My husband hates that I watch gardening UA-cam videos… and then he heard you say “I’m not growing kale…” my husband yelled out at the top of his lungs, “YEAH!!! I LIKE this guy! Now THAT’S what I’m talking about!” 😂 Good job Gardener Scott. We won one over.
I appreciate the honesty in this video, ie "I'm not growing it because I'm bored with it". That's reality. Garden space and time is precious and it's important to make the most of it by not growing things that don't make the gardener happy.
I’m growing holleyhocks too! I’ve gotten good at gardening & because of that I’m getting bored with gardening… not gonna stop as I grow for food, but I’m growing 10+ different types of flowers this year. My 1st year for flowers. Gotta mix it up now then eh?!
My garden has all but failed, the last 2 years. This year, I am doing about the same as you- focus planting. I spend a lot of money on tomato products. So, tomatoes is the main focus. My Pappy was a monocrop-gardener. He would grow something and have one big harvest, plow it in the plant something else. I have 3 rotations planned for this year. Tomatoes, with green beans tossed into the empty spots. Black eyed peas and corn over the summer. They don't need much tending and will grow during the hot time of the year. I'm taking advantage of those conditions.
We decided to really "rein in" our seed stash/buying habits. I made a spreadsheet that has the varieties, important growing information, and information on what seed company and year the seeds were purchased. We were amazed to find we still have a number of seeds from 2012-2018. We have a fairly small garden, so definitely have limited space in raised beds. We decided for most of the old seeds, we would attempt to sprout them and if they germinate, we'll plant them in pots and move them to the garden when the temperatures are appropriate. Because we have so many varieties, we chose not to buy as many seeds for this growing season so we might have enough room for the "old seeds" to grow. Because we are not well-established gardeners, we are trying to differentiate between what sounds good/fun/intersting to grow and what will grow best in our area and be enjoyed by our family. And so for this year, we have a handful of "staple crops" we will grow and the rest of the garden will be (hopefully) filled with a few of each different thing that sprouts to see how they do in our area.
I am not growing 30 tomato plants, almost cutting in 1/2 to 16 plants, and not all the same ones. Going to mix it up a bit, cut down, and completely eliminate some varieties all together. I cannot say there are plants I'm not growing, but I am not growing as many of the same type of plant. Really trying to focus on different flowers to add to my beds as well. Marigolds are fine, but, I just want more of a diversity. Stay Well!!!
Gardner Scott Green tomato work for salsa Verde. Ball has a great recipe turned out awesome. FYI you can donate any leftover produce to food bank. Even if you sick of it there is always a place in need. Radish is a great snack for diabetic. They take hunger away and don't impact sugar. I wouldn't ever cut a Radish
Bell peppers will not be grown this year. I've struggled for 3 years to get a decent crop. Also, going to limit myself to a single "cherry" tomato variety. No more thin skinned heirloom tomatoes. Cilantro is pointless because it bolts before I can use it and we don't utilize coriander seeds. However, I will be doubling on Roma's, potatoes, onions and winter squashes. I'm sure I'll find something new to try, as well.
This was a good and honest video! Grow what you EAT and eat what you grow! Make sure to 'perfect' growing what you actually eat and if your a 'Market' farmer... what you can actually sell! I didn't know 'radishes' were EMPTY calories! I stopped eating 'Iceberg Lettuce' YEARS ago because of this! Like him, if radishes are in my salad, FINE and if not FINE! Many Homesteaders grow stuff because SOMEONE ELSE IS GROWING IT. Pay attention to YOUR space, YOUR finances & YOUR family's needs! Be blessed!
Hi, Scott. I had to make similar assessments for 2023. Lots of garlic, onions, tomatoes, and peppers. Moderate amounts of peas, beans, carrots and corn. Minimal amounts of radish and cabbage. Nope... not growing kale, turnip, parsnip, chard, kohlrabi, or rutabaga. I’m the only one who likes them and there was so much in 2022 that most of it was given away. Deciding NOT to grow something felt rather strange! Glad you addressed this. Thank you. Best wishes from Kate in Olympia, WA
Tomatillos will do better when La Niña is gone. Mine were terrible last year too, here in Seattle. El Niño years are the best but I once had a bumper crop during an average Seattle Summer. Our days are long. Also. Steamed or sautéd kale, yum.
It isnt what I am not growing, it is what i am going to start to grow this year for me. I'm going to attempt to get an early crop of turnips and succession sow lettuce. Not sure if it will be needed since it is a buttercrunch variety, but trying to time out certain things on my side here to see what I will want next year. I want to get decent cucumbers however I haven't had good success with them in the past. Hopefully a trellis and extra water and care will help with that, but I like cucumbers and I want them to do well here. On the other hand I'll be doing extra herbs to see what I will end up using vs what might end being a waste of time/space. You really only need so much basil or parsley, but the more I have the more I end up using. My buddy also wanted banana peppers so I have a few starting now (which is probably too early here in Pennsylvania), but I got a little too excited. However videos like these show that overtime what you though you wanted or however many plants you thought you wanted, might just not be correct. Put your time and energy into the things that you and or your family/friends will enjoy.
I live in the Nebraska Panhandle. Zone 5a. I'm not growing kale, broccoli or brussel sprouts. Increasing my pole beans. I grew honeynut squash last year, which is a miniature butternut squash. It has a shorter maturity time than regular butternut. Very sweet. Increasing carrot production and parsnips. Will be growing potatoes. Peppers and tomatoes. Reducing cabbage to just a couple this year. I'm out of almost everything I grew last year.
I picked up some Honeynuts at the farmers market in the fall to use in my root cellar test, and they are the best! I'm growing (probably too many of them) this year. I have a great recipe for Honeynut squash soup that I could eat every day.
The reason I have grown eggplant in the past is because I absolutely love eating Baba ghanoush. If you grow it again, consider making it. It has a wonderful smokey flavor and is delicious with pita bread.
I am not growing as many peppers this year. I love peppers, but I think I'm becoming bored. I will have to figure which ones are my faves & just grow those. I love eggplant when my friend cooks it, but I don't know how to cook it, so that stays off my list. I'm going back to bush beans this year. Bought some sugar daddy peas today to grow early before I plant summer plant here in OH. You are correct - sometimes we just need to figure out what we don't want any more & try to find new veggies to grow.
I've got a different thing I've been trying. I've learned that several crops I enjoy eating will grow in the colder months in my (warm) climate, so I've been starting a year-round garden. I will have to take a two week break in the summer b/c it's simply too hot, but other than that, my ground never freezes. My potatoes are loving it, I'm eating fresh turnips for supper tonight, and my onions have never looked better. I was a little late on planting my cabbage, so that will likely bolt before I can eat anything, but now I know to plant that in November,
Regarding Tomatillos: I usually have three in my garden. I made two cages out of field fence. I plant one plant in the middle of each of the two cages and space it out so that the third plant is in between the two cages. When I put my plants in, I will put in a bamboo stake right beside it. As it grows, I tie it to the stake. They get about five feet tall or more. Those three plants will completely fill out those cages. It keeps them all up off the ground and tidy. I started out with the Rio Grande Tomatillo from Baker Creek Seeds. After a couple of years saving seed they are acclimated to my area. Three plants produce more than enough for my household. *Edit* The cages are three feet in diameter.
