This is my second year.
Bush beans I won't do again. Came on strong but fizzled quick. Unimpressed
Pole beans will do again. Japanese Beetles can eat a D, but SEVIN kept them at bay and now producing decently.
Carrots may do again. Totally disease free plants, easy to grow (once get started as they are planted shallow) but they take up a ton of room so probably won't bother
Peppers, fvck them to hell. I had two nice pepper plants grew nice peppers, I picked them three weeks back and these piece of crap are just growing as a house plant now in the backyard, no flowers in sight.
Cucumbers I like but they get diseased sooo fast, some others I know have the same problem. I have three varities. Marketmore76 seems a bit healthier than Straight 8 but the foliage is still going to pot. Next year may fungicide half of them to see if it helps. Marketmore76 taste the best anyway. I eat at least one cucumber a day like a banana.
Cherry tomatoes of course do again. Plants are covered in septoria but are still growing new foliage and my yields are tremendous.
Big Boy Tomato plant will do again, other than carrots its my only duress-free plant (save some curling of leaves upward, seems common with big boy but plant still doing fine)
I have five cherry tomato plants (although one appears to be roma or something--small egg-shaped tomatoes that are maturing as yellow, no idea what it is?) and it's producing a ton of them.
Was amazed how quickly the cukes and tomatoes outgrew the cages. I was pretty diligent early on but then they got totally out of control, so a high cage is best. Most of my vines/leaves are off the ground though because I did quite a bit of tying off and later on bought some bamboo to assist.
If I am looking at the seasonal map for Sydney correctly? I would not give up on the peppers just yet. Depending on the type of peppers you may just be getting into the good producing time. I planted Jalapeños and Red Bells the 1st of spring here (April 1st) the Jalapeños were in full sun the Bells were shaded by tomato plants. The Jalapeños did OK until the really hot weather hit. Now I can pick a 15-20 thumb size every other day off of 3 plants. After I pulled the tomato plants 3 weeks ago the bells started up and there are about 2 dozen showing with 6-8 3 inches across. Up until now I had only gotten 8-10 all season.
Seems to me peppers like long hot spells.
I just put out bush beans for the fall. (crossing fingers)
I pulled up the cucumbers 6 weeks ago. Ate all we wanted and still managed to pickle 30 qts. from 5 plants.
Tomatoes: This has been a good year for us. Gave some away, ate fresh every day lunch and diner for 6 weeks (my parents ate tomato sandwiches for lunch 4 days a week) and still got 20 qts in the freezer. Have pulled some up and replanted 4 Big Boy's so far and will pull the rest next fri. except for the grape tomato. The way it is going I may need a chainsaw to kill it!
I planted (most) in 5 or 55 gallon home made self-watering containers.
3 peppers or 5 cucumbers or 2 tomatoes or 3 squash to each 55 size.
1 tomato to a 5 gallon size.
I will NOT do any more 5 gallon size. I am going to make some more 55 gallon this winter for next spring.
Out of 14 tomato plants 10 in raised beds and 4 in self-watering containers OVER half the tomatoes came from the 4 in the self-watering containers and they tasted as good or better and were larger and juicier.
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