What won't you grow next year or are still trying to grow??

OK, I will not probably grow Kaleidoscope carrots again.  Not sweet.  Meh.

landarch wrote:I will not grow broccoli or cauliflower again...too many years of dedicating time and space to starting seeds indoors, grow lights, watering, planting, keeping cabbage loopers away and no heads forming...too easy to buy at the market and focus on other things.

I will not grow Kale again...easy to grow but did not like it vs. the space it took.

I will probably not grow san marzano tomatoes again...found other productive roma types instead.

What roma do you like?

Cherokee Purples and cherry red tomato's are on my do not do list. Cherries in my opinion for us aren't worth the bother and those CPs were nice, however many just melted away...At this point in my life I will plant for effect.

jimmy cee wrote:Cherokee Purples and cherry red tomato's are on my do not do list. Cherries in my opinion for us aren't worth the bother and those CPs were nice, however many just melted away...At this point in my life I will plant for effect.

I get the grape tomatoes from Johnnys.  Better than cherry IMHO.

Cherokee Purple are very tasty, but there is a very narrow time frame for picking.

Scorpio and Floyd, I had great luck with Health Kick tomato (pic below)...a very productive determinate with fruits that have 2x lycopene...new growth is full of blossoms and new fruit is coming on.  I may try Amish Paste.  My Juliet (small paste-type) was horrible this year...but had success in the past.

I've read cherokee purple has super thin skin...and this cuts down on how long ripe fruits stay good on the vine.  I grew these two years ago and had many that rotted on the vine...was at the community garden where I could not check them every day.  

I will probably not grow romaine-type lettuces...I can never get a nice full head like at the market...and the milky sap is very bitter...much prefer bibb and butter head types...need to find some boston butter for the fall.

landarch wrote:Scorpio and Floyd, I had great luck with Health Kick tomato (pic below)...a very productive determinate with fruits that have 2x lycopene...new growth is full of blossoms and new fruit is coming on.  I may try Amish Paste.  My Juliet (small paste-type) was horrible this year...but had success in the past.

I've read cherokee purple has super thin skin...and this cuts down on how long ripe fruits stay good on the vine.  I grew these two years ago and had many that rotted on the vine...was at the community garden where I could not check them every day.  

I will probably not grow romaine-type lettuces...I can never get a nice full head like at the market...and the milky sap is very bitter...much prefer bibb and butter head types...need to find some boston butter for the fall.

I tried Amish paste this year and they produce nice size toms.  I am agreeing with you on the lettuce too.

Scorpio Rising wrote:Cherokee Purple are very tasty, but there is a very narrow time frame for picking.

Ahaa, I did not realize that one....I had no time this season to tend to anything correctly..They sure were delicious though..

I grow Juliet Grape Tomatoes every year.  They last a long time without going bad just hanging on the plant or sitting on my counter.  I put one tomato plant in my SFG and then also put one plant in a pot in the pool area.  Anyone sitting by the pool can just take a tomato and eat it as a snack.

It look like the thread is also being a "What I would definitely grow again." I have a lot that I haven't tasted or harvested yet, and as Scorpio put it, those count as "To Be Determined"

So, based only on plants in my garden that I've had a chance to taste, I will definitely grow these again: Table Dainty vining zucchini, Round of Hungary peppers, poblano peppers, arugula (both types - Eruca sativa & Diplotaxis tenufolia), Flashy Butteroak lettuce, Palla Rossa Mavrik radicchio, Tres Fine endive, Eros escarole,  chrysanthemum greens, Renegade spinach, Music garlic, Joan rutabegas, golden globe turnips, and both flat and curly parsley.

SR - has anyone mentioned kale chips yet?
http://ohsheglows.com/2014/03/12/6-tips-for-flawless-kale-chips-all-dressed-kale-chips-recipe/
I'm realizing I have an oven with a window now and can try these again... it's hard, without a window, to not burn them because you can't see how they are doing without opening the oven (and letting all the heat out..., which throws off the timing...) I enjoyed them when I got them right.

Tomatoes grown in 2016.  I try different varieties in the attempt to find our favorites (i.e. continue to grow) and the following were grown with my thoughts next to each:

Determinate tomatoes
Amelia -very productive at first, early blight a problem - up for question for next year
Better bush - not again, not as productive as I would like
Bush Goliath - not again, not as productive as I would like
Bush Rutgers- never again - diseases a problem
*BobCat - not again, nice favor but not as productive as I would like
*Celebrity - not productive for me
*Legend  - not productive for me
*Long keeper - semi determ.2 - definitely again because they keep up to 3-4 mo.
Patio - probably grow again

Indeterminate
Better Boy - yes, slow to produce but good flavor
Parks Whopper - definitely again - large and great flavor
*San Marzano - not again, not productive
Sun Gold - definitely - very productive and tasty
*Mortgage Lifter - yes again - but in different location - tasty
*Buffalosteak - YES  LARGE and tasty, definitely next year
*Matthew -YES, extremely productive and tastes really sweet
Celebrity - probably not - not particularly productive
* - these plants came from Territorial Seed Co.