🌺I grow only what our family eats. Growing lots of onions, garlic and potatoes. My beds are full too, working on containers Smart Pot and buckets. I’m not growing tomatillos Thank you for your video
We live in an area next to a lot of brassica fields, and because we are organic, all of the pests head to our house, so aside from some kale, there is no point. We may do potatoes in containers this year
If you grew tomatillos last year... you will be growing them this year. They are my favorite "weed" its more work to get rid of them then let them grow. TIE them up like tomatoes. And watch the ones closest ones to the base. If you pick those before they go to seed they will keep blooming and making more fruit. If you thin them you will get bigger ones. But even dozens of small roasted tomatillos are the best compliment to all those peppers and chillies on every salsa and sauce. Moving the leafy veggies to grow bags or a make shift hydriponic gives you plenty of that kind of vegi and not take precious bed space. I get not devoting a bed to Turnips. But they can just be interspersed and having a couple dozen for those roasted dinners are so worth it. Add a couple to the carrots bed or reddish area. Scott you have shared so many great things with me. I hope you don't mind me sharing back.thanks for being there!
I was trying to grow the purple tomatillos last year and they bushed out like crazy but had really tiny fruits with a disappointing flavor on them. I sure hope you are wrong about them popping up by themselves, however, if they do, I'll follow your advice to thin them. If they seed themselves like Aunt Molly's groundcherries, I'm doomed 🤔🤣🤣🤣
I hade radishes as a "oh there is a little gap in the bed let me put three seeds in" kind of crop. Since I live even further north then Scott ist the perfect addition since the season is so long in the spring and fall and they grow so silly fast.
Yes, I’m growing a lot of sweet peppers, large tomatoes, and onions this year, no potatoes. Lots of greens and berries and fruit. Our diet has changed. On the rare occasion we want red potatoes I’ll just buy a bag. Space is limited so focusing on what we eat often and what’s become so expensive at stores, like berries.
We are only growing winter squash that are bush varieties or that can be easily vertically trellised and that produce well. The vines just took up too much space…
With garden space being limited, I only grow either my favorite vegetables, or the vegetables that I can't find in a local farmer's market. For example, my favorite types of heirloom tomatoes, or sun gold tomatoes, which surprisingly are not available where I live. Datil peppers are another good example -- they are impossible to find outside St Augustine, FL, and I had a gardener from FL sending me seeds by mail, so I grow them now. Makes no sense to grow potatoes when they are abundantly available from local farmers for very low cost too, any kind I like.
I'm not trying to grow zucchini this year because I'm tired of fighting the squash vine borer. I tried everything last year to keep them away and nothing worked. It's cheaper and ultimately less stress to just buy them from the store and freeze for winter use. Same goes for carrots and peas. Saving the room for those thing I know grow well in my garden as space is limited.
I'm trying a parthenocarpic zucchini this year- basically it's a self-pollinating variety. So I can keep it covered completely and it can give me the bountiful harvest that have so far been mythical for me.
I'm not growing a bunch of tomato varieties this year. Almost all my tomatoes end up in sauces each year except cherry tomatoes that my kids sometimes snack on. So I'm only growing paste tomatoes and a few cherry tomatoes this year.
This year I'm not growing yellow squash or zucchini. They are favorites in my family but were very stressful to grow last year. I got burned out from dealing with insect problems in general and they had many issues. I'm going to aim at growing more plants that have less maintenance issues and more success.
I'm not growing tomatillos. I love how easy and prolific they are but I only have 2 recipes for them and internet has not given me other ideas so I'm getting bored. I still have 1 or 2 containers of them in the freezer. I'm looking forward to using that space for pole beans!
GS, another great video! Years ago, I realized in my area, Cauliflower and broccoli were not worth growing as opposed to buying in the store. Other plants I could grow, I didn't eat enough of to use garden space or tend to. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should!
I concur with skipping the eggplant There's a whole story behind why I don't eat eggplant - suffice it to say don't feed your young children eggplant every day for like six weeks... I'm not growing potatoes this year. My trap crops this year are nasturtiums, radishes, edamame/soybeans, and blue hubbard squash, along with the standard marigolds and such. I'll be very interested to see how your delicatas turn out. My experiment for this year is The Great Winter Squash Taste Test of 2023 with 8 (!) varieties of winter squash, including 2 varieties of delicata. Which is only slightly more restrained than The Great Summer Squash Taste Test of 2019 where I grew 13 (!!) varieties - which was too much squash, even for me. I'm down to 8 summer varieties these days, and several of those are heavy producers so I can take a bag or two of fresh produce to the food pantry every week.
I gave up on winter squash this year. My growing season just isn't long enough and we really don't use enough to justify the space needed to grow them. I'm also not growing turnips. I love them and am happy to use them, but I just don't have the space to make them worthwhile. Instead, I'm going to concentrate on the things I can grow enough of to last a year
I don't have a lot of garden space, so I do have to be selective. This year I'm not growing sweet potatoes. I've grown them the last 2 years, but last year wasn't as good and I'm the main one that likes them. I'm going to try and grow regular potatoes this year. Like you, I'm growing more garlic than last year. Last year was my first time growing it and I only grew about 8. This year I've planted around 60, so that whole garden bed I won't be able to plant anything until the garlic can be harvested. I won't be growing zucchini this year because I still have plenty in my freezer, canned and dehydrated. I'm actually thinking about not growing green beans this year because I need room for carrots because I haven't grown them for 2 years. I'm planning on growing celery for the first time this year. I've already started the seeds.
I've done the same thing. I've decided to dedicate more space to tomatoes and peppers, and I still have carrots, onions and garlic taking up valuable real-estate so I may have to leave corn out this year. Or at least wait until later on in the summer.
Eating Radishes roasted and/or pan seared has completely changed the radish game for me, raw radish is meh but roasted radish is delicious. This year I've looked for larger varieties of radish simply because of my new found love of them. I've never grown eggplant because I don't know if I like it or not so this is a an experiment year for me I'm growing things I don't normally grow to find out if I can find ways to enjoy them, it could be a big fail but I'm excited to give it a go 😁
Did you know that if you let the radishes go to seed, you can eat the seed pods? I just found out recently, so I can't vouch for the flavor, but they are supposedly milder than the actual radish, but still spicy, with the texture of a pea pod. I'm excited to try them this year.
. yes!! I tried that this last summer. The radish pods were amazing! At least, I thought so. They were very profuse too, which is great since my radish growing is found wanting. I love radishes, so go figure I'm the only one I know can't grow them😅
@@rossmcguinn2256 Those seed pods are absolutely delicious! You can also eat the flowers before they go to seed! I like to add them to salads or use them as fancy garnish on my deviled eggs.
@@rossmcguinn2256you described it perfectly. Some species will also have a ever so slight sweetness earlier in the season. Radish was the first vegetable I started growing, so I had a lot of them that I let go to seed. At least in my experience, the sakurajima, and white karaine radishes I grew had massive amounts of leaves and pods. The karaine will stay alive in the ground for a long time and possibly threw the winter with a little cover in extreme weather. Very hardy variety, also very hot.
Yes this year I'm back to basics: lots more tomato's and tomatillos for canning, okra which I love to eat and can, sweet potato's for the first time, a lot more cucumbers and trying squash again since last year it didn't do well. Corn and poll beans and a lot of flowers. Last year I grew more of a variety but some of it just wasn't worth it. I couldn't grow a good watermelon, decided it was easier to buy on if I want one, bell peppers took forever and I only got a few. Grew so many jalapenos and other peppers that I still have a ton canned and frozen. I'm sticking to stuff we actually eat, stuff that is easier to grow than buy. Who knows what 2023 will bring economically (wont be good I'm sure) so I'm stocking up on basics this year.
Cucumbers, radish and sugar snap peas. I had a bumper crop of cucumbers last year and plenty of pickles for a few years. I might have one plant for fresh eating. The peas because of timing. The weather looks like it will be much warmer in the spring, making it too hot for them. I usually rotate crops, meaning that I may grow corn one year, then the following year it maybe okra. There are a few crops I grow every year, such as bell peppers, tomatoes and blackeyed peas. I am a seasoned gardener and this is such good advice and examples why or why not on what to grow. Thanks Gardener Scott!
