The Vegetables That You Will Grow More Of This Year

Lets talk garden. It’s the time of year again when many of us are planning or even planting our vegetable gardens.

The question for today is:
Which vegetables are you going to grow more of this year, and why?


 
As we all improve our gardening skills, we discover many things including which vegetables grow better in our own unique climate and soil conditions. We also discover which vegetables that we like to grow better than others.

Maybe you enjoy preserving one variety over another.
Maybe you enjoy the eating or the taste of one over the other.
Maybe you have a “green thumb” with certain vegetables over others.

Joy Of Gardening

 
There may be lots of reasons why you choose the vegetables that you plant in your garden.

As we learn, we make adjustments for the following growing season. Some of those adjustments might involve growing more of one type of vegetable than the previous year.

For us (for example) we are going to plant more corn than last year. We had much better success than we anticipated so we’re going to stick with what works and plant more of it ;)

We’re also going to plant more potatoes. Again we had very good success with them last year. I also experimented through the winter and discovered that one method of storage lasted 4 months before they began to grow eyes and soften too much. That was a pleasant surprise! So now I’ll grow more and some will be stored knowing that I’m good for 4 months and we will can the rest.

So the two vegetables that I will be planting more of this year will be corn and potatoes.

What about you?

67 Comments

  1. Cabbage

    Interesting enough, last year after I cut the fully formed heads. I left the base of the plant in the ground for I did read that it could sprout and form another head. Leaves began to form again but did not go full term. There was two on one plant and three spots on the other. Two thoughts. Too many re-sprouts on one plant or did not have enough nutrients to finish the job.

    The article said broccoli and brussel sprouts can re-spout.

    1. Actually I found if you cut your cabbage early (I like smaller heads for slaw) you will often get a second mini crop. Maybe this year I will keep notes to see if I gain or lose harvest mass either way. Also you can second crop quick growing greens (Salad, Kale) while the mini crop comes in.

      Personally I am again doing sweet potatoes, leaves taste great small in salad, larger as greens and do not seem to affect harvest of potatoes. Remember to cure them in a warm place for 10-15 days and they store very well in the house.

      My greatest issue is VOLES…. Any suggestions as to keeping them out of my sweet potatoes? I can deal with NH frost issues, but voles have me at wits end.

      NH Michael

      1. NW Michael
        On Lewis’s site they use large Ute tires cut in half laid down on old billboard signs(large canvas material). Then fill in the tire with garden soil/compost mixture. It’s how their garden thrives with out the critters eating their hard work. This couple lives in the Idaho region, it took them a growing season to learn how to solve this problem.

        Check your areas for these canvas billboards, they do sell them. I have found them on line, but for us it would be a long way to travel in order to pick them up. Good luck

    2. I was surprised to see little heads reforming on cabbage stems. Some made tiny heads, some were just leaves. I used them in stir fry and in fried rice. Our broccoli and cauliflower also made extras after harvest, but smaller.

  2. I’m planting more broccoli, more green beans, more winter squash, and more eggplant (the specialty heirloom varieties). Eggplant are for summertime meals, not for preserving. I freeze quite a bit of broccoli and pressure-can green beans.

    Since I won’t have my granddaughter 5 days a week this summer, I’ll be able to increase production with weekly/bi-weekly plantings of some crops. I’m also going to try pushing a few lettuce varieties into August by planting an experimental crop in shady areas with some irrigation.

    @Slingshot, yes the brassicas can resprout. Take care when you knife-cut the veggies off of the main stalk — leave some of the stem of what you cut, then smaller growth will appear at the Y-joints. With cabbages, you might want to try some of the cabbage varieties that have looser, elongated heads because those can be cut leaf-by-leaf instead of lopping off the entire head. I also do this with our head lettuce varieties — I get a larger harvest that way. Then when the lettuce heads get real large, I knife-cut the heads.

  3. This year I will be planting more of the starchy vegetables, such as root veggies, potatoes, and winter squash. More high calorie foods since I am more and more worried about a famine. I have a wonderful recipe for spicy butternut squash soup, which also works with a few modifications for carrot soup and pea soup.

    I am also planting more peppers. last year I didn’t have enough. And, also lots and lots more lemon cucumbers. I tried those last summer for the first time and I LOVE them!

