Fifth Year SFG in Canada

• Basil – excellent, large plants
  
  
• Bean (Yellow Wax Bush) – excellent crop as always
  
  
• Bean (Rattlesnake – Pole) – excellent crop and taste good
  
  
• Bean (Blauhide Purple – Pole) – excellent crop
  
  
• Beet (both Red and Golden) – did not do well - this was a failed crop but must try again
  
  
• Borage – grew well and attracts poliinators
  
  
• Carrot (Danvers Half-Long) – excellent crop
  
  
• Carrot (Nantes) – excellent crop
  
  
• Carrot (Rainbow) – excellent crop
  
  
• Cilantro – grew well
  
  
• Cucumber (Marketmore) – mediocre crop (see notes)
  
  
• Cucumber (Straight  – mediocre crop (see notes)
  
  
• Garlic (Music and Red Russian) – some planted from bought cloves and some from previous crop – all did really well
  
  
• Ground Cherry – got two volunteer plants but critters got most of the fruit
  
  
• Kale (Blue Curled Scotch) – did really well and harvested into December
  
  
• Leek – do not grow huge but we like them especially for potato leek soup
  
  
• Lettuce (Black Seeded Simpson) – grew well
  
  
• Lettuce (Bronze Arrow) – grew well
  
  
• Lettuce (Bronze Mignonette) – grew well
  
  
• Nasturtium – Always does well – flowers and leaves can be eaten
  
  
• Onion (Green Bunching) – grew well and always a favourite
  
  
• Onion (Yellow) – produced small bulbs but we like them
  
  
• Pak Choi White – did OK 
  
  
• Parsnip – these were excellent 
  
  
• Pea (Snow) – not a big harvest – we do not devote a large space for peas
  
  
• Pea (Snap) - not a big harvest - we do not devote a large space for peas
  
  
• Pepper (Early California Wonder) – as always our peppers struggled to produce much fruit – need to find a better, hotter, location not shaded by other plants
  
  
• Pepper (Jalapeno) – as always peppers struggled to produce much fruit – need to find a better, hotter, location not shaded by other plants
  
  
• Pepper (Banana) – as always peppers struggled to produce much fruit – need to find a better, hotter, location not shaded by other plants
  
  
• Potato (Yellow Yukon) – excellent crop and a favourite
  
  
• Radish (Icicle, White Top and Red) – for some reason none of these grew well but have to be grown every year
  
  
• Squash (Acorn - Winter) – excellent and good producer – was not affected by squash vine borer
  
  
• Squash ( Canada Crookneck – Winter) – Excellent crop and not impacted by squash vine borer
  
  
• Squash (Golden Zucchini – Summer) – Good producer but got decimated by squash vine borer (will need to see what can be done to prevent svb attacks)
  
  
• Swiss Chard (Bright Lights) – not good in 2018 but good in previous years
  
  
• Swiss Chard (Fordhook Giant) – not good in 2018 but good in previous years
  
  
• Tomato (Rapunzel) – lots of good tasting fruit
  
  
• Tomato (Roma) – easy to grow with lots of fruit
  
  

• Bean (True Red Cranberry) – medium crop of these dry beans
  
  
• Collard (Vates) – grew OK but we did not harvest it
  
  
• Cabbage (Michili) – did not grow well
  
  
• Eggplant – very few fruit
  
  
• Fennel – grew well in the Table Top but we did not use it (duh!)
  
  
• Kohlrabi – some plants did well and others produced only small “bulbs” 
  
  
• Mache – did not grow well but should try again
  
  
• Tomato (Bonny Best) – was disappointing – not much fruit
  
  
• Tomato (Black Cherry) – lot of fruit but not a favourite
  
  
• Pepper (Chinese 5 Color) – did relatively well compared to other peppers – in future will only grow these outside the SFG
  
  
• Pepper (Poblano) – as always peppers struggled to produce much fruit – need to find a better, hotter, location not shaded by other plants
  
  
• Spinach – never does well in our SFG
  
  
• Squash (Tromboncino – Summer/Winter) – only got one squash from one plant grown – fun to grow – not affected by squash vine borer
  
  
• Squash (White Scallop – Summer) – Prolific producer but fruit is rather bland – not affected by squash vine borer
  
  

• Bean (Skunk/Chester – Pole) – small crop of these dry beans 
  
  
• Broccoli (Calabrese) – large plant with small head and went to seed – will not grow again
  
  
• Dill – Did not do well in the Table Top bed
  
  
• Lettuce (Rouge d’Hiver) – did not germinate
  
  
• Melon (Hale) – did not grow well
  
  
• Squash (Luffa) – Vines grew long but did not produce any squash – requires a long growing season so not good for our area
  
  
• Squash (Spaghetti – Summer) – two fruit on one plant but the plant and fruit were devastated by squash vine borer
  
  
• Tomatillo – grown outside SFG – abundant fruit but we did not use it this year
  
  
• Tomato (Purple Bumblebee) – good amount of fruit but many remained green at end of season
  
  
• Tomato (True Black Brandywine) – produced big fruit but not a favourite
  
  
• Tomato (Black Vernisage) – medium to goo quantity of fruit – many remained green
  
  
• Tomato (Yellow Giant) – few but huge fruit (one weighed 15 ounces) – not a favourite
  
  
• Tomato (Yellow Plum) – lot of fruit but not a favourite
  
  
• Tomato (Yellow Ruffle) – medium amount of ugly fruit – we did not like them
  
  

• Squash Vine Borer took out the zucchini and spaghetti squash. Have not seen them in previous years.
  
  
• Japanese Beetles were not as bad as previous years. They did not affect the bean plants but they like Mrs TD's roses and raspberry bushes.
  
  
• Flea Beetles damaged some leaves early in the summer.
  
  
• Slugs damaged some crops and need to be controlled better
  
  

• Bean (Pole) – Grew four different varieties on the same teepee trellis – they got intertwined and were difficult to harvest – in future do not mix them on the same trellis/teepee
  
  
• Corn - Have never grown corn in the SFG will try it in 2019
  
  
• Cucumber – will need to decided which varieties (stay with Marketmore and Straight 8 or try something else)
  
  
• Tomato – reduce the number of varieties grown and focus on Roma, red cherry, and big beef
  
  
• Table Top SFG Bed – plants struggled in 2018 perhaps because we had a hot summer
  
  

• Lettuce, Kale, Basil growing in the Aerogarden
  
• A mixture of seeds (alfalfa, arugula, sunflower, radish) growing in a 4"x6" bread tray as an experiment based on Peter Burke's "Year Round Salad Gardening" book
  

• Garlic (Music and Red Russian) cloves were planted in late October in 10 squares at four per square
  

• Decide what to grow this year and what squares to grow them in
  
• Decide what needs to be started indoors
  
• Review current seed collection
  
• Toss old seeds and order any necessary new seeds
  
• Purchase grow mix
  
• Set up the indoor heat mat and grow lights
  
• Start onions and leeks indoors 
  
• Start Winter Sowing and set containers outside (mostly flowers) 
  
• Continue "Year Round Salad Gardening" experiment
  

AtlantaMarie wrote:They're so cute!!

yolos wrote:The soil sprouts look good.  Are they much different than the microgreens.???

yolos wrote:That lettuce looks good.  I have been having a problem with my aerogarden that maybe you can help.  The tips of the top leaves on some brands/varieties of lettuce dry out and look a little burned.  I have the LED version and am not sure how close to put the light.  The instructions said right up next to the top of the plant.  But I do not do this because I believe it is too close.  I have read where the LED light should not be down real low.  Any help would be appreciated.