Notes to the Future

2021 was a season of new beginnings, starting with brand new layouts for the garden and beds this spring. Aside from our usual gardening tasks, we dug lots of new garden ground, removed lots of rocks, transported the compost across the garden, built a stunning stone drywell and center area edge wall, and a metal scaffold for the tomatoes.

The weather was relatively dry in spring, followed by a summer of regular rain and reliable warmth until late in the season. Hurricane Fred mixed things up in August, washing playground mulch and stone dust into – and straight through – the garden. Warm wet weather led to a bumper crop of garden pest insects.

2021 was also the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the 2020 lockdown, we felt especially fortunate to welcome three new gardeners to the crew. We documented our progress on accessibility improvements, and returned to hosting visitors on Field Day.

Garlic (private stock): did well, despite having some of them in path due to garden bed rearrangement.
Leeks (Tadorna HM): new variety good, but later than in previous years.
Onions from seed (New York Early HM, Rossa di Milano HM, Walla Walla R): Sets not great growing in squash beds, switch them back to tomato bed. Seeded varieties started well, but lost many soon after transplant (cold stress?) and most failed to reach full size.
Onion sets (yellow & white Agway): grew in perimeter squash beds so were shaded out and didn’t do well, grow around tomato bed again next year.
Scallions (Parade B): did reasonably well in less than ideal spot, did need some infill seeding, but lasted the season.
Shallots (Conservor HM): did well, but smaller than usual, similar to onions.
Walking Onions (private stock): replanted from previous location in spring, hit by flooding in new location near entrance.

Broccoli (Belstar HM): first crop less discolored than usual, large heads were less uniform in appearance but tasty. Second crop was beautiful dark green, but later and smaller than usual, and hit by aphids, harvested main heads right up to last week of season. Seed 1-2 weeks earlier next year.
Brussels sprouts (Churchill J): grew tall, but sprouts hit by rot when young (probably too close together), plants were blown over in hurricane, and then there were the aphids… research and find a tougher variety.
Cabbages: first crop (Farao HM, Omero J): both varieties produced well, some cabbage worm damage. Second crop (Famosa HM, Early Jersey Wakefield BC): damaged by hurricane and cabbage worms, heads were smaller than expected. Leave more buffer space for less competition with Brussels sprouts.
Cauliflower: first crop (Adona HM): did well, some cabbage worm damage. Second crop (Adona HM, Amazing R) both had germination problems (probably dried out) so fewer seedlings than usual, good size heads, some cabbage worms, harvested right up to last week of season. Seed 1-2 weeks earlier next year.
Kohlrabi (Konan B): first crop excellent, do again. Second crop (seeded directly in soil) had some insect damage to leaves and had a more stretched-out harvest.

Carrots (Yaya HM, Sugarsnax R, Cosmic Purple BC, Dolciva HM): remay worked well, good germination, but should have thinned earlier and better. Decent harvest with relatively short roots. All varieties matured about the same time, though Dolciva was supposed to be a late variety.
Celery (Tall Utah B): very good, do again.
Parsnips (Halblange HM): initial germination not great, infill seeded, first harvest roots were stubby, later harvests were longer. Delay seeding next year?

Asparagus (Jersey Knight): strong first year growth, but one fatality. Prepared the bed for planting in spring and filled in as the shoots grew. Reached about 3’ tall, cut back to 6” in November.
Basil (Italian Large Leaf HM): generally did well, some plants hit by disease (downy mildew?), look into resistant varieties for next year.
Borage (seedling): planted bought seedlings in corners of nasturtium bed. One hit hard with aphids, sprayed and cut back; the other plant collapsed in hurricane; neither reached full size.
Cilantro (Caribe HM): first planting did great; second planting needed reseeding (dried out?) so there was a gap in harvest. Consider putting in with nasturtiums.
Corn (Montana Cudu BC): new variety had good germination and attractive ears, but pollination wasn’t great and stalks were way too short for beans. Find a tall, sturdy indigenous flint corn variety?
Herbs (Chamomile, Common Chives, Garlic & Chinese Chives, Fennel, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Lovage, Peppermint, Spearmint, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Saffron Crocus, Sage, Savory, Sorrel, Stevia, Tarragon, Thyme): most did great, though parsley was spotty – move to cilantro are next year? Moved/divided lovage, sorrel and savory in spring to fit into new garden layout. Moved oregano to in front of tarragon and doing much better. Planted cilantro in new area of one side; Egyptian walking onions in the other. Dug and replanted Saffron in June (when dormant)! More reorganizing next year?
Marigolds (Bonanza Harmony Mahoney’s): did great in tomato bed, plant beside path in eggplant bed next year, plant in front of perimeter squash beds?
Nasturtiums (Dwarf Jewel Blend BC): did well, fewer aphids (perhaps the handiwork of praying mantises), think about sharing space with cilantro next year.
Okra (Jing Orange BC): very good do again, put on fertilizer schedule next year.
Sunflowers (Mammoth Russian R): excellent!

Arugula (organic J): first crop bolted (as usual); fourth crop failed to germinate; last crop planted in prime real estate on 9/4 and was harvestable the last weeks of season. May need more sun than available on end of bed.
Bok Choy (Prize Choy HM, Suzhou Baby BC): first crop bolted in heat before fully maturing; second crop mostly matured, but had tiny holes in leaves (flea beetles?)
Collards (Georgia Southern Creole R): did okay, but kinda small.
Kales (Westlander HM, Nero di Toscano BC): Tuscan variety did exceptionally well, curly did well; both hit with aphids late in season (like everything else).
Lettuce: (Black Seeded Simpson J, Little Gem BC, New Red Fire HM, Optima HM, Parris Island Cos BC(free), Pirat HM) first crops from seedlings did well; summer crops did less well (keep thinned and use shade cloth on bed in July), late July seeding didn’t germinate, reseeded in early September and transplanted, harvested small plants until the end with plastic tunnels (New Red Fire and Little Gem the most cold-tolerant). Replace Optima with Green Star? Switch lettuce to Eastern Ave side of bed.
Mustard (Southern Giant Curled BC, Japanese Giant Red BC): very good, do again.
Perpetual Spinach (Perpetual Spinach Etsy): did okay, but not as well as last year (when it was in a terrible location); didn’t practice every other week harvest (with Swiss chard) most of season.
Spinach (Regiment HM): seedling crop did well, seeded crop bolted young.
Swiss Chard (Fordhook R, Bright Lights R): Bright Lights chard didn’t germinate as well as Fordhook, some leaf miner damage; not as robust as last year. Put on fertilizing schedule and alternate harvest with Perpetual spinach again.