    1. Daisy K
      I found a recipe for lemon cucumbers, made into bread & butter pickles, normally I am not a B&B pickle person, but these are oh so wonderful. Smell, oh my heavenly.
      Let know & I will post it for you.

      1. Antique Collector:

        I have never done any canning, but I will soon have to learn since I am expecting a large crop of cherries in a few years when my cherry trees are mature enough. If you provide the recipe, I will print it out and save it. I am thinking of buying some canning books and equipment this summer so I can learn that new skill and practice while canning is still (hopefully) just a hobby, and not a necessity.

        Thanks

        1. PS. The lemon cucumber seeds I bought this year are heirloom and I will definitely save the seeds.

        2. Daisy K
          It is water bath canning real easy, I will help you, with the process.

        3. Daisy K
          will post on the Saturday schedule so we stay on track.

        4. I love lemon cucumbers. I guess you have to buy the seeds on line. I have not seen any plants in my area. Years ago I gained some canning experience and I want to start up this summer. It’s not easy when you are working 10 hours (time away from home) a day but I am determined to can and not freeze too much. I love the Excalibur I bought last year. Dehydrating is a great way to preserve food. Best Wishes on your canning!

        5. Daisy K, 4 years ago as a newbie canner I purchased the Ball Blue Book and 2 other books on canning by Ball. I now have over 800 Ball jars in various sizes with about 200 of them filled each fall. Zucchini makes a great Hot dog/hamburger relish and is easy to make.
          If I can do it you can also. I put up pickled Red Beets, green beans, carrot sticks, mixed garden veggies plus with my pressure canner a lot of fresh pack veggies.

        6. I would have tried canning sooner, but I have worried about botulism. However, pickles sounds like a good way to start. Vinegar should protect me.

        7. @ DaisyK and All

          It was once told to me, from my Grandma, that Canning is as easy as boiling water, filling jars with food and screwing on a lid…. No wonder it took me 35 years to learn… LOLOL

          Seriously, Canning and preserving food is really REALLY easy, Like OldAlaskan said, get yarself the Ball canning book (amazon.com/Ball-Complete-Book-Home-Preserving/dp/0778801314/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_0/153-0149563-8023853?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=74BXQNK1EAZDZ81EPRY5) and get bussy. Soooooo very easy. AND the home-canned foods taste 100% better than the junk ya buy at Wally World that have tons of preservatives in it.

          I have been canning and “putting up” food for almost 53 years (first started helping out Grandma at the age of 10) and have been always been happy to carry on the “old ways” of the ‘Lifestyle’ and I always will.

          Ken has a lot of good articles here and you know you can always ask here for advice and help….

          NRP

        8. Look up Canning Granny. She has a lot of canning recipes with pictures for each step.

  4. I’ve extended our planting space, so we’ll be planting pumpkins, winter squash, and watermelons–we usually only have room for one of the three. I got seeds for a new variety of corn and I’ll be planting that separate to determine whether I want to include it in our main patch next year. If we don’t like the taste or it doesn’t thrive there’s no point in including the genes. I also realized last winter that we eat an awful lot of dry beam products–chili, ham and beans, pork and beans, bean soups, etc. So this year a larger section will be dedicated to dry beans.

    I have six varieties I want to try, four bush and two climbing. Those that do the best (and taste the best) will be saved for seed next year. So hopefully we’ll have one more item nailed that we won’t have to buy.

  5. Every year I seem to be expanding the Raised Bed Garden, adding three more 4’X8’ beds, they are 2 foot high so very easy to work, AND they seem to produce extremely well considering the “square foot” method I use.

    That said, I’m going to hit the tomatoes again HARD!!!! They WILL NOT beat me… HAHAHA Trying 8 different variety’s to find the ones that do best here. Last year I had semi-good luck with Oregon Spring Tomatoes, hard to find but did very well.

    More of this year? Well…. Beets, Eggplants, Carrots, Peppers (seems I give away wayyyyyy to many), Swiss Chard (dropping all the rest of the leafy types), Cabbages (love Sauerkraut), going to try Spinach and potatoes, wanting to also hit the ‘winter squash’ hard again, I have just finished some that were from the 2015 growing season, it’s all in the way ya store them.