This is the year I figure out what i don't want to grow. Over 60 varieties started from brassicas to herbs and peppers, berries and salad greens. Summer crops rotating in over the next 8 weeks, adding another couple dozen varieties. And then flowers! Some annuals and some perennials, some that won't flower until at least next year
I live in Wisconsin. I dig up chard plants in the late fall and transplant into 5 gallon buckets with drainage holes. Place in a cold room in my house, south facing. I can eat chard all winter when I have few other options for greens. I also bring in my Lavender, Parsley, and chives. I have in the past transplanted chard starts directly into self wicking buckets, but that was before I moved and now have roving racoons who enjoy digging in the buckets.
If you grow potatoes next year, grow as many as you can save some to the year after that and you won't have to buy seed potatoes again like ever. You can save the green ones that you would discard and use as seed potatoes as well. we grew about 70 kilos last year since potatoes is a staple here in Sweden. Have a good growing season!
After doing potatoes for the first time last year, I have so many starts waiting to go in. I did the 5 gallon bucket way of growing which I loved. It was so easy to harvest.
I'm not growing yellow squash this year either. My readonis that I want to try butternut squash again. I tried growing it two years ago, but it didn't do well. I want to try again before I give up on it.
I'll try growing eggplant this year, because I dream of making a moussaka from my self grown eggplants❤ They are expensive to buy so I think eggplant is an awesome crop for a gardener... But I think it's very important to only grow whatever your family will be eating! I should really be having chickens because I consume 21 eggs each week, but having chickens is not an option where I live🤔 That would seriously be a good thing because organic eggs are quite expensive.
We don’t grow zucchini, because vine borers and squash bug. Also it is abundant at the farmers market. We never grow corn. We grew tomatillos for the first time and loved them and we can not buy them at the farmers market.
Nice video. I go through this every year because I only have a 12’ x 32’ space plus one raised bed. I try stuff, some of it works, some not. Every year is different.
We like broccoli and I will grow it in the spring and fall but won't grow it through the summer. The summer crop does half as well as the spring and fall. I will do a cover crop of buckwheat in the summer instead. I will probably skip butternut squash this year and just grow acorn squash.
I won't grow corn, even the native varieties we have available in Arizona. I grew it last year and the plants were beautiful BUT there were so many worms on the ears, I didn't even get to try one. Never again. I also am too late to grow any cool season crops like spinach and lettuce. This year I am curbing my enthusiasm and growing zucchini, peppers, Roma and Amish paste tomatoes, bush beans, and maybe lemon cucumbers. I am growing what was successful. I also am waiting to put plants in the ground for as long as possible so the plants benefit from the July monsoons we have here. I've learned hard lessons in the heat of June!
Great video! I stopped growing salads, instead I found nz spinach..great crop, tasty, easy to use and store. Radish...no! I don't get them to taste other than bitter...so...off with them! I try to grow things that will give a lot of food that also store well. We are going to need that! Squash, potatoes, peas, beets, herbs and tomatoes...lots of them! Greetings from Sweden🇸🇪
This was so encouraging to me, because I decided this year to focus on tomatoes in the garden, and peppers in my Greenstalk. I decided to eliminate squash, corn, and melons this year because I want to concentrate on what I eat the most and really become more of an 'expert' on growing those!
Good common-sense wisdom #GardenerScott. Honestly, last year I had so many things NOT line up that I chose to NOT even plant a garden. Surprisingly, I found it was not that hard of a choice. Which kind of scared me. Was I losing interest? Have I fallen out of love with gardening? Nah... you know what? Yes, I missed it. But I survived. It turns out I just needed to give myself a break. And this year I am more enthusiastic about planning and planting than I have been in years!! 😊
You seem to be so cold in this video... The wind is "up" and the dog wants to play, but you have the fortitude to release a great video about garden plant selection... Thank you!
I grew way too many beans last year, enough to last until summer. So, I am not growing any bush beans this year. Mizuna didn't grow good from me, so I am excluding it too. I had too much lettuce last year, so I am reducing the amount I grew by 70 percent. Beetroot is on its last chance. If it don't get a decent harvest this time, I will be excluding it. This year I am growing a lot more peppers, tomatoes, and squash. l am growing radishes, potatoes, carrots, turnips, Seascape Strawberries, Yod Fah, Komatsuna, Tatsoi, Chijimisai, Swiss Chard, New Zealand Spinach, peas, cucumbers, pole beans, garlic, Tokyo Bekana Mustard, Japanese Giant Red Mustard, Russian Kale, (Every plant survived the winter storms), oregano, basil, mint, sweet marjoram, mint, marigolds, dwarf zinnias, Shasta Daisies, and more. My backyard is my personal produce store. The only vegetable I have to purchase is corn. Do I really need it? No, it is one that I can do without. I have lot of variety in my garden to choose from. I just added a 10x12 greenhouse and three 2x8 raised beds to my garden. I'll have to see if 8 raised beds, two GreenStalk towers, and 26 grow bags meet my needs. If not, I have room for one more 4x8 raised bed. I am growing for two people, Alabama zone 7B. This year's goal is to keep a portion of my garden producing year round.
@@deeannharoldsen2705 I'm in Talladega Alabama. Most of the mustard greens are eaten in salad or stir fry. I only let a few plants go to seed as needed to replenish my seed stock, or for spice used in pickling.
Corn. Last year I don't think I planted them close enough together or planted enough stalks. I had maybe 4 make it to maturity without being eaten by bugs. They felt like a waste of resources at the end of the season. I'd rather put something else in that space this year.
I'm not growing Blue Banana squash -- I've tried it in a few different locations and it just fails to thrive. I'm also splitting up my growing between the allotment and the back garden, and growing more of the herbs and leaves in the back garden. I've jettisoned some of the tomato varieties, too: last year I trialled 14 different blight-resistant ones, with a view to discarding the ones that didn't perform well or tasted like cardboard.
Although I have plenty of space in my garden I won't be growing melons this year either. Here in So Cal water is just too expensive and frankly my results have been spotty. My best success has been with cantaloupes, however it takes a lot of time and effort to protect them from the racoons and possums. I have had great success with tomatillos, however I'm not planting them this year and will use the space to plant more tomatoes.
Watermelon & corn, I just do not have the room... I started some tomatoes in doors & I would like some peppers outside soon. No potatoes this time... I need to move or remove the roses in the back for the garden to improve. I am still growing some lemon trees from seed - in pots still - 2nd year now, I have lost maybe 4 of them, I still have many :-) 3 grapefruit too. But only 3 struggling plants... I was thinking of having tomatoes & peppers grow up the Pomegranite tree, thought that would look nice :-) I did plant some Bok Choi to see if I could grow it here... wife was not too happy about that is she can buy it locally at a low cost. I still planted it :-)
I will be growing potatoes, but I will not be growing nearly as many this year for two reasons. First, they take up a lot of space and second, I had a bumper crop last year but being a diabetic I could not consume enough of them and ended up giving most of them away. I canned some but still had way more than one person can use. That space would be better used for growing more green and wax beans.
Ha, great observations and some great comments in the chat already as well. I have a very short season here in New Mexico and only ever plant ONE eggplant, if that, in a large pot with other herbs and flowers ~ more as an ornamental because I think the plant itself is pretty and it brings a little diversity. But if I actually get any eggplants out of it, those usually get added to the compost (they're often small and not all that edible, even if I were inclined to do something with them). Last year we had such a windy, dry spring that a lot of people skipped planting anything. This year, we're getting much more snow to saturate the ground, which is awesome. But who knows how the weather will evolve during the next few months...? For sure, I won't be planting anything too delicate or needy, lol. I can generally count on my walking onions, tomatoes, peppers, sunflowers, perennial herbs... we'll see how it goes. Thanks for sharing your perspectives!
