Robbins Farm Garden

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.

Bush Beans (Dragon Langerie HM, Maxibel HM, Roma II BC, Royalty Purple E): new purple variety was good: went in 2 weeks earlier, produced first, finished earlier. Dragon’s Tongue didn’t do as well as usual. New Romano type disappointing (try pole type again?). Green variety good. Bed was somewhat eroded in hurricane. Very last harvest when first pole beans harvested.
Dried Beans (Good Mother Stallard BC): germinated, vined and produced really well, but corn variety was too short and weak, so needed to add secondary support.
Pole Beans (Kentucky Blue B, Kentucky Wonder R, Trionfo Violetto B, King of the Garden R): all did well, but a section was washed out by hurricane; purple was earliest and best overall. Kentucky Blue more productive than Kentucky Wonder. Limas need to be planted mid-June; so leave space for them in the pea bed. Trellis twine eroded by end of season with the excess wind and rain.
Fava Beans (Vroma J): spotty germination, infill planted, some aphid damage controlled with insecticidal soap, but produced a good crop of large pods.
Early Peas (Sugar Snap J, Mammoth Melting Sugar R, Champion of England R): did well, except for poor germination on Champion of England. There seemed to be cross-breeding happening between the snap and snow types.
Late Peas (Cascadia HM): germination good, especially under 4 layers of shade cloth; productive and long harvest window, despite many young seedlings eaten by rodents. Provide some support next year.
Soybeans (Tankuro BC): very good, do again.

Eggplants (Galine J, Orient Express J, Japanese White Egg BC): simply incredible! productive and excellent-quality, despite some wind damage in hurricane. Interplanted marigolds worked well. Next year remove any wilted leaves when they appear and move white variety to front.
Sweet Peppers (King Arthur J, King of the North BC, Lunchbox Mix J, Mini Bell Mix BC, Corno di Toro HM, Shishito BC): excellent year overall, but still some insect damage – try using a sticky trap and/or alternating the sweet and hot peppers and/or spraying early with neem oil for pepper maggots. King of the North excellent. Mini Bell a bust.
Hot Peppers (Ancho Poblano R, Baron J, Cheyenne R, Hot Rod J, Hot Lemon B, Thai Dragon R): very good, do again. Both poblanos did well. Hot Lemon did better than Cheyenne when grown in same pot at entry, try 2 of same variety if growing in pots again.
Potatoes (Red Chieftain HM, Peter Wilcox HM, Adirondack Blue HM): all did well, didn’t lose any plants, worked hard to keep up with potato beetles, all ready for harvest at the same time.
Tomatillos (Green Tomatillo R): great year! Some early beetle damage controlled, plants were less tall, but produced large fruits that conveniently split when ready to harvest; fewer immature fruit at end of season. Fertilization schedule excellent.
Cherry Tomatoes (Sun Gold R, Esterina HM, Supersweet 100 R): not a great year for the cherry types. Supersweet 100 failed, Sun Gold eaten more than usual by critters, Esterina did okay in pot at entry arbor, provide more support strings if growing there next year.
Standard Tomatoes (Fourth of July R, Cloudy Day B, Brandy Boy B, Ramapo R, Red October B, Bolseno J, Jaune Flamme HM, Bodacious B, Darkstar B, Damsel J): a good year overall. New structure and clips worked, but use sturdier string and secure it better in ground with corkscrew stakes next year. Jaune Flamme failed. Red October hit by hornworm.
Paste Tomatoes (Juliet J, Plum Perfect HM): Juliet was mechanically damaged (circumstances unknown) growing in pot at entry, but still produced. Plum Perfect very good, do again.

Beets (Crosby’s Egyptian BC, Red Ace R, Detroit Dark Red R): first crop: very good, but had some leaf miner damage; cover early next year. Second crop failed as young seedlings, damaged by hurricane but may have also needed fertilizing.
Jerusalem Artichokes (private stock): excellent year! Two sets of flowers on 10’ tall plants with solid harvest.
Radishes (Cherry Belle R, Sora HM, Pink Beauty BC): first crop good, try staggering planting by a few weeks and put in double rows. Second crop a bit spotty, some rodent predation on seedlings, but good harvest.
Daikon Radishes (Daikon HM): planting first crop in spring was a mistake, spring plantings bolt. Second planting in mid-August matured, but should have been thinned better.
Rutabagas (Helenor J):very spotty germination, seeded twice and still not many, plants that came up did well, try covering seed with remay next year.
Sweet Potatoes (private stock): everything went well until rodents found underground tubers and started feasting on them, harvest couldn’t wait until after hard frost, tubers were good quality but some were damaged.
Salad Turnips (Hakuei J, Mikado R): seeded both varieties for first crop, both were good but Mikado germinated more evenly; consider staggering first planting. Second crop was only Hakurei, with most of the seedlings eaten by rodents.
Turnips (Golden Globe HM): germination was spotty, infill seeded a bit late, not all matured, but generally good.

Butternut squash (Metro PMR J, Honeynut HM): both varieties very productive, feeding schedule good; thinning leaves helped with air flow and reduced mildew; Honeynut smaller with excellent flavor.
Cantaloupe (Minnesota Midget R): melons were small and only a few. Sadly, another unsatisfying melon experiment.
Cucumbers (Summer Dance Hybrid B, Jackson Supreme J): mildew not bad, but many plants had premature die-off from wilt again; remove plants at first sign of disease and look for wilt-resistant varieties.
Delicata squash (Sugar Dumpling HM): less productive than last year, vine borers took many plants (and some squashes) too soon despite alternating planting with butternuts. Try placing sticky traps 8-10’ away, grow marigolds with them?
Pumpkins: (Baby Bear J): produced 1 pumpkin per plant, but badly hit by borers and didn’t survive surgeries; feeding schedule good.
Summer Squash (Smooth Operator HM): best yellow squash so far, very productive and lasted almost as long as the zucchini.
Zucchini (Dunja HM): both crops did very well (gave second crop space in brassica bed). Put on regular fertilizing schedule; consider planting last crop of arugula around edge of bed.