2024 Compendium

General Tips:

• Plan to plant things into the ground between mother's day and memorial day. Use that as your "last frost" date. The weather is too unpredictable!

• Putting things in the greenhouse and keeping it heated at night until end of May worked out very well. Rely on that more. Also helps the seedlings if you don't have to harden them off because they live most of their life in the sun.

Asparagus

Martha Washington | New Jersey Giants | Rose Garden

• These are now 3rd year roots (2 years in the ground)

• Popped up in early May. Could have harvested one, but left it to get stronger. Planted three new roots of Jersey Giant.

• As of late July, all the Martha Washington had put on more stalks! I think we can try to harvest next year. Still no signs of the Jersey Giant doing anything.

• By late August all Martha Washington were doing very well, except maybe the furthest back against the roses. Maybe move that one next year. We will definitely harvest next year!

• Mulched heavily in late fall and let the plants die back naturally.

  • IDEA: Next yer, move the aspragus in the back forward so they can all be near the fence line. The 4 plants in there will begin producing heavily, and I think we can try doing our first harvest. They put a lot of growth on this year.

Bachelors Button

Polka Dot

• Direct sowed on May 9th

• Emerged around May 20th

• Did better being direct sowed rather than started inside. 

• Began blooming in the first and second week on July

• Overtook their section in late July. BEAUTIFUL! Do great when hung to dry. Plant always, but in the back and more sparingly. Do not be heavy handed with these seeds. Do not need to start them early, direct sowing will be fine for them.

• Finally tore them all out in Mid September. They had pretty much finished up by then.

Basil

Large Leaf Italian

• Slow to start. Began to take off in early July, but nothing huge.

• By late July we have enough to harvest, but they are not huge. Just enough for the minimal basil we use in the kitchen.

• Still good as of August. Not huge but enough for pasta dishes. 

• They were still going when I tore them our in Mid September. They did well.

  • IDEA: Next year grow them in the bottom of the pots of tomatoes that will be grown in the greenhouse. I think they will do well there.

Beans

Pole (Blue Lake FMI) 

• • Very slow to start with direct sowing. By early July it was only about 9 inches tall. 

  • By late July they are going up the trellis well, but not us the corn. Flowers started to come around the last week in July. 

  • By late August we finally got flowers. Hope they will produce beans by the frost.

  • As of Mid September there were no beans. Ended up being a dud. I think the rain and cold really kept them from producing. The leaves are lush and green, so not sure hat else could have been the reason. 

Bush (Blue Lake Bush Bean)

• • Slow to start, but faster than the Pole bean. By early July it was about 12 inches tall. Flowers were starting to come around the last week in July. 

  • By late August only harvest a few small beans. This was a bad year for beans in general.

  • Came out in early September. Got almost no harvest. Crummy.

    • Final Thoughts: Do not plant in ground until we are into 40s at night. Had to reseed a few times. Hates the cold. Fertilize the young plants heavily, that may help them produce earlier next year?

Brussel Sprouts

Long Island Improved

• Can take a frost, so plant in the ground early.

• Started under lights on

• Went into greenhouse in mid April

• Transplanted on May 5th

• Pound the ground very compact before planting. Helps them grow straight.

• By late July we are starting the see the first sprouts coming on. Pruned the bottom leaves. They are definitely strong in stalk and straighter this year, but not as tall as the variety grown last year. 

• By late August it was obvious I was not getting anything. They never really put on sprouts. When I pulled them up I found cabbage maggots on the roots.

Carrots

Parisienne (1) | Bolero (6)

• Direct sow after Mother's Day. By early July they were really starting to put on greenery.

• Direct sowed on May 17th

• Began emerging around June 5th

• True leaves around June 1st

• Getting good greens on mot by late July, but they have not shown any signs of shouldering.

• Harvested a bunch of the Bolero in late August and they were beautiful and tasty. They had strong and tall green stalks when I harvested, and carrots itself was about 6 inches long and about 1.5 inches thick on the fullest ones.

