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Re: So how did my garden grow in '97?

In a message dated 97-10-03 13:11:00 EDT, you write:

 >Why don't some of you tell us about your harvests and suggestions for next
 >year so we
 >have something more to talk about?
-------------Here we go: ---------
>Tomatoes:
 >My 'Brandywines' did much better than in '96, though nearly all of them
 >split their skins.  We had a very dry summer and plenty hot.  I watered
 >virtually every day, esp. during the high-90's temps in July.  I promise to
 >water less and more deeply next year.  This was my first year with raised
 >beds, and they seemed to be draining at the speed of light....
 > For people who need hybrid vigor due to space requirements and also
disease
 >resistance, I can't recommend 'Park's OG [for Organic Gardening mag.]
 >Whopper' enough.  Lots of 2.5-inch-diameter fruits and NO cracking and NO
skin splitting on plants that showed NO blight or insect damage.  Flavor
isn't as great as
 >Brandywine, but it's way ahead of supermarket toms.

------We also planted Brandywine..unfortunately that's  ALL we planted later
we found out how slow they are to produce...sigh.  At 1st we got nothing but
lots and lots of leaves, then flowers no fruit.(of course it WAS over 75 at
night) then all of a sudden WOW!!!!! something told me to take a bucket to
the garden NOT the small basket that I had been using...we filled a 4gallon
bucket!!!!! Many have been "catfaced" or have had splits/rings but most of
the fruit was DELICIOUS!!!  Will definatley plant again next year(just not as
the ONLY variety) The 8 plants on the balcony got wilt(rats!!!) but we did
get quite a few nice harvests before they succumbed..the 18 in the garden are
still going great!!    The Park's sounds like the way to go for our balconies
AND for a 2nd variety..thanks for the recommendation.-------

 >Varieties from '95 that I will replant next year:  'Dona' and 'Carmello,'
 >both strong-flavored hybrids.

------Don't know 'Dona"  have heard of 'Carmello" but I'm worried about
disease resistance...how does it compare??------

>Eggplants:
  >I think I'll skip eggplants next year.

------We will skip them, too.  we have tryed for 3 years with only 2 eggplant
for the whole time------

> Sweet peppers:
 >A very problematic season for peppers in the greater D.C. area (many other
>posters here and in rec.gardens recorded crop failures).
>The green bells I grew (regular 'California Wonder' and 'Big Bertha') were
>thin walled and significantly misshapen, mostly long and skinny or twisted
>all around for no apparent reason.

-------We had no luck with the 6 we had in the garden..something kept
nibbleing at the..got 2 peppers small and funny shaped  BUT the 4 we
accidently put in the planter we had intended for 2(yes, on the balcony) are
HUGE with about 12 various sized and shaped peppers..3 are turning red and we
are hoping for a warm spell to hurry on the rest.------

> My spring was exceedingly cold and wet; here in the mid-Atlantic everybody
> who put their tomatoes into the ground before May 20 lost everything.  I
 >couldn't even seed my spinach or lettuce until April 23--unthinkably late
in
 >view of how it gets real hot suddenly here.
 That was our problem, too ....what a bummer!!!!!!!

 >Cucumbers:

--- I missed the 1st signs of beeltes and --ooops it was too late!!! lost all
6 plants with only 3 little fruits to show for it.----


 >Pea:
 ---we had a pretty good harvest until the heat got to them but were unable
to plant as soon as usual..we HAVE tryed for a 2nd harvest..the plants are
about 2ft high but no flowers yet------
>Etc
---We also planted carrots...got 6 out of 3 squares, harvested LOTS and LOTS
of lettuce(a volunteer from last year's garden), the onions died and thebeans
got very bitter and hard and then were mobbed by mexican bean beetles.
---- All in all a so-so year...hope next year is better!!!!!!!!------------
Margaret/ Zone6ish-MD/DC area

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