planted: June 18

Pests, Problems, Diseases: None that I noticed.

Finished: mid-October

 

Variety: 'Bush Pickle'

Yield: decent, for just one plant. 

Comments: 5-6 inch cucumbers, good flavor.  This was a good little producer, and kept us in cucumbers most of the summer. I like the smaller size. One plant was probably enough for eating fresh; if I want to ever make pickles, I would need 4 or 5, probably. It didn't die off mid-summer like my MO cucumbers always seemed to, so that was nice, too.   

 

 

Variety: 'Lemon cucumber'

Yield: Hardly any! Maybe 7 or 8 total.

Comments: This was supposed to yield lemon-sized, yellow cucumbers. The ones I got were very small--maybe 1/3 of that size--very pale yellow, and covered in spiny black hairs. They had a good flavor and were very crunchy, but did not live up to the hype.

 

This plant also tried to take over my entire bottom terrace. It was twining around the sunflowers and entangling the peppers (which were having enough problems of their own!) Perhaps if I had cut back the vines it would have produced more? It always had lots of blossoms on it, (see picture, above), just not very much in the way of actual cucumbers.

 

I will not plant this again next year. I would rather use the space for something that will produce.

 

 

 

Green Beans: bottom right

Planted: March 25 (from seed), June 18 (in garden--some transplanted, some new seed)

Variety: 'Royal Burgundy' (bush)

Yield: about a handful at each picking--enough for one meal's side dish

Pests, Problems, Diseases: None noticed.

Finished: mid-October

 

Comments: DO NOT start these from seed next year! They completely outgrew seedling trays, and I had them all downstairs growing in my basement window for a month. But I forgot to water them down there and most had to be trashed anyway. If I want to start them from seed--perhaps to let the kiddos try it, since they grow so fast--it would need to be beginning of May at the earliest. That way they could go directly into the garden, instead of languishing in my windowsill for weeks.

 

Kids and I enjoyed this variety. They grow purple and then turn green when you cook them. Good flavor, didn't need staking. Not super productive. I planted maybe 9-12, and harvested some for dinner from time to time.

 

Next year I want to plant 2 varieties, in hopes of getting a few more; perhaps the Blue Lake Bush that I tried before, which was very productive. I wouldn't mind having enough to freeze. We would eat green beans from the freezer! 

 

I also want to try planting some soup beans to let dry on the vine. 

 

 

the carrots are on the far right in this picture.

 

Carrots: bottom right

Planted: June 18, from seed

Variety: 'Short n' Sweet'

Yield: not very many

Finished: early October, because they were still so small.

Pests, problems, diseases: None noticed.

 

Comments: Pale orange, very small, decent flavor. I realized that I can plant a regular variety next year--my garden soil is awesome and deep, so I don't need the "especially developed for clay soils" ones.  Also, I need to plant more of them. And I'm sure thinning them would help somewhat, too. So next year I'll have to try some other varieties--maybe do a row of them all along the front of one of the terraces, or something.

 

Sunflowers: bottom terrace, along the back
Planted: June 18, from seed
Yield: lots of pretty blooms
Finished: end of October
Pests, problems, diseases: None noticed.

Varieties: 'Teddy Bear': the pure yellow, puffy-looking ones on the right
'Waooh': black centers, on the left.

Comments: Both varieties grew 3-4 feet high, which was perfect for the terrace they were on. Cheerful color for the fall garden. Didn't bloom until September. I think I do like the black middles better--traditional, I guess.

May or may not plant them in the garden next year.  I've thought about planting some along the west side of the house to add some color while we decide what to do with it over there, but I'm not sure they would survive on rainwater alone. Next time I'll let Jacob cut some to bring in. :)

Oregano: far left in front
Planted: June 18
Variety: 'Greek'
Yield: plenty for me
Finished: um...it's actually still out there and even looked green after the last snowstorm...

Pests, problems, diseases: almost died off when we went on vacation (not enough water?) but recovered nicely after that.

Comments: I'm going back to my thought with the basil: maybe I just need a pot of herbs on the deck, one of each variety. Unless it survives the winter. Then it can stay right where it's at.