  • TIP: The Parisienne carrots were cute and tasty, but the Bolero were amazing. Stick with growing that variety next year.

Cabbage

O-S Cross Hybrid

• Can take a frost, so plant in the ground early. 

• By early July they were all getting large and starting to head.

• I harvested two small ones in late July to give the two big ones more room to grow. Do not overcrowd next year.

• Put Sluggo out in late July when the rain came. not sure if it has done much. Time will tell.

• By late August the biggest one was still growing. I pulled the smaller one and tossed it in the compost because it was heavily munched on by a slugs. Don't think the Sluggo helped much once the rain came.

• Harvested the largest cabbage in Early September. It weighed 5 lbs. Made 4 jars of Kimchi from it.

  • IDEA: Make a kimchi bed next year - Cabbage, carrots, onion, and turnip. Maybe try growing a napa cabbage?

Celery

Utah

• Can take a frost, so plant in the ground early. By late June they were getting very tall.

• Started under lights on 

• Moved to greenhouse in late April

• Transplanted into bed 1 on May 7th

• Huge by late July. To be honest, don't know what I am going to do with it all. Maybe grow less next year?

• Harvested the last week of August and froze them I gave about 5 away and kept 2 for freezing for stews. Maybe only grow 3 next year, and put them in the back so they don't overshadow the other plants (they overshadowed the Parisienne carrots this year.

  • Final Thoughts: This variety not only did well but tastes very good. I will grow it again, but only need about 3. However, I may want spares to sell, as other people really wanted them.

Clematis

• Lost one in 2024 but the white is strong. Started two new one's from roots. No flowers as of July, but vining tall. Needed to split the vine so it would bush out.

• By late July we have three vining. The two new ones are still small.

  • Final Thoughts: Never flowered this year. Super sad. Hopefully stronger next year since I translated them. I am hoping since they were moved and 2 were new, that time year they slept. Time will tell.

Corn

Yukon Chief

• Start indoors about middle of April. Plan to plant them out memorial day weekend. By late June I was pollinating. By early July we had about 7 silks.

• On June 20th noticed first tassels (on 2 plants) coming up. Plants are about 1.5-2.5 ft tall.

• Began pollinating in the last week of June

• By July 4, we had 6 silks to pollinate

• By late July we had a few ready to harvest, but they were not great. Don't think I will grow corn in the future. Fun but not really worth the space.

• Harvested in the end of August. They were OK but not great. Some were edible but all were small and very under pollinated. 

  • IDEA: Maybe nest year try growing them in a grow bag and start them in May in the greenhouse? Maybe go back to the Peaches and Cream variety? I don't really want them taking up room in the beds, as they room they take vs. the outcome I get is not really worth it.

Cucumber

• Start at the same time of pumpkins. Plan to plant out memorial day weekend, or maybe first week of June.

• Growing well in a greenhouse or greenhouse topper.

• First females started showing around July 1.

• By late July we have 3 small cucumbers on the vine. 

• By late August I had collected maybe 5-6 cucumbers. They did well and I will try again next year!

  • TIP: Maybe grow them in a large bag with a trellis to grow up next year, and keep them in the greenhouse?

Edamame

• Do not plant until we are in the mid 40s at night. Do not like the cold. Very small as of the first week of July.

• As of late July they are still alive but not looking great. Have been munched on by, maybe, slugs.

Garlic

Music

• Planted in northern beds will come up sooner than the southern beds.

• Harvested scapes the last week of June and first week of July.

• Leaves began showing signs of dying back the first week of July.

• As of late July, 3 leaves are showing some signs of dying back, but are still very green at the top.

• Harvested in mid August. They did well. Some were small, some were huge. A few had only 2-3 large heads on them, and some of the smaller ones had smaller heads but more in the bulb.

Hydrangea

Nikko

• Planted in front garden in late May 2024.