Last year I grew shell beans. This year I'm not. Now I at least know how they do in my area, but I will be buying them from the store for now. Grew a massive amount of potatoes last year. I canned and dried 200# of potatoes, at minimum and still have some to do! I will still plant the ones I chit, but much less. Tomatillo's are usually a good crop for me and my family loves salsa verde and green enchilada sauce but they were a failure last year so I will try again this year in a different spot. Sweet potatoes were a first for me last year (Z5a) and took up a lot of space for minimal return so they're a no this year. Corn did well last year but I need the space for other things this year. Giving peas one more chance, or they will be removed from my list. They struggle and die out here for me. I will be planting a lot of turnips and zucchini this year. Not for us - our cows, pigs, chickens and rabbits love them. Will also expand the amount of butternut squash and sunflowers for the same reason. I tried candy roaster squash last year. Neither they nor I were overly impressed so it will not be taking up room this year. I will try again with melons. My brother has promised to share his secrets to growing them and, if I strike out, he will begrudgingly part with one of his.
I feel you scott. Some things even though they grow well, they grow so well that your taste buds get tired of it. I find it important to be flexible. Try new things. Gardening is and will always be “trial and error”. Different crops will grow better in different parts of your garden. Some places have better lighting,drainage, airflow, etc. Sometimes it gets frustrating and that leads to growing less of a certain variety. All in all, gardening is a passion. You have to love it just like any other interest. But also, I feel that gardening should be common knowledge that every human should withhold. So important…..👍🏼🤙🏼🙏🏼
Like you i continue to grow a lot of peppers and tomatoes but have recently added to the mix swiss chard, bok choi, kolrabi and yellow and green beans and a new sleeper favorite.brussell sprouts. Cabbage is cheap to buy, was too hard to keep bug free, and Kale got tiresome. I don't grow onions but DO plant a lot of Leeks. Have a great season!
Best gardening video I've seen a in a long time! Ever heard of farmers getting paid by the government to not farm? How about gardening by not growing typical garden veggies? Love it!
This year, I've replaced growing salad radishes with daikon and Korean radishes. We eat a lot of varieties of kimchi in my family so electing not to grow both salad radishes and the daikon/Korean, and go for the bigger ones makes more sense. The family really prefers the milder radishes anyway, and they grow really well here (NC, zone 7b)
As for the bolting broccoli, you can actually eat it still. I think about everything can be eaten from these plants and similar family plants like cauliflowers. Plus, remember you can seed save over and over to try to get strains that might fare better as the seasons and years goes on.
That’s a great point for a beginner gardener like me! I’m trying broccoli from seed for the first time this year, but I also live in CO & it gets hot here fast. Crossing my fingers!!
@@GaryHughes That is not necessarily true, diversity can still likely happens but I will agree that if you can is to of course mix up your seed collections. From early, middle and late bolting plants not just one or the other.
I'm growing almost everything you're not growing 😄 I didn't grow kale last year and probably won't grow it this year unless I have extra space late in the season just because I'm not crazy about it. I enjoy spinach and swiss chard much more. I haven't grown melons in a long time because they never came out too good and never tried winter squash because I'm afraid it may be too sweet for me. I'm trying sweet potatoes for the first time and just ordered two shortcake raspberry plants I'm going to grow in 10 gal grow bags so I'm trying a few new things. Good luck. Hope your snow melts early.
Mr Scott. I'll be tired of okra. I actually have 8 plants from 12 seeds planted growing now. I'm fearing a very long hot summer. Also all of a 10 seed free packet of cucumbers.
I had limited success with tomatillos as well. It took very long and by the time it was ready to produce, the cold set in. The drought last year was intense.
This year I'm asking myself those same questions as far as what to, or not to grow. I'm considering the local farmers' markets and what they usually sell. There's also an Amish market within 20 miles. I can take advantage of all of them and their fresh produce. My daughter will be growing some things I won't, and I'll be growing some things she won't. We'll be sharing. Another question for me is how much I want to process and/or have room to store for this next winter.
Brassicas are always something I struggled with in my garden as well. Have you tried kohlrabi? It's a great early and late season crop that will do all the work broccoli does as a food, except I like the flavor quite a bit more. Since you eat the bulbous stem rather than florets, there's a lot more leeway regarding when to harvest, and there seems to be quite a bit less temperature sensitivity. I successfully grew kohlrabi through some seasons that triggered early bolting in a lot of my crops. We found that the leaves can be eaten similarly to kale, allowing us to use more of the plant. The leaves are tough, and only the very youngest can be eaten raw. This same toughness of the leaves reduces some of the pest pressure I usually see on cole crop, though, and since my family loves to eat saag, we don't mind an extra cooking step. Some cultivars have woodier stems than others, so it may take some trial and error before you find the kohlrabi that's right for you. The woodier ones can simply be harvested smaller, which allows you to space them closer together and take more harvests. I found I was able to grow using my preferred method without supplemental fertilization- just a 2-3" layer of compost mulch every spring the way I like to make all my other beds.
For years almost every inch of my space was dedicated to the _'Giant Papaver Somniferum'._ The huge purple flowers were nice to look at, but with my bad back, it wasn't the reason I grew them. After finding an understanding and kind doctor, I shifted to things I buy the most. Tomatoes, garlic, green onions and snap sugar peas. This year will be more of the same, except I've already planted half my tomato garden with garlic (adding the 'elephant' variety). I'm also going to try some sweet potatoes. I've been nurturing a slip in a glass of water that I grew very late last year. I kind of miss the opium poppies, but there was always the worry of feds breaking down my door.
Last year I grew too many plants of one type. Realized I had too much and scaled down to one or two plants instead. Gives me the chance to experiment this year with the limited space I have.
I love radishes and have containers on my deck railing gutter grow system. Only other things I grow on the railing system are celery and strawberries. Never grow kale and broccoli is my favorite thing to eat besides pepperoni pizza and peanut butter (not together). Love zucchini, hate summer squash. Try new stuff, get rid of stuff that doesn't work.
Great video! I live in a climate where we garden year round. Next cool season, I won't be growing radishes because we don't eat enough of them or mustard greens because I learned that I don't like the taste. I'm also not going to grow broccoli because it always seems to bolt. This summer, I'm going to grow more determinate tomatoes because it's too hot here for the indeterminate varieties to survive the summer.
I live in a hot climate in South Florida. I can't grow broccoli, spinach, or many greens because they bolt. We can grow collards and kale does pretty well. If you want a heat loving indeterminate tomato which if unchecked will take over your entire property, look to the everglades. They are marble sized and love heat. ohhhhhhh, the flavor! But you gotta trellis them because they will get vines that go 10-12 feet.
I'm very much still learning and I don't want to cut out entirely any crop that I have some interest in growing and eating. But I am cutting down to token experimental plots eggplants, groundcherries, and melons. Here in upstate New York, we just don't have the consistent length of summer to do any of them well, and starting things inside to add to that is still hit-or-mostly-miss.
I am not doing any melons this year, or corn. I am only doing 2 yellow squash bushes. LOTS of kale. We only eat it saute'd in a little butter New this year will be shallots
I also take food preservation time and effort into consideration. If it takes more than chopping and tossing into a vacuum freezer bag and if I can’t eat it all fresh, then I’m not considering growing it.
Good reasoning. I'm not eliminating but just smaller more manageable plantings. I like a little bit of some fresh stuff that doesn't have to be an endless amount. You should try some sweet corn. Just have a few plants, shake the plants in the mornings at pollination time. The yellow pollen dust falls heavily for excellent pollination as you probably know.
If you really want radishes, they do absolutely great in those little clear plastic totes as long as you drill holes in the bottom. I realized last year turnips do as well.
