New Stuff To Try for 2020
 

Yesterday I got the seed orders sent in so now we'll see whose seeds get here first. It's an annual guessing game just like whose catalog will get here first. This is just a list of the new things I'm trying in addition to stuff on the regular grow list. New onions to add in the fall. Bell peppers that are supposed to do well here where the heat usually precludes growing bells. More flowers this year to entice pollinators and butterflies. I really enjoyed photographing and ID'ing butterflies this year and watching the populations change over the seasons. And what's spring without a few new toys to play with. :D

Asparagus, Conover's Colossal (seed; plants will be planted out around the property)

Bean, Yard Long (hoping this green one does better than the Red Noodle variety)

Broccoli, Umpqua (still trying to find a good OP broccoli. This one was recommended to me by a few folks here)

Cabbage, Savoy Perfection (been wanting to try a savoy type for a good while)

Coneflower, Purple

Jerusalem Artichoke

Monarda, Lemon Mint (bee balm for pollinators and tea)

Okra, Cajun Jewel (I want to see if this dwarf is similar to the old 'Cajun Delight' which could be started indoors from seed without seedlings getting leggy and useless like regular okras)

Onion, Texas 1015Y Supersweet (hoping this sweet onion does better for me than the Yellow Granex)

Onion, White Creole (supposed to be great for the South)

Pea, Colossus 80 (field pea, very disease resistant and a few extension services said it's also nematode resistant. Will use it in a bed to hopefully starve any nematodes there)

Pepper, Carolina Wonder (supposedly a bell for the South)

Pepper, Charleston Belle (supposedly a bell for the South)

Radish D'Avignon (like French Breakfast only longer)

Roselle, St. Kitts & Nevis (will trial this new one next to the Thai Red I grew this year)

Rudbeckia, Indian Summer

Sunflower, Beach

Sunflower, Sunspot

Tom. Grafting Rootstock RST-04-105 (A new project, thanks to Bill! Supposedly nematode resistant and super disease resistant, wilt included. These will be planted directly into the garden soil, not into containers.)

Zuccheta Rampicante (another toy)

Now it's time to add these to the grow list. Then it will be time to assign start dates to everything and figure out what beds everything will go into. I already know what beds will have which plant families so that's a good start on the process. Good grief... will everything fit? "Make it so, Number One!"

Let Spring begin!

Always good to have a purple cone flower around ,the root is echinacea, it absolutely awesome for curing colds,sore throats ,strep throat etc. Fresh root works better than anything else that I've found, tremendous natural antibiotic.

[QUOTE=GoDawgs;751883]Yesterday I got the seed orders sent in so now we'll see whose seeds get here first. It's an annual guessing game just like whose catalog will get here first. This is just a list of the new things I'm trying in addition to stuff on the regular grow list. New onions to add in the fall. Bell peppers that are supposed to do well here where the heat usually precludes growing bells. More flowers this year to entice pollinators and butterflies. I really enjoyed photographing and ID'ing butterflies this year and watching the populations change over the seasons. And what's spring without a few new toys to play with. :D

Asparagus, Conover's Colossal (seed; plants will be planted out around the property)

Bean, Yard Long (hoping this green one does better than the Red Noodle variety)

Broccoli, Umpqua (still trying to find a good OP broccoli. This one was recommended to me by a few folks here)

Cabbage, Savoy Perfection (been wanting to try a savoy type for a good while)

Coneflower, Purple

Jerusalem Artichoke

Monarda, Lemon Mint (bee balm for pollinators and tea)

Okra, Cajun Jewel (I want to see if this dwarf is similar to the old 'Cajun Delight' which could be started indoors from seed without seedlings getting leggy and useless like regular okras)

Onion, Texas 1015Y Supersweet (hoping this sweet onion does better for me than the Yellow Granex)

Onion, White Creole (supposed to be great for the South)

Pea, Colossus 80 (field pea, very disease resistant and a few extension services said it's also nematode resistant. Will use it in a bed to hopefully starve any nematodes there)

Pepper, Carolina Wonder (supposedly a bell for the South)

Pepper, Charleston Belle (supposedly a bell for the South)

Radish D'Avignon (like French Breakfast only longer)

Roselle, St. Kitts & Nevis (will trial this new one next to the Thai Red I grew this year)

Rudbeckia, Indian Summer

Sunflower, Beach

Sunflower, Sunspot

Tom. Grafting Rootstock RST-04-105 (A new project, thanks to Bill! Supposedly nematode resistant and super disease resistant, wilt included. These will be planted directly into the garden soil, not into containers.)