    Mostly I’m increasing the “canning” vegies; want to make sure to eat when the NK decides to “take us out”.

    A full Deep Pantry is a sight to behold; and a Garden is a cheap, healthy way to fill that Pantry. For me, Garden and Canning are the most relaxing “hobbies” I have’; good for the tummy, good for the soul’.

    NRP

    PS; Don’t y-all know Corn is for making Gasoline?? HAHAHAHA

    1. NRP
      Do not forget to pickup old ‘bananas in the marked down’ bin(s). That along with a regular (non coated) aspirin placed at the roots of tomatoes will make a very big difference in the tomato production at your place.

      Do NOT forget to check the tomato plant(s)thoroughly before you purchase them. After you bring them home,,,,keep them separated and watch for the wilt fungus before you plant them.

      Try to picking up the plants on the day they arrive from the producer, it will give you a better chance that those plants are coming are clean and so is the planting medium used to grow them. Ask which company they are receiving their shipment from, one I recall was “Color Spot”. Best of luck on this years harvest of ‘fresh tomatoes’.

      1. @ Antique Collector and ACDH

        I will be adding the banana and aspirin as suggested, plus a few other things to each tomato ‘planting hole’, probably going to make a slurry of the banana and aspirin to dump in the hole. Thanks; AND watering with Epsom Salt and fish emulsion mix every 3-4 weeks.

        As far as ‘starts’ I buy from a local ‘producer’, Manning Greenhouses, they supply literally thousands and thousands of plants all over the 4 states area. I have bought from them for years and years, I actually go there now and as I’m leaving they toss in a few bags of their ‘start mix’ for me…. Really good people.

        NRP

        PS; as much as I love fresh tomatoes one would think I could grow them better…. HAHAHA I REFUSE to buy tomatoes at the store anymore, period.

        1. NRP
          In store tomatoes that look like a tomato but taste like cardboard are not tomatoes. Do not blame you.

          P.S. The calico is trying to hatch the mouse again…lol

        2. @ NRP

          A couple tablespoons of bone meal, 2-3 aspirins, a teaspoon of 8-8-8, a quarter teaspoon of elemental sulfur and some crushed egg shells . That’s what we put in the bottom of our tomato planting holes. Mix it in well with some compost. Sometimes we also add a fish head if we have them.

          We generally chop up banana peels along with other wet garbage and place it under the mulch between the rows. I can’t see making a special trip to town to buy all the bananas needed to put in 25 or more holes. Man!! I like bananas but that’s way too many to eat on planting day! :)

        3. @ CrabbeNebulae

          Thanks, not going to hit the 25 mark just yet, more around like ahhhhh well with the Sweet-100 cherry tom’s, yeah around 25 HAHAHA, I’m totally nuts… LOLOL But I do make a killer Salsa so we’ll see…

          NRP

  6. This year I intend to pay more attention to what I am planting. Last year I planted some dry beans by accident and never heard the end of it from the wifey. XD
    I might tone it down a little bit with the tomatoes, since I had so many last year they were coming out of my ears. I might do even more basil this year, because Pesto is fabulous. Maybe I’ll give broccoli a try as well as some carrots. This is only the second year of gardening at this house so I’m still learning what likes it here and what shrivels up and dies.

  7. Slinshot sometimes I can get a 2nd head of cabbage from the harvested plants, but I have found that for best results I need to cut off all but 1 of the new baby heads.

    First what will I be planting less off? Tomatoes. Love them but I have a lot canned from past years. I am going to only plant the short season ones in case global cooling happens as is being predicted in a number of places as the sun spots decrease.

    Second what will I plant more of? I want to focus more on frost hardy plants like the brassica family. I read that the people of central Europe survived the mini ice ages better than other areas of Europe because their diets contained more cabbage & root crops.

    One thing I would like to try is collards as I read they are very frost hardy. I don’t know any one around here who has ever grown them but I know they are grown in the USA a lot. Can any one fill me in on if they need any special treatment to grow them. Thanks in advance.

    1. @ canadagal

      I have grown ‘collards’ aka Collard Greens and have had very good success with them, they seem to grow faster than the weeds here. They love the cooler weather of early spring so I would plant them as soon as I could work the soil and a second planting late in the fall.