I’m not growing parsnips, Brussel sprouts, radicchio, or tomatillo this year. Last year was my first year growing tomatillo and I had great success with two plants in a large container but I found that we had no use for all of them and I ended up tossing some. We used them in salsa and guacamole but will I grow them again…well maybe 😊.
Love how you explain your thought process! Really helps me reason through my planning on things I would have overlooked!👍👍 still my FAVOURITE gardening channel on UA-cam.
If you change your mind about broccoli I would recommend you try purple sprouting broccoli to plant indoors or shade in June to then transplant into your garden in September and over winter to pick broccoli in March and April. It yields a lot of broccoli and it was quite beautiful. Most importantly for me I was able to harvest all the broccoli before the cabbage moth became active. They destroy the brassicas so quickly.
My balcony, unfortunately, doesn't get much light, and virtually everything I tried to grow there just failed. The only exceptions were some herbs, and dwarf cherry tomatoes, so I'll probably just stick to those things this year on my balcony. I had tried broccoli, kale, spinach, hot peppers, roma tomatoes, green beans, and some leafy greens. I also garden at my parent's place, but I can only get out there every week or 2. I've harvested so many tomatillos from there over the last 2 years that I still have tons of canned jars left, so it's not something I need any more of right now. I also grew some summer squash & cucumbers, but what I found was by the time I made it there to harvest, they were always too big to use the way I wanted to. We also grew potatoes, but some animal kept digging them up and eating them, so the harvests were lackluster, so I don't know if I'll bother again.
I read the last two years of garden journals in December before ordering seeds for this year. I came away with a few things I am not growing, or ordering. One was different melons. I grow cantaloupe, honeydew, and sugar baby watermelons each year. The last two years I had tried other unique melons. They were not a hit and so I am sticking to what my family eats. I have been trying to get brassicas to grow successfully. But I was trying 6 different kinds. This year I am limiting it to cabbage (a past failure) and radishes that do great. I will invest time to getting the cabbages right then introduce one brassica a year and do the same thing. Herbs are being limited as well, I have jars of dried herbs saved from the last few years, this year its only going to be what I use fresh, and not as many plants.
My husband hates that I watch gardening UA-cam videos… and then he heard you say “I’m not growing kale…” my husband yelled out at the top of his lungs, “YEAH!!! I LIKE this guy! Now THAT’S what I’m talking about!” 😂 Good job Gardener Scott. We won one over.
That's amazing
Your husband is a man of culture
Hubby told me idk why you watch gardening videos (he thinks I can grow literally everything 😂😂) but I’m still learning so ❤❤❤😊
@@sasquatchdonut2674 LOL… probably not so much… 😅
Just serve yourself.
I appreciate the honesty in this video, ie "I'm not growing it because I'm bored with it". That's reality. Garden space and time is precious and it's important to make the most of it by not growing things that don't make the gardener happy.
Straight up! I’m growing hollyhocks, Shasta daisies and poppies. And it’s valuable real estate but my happiness is precious, too.
I’m growing holleyhocks too! I’ve gotten good at gardening & because of that I’m getting bored with gardening… not gonna stop as I grow for food, but I’m growing 10+ different types of flowers this year. My 1st year for flowers. Gotta mix it up now then eh?!
Yeah why grow stuff you dont like, swap it out w something else!
My garden has all but failed, the last 2 years. This year, I am doing about the same as you- focus planting. I spend a lot of money on tomato products. So, tomatoes is the main focus. My Pappy was a monocrop-gardener. He would grow something and have one big harvest, plow it in the plant something else. I have 3 rotations planned for this year. Tomatoes, with green beans tossed into the empty spots. Black eyed peas and corn over the summer. They don't need much tending and will grow during the hot time of the year. I'm taking advantage of those conditions.
We decided to really "rein in" our seed stash/buying habits. I made a spreadsheet that has the varieties, important growing information, and information on what seed company and year the seeds were purchased. We were amazed to find we still have a number of seeds from 2012-2018. We have a fairly small garden, so definitely have limited space in raised beds. We decided for most of the old seeds, we would attempt to sprout them and if they germinate, we'll plant them in pots and move them to the garden when the temperatures are appropriate. Because we have so many varieties, we chose not to buy as many seeds for this growing season so we might have enough room for the "old seeds" to grow. Because we are not well-established gardeners, we are trying to differentiate between what sounds good/fun/intersting to grow and what will grow best in our area and be enjoyed by our family. And so for this year, we have a handful of "staple crops" we will grow and the rest of the garden will be (hopefully) filled with a few of each different thing that sprouts to see how they do in our area.
I love winter squash, especially buttercup. It grows so well & tastes great in stews & curry!
I hear you!
Truth be told, I'm getting really bored of mustard greens and chinese greens.
As we say in Scotland, "I've fair sicken'd ma’sel"
I wasn't gonna try potatoes this year, but a bat at store had lots of sprouts so I got them. They are planted in an old wheelbarrow.
I am not growing 30 tomato plants, almost cutting in 1/2 to 16 plants, and not all the same ones. Going to mix it up a bit, cut down, and completely eliminate some varieties all together.
I cannot say there are plants I'm not growing, but I am not growing as many of the same type of plant. Really trying to focus on different flowers to add to my beds as well. Marigolds are fine, but, I just want more of a diversity.
Stay Well!!!
Every year I decide I'm not going to grow weeds, yet they keep coming back 😁. Seriously, just tomatoes and peppers for me this year
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Sweet or hot peppers?
Are you using enough mulch?
Gardner Scott Green tomato work for salsa Verde. Ball has a great recipe turned out awesome. FYI you can donate any leftover produce to food bank. Even if you sick of it there is always a place in need.
Radish is a great snack for diabetic. They take hunger away and don't impact sugar. I wouldn't ever cut a Radish
Bell peppers will not be grown this year. I've struggled for 3 years to get a decent crop. Also, going to limit myself to a single "cherry" tomato variety. No more thin skinned heirloom tomatoes. Cilantro is pointless because it bolts before I can use it and we don't utilize coriander seeds. However, I will be doubling on Roma's, potatoes, onions and winter squashes. I'm sure I'll find something new to try, as well.
This was a good and honest video! Grow what you EAT and eat what you grow! Make sure to 'perfect' growing what you actually eat and if your a 'Market' farmer... what you can actually sell! I didn't know 'radishes' were EMPTY calories! I stopped eating 'Iceberg Lettuce' YEARS ago because of this! Like him, if radishes are in my salad, FINE and if not FINE! Many Homesteaders grow stuff because SOMEONE ELSE IS GROWING IT. Pay attention to YOUR space, YOUR finances & YOUR family's needs! Be blessed!
Hi, Scott. I had to make similar assessments for 2023. Lots of garlic, onions, tomatoes, and peppers. Moderate amounts of peas, beans, carrots and corn. Minimal amounts of radish and cabbage. Nope... not growing kale, turnip, parsnip, chard, kohlrabi, or rutabaga. I’m the only one who likes them and there was so much in 2022 that most of it was given away. Deciding NOT to grow something felt rather strange! Glad you addressed this. Thank you. Best wishes from Kate in Olympia, WA
Tomatillos will do better when La Niña is gone. Mine were terrible last year too, here in Seattle. El Niño years are the best but I once had a bumper crop during an average Seattle Summer. Our days are long.
Also. Steamed or sautéd kale, yum.
It isnt what I am not growing, it is what i am going to start to grow this year for me. I'm going to attempt to get an early crop of turnips and succession sow lettuce. Not sure if it will be needed since it is a buttercrunch variety, but trying to time out certain things on my side here to see what I will want next year.
I want to get decent cucumbers however I haven't had good success with them in the past. Hopefully a trellis and extra water and care will help with that, but I like cucumbers and I want them to do well here.