Zuccheta Rampicante (another toy)

Now it's time to add these to the grow list. Then it will be time to assign start dates to everything and figure out what beds everything will go into. I already know what beds will have which plant families so that's a good start on the process. Good grief... will everything fit? "Make it so, Number One!"

Let Spring begin![/QUOTE]



Asparagus - the best drainage areas are recommended, for a plant that can last a couple of decades.


Bean, Yard Long - Orient Wonder is claimed to be one of the best for various conditions. I have several varieties that do better, for me. Also, I have a 50 DTM "stickless wonder" bush type. I get two crops a year from each plant, up north. I wonder if you could get three?


Radish - If you really want to play, I have seed of Madras and Rattail from a side-by-side planting in 2019, which means that many seeds may be crossed. These varieties are meant to be used as edible podded radishes.


The best of luck, and weather, in 2020.;)

[B][I]Asparagus - the best drainage areas are recommended, for a plant that can last a couple of decades.
[/I][/B]
I wonder if that was why old time farmers planted it on the side of their irrigation ditches here...

[QUOTE=Tormato;751896]Asparagus - the best drainage areas are recommended, for a plant that can last a couple of decades.[/QUOTE]

The current asparagus bed is 18x18 and is 13 years old. It was originally Jersey King and Jersey Knight but has become mixed over time as skips developed and were replaced with others. However the bed wasn't originally planted in an ideal spot as there's a big pecan tree nearby outside the garden and I'm pretty sure roots have invaded. Production has become less and less over the past three years.

I'm just going to play with planting small patches of this Conover's Colossal in lots of places outside the garden..

[QUOTE=Tormato;751896]Bean, Yard Long - Orient Wonder is claimed to be one of the best for various conditions. I have several varieties that do better, for me. Also, I have a 50 DTM "stickless wonder" bush type. I get two crops a year from each plant, up north. I wonder if you could get three?[/QUOTE]

I've grown Red Noodle on and off over the years and while some years are good, others aren't. My dog sure liked them but after he passed a few years ago, I quit growing them. The green Yard Long just happened to be in one of the catalogs I ordered from so I got it on a whim. I *almost* got that huge Snake Bean from Baker Creek! :shock: But all heavy duty trellises ares spoken for this spring. Maybe it'll be a toy for '21.

[QUOTE=GoDawgs;751902]The current asparagus bed is 18x18 and is 13 years old. It was originally Jersey King and Jersey Knight but has become mixed over time as skips developed and were replaced with others. However the bed wasn't originally planted in an ideal spot as there's a big pecan tree nearby outside the garden and I'm pretty sure roots have invaded. Production has become less and less over the past three years.

I'm just going to play with planting small patches of this Conover's Colossal in lots of places outside the garden..



I've grown Red Noodle on and off over the years and while some years are good, others aren't. My dog sure liked them but after he passed a few years ago, I quit growing them. The green Yard Long just happened to be in one of the catalogs I ordered from so I got it on a whim. I *almost* got that huge Snake Bean from Baker Creek! :shock: But all heavy duty trellises ares spoken for this spring. Maybe it'll be a toy for '21.[/QUOTE]



The "stickless wonder" type bush long beans are self supporting (of each other). Baker Creek's Thai Soldier was a mess for me. If you're familiar with (common bean) half-runners that don't twine, that's what I got with Thai Soldier. Short but uncontrollable 4 foot vines, that grew where they wanted to grow, straight out in every direction. Then, after the weight of the growing pods, the vines collapsed to the ground, leaving the pods to mostly rot while sitting on damp soil.

[QUOTE=Tormato;751909]The "stickless wonder" type bush long beans are self supporting (of each other). Baker Creek's Thai Soldier was a mess for me. If you're familiar with (common bean) half-runners that don't twine, that's what I got with Thai Soldier. Short but uncontrollable 4 foot vines, that grew where they wanted to grow, straight out in every direction. Then, after the weight of the growing pods, the vines collapsed to the ground, leaving the pods to mostly rot while sitting on damp soil.[/QUOTE]

I've never tried half runners just because of that sprawling. I need pole beans to be vertical and bush beans behaving in their beds. Vines sprawling between beds would be a mess. Every time I've tried anything that was supposed to be "self-supporting" when other varieties need support, it's resulted in a mess. Some sugar snap peas and some green peas come to mind.... :shock:

