Robbins Farm Garden

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.