      I have since moved on to Swiss Chard, for me a much better flavor, a bit more tender and just as easy to grow, I grow a variety of SC, white, red and green stemmed, very little flavor differences.

      I both can and freeze a LOT of this, it’s a good ‘green’ to preserve, and the canned/frozen does not lose its flavor when reheated.

      A hint; just cut the larger stems and leaves, leaving the center of the plant, they will produce a very long time this way. And yes, the stems are GREAT to eat, just cut them up a little (1/2 ” pieces) and cook a little longer that the leaves. I normally boil the stems than drain, and flash fry the stems and leaves in a little coconut oil. yummmmmmm

      JMHO
      NRP

      1. NRP, Swiss Chard, we steam the leaves, then a add little apple cider vinegar and salt/pepper to taste, hog heaven. Same with spinach, fiddleheads and beet greens. Good stuff.

        1. @ Grey

          Ohhh I do a LOT and I do mean a LOT of pickled Beets, so the greens are never wasted, canned right along with the Swiss Chard. But, SC is still my favorite.

          Ok OK, everyone my mouth is watering for some goooodddddd fresh Garden Greens…

          NRP

          PS; I will admit I toss in a couple of fresh Thai Dragon peppers in the wok when I stir fry the greens, gota have a little spice ya know….

        2. If you have a half-empty growing box, cover it with plastic and plant your greens now (if you haven’t yet). Even if there’s snow on the ground. Then the seeds will come up when they’re ready and you’ll get an earlier harvest without the guesswork. Then next fall do the same thing and you should have fresh greens well into November.

        3. @ Lauren

          My friend, ya know what they say about great minds??? HAHAHA

          I just finished prepping all of my Raised Beds the past weekend, in the next few days all the ‘root crop’ seeds are heading underground, about 1/2 inch underground. :-) :-)

          Probably could have done this earlier but I’m not fighting the mud this year. Hope to get enough mulch from the ciry tree-guys to cover all the paths in the Garden… will ne sooooo nice

          NRP

    2. Have you ever heard of a Collard tree? I read an article on it. It looks very interesting. I am thinking of getting some.

  8. The picture is great, it makes me salivate!

    Our growing more or less fluctuates depending on how much we can during the season. Right now, we are in a down cycle since we canned so much stuff over the last several years. For example, last year we had about 85 tomato plants and harvested over a thousand pounds of tomatoes. This year we only set out 25 tomato plants. Last year, besides eating fresh tomatoes for three months, we canned 80 quarts tomato juice, 21 quarts of sauce, 21 quarts stewed tomatoes and made a bunch of green tomato casseroles for the freezer. Plus we also put up a bunch of tomatoes in the freezer and gave away a lot to friends. The same is true for snap-beans, sweet corn, beets, carrots and cabbage. I mean… we still have snap-beans, potatoes, beets, carrots, sauerkraut and a lot of other stuff from as far back as 2011 and 2012 so we have to eat that before planting another big garden. We did not put in a big field garden last fall or this spring and probably won’t put one in this fall either. This spring we only put in a short 25 foot row of snap beans out of habit.

    We still have 14 quarts of corn from two years ago but will probably get another 50 ear bag this year and put it up in pints instead of quarts plus freeze some (whole ears/half ears and kernels). I discovered it is cheaper to buy corn from the farmer down the road than it is to grow it ourselves. A quart of sweet corn is a LOT of corn for two people to eat and it usually lasts two or three days or we wind up feeding it to the chickens. The chickens love sweet corn, so it really doesn’t go to waste!!

    If you grow a big garden and can/freeze/pickle a lot of stuff you will eventually find yourself running into previous year harvests. You can 40 quarts of snap-beans and eat 15 quarts throughout the year, then plant another long row of beans you will start eating fresh beans and still have a larder/freezer filled with beans from previous years. Pretty soon, you start running out of space or wind up throwing food away. I hate throwing food away.

    Some things we may never can again… like pickles and relish. I mean we have pickled everything under the sun and now have so much of this, that, and the other pickled or relished that we will never eat it all.

    I’d have to say that right now, we are in the gardening maintenance mode where we grow just enough from small garden plots inside the yard to satisfy our fresh vegetable cravings. You never know what the growing season has in store for you, or how long the abundance will last but right now we have so much food to eat we can’t eat it all so there’s no sense in growing more. That’s our situation, just saying.