Hi. GoDawgs that is a good list. Can you tell me/us where you ordered the Sunflower seeds from. Thanks. Mike

[QUOTE=eyegrotom;751911]Hi. GoDawgs that is a good list. Can you tell me/us where you ordered the Sunflower seeds from. Thanks. Mike[/QUOTE]

Those were ordered from Southern Exposure:

[url]https://www.southernexposure.com/search/?q=Beach%20Sunflower[/url]

[url]https://www.southernexposure.com/search/?q=Sunspot%20Sunflower[/url]

My sister Pickles is the sunflower grower and has been growing real tall ones like the Russian and Gigantus. This year she decided to shorten up the selections a bit. :)

[QUOTE=GoDawgs;751910]I've never tried half runners just because of that sprawling. I need pole beans to be vertical and bush beans behaving in their beds. Vines sprawling between beds would be a mess. Every time I've tried anything that was supposed to be "self-supporting" when other varieties need support, it's resulted in a mess. Some sugar snap peas and some green peas come to mind.... :shock:[/QUOTE]



When the bush long beans are at their peak, I go down the rows and help them a little by draping them over each other. A very good solution for bush beans would be to run T stakes with cordage running off the ends of the Ts to the other Ts, for a double row of support, one long string on each side of the plants down the row.

For a bell I’m trying Bullnose. It is a variety Webcajon grew. I figure if it grows good in Louisiana, it should grow good here.
I do grow California Wonder in Earthboxes, and it does pretty good. Not huge, but decent sized bells.

[QUOTE=Tormato;751915]When the bush long beans are at their peak, I go down the rows and help them a little by draping them over each other. A very good solution for bush beans would be to run T stakes with cordage running off the ends of the Ts to the other Ts, for a double row of support, one long string on each side of the plants down the row.[/QUOTE]

At least I'm fortunate in that the bush beans do behave themselves. :lol: They all usually stand up pretty good for me. In spring I usually grow 36' of Duke (which is usually a bean machine), Golden Rod (just 18' for use in canning three bean salad) and then 18' of something new to try. This fall I grew 36' of Contender in one bed for a fast finish and 18' each of Jade and Strike in another bed.

The problem this fall was that due to the heat I got them in a bit too late and the cold finished them before they finished making. This fall they'll go in earlier and I plan to use that wet newspaper cover trick and shade cloth to keep the soil from being too hot for germination.

Dawg I have never seen a white Creole onion but grow the Red Creole every year with good results. The Texas Sweet 1015 is a great onion that I try to grow every year and a surprisingly good keeper for a sweet onion. You might want to try two others that do very well for me and they are White Bermuda (Crystal Wax) and Red Burgundy which is a very dependable large red onion. I usually start my seed in pots filled with DE (for ease of separating the onions at planting time) in mid October and set them out whenever they look ready. Sometimes that is in December but usually January. I like to clip the tops a week before setting them out and fertilize them well then let the DE dry out some before getting them out and separating them.

I grew both the bells you are trying and they did well but they both make fairly small fruits; but they did last right up til a freeze and they did fine during the heat of late summer when many other varieties start fading. If you can find any Playmaker or Turnpike hybrid peppers I have had really good luck with them the last two years and they produce some of the largest bells I have ever grown.

Bill

GoDawgs have you grown Jerusalem Artichoke before? If not be sure to put them in a spot where you don’t mind them spreading and becoming permanent. Once they take we find it impossible to remove them completely if one desired to. I personally find them to be invasive as they have spread underground and are taking over sections of my perennial beds even despite attempts to remove the new ones each year. They are gorgeous when they bloom their masses of yellow small sunflower like flowers but plan on having them forever! Years ago a neighbor dug “all” of hers out so she thought! It has become a joke between us as her “removed” bed has again become a huge mass of flowers each year!

[QUOTE=Gardadore;751932]GoDawgs have you grown Jerusalem Artichoke before? If not be sure to put them in a spot where you don’t mind them spreading and becoming permanent. Once they take we find it impossible to remove them completely if one desired to. [/QUOTE]

No, I have not grown them before but have read all kinds of stories about their "persistence". :shock: I do want them permanently and am going to put them in a raised bed. Do you think they'll spread out under the side boards? If so, do you think burying some metal sheeting along the bed edges help prevent that? Kind of like what one does to prevent critters from digging under fences.

I guess I can deal with some spreading if I can keep it down to a dull roar!

Funny about your neighbor's artichokes! :lol: