Review ('08) Not So Successful Plantings

Most of the garden did well. Only a few crops let us down. Broccoli, Jerusalem artichokes, peas potatoes, mint and hyacinth beans did not do as well as expected. The mint was mentioned in a previous post, here are the other unsuccessful plants.

Broccoli (about 8 plants) Steve, who gave me many plant things, also gave me these cute, little starts. I put them in a spot in the garden that is partially shaded by some rogue trees, and they did beautifully, growing huge and leafy. Unfortunately, they never made crowns. Steve's home plants never produced either. He suspects we planted them too late.

Jerusalem Artichokes (about 12 bulbs) From Steve. I've grown these before, and when I thought I'd like to grow something else in the spot, it was impossible to get rid of them. They are so incredibly hardy. That's why I was stunned when I saw how poorly they did against the fence (I was hoping they'd form a screen to block the view of the neighbors). My best guess is either the spot does not receive enough sun, or the walnut tree is too close and it is one of those plants that doesn't care for the walnut juju.

Peas (about 6 vines) Heirloom seeds. They did alright for a while. I think we got 3 or 4 pods. For some reason, they turned yellow and died, just like that. We still don't know why, although possible guesses are too much heat, soil needed care, or maybe the stormwater that rushed by it. We will try again, both in this location and another.

Potatoes (8 plants) Some time in May, some of our potatoes (meant for eating) sprouted, so we planted them in an impromptu bed. They struggled and produced only a few potatoes, probably because they were in the ground so late. The potatoes were okay, but very small.

Carrots (8 plants) When I was a kid, we sprouted the tops cut off of carrots and grew them in water. I think it was a science project. Since I was planting a garden and had some space, I thought I'd try carrots again, using this method I learned in 5th grade. It worked, and these lovely fern-like fronds filled the edge of the lettuce bed. When the time came to harvest these, though, all that existed underground were the tops looking about the way they did when they went in the ground.

Hyacinth Bean (8 plants) Heirloom seeds. The idea was to shield the south side of the house with trellises full of some blooming vine, so we planted hyacinth bean. In the pictures, they look like beautiful orchids, and the beans are edible. They sprouted, but never grew much. I have a feeling rabbits ate them, although it didn't help that I neglected to prepare the soil in their location. By the way, the trellises were pretty hideous contraptions we made by hand. Our neighbors, though, never complained.