    1. Start rotating thru that food…first in first out, make menu’s around your excess… add them as sides.
      ideas?.. serve pickled squash as a side to meatloaf …use relish to make meat salad to serve on lettuce bed or on sandwich. serve pickles with the pot of beans and fried potatoes…
      Start using the older green beans now.
      Can the fresh ones after you have the initial “first mess” of your vegs. Continue to use the oldest ones. My family of 2 eats a quart each time i prepare them.. one cup is a “proper serving” of that vegetable , according to the ADA.
      Home canned goods properly kept in cool area will remain edible for quite a while. Have eaten jelly 4-5 years old, often.
      Evaluate your needs and consider if you have enough for two years minimum, if not, then you will know what you need to add.
      Two years is our minimum we want…because of crop failure and things like we have had this spring… frosts and freezes that killed all the peaches, plums and pears in the area. no fruit of that type here unless they were covered and heated.
      I will try string beans and a few tomatoes this year, already have potatoes in a big tub, coming up. Have some herbs, but have to do all garden from bermuda plot…so raised beds and pots in some form it is…

  9. This year will be a different garden for us as we are going to be building a new house,living in a small 26′ trailer for the summer and won’t have a lot of room to can and preserve what we grow.
    We will plant potatoes ,they store well and as they show any signs of getting soft we slice,dice and dehydrate them . We also will do tomatoes because they are such a staple for us in salsa,soups,sauces and they do not need to be pressure canned . We will also plant sweet meat and butternut squash as they store well . We will also plant more bush beans to saved as dry beans .
    We also have some peach , apple and plum trees to harvest as well and they also can be water bath canned .Last year in preparation for our house project we did can extra sauerkraut , green beans, carrots and beets .
    We plant almost all heirloom seeds and try to garden as organically as possible .
    This will be an interesting summer for us as all water bath canning will be done on a “camp chef” propane stove outdoors and we don’t want to do any pressure canning .
    Garden on all !

    1. One of the grills that has the extra burner can be used to pressure can…just fyi, also outdoors.

  10. Question, for potatoes that have sprouted and grown soft, can they still be planted?

    1. ME,
      We have done so in the past , make sure there are two sprouts on each seed you plant .

      1. We are planting more of everything this year, as we increased our garden space and added 3 more raised beds as well. Also, I am retired now and spend daily time in the garden. That also means I will be in the kitchen more in May and June as I can, dehydrate, and freeze our bounty. I may need more shelves.

    2. @ me

      Yes, most defiantly, cut so you have at least two ‘eyes’ or sprouts on each piece.

      Be careful as to not break off the sprout.

      NR{

  11. Don’t tease. What method did you use to get the 4 month storage on the potatoes?

    1. NOVICE,
      We keep our spuds in plastic milk crates with a towel over them to keep out light and we keep them as close to 40 degrees as possible in an insulated room. We have a thermal plug (35-45 degrees) with electric heater for winter and a small portable A C unit for our hotter summer days .
      Light and heat are the culprits.
      Bluesman

  12. Last year, I planted a lot of summer squash. This year I plan on doing the same in addition to Swiss Chard and herbs like Basil Rosemary and Chives. My wife wants to grow cherry tomatoes and I will continue to buy dried beans at the store because they are inexpensive, last quite a while and low yield per acre on my small yard.

    Potatoes? I live next to Idaho so they are pretty inexpensive and there are many dried potato products within my stores. Corn? I am surrounded by hobby farms all growing corn. I like to buy fresh corn from my neighbors.

    I enjoy having squash blossoms bringing in bees to our yard with my dog running around the green grass. I am trying to be as chemical free as I know how as my yard is surrounded by neighbors that spray just about everything in order to get “Lawn Beautiful” I stand out in our neighborhood as our lawn looks a bit “ghetto” compared to neighbors that have the perfect mat of deep green. Oregon is the home of Scotts lawn care products after all.

    My yard is not real pretty to look at but at the end of the day, dogs can run and play, deer can nibble at my plants and birds visit our bird bath and feeders (seed suet and hummingbird nectar) because it is relatively natural and chemical free. My wife and I both work as nurses so we go to our back yard to relax and recharge our souls at the start or end of each day.