On the other hand I'll be doing extra herbs to see what I will end up using vs what might end being a waste of time/space. You really only need so much basil or parsley, but the more I have the more I end up using.
My buddy also wanted banana peppers so I have a few starting now (which is probably too early here in Pennsylvania), but I got a little too excited.
However videos like these show that overtime what you though you wanted or however many plants you thought you wanted, might just not be correct. Put your time and energy into the things that you and or your family/friends will enjoy.
I live in the Nebraska Panhandle. Zone 5a. I'm not growing kale, broccoli or brussel sprouts. Increasing my pole beans. I grew honeynut squash last year, which is a miniature butternut squash. It has a shorter maturity time than regular butternut. Very sweet. Increasing carrot production and parsnips. Will be growing potatoes. Peppers and tomatoes. Reducing cabbage to just a couple this year. I'm out of almost everything I grew last year.
Also I always grow a little bok choy. A lot of onions and garlic.
I picked up some Honeynuts at the farmers market in the fall to use in my root cellar test, and they are the best! I'm growing (probably too many of them) this year. I have a great recipe for Honeynut squash soup that I could eat every day.
The reason I have grown eggplant in the past is because I absolutely love eating Baba ghanoush. If you grow it again, consider making it. It has a wonderful smokey flavor and is delicious with pita bread.
Some of my no grows are similar - radish, kale, tomatillo but I’m doubling potato, onion, and garlic. I need to grow what we like to eat.
I am not growing as many peppers this year. I love peppers, but I think I'm becoming bored. I will have to figure which ones are my faves & just grow those. I love eggplant when my friend cooks it, but I don't know how to cook it, so that stays off my list. I'm going back to bush beans this year. Bought some sugar daddy peas today to grow early before I plant summer plant here in OH. You are correct - sometimes we just need to figure out what we don't want any more & try to find new veggies to grow.
I've got a different thing I've been trying. I've learned that several crops I enjoy eating will grow in the colder months in my (warm) climate, so I've been starting a year-round garden. I will have to take a two week break in the summer b/c it's simply too hot, but other than that, my ground never freezes. My potatoes are loving it, I'm eating fresh turnips for supper tonight, and my onions have never looked better. I was a little late on planting my cabbage, so that will likely bolt before I can eat anything, but now I know to plant that in November,
Regarding Tomatillos: I usually have three in my garden. I made two cages out of field fence. I plant one plant in the middle of each of the two cages and space it out so that the third plant is in between the two cages. When I put my plants in, I will put in a bamboo stake right beside it. As it grows, I tie it to the stake. They get about five feet tall or more. Those three plants will completely fill out those cages. It keeps them all up off the ground and tidy.
I started out with the Rio Grande Tomatillo from Baker Creek Seeds. After a couple of years saving seed they are acclimated to my area. Three plants produce more than enough for my household.
*Edit*
The cages are three feet in diameter.
🌺I grow only what our family eats. Growing lots of onions, garlic and potatoes. My beds are full too, working on containers Smart Pot and buckets. I’m not growing tomatillos
Thank you for your video
We live in an area next to a lot of brassica fields, and because we are organic, all of the pests head to our house, so aside from some kale, there is no point. We may do potatoes in containers this year
If you grew tomatillos last year... you will be growing them this year. They are my favorite "weed" its more work to get rid of them then let them grow. TIE them up like tomatoes. And watch the ones closest ones to the base. If you pick those before they go to seed they will keep blooming and making more fruit. If you thin them you will get bigger ones. But even dozens of small roasted tomatillos are the best compliment to all those peppers and chillies on every salsa and sauce. Moving the leafy veggies to grow bags or a make shift hydriponic gives you plenty of that kind of vegi and not take precious bed space. I get not devoting a bed to Turnips. But they can just be interspersed and having a couple dozen for those roasted dinners are so worth it. Add a couple to the carrots bed or reddish area. Scott you have shared so many great things with me. I hope you don't mind me sharing back.thanks for being there!
I was trying to grow the purple tomatillos last year and they bushed out like crazy but had really tiny fruits with a disappointing flavor on them. I sure hope you are wrong about them popping up by themselves, however, if they do, I'll follow your advice to thin them. If they seed themselves like Aunt Molly's groundcherries, I'm doomed 🤔🤣🤣🤣
I hade radishes as a "oh there is a little gap in the bed let me put three seeds in" kind of crop. Since I live even further north then Scott ist the perfect addition since the season is so long in the spring and fall and they grow so silly fast.
Yes, I’m growing a lot of sweet peppers, large tomatoes, and onions this year, no potatoes. Lots of greens and berries and fruit. Our diet has changed. On the rare occasion we want red potatoes I’ll just buy a bag. Space is limited so focusing on what we eat often and what’s become so expensive at stores, like berries.
We are only growing winter squash that are bush varieties or that can be easily vertically trellised and that produce well. The vines just took up too much space…
With garden space being limited, I only grow either my favorite vegetables, or the vegetables that I can't find in a local farmer's market. For example, my favorite types of heirloom tomatoes, or sun gold tomatoes, which surprisingly are not available where I live. Datil peppers are another good example -- they are impossible to find outside St Augustine, FL, and I had a gardener from FL sending me seeds by mail, so I grow them now. Makes no sense to grow potatoes when they are abundantly available from local farmers for very low cost too, any kind I like.
I'm not trying to grow zucchini this year because I'm tired of fighting the squash vine borer. I tried everything last year to keep them away and nothing worked. It's cheaper and ultimately less stress to just buy them from the store and freeze for winter use. Same goes for carrots and peas. Saving the room for those thing I know grow well in my garden as space is limited.
I'm trying a parthenocarpic zucchini this year- basically it's a self-pollinating variety. So I can keep it covered completely and it can give me the bountiful harvest that have so far been mythical for me.
I'm not growing a bunch of tomato varieties this year. Almost all my tomatoes end up in sauces each year except cherry tomatoes that my kids sometimes snack on. So I'm only growing paste tomatoes and a few cherry tomatoes this year.
This year I'm not growing yellow squash or zucchini. They are favorites in my family but were very stressful to grow last year. I got burned out from dealing with insect problems in general and they had many issues. I'm going to aim at growing more plants that have less maintenance issues and more success.
I'm not growing tomatillos. I love how easy and prolific they are but I only have 2 recipes for them and internet has not given me other ideas so I'm getting bored. I still have 1 or 2 containers of them in the freezer. I'm looking forward to using that space for pole beans!
GS, another great video!
Years ago, I realized in my area, Cauliflower and broccoli were not worth growing as opposed to buying in the store. Other plants I could grow, I didn't eat enough of to use garden space or tend to.
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should!
I concur with skipping the eggplant There's a whole story behind why I don't eat eggplant - suffice it to say don't feed your young children eggplant every day for like six weeks... I'm not growing potatoes this year.
My trap crops this year are nasturtiums, radishes, edamame/soybeans, and blue hubbard squash, along with the standard marigolds and such.
I'll be very interested to see how your delicatas turn out. My experiment for this year is The Great Winter Squash Taste Test of 2023 with 8 (!) varieties of winter squash, including 2 varieties of delicata. Which is only slightly more restrained than The Great Summer Squash Taste Test of 2019 where I grew 13 (!!) varieties - which was too much squash, even for me. I'm down to 8 summer varieties these days, and several of those are heavy producers so I can take a bag or two of fresh produce to the food pantry every week.
I gave up on winter squash this year. My growing season just isn't long enough and we really don't use enough to justify the space needed to grow them.