It is true that I was not pro-active in keeping up with disease treatments and for someone else - my thoughts might not fit the situations.

Mortgage Lifter?   There must be a great story behind that name.

Winter Squashes of any kind.  Planted in April, attacked by SVB, then Squash Bugs, then finally Pickle Worms.  Too much fighting for the bugs for the value of the Squash.

Yolos...I loved my Juliet tomatoes a few years ago...mini-type roma tomatoes hanging there like a dozen eggs on the vine...very productive...very good for picking almost nightly for salads and snacks.

What I missed and will grow again after skipping this year:  Brandywine.  My fave.

Mortgage Lifter story:
http://www.tomatogeek.com/2010/08/04/mortgage-lifter-tomato-story/

Great story, Judy.  Wow!  My mom and dad were both kids in the Great Depression.  They ate a lot of onion sandwiches, potatoes, stuff from your garden or the neighbors. Not much meat.  Very cool, and great nomenclature for that mater, what a resourceful botanist by necessity!

Love the Mortgage Lifter story.

I've already started my "never again" list for this year.

Swiss Chard -- tastes like dirt. The rabbit will get this year's crop, then never again.
Arugula -- not worth the effort. The leaves are too weedy. Still searching for a crisp, mild, tasty, juicy salad green. Gonna try butter lettuce next. (I'm still trying with corn salad, Marvel of 4 Seasons lettuce, & romaine.)
Lemon thyme -- doesn't taste lemony at all to me. The chickens will get this crop, then never again.
Parsley -- we like cilantro better, so the rabbit gets the rest and I won't plant it again.
Broccoli -- plants are too big for the small yield. Gonna turn it all into kale. Same with cauliflower. I'll give Brussels sprouts one more chance.
Walla Walla onions -- these guys are put on notice. They aren't doing anything. I'll try again in the fall, then give up if they don't produce.

Ground Cherries are a definite no for me. Never ever again. I just don't like them. I feel like they taste like a regurgitated pineapple tomato. 

I had 1 delicious sugar baby watermelon. Gotta try again as it withered due to disease. 

Same story for my butternut squash -only got 3, will try again. 

STILL waiting on my peppers to produce. The only thing in my garden that hasn't given me anything. Soon...

I think I'm going to give up on garlic for the time being. This year was a flunk and it takes so long. I think I can use the space more productively, and since space is so precious top mine right now, garlic will have to wait.

Those who said Marigolds were getting out of control, have you tried the petite varieties? They flower at 6 to 8 inches tall. I haven't put them in my bed but I put 3 seeds each in two 4 inch pots and they are nice little flowers. One of those pots is in my profile picture. 

As for my list, as of now I will definitely repeat baby butterhead lettuce and super bush container tomatoes. Had trouble with broccoli in the spring so will try again come fall but like others have said, might be too much work and space for little gain. Everything else is up in the air until I see the end results after harvesting!

AlwaysHotinFL wrote:Ground Cherries are a definite no for me. Never ever again. I just don't like them. I feel like they taste like a regurgitated pineapple tomato. 

I had 1 delicious sugar baby watermelon. Gotta try again as it withered due to disease. 

Same story for my butternut squash -only got 3, will try again. 

STILL waiting on my peppers to produce. The only thing in my garden that hasn't given me anything. Soon...

LOLROFL! This was my first year for ground cherries and I love 'em. I love the beauty of the plants and the sweetness of the fruit. Haven't tried the squash or watermelon. I grow peppers for our daughter, so my opinion doesn't count on that one.

Robbomb116 wrote:I think I'm going to give up on garlic for the time being.  This year was a flunk and it takes so long.  I think I can use the space more productively, and since space is so precious top mine right now,  garlic will have to wait.

My garlic happened by accident. Someone donated a container with little green shoots in it last year. I thought it was chives -- not. I planted it down in the chicken/compost area and forgot all about it. This year, while hubby was pulling weeds, he found several huge garlic plants.  We still didn't know for sure until he pulled one up. That was this morning. He brought it inside and started playing with the kittens with it. HILARIOUS! They had never been exposed to the outdoors. They took turns hauling it around the room with the others chasing behind.  Even if these plants never produce real cloves, I will continue to grow garlic for fun and beauty. It doesn't impact my growing space, since it's down by the compost, so it's all good.

It's still too early to know regarding summer crops! This is my 5th summer and I pretty much have narrowed down the field. I did try a few new tomato varieties this year, replacing ones I have tried and failed with in the past. I won't try Canary Bell pepper a third summer. Plain yellow California bell works better.

For winter (Oct 1 planting), more purple broccoli and cauliflower, less curly and Russian kale as they are prolific.