    Lastly, I am Japanese ancestry so my wife has the ultimate status symbol of the Japanese Gardener in America these days. (I’ve gotta get a new hat as my old one died years ago.)

    1. @ CaliRefugee

      “(I’ve gotta get a new hat as my old one died years ago.)”

      A Straw hat (and a comfortable lawn chair) is essential for working a Garden…… I seem to trash one every 3-4 years, so about time here also….

      I also agree with the Suet and Hummer feeders, a MUST at my home, rather have the birds, bugs, varmints, critters, and wildlife than humans ANY day of the week… HAHAHA

      NRP

    2. CaliRefugee,
      We also live close to lots of commercial potato farms , but are uncomfortable with store bought potatoes because they apparently are one of the most chemicaly treated food crops. I have gotten this info from farmers and by asking a lot of questions. Just food for thought . We think that they are fairly easy to grow ourselves as well .

  13. I am down to my last jar of kimchee and my last jar of curtido, so I will be planting more cabbages this year. I am also going to be planting more chili peppers, since I ran out of hot sauce a while back. I am going to try root cellaring this year, so I am increasing the amount of turnips, parsnips, carrots, potatoes, and winter squash. In the past, I have always canned and pickled them, but I really want to try cellaring. New for me this year is sweet potatoes. Horseradish is a perennial here, and I am thinking about adding that as well.

  14. Has anyone tried growing prickly pear cactus? Can eat the leaf section and wait for the purple fruit.

    1. @ Slingshot

      Ahhhh yeah, I have an extended pair of tongs and a heavy pair of leather gloves just for harvesting. I do not grow, but here in the area they are everywhere, I do prefer to wait for the ‘pear’ though, to me the leaves are a bit strange flavored.

      Trick is to burn off the 14″ spikes off the fruit as soon as ya can…. :-) at least they seem like 14″ spikes if one sticks ya. :-) :-)

      NRP

  15. So, to have a little fun; the title of the article is “The Vegetables That You Will Grow More Of This Year” yet Ken uses a picture of Corn…..

    So; is Corn A Vegetable, A Starch, A Grain, A Fruit or is it just stuff to make Gasoline out of????

    Just something to toss out there… :-)

    NRP

    1. I thought corn was a grain, although i know it is listed as a vegetable,
      Im currently working up to plant corn, going to grow it as no till planted into a killed alfalfa and clover cover crop. The field right next to it right now has a vetch, medic, cereal rye cover growing, is up to about 16″ in 4 weeks, after the seeds start coming out on the rye and the vetch is blooming i am going to roll it down with a crop roller im building, this is where im going to plant jackolantern pumpkins for this next fall,
      I am moving the whole farm into no till or strip till production, just makes sense, i am looking to do limited grain production so on some of the smaller fields will let the grains grow with a vetch and clover interseed then hand cut the seed heads when mature and finish dry it in the greenhouse in some big screen drying racks im going to build, cant dry it in the open as humidity is too high. After the heads are cut i will roll down the field and plant into it, am getting the pieces together to build a single row no till transplanter, basicly just keep the tubes filled and it automaticly drops a plant into the slot created by the opening disc, really streamlines stuff and had an epifany the other day when i was working on the computer doing some CAD drawings and had been looking at some blueprints and parts manuals for planting equipment, modern farming on a budget, gotta make it work!

    2. NRP, yes, corn is a grain. Tomatoes​ and chill peppers are fruit. So are squashes. Yet, at the same time, they are all vegetables. Hmm, I think I might need to make calabacitas today while I ponder these mysteries.

    3. Well actually Corn is, botanically, a fruit.

      Did a little reading on it, seems while most will agree it’s a veg, and some are convinced it’s a grain (BTW, grain is nothing more than dried fruit like wheat and oats), the sources I read, the guys with all the smarts, say in fact it’s a fruit.

      I still think its “first stage gasoline”. HAHAHA

      NRP

  16. I plant what works this far north…snow peas and red potatoes as 2 main veggies. I am putting my lettuce in pots this year because I’m giving tomatoes a rest from all the wilt I had for 3 years now. A farmer down the road has better luck with them in his heated greenhouse so I’ll buy them. I won’t have much time to garden and gather this year.