I'm also not growing turnips. I love them and am happy to use them, but I just don't have the space to make them worthwhile. Instead, I'm going to concentrate on the things I can grow enough of to last a year
I don't have a lot of garden space, so I do have to be selective. This year I'm not growing sweet potatoes. I've grown them the last 2 years, but last year wasn't as good and I'm the main one that likes them. I'm going to try and grow regular potatoes this year. Like you, I'm growing more garlic than last year. Last year was my first time growing it and I only grew about 8. This year I've planted around 60, so that whole garden bed I won't be able to plant anything until the garlic can be harvested. I won't be growing zucchini this year because I still have plenty in my freezer, canned and dehydrated. I'm actually thinking about not growing green beans this year because I need room for carrots because I haven't grown them for 2 years. I'm planning on growing celery for the first time this year. I've already started the seeds.
I've done the same thing. I've decided to dedicate more space to tomatoes and peppers, and I still have carrots, onions and garlic taking up valuable real-estate so I may have to leave corn out this year. Or at least wait until later on in the summer.
Eating Radishes roasted and/or pan seared has completely changed the radish game for me, raw radish is meh but roasted radish is delicious. This year I've looked for larger varieties of radish simply because of my new found love of them.
I've never grown eggplant because I don't know if I like it or not so this is a an experiment year for me I'm growing things I don't normally grow to find out if I can find ways to enjoy them, it could be a big fail but I'm excited to give it a go 😁
Did you know that if you let the radishes go to seed, you can eat the seed pods? I just found out recently, so I can't vouch for the flavor, but they are supposedly milder than the actual radish, but still spicy, with the texture of a pea pod. I'm excited to try them this year.
Thanks for the roasted radish tip! I'll have to give it a try this year.
. yes!! I tried that this last summer. The radish pods were amazing! At least, I thought so. They were very profuse too, which is great since my radish growing is found wanting. I love radishes, so go figure I'm the only one I know can't grow them😅
@@rossmcguinn2256 Those seed pods are absolutely delicious! You can also eat the flowers before they go to seed! I like to add them to salads or use them as fancy garnish on my deviled eggs.
@@rossmcguinn2256you described it perfectly. Some species will also have a ever so slight sweetness earlier in the season. Radish was the first vegetable I started growing, so I had a lot of them that I let go to seed. At least in my experience, the sakurajima, and white karaine radishes I grew had massive amounts of leaves and pods. The karaine will stay alive in the ground for a long time and possibly threw the winter with a little cover in extreme weather. Very hardy variety, also very hot.
Yes this year I'm back to basics: lots more tomato's and tomatillos for canning, okra which I love to eat and can, sweet potato's for the first time, a lot more cucumbers and trying squash again since last year it didn't do well. Corn and poll beans and a lot of flowers. Last year I grew more of a variety but some of it just wasn't worth it. I couldn't grow a good watermelon, decided it was easier to buy on if I want one, bell peppers took forever and I only got a few. Grew so many jalapenos and other peppers that I still have a ton canned and frozen. I'm sticking to stuff we actually eat, stuff that is easier to grow than buy. Who knows what 2023 will bring economically (wont be good I'm sure) so I'm stocking up on basics this year.
Cucumbers, radish and sugar snap peas. I had a bumper crop of cucumbers last year and plenty of pickles for a few years. I might have one plant for fresh eating. The peas because of timing. The weather looks like it will be much warmer in the spring, making it too hot for them. I usually rotate crops, meaning that I may grow corn one year, then the following year it maybe okra. There are a few crops I grow every year, such as bell peppers, tomatoes and blackeyed peas. I am a seasoned gardener and this is such good advice and examples why or why not on what to grow. Thanks Gardener Scott!
This is the year I figure out what i don't want to grow.
Over 60 varieties started from brassicas to herbs and peppers, berries and salad greens.
Summer crops rotating in over the next 8 weeks, adding another couple dozen varieties.
And then flowers! Some annuals and some perennials, some that won't flower until at least next year
I live in Wisconsin. I dig up chard plants in the late fall and transplant into 5 gallon buckets with drainage holes. Place in a cold room in my house, south facing. I can eat chard all winter when I have few other options for greens. I also bring in my Lavender, Parsley, and chives. I have in the past transplanted chard starts directly into self wicking buckets, but that was before I moved and now have roving racoons who enjoy digging in the buckets.
If you grow potatoes next year, grow as many as you can save some to the year after that and you won't have to buy seed potatoes again like ever. You can save the green ones that you would discard and use as seed potatoes as well. we grew about 70 kilos last year since potatoes is a staple here in Sweden. Have a good growing season!
I had a great crop from my saved potatoes last year. Hoping to do the same this year!
After doing potatoes for the first time last year, I have so many starts waiting to go in. I did the 5 gallon bucket way of growing which I loved. It was so easy to harvest.
I'm not growing yellow squash this year either. My readonis that I want to try butternut squash again. I tried growing it two years ago, but it didn't do well. I want to try again before I give up on it.
I'll try growing eggplant this year, because I dream of making a moussaka from my self grown eggplants❤ They are expensive to buy so I think eggplant is an awesome crop for a gardener... But I think it's very important to only grow whatever your family will be eating! I should really be having chickens because I consume 21 eggs each week, but having chickens is not an option where I live🤔 That would seriously be a good thing because organic eggs are quite expensive.
We don’t grow zucchini, because vine borers and squash bug. Also it is abundant at the farmers market. We never grow corn. We grew tomatillos for the first time and loved them and we can not buy them at the farmers market.
Nice video. I go through this every year because I only have a 12’ x 32’ space plus one raised bed. I try stuff, some of it works, some not. Every year is different.
We like broccoli and I will grow it in the spring and fall but won't grow it through the summer. The summer crop does half as well as the spring and fall. I will do a cover crop of buckwheat in the summer instead. I will probably skip butternut squash this year and just grow acorn squash.
I'm focusing on growing a staples garden this year. More tomatoes, peppers, carrots, onions, potatoes, garlic, so on.
I won't grow corn, even the native varieties we have available in Arizona. I grew it last year and the plants were beautiful BUT there were so many worms on the ears, I didn't even get to try one. Never again. I also am too late to grow any cool season crops like spinach and lettuce. This year I am curbing my enthusiasm and growing zucchini, peppers, Roma and Amish paste tomatoes, bush beans, and maybe lemon cucumbers. I am growing what was successful. I also am waiting to put plants in the ground for as long as possible so the plants benefit from the July monsoons we have here. I've learned hard lessons in the heat of June!
Great video! I stopped growing salads, instead I found nz spinach..great crop, tasty, easy to use and store. Radish...no! I don't get them to taste other than bitter...so...off with them!
I try to grow things that will give a lot of food that also store well. We are going to need that! Squash, potatoes, peas, beets, herbs and tomatoes...lots of them! Greetings from Sweden🇸🇪
This was so encouraging to me, because I decided this year to focus on tomatoes in the garden, and peppers in my Greenstalk. I decided to eliminate squash, corn, and melons this year because I want to concentrate on what I eat the most and really become more of an 'expert' on growing those!
Thanks Gardener Scott. No very hot peppers this year. I dreaded processing them and really used all the sweet peppers immediately.
Good common-sense wisdom #GardenerScott.
Honestly, last year I had so many things NOT line up that I chose to NOT even plant a garden. Surprisingly, I found it was not that hard of a choice. Which kind of scared me. Was I losing interest? Have I fallen out of love with gardening? Nah... you know what? Yes, I missed it. But I survived. It turns out I just needed to give myself a break. And this year I am more enthusiastic about planning and planting than I have been in years!! 😊
You seem to be so cold in this video... The wind is "up" and the dog wants to play, but you have the fortitude to release a great video about garden plant selection... Thank you!
It was very cold.