• Grew wellish but not very large. Gonna see if they survive the winter. If they do I may put them into large pots and move them somewhere that gets more sun.

Lettuce

Buttercrunch | Salad Bowl | Grand Rapids | Great Lakes

• Can take a frost, so plant in the ground early.

• Started under lights about 2-4 weeks before transplanting

• Succession planting

• Went into bed 1 on May 7th

• Start 4-6 in doors about 5 weeks before going outside, then direct sow 2 successions

• Salad Bowl variety bolted early. Great Lakes did not do well as cut and come again. Focus on growing Buttercrunch and Grand Rapids (my favorites)

• Still harvesting the old favorites as of late July. A few plants have bolted, but they are still going strong.

• Finally finished the lettuce off around mid August. 

  • TIP: I could have probably done a second planting of them in mid June. Try that net year.

Lupin

• Began emerging in early June.

• Full bloom by late June and early July.

• Plant more of the heirloom seeds in the rose garden. LOVE!

• Blooms were done by 3rd week in July. Wonderful selection of them in 2024.

Nasturtium

• Direct sowed plants are doing much better than started indoors. Soak before planting. Put in the ground when we are in the 40s at night. Had volunteers from 2023 garden in bed #5.

• Slow to take off this year. By early July they were starting to bush out. Had a single flower by July 1.

• By late july the plants were getting very large and beautiful.

Onion

Walla Walla (yellow) | Ringmaster (white) | Redwing (red)

• Started some inside and got starts from Dixondale Farm.

• Dixondale were very good in the frost and are coming in nicelt, however the ones started indoor are not doing bad either!

• Heads of all varieties were beginning to form as of early July. 

• Began harvesting some (mainly white and red) in late July. The Walla Walla in the bed seem to be growing the biggest and doing the best.

• All were out and curing by mid August. Best onion harvest I have ever had!

  • TIP: Next year just do Patterson and Walla Walla? Make sure they have a solid 6 inches between them.

Pea

• Direct sow when we are in the 40s consistently at night.

• Really began to take off in late June and early July.

• Started harvesting in late July. Growing fast now.

• Really began getting a lot in the month of August. Harvested them all month. Froze about 1-2 gallons of them. Lovely!

Peony

Sara Bernhardt | Duchess of Nemours | Karl Rosenfield

• Began to pop up in early April. First blooms by late June.

• By early July all were in bloom. One of my best seasons yet, except for the left most Karl Rosenfield peony near the garage door. They only had one bloom.

• Got a new people from Homer in late July and put it into its own pot. Transplanted well. As of late August it was obviously taking to the pot. I think I will keep it in the pot for at least one year.

  • TIP: Try a florida weave using stakes on the sides and twining them up as they grow. Heads got too heavy, fell over and broke. Make sure to prune the unnecessary leaves and shoots at the bottom to help the plant.

Pepper

• Start in late march/early April. Plant into 1 or 2 gallon pots and grow in the greenhouse.

• First blooms began showing up in early July. They seems to like being in the 1 gallon pots most.

• By late July every pot has a pepper on it. Seems the 1 gallon pot are doing the best. Did have one bell pepper fall off from mold. Need to monitor.

• By late August the peppers were doing well, and some had been harvested. I put a heated in the greenhouse to try and help them finish off. If need be, they will come inside and finish under the grow lights.

  • TIP: Next year do them all in the 1 gallon pots. They seemed to really love that! Make sure the fertilize once a month with this method.

Potato

Russet

• Direct sowed on May 12th

• First emerged on May 24th

• Blew up around the begining of JunePut in the ground and had 3 frosts, they did fine. Used store bought russets that began to eye. 

• They came up quickly. and by late June were over 16 inches tall.

• Began to put on flowers by early July. Used string to keep them from encroaching on the other flowers.

• Potatoe berries came about in mid and late July. Bottom leaves are turning a bit yellow, maybe from all the rain.