  17. I will be planting more Siberian Kale. It weathered the snow drifts this winter in North Idaho and is still producing. You can get the seeds from Victory Seeds out of Molalla, OR.

  18. Im going to plant a half acre of a pumpkin called Kakai, get the seed from Johnnys, it is only for the seeds as it produces a hulless seed that is excellent for roasting, big green hulless pumpkin seeds,
    They are excellent for roasting and eating, the seeds that is, the pumpkins are trash,
    Are an heirloom

  19. A good garden plan is to have something ripe for harvest throughout the season. As it is in the wild.

  20. Hello there,

    The vegetables I will be growing will be lots of tomatoes, cucumbers, squash,
    collard greens, corn, bell pepper & also plant hay for my horse & donkey
    that I will get for my new home.
    Must be a GOD thing. Man walked up the street the other day, to talk to hiw sister.
    Found out I was selling my home, wanted to look inside.
    Made mean offer today. going to see if he will go a little higher on price.
    So I can pay 100% on my new home.
    Excited but cautous.

  21. I live up in north Idaho about 110 miles south of the Canadian border,and I’m going to grow more of EVERYTHING this year.I’m so sick of seeing snow and ice,I can’t wait to plant and work in my garden.I can finally get out there and am cleaning up the mess and getting everything ready.I start most of my stuff from seed,in the house.I finally bought one of those 99 dollar,walk in greenhouses,so I can move the plants outside soon.I’ll put a small heater in it at night until it gets warm enough.My tomato plants are already 3 inches high,and peppers are popping up.Here’s what I plant in my garden:
    Sweet corn
    tomatoes
    potatoes
    broccoli
    one or two cauliflower
    cabbage
    blue lake bush beans
    eggplant
    watermelon
    radishes
    lettuce
    romaine
    bright lights chard
    carrots
    onions
    leeks
    peppers
    beets
    lemon cucumbers
    hard squash
    rhubarb
    yellow beans
    that’s all I can remember right now,I’m getting old and probably forgot some things.Any way if you got the time,the more things you can stasrt from seed the better.Plus you will save a lot of money doing it once you get the hang of it.I try to plant as much heirloom stuff as possible too,and save seeds for next year.Some heirloom stuff tastes crappy and isn’t worth the time,so you’ll just have to try a few things each year until you find everything you like.I still buy and plant some hybrid stuff because it tastes great and I like it.The best corn I ever ate is called candy corn.”YUM!”Well,good garding my friends.

  22. SKIBUM.
    If you plant Horseradish,make sure it’s in a place where it can stay.It spreads,and believe me when I say,once it takes hold,it’s almost impossible to get rid of.I dug down 3 feet to dig out a large patch,and the next spring,there it was.So I sprayed it with roundup(shame on me)all summer long because it kept coming up.I thought I got it,but come spring,rats.there it was.It took me 4 years to finally get rid of it.

    1. Thanks for the heads up, BigBadCat. I live on old river bottom, so there is no soil here – just lots of river rock with some sand in between the rocks. So I have been using all of those rocks to build raised beds. Tons of work, but the beds are beautiful. And they contain things that like to spread. It’s worked with the hops, mint, strawberries, etc. I will make sure that I do the horseradish in its own bed.

  23. My may haw trees are producing berries early this year for jelly. My red potatoes are blooming. We got a five inch rain yesterday that beat up my purple hulled peas and young yellow crook neck squash plants but hopefully they will be all right. I have about forty five parks whooper tomato plants growing along with several dozen pepper plants. I am planning to can more salsa with the produce from these plants this year. My G-90 sweet corn is about a foot high, from which I hope to put up a lot more cream corn this year. My emerald green okra patch looks so terrible after the rain yesterday I might have to replant. I hope to have an abundance of veggies this year to supply my deep freeze and pantry with as well as family and neighbors with says the old swamp rat.

  24. We plan to plant more kohlrabi, sweet corn and peppers.

    I have discovered that if we keep our “root cellar” at about 52 deg F all Winter that our potatoes and much of our produce and fruits keep very well. We can keep our stuff for up to 4 1/2 Months which is great for home-grown fruits and vegetables.
    Keep your powder dry.

  25. I am going to plant Mangels (industrial feed beets) because of the success of just a few of these I had in my garden. The pigs loved them. This time I am going to try them.

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