I grew way too many beans last year, enough to last until summer. So, I am not growing any bush beans this year. Mizuna didn't grow good from me, so I am excluding it too. I had too much lettuce last year, so I am reducing the amount I grew by 70 percent. Beetroot is on its last chance. If it don't get a decent harvest this time, I will be excluding it. This year I am growing a lot more peppers, tomatoes, and squash. l am growing radishes, potatoes, carrots, turnips, Seascape Strawberries, Yod Fah, Komatsuna, Tatsoi, Chijimisai, Swiss Chard, New Zealand Spinach, peas, cucumbers, pole beans, garlic, Tokyo Bekana Mustard, Japanese Giant Red Mustard, Russian Kale, (Every plant survived the winter storms), oregano, basil, mint, sweet marjoram, mint, marigolds, dwarf zinnias, Shasta Daisies, and more. My backyard is my personal produce store. The only vegetable I have to purchase is corn. Do I really need it? No, it is one that I can do without. I have lot of variety in my garden to choose from. I just added a 10x12 greenhouse and three 2x8 raised beds to my garden. I'll have to see if 8 raised beds, two GreenStalk towers, and 26 grow bags meet my needs. If not, I have room for one more 4x8 raised bed. I am growing for two people, Alabama zone 7B. This year's goal is to keep a portion of my garden producing year round.
Your garden sounds like lots of fun! What zone ir town are you In? What do you do with your mustard seed?
@@deeannharoldsen2705 I'm in Talladega Alabama. Most of the mustard greens are eaten in salad or stir fry. I only let a few plants go to seed as needed to replenish my seed stock, or for spice used in pickling.
You really should make videos, sounds like you'll be growing a lot of cool stuff!
Hi Gardener Scott. What a refreshing video! Gives one validation about what they want and do not want to grow.
Corn. Last year I don't think I planted them close enough together or planted enough stalks. I had maybe 4 make it to maturity without being eaten by bugs. They felt like a waste of resources at the end of the season. I'd rather put something else in that space this year.
being in CO myself I also decided not to grow broccoli this year as well because of the bolting issue
I also cut kale and chard this year, I'm not a huge fan of either so I just increased my salad mix and head lettuces
I'm not growing Blue Banana squash -- I've tried it in a few different locations and it just fails to thrive. I'm also splitting up my growing between the allotment and the back garden, and growing more of the herbs and leaves in the back garden. I've jettisoned some of the tomato varieties, too: last year I trialled 14 different blight-resistant ones, with a view to discarding the ones that didn't perform well or tasted like cardboard.
Although I have plenty of space in my garden I won't be growing melons this year either. Here in So Cal water is just too expensive and frankly my results have been spotty. My best success has been with cantaloupes, however it takes a lot of time and effort to protect them from the racoons and possums. I have had great success with tomatillos, however I'm not planting them this year and will use the space to plant more tomatoes.
Watermelon & corn, I just do not have the room... I started some tomatoes in doors & I would like some peppers outside soon. No potatoes this time... I need to move or remove the roses in the back for the garden to improve. I am still growing some lemon trees from seed - in pots still - 2nd year now, I have lost maybe 4 of them, I still have many :-) 3 grapefruit too. But only 3 struggling plants... I was thinking of having tomatoes & peppers grow up the Pomegranite tree, thought that would look nice :-) I did plant some Bok Choi to see if I could grow it here... wife was not too happy about that is she can buy it locally at a low cost. I still planted it :-)
I grew patty pan in 2021 because it has a unique shape😂(with no taste). Winter squash were small. I'm all squashed out.
You should try pineapple ground cherries a relative of tamotillo
I will be growing potatoes, but I will not be growing nearly as many this year for two reasons. First, they take up a lot of space and second, I had a bumper crop last year but being a diabetic I could not consume enough of them and ended up giving most of them away. I canned some but still had way more than one person can use. That space would be better used for growing more green and wax beans.
Ha, great observations and some great comments in the chat already as well. I have a very short season here in New Mexico and only ever plant ONE eggplant, if that, in a large pot with other herbs and flowers ~ more as an ornamental because I think the plant itself is pretty and it brings a little diversity. But if I actually get any eggplants out of it, those usually get added to the compost (they're often small and not all that edible, even if I were inclined to do something with them). Last year we had such a windy, dry spring that a lot of people skipped planting anything. This year, we're getting much more snow to saturate the ground, which is awesome. But who knows how the weather will evolve during the next few months...? For sure, I won't be planting anything too delicate or needy, lol. I can generally count on my walking onions, tomatoes, peppers, sunflowers, perennial herbs... we'll see how it goes. Thanks for sharing your perspectives!
I agree with your reasoning as I too use these reasons for growing or not in my garden.
Last year I grew shell beans. This year I'm not. Now I at least know how they do in my area, but I will be buying them from the store for now. Grew a massive amount of potatoes last year. I canned and dried 200# of potatoes, at minimum and still have some to do! I will still plant the ones I chit, but much less. Tomatillo's are usually a good crop for me and my family loves salsa verde and green enchilada sauce but they were a failure last year so I will try again this year in a different spot. Sweet potatoes were a first for me last year (Z5a) and took up a lot of space for minimal return so they're a no this year. Corn did well last year but I need the space for other things this year. Giving peas one more chance, or they will be removed from my list. They struggle and die out here for me. I will be planting a lot of turnips and zucchini this year. Not for us - our cows, pigs, chickens and rabbits love them. Will also expand the amount of butternut squash and sunflowers for the same reason. I tried candy roaster squash last year. Neither they nor I were overly impressed so it will not be taking up room this year. I will try again with melons. My brother has promised to share his secrets to growing them and, if I strike out, he will begrudgingly part with one of his.
I feel you scott. Some things even though they grow well, they grow so well that your taste buds get tired of it. I find it important to be flexible. Try new things. Gardening is and will always be “trial and error”. Different crops will grow better in different parts of your garden. Some places have better lighting,drainage, airflow, etc. Sometimes it gets frustrating and that leads to growing less of a certain variety. All in all, gardening is a passion. You have to love it just like any other interest. But also, I feel that gardening should be common knowledge that every human should withhold. So important…..👍🏼🤙🏼🙏🏼
Like you i continue to grow a lot of peppers and tomatoes but have recently added to the mix swiss chard, bok choi, kolrabi and yellow and green beans and a new sleeper favorite.brussell sprouts. Cabbage is cheap to buy, was too hard to keep bug free, and Kale got tiresome. I don't grow onions but DO plant a lot of Leeks. Have a great season!
Best gardening video I've seen a in a long time! Ever heard of farmers getting paid by the government to not farm? How about gardening by not growing typical garden veggies? Love it!
This year, I've replaced growing salad radishes with daikon and Korean radishes. We eat a lot of varieties of kimchi in my family so electing not to grow both salad radishes and the daikon/Korean, and go for the bigger ones makes more sense. The family really prefers the milder radishes anyway, and they grow really well here (NC, zone 7b)
Thumbs up for kimchi!
When do you plant your large radishes? I live in NC but I’m still learning the seasons here.
@@Doktracy Early spring and early fall. my current crop has been in the ground for two weeks already. There is still plenty of time to plant some now.
Great commonsense video. Too often I over plan and under achieve some crops. Appreciate the honest view of grow what we will eat in the space we have
As for the bolting broccoli, you can actually eat it still. I think about everything can be eaten from these plants and similar family plants like cauliflowers. Plus, remember you can seed save over and over to try to get strains that might fare better as the seasons and years goes on.
That’s a great point for a beginner gardener like me! I’m trying broccoli from seed for the first time this year, but I also live in CO & it gets hot here fast. Crossing my fingers!!
@@emilyemm8460 Exactly, before long you might have your own seeds which some can survive if not thrive in those conditions. :)
@@rickytorres9089 You shouldn't save seeds from early bolting plants. You'll just get seeds that grow early bolting plants.
@@GaryHughes That is not necessarily true, diversity can still likely happens but I will agree that if you can is to of course mix up your seed collections. From early, middle and late