• In the fourth week of August I harvested the two smaller plants. Got about 6-7 potatoes from each. They ranged in size from a small baking potato with a few smaller ones, about the size of fingerlings. Tasted amazing!!!!

  • TIP: I think I prefer to grow them in the bed. The potatoes were beautiful and healthy, and larger than what I got from the bags in the past.

Poppy

• If starting inside, cold stratify in January, and plant in Mid February. Take a while to get larger.

• By late June they were all blooming except the Blue Poppy and the Oriental Poppy. They are spreading and taking over the rose garden, and I am fine with it!

• Harvested seeds. The oriental poppies I started and the blue poppy have lots of leaves, but no flowers. Maybe flower next year? I need to mark them so I know where they are next year. All the smaller poppies are almost done by last week of July.

Radish

Japenese Wasabi

• Direct sowed on May 17th

• Emerged May 24th

• True leaves by June 1

• Harvested in mid July. Very wasabi style flavor! Did not really like.

Rhubarb

• Came up in mid April.

• Getting very large as of mid June

• Harvested fiercely in early July.

Strawberry

• Doing great in the strawberry planters.

• Flowered in mid June

• Began harvesting first strawberries in early July.

• By late July most of the strawberries were done, except some stragglers and the seascape strawberries I was given. They are amazing! I want more of them next year.

Sunflower

Mammoth Grey Stripe | Lemon Queen | Giant Teddy Bear

• Start indoors around the same time as the pumpkins and corn. Plan to plant out memorial day weekend. Did ok in the frost but it stunted some of them.

• Began to head in early July.

• By late July we have multiple heads open on the Lemon Queen and the Mammoth, however there are still many plants that have yet to open.

• GENERAL RULE:

  • Did well in rose garden and beds. Plant more next year there? Did not like the front Peony Garden area.

Tomato

Sub-Arctic | Polar Beauty | Celebration | Aurora Heirloom | Sputice

• Start indoors end of March/Early April. Plan to plant out memorial day weekend.

• Started indoors on

• Transplanted on May 19

• Used homemade fertilization, blood meal and egg shell when transplanted in bed 3.

• Did really well selling these.

• Started getting big by late June and putting on fruit beginning early July.

• Did a very heavy prune the second week on July.

• By end of July all tomato plants have fruit on them. I am taking all suckers off and fertilizing heavily. Cross fingers of a good harvest by the end of August.

• Still waiting for the tomatoes to ripen as of end of August. They have taken a long time to ripen.

Turnip

Golden

• Direct sowed on May 21st. Came up quickly. 

• First emerged June 1st

• True leaves around June 7th

• Grouped them in sets of 2-3

• By late June they were starting to form bulbs and looked good. Liked being below the thick tomatoes and marigolds.

• Getting very large by the end of July. I should have 3-4 very nice turnips. Depending on taste, I may grow more next year.

• Harvested the first week of September and sadly they ended up being a bust. It got brown and hard on the part that was sitting in the ground. I did cut the bad parts off and they had a good flavor. Not sure what happened, maybe went too long and got woody?

Watermelon

Sugar Baby | Blacktail Mountain

• Start much earlier! Start around end of March and grow in a 1 or 2 gallon pot.

• Have one small fruit on the Sugar baby by July 4th. Black tail is just starting to grow.

• Not great. Nothing much on either plant by late July. Been a bust.

Zucchini

Long White of Palermo | Black Beauty | Costata Romanesco

• Start at the same time of Pumpkins and plan to plant them out around memorial day weekend.

• Harvested first Black Beauty at the end of June, and had multiple Costata Romanesca coming along and harvesting in early July.

• Costata and Black had harvestable fruit all through July, but the white did not get first harvests until late July. However, once it began to put on fruit it didn't stop. Bees like the white flowers more, it seems.

• Costata are big boys! I liketheir flavor and size. However, I like all three. They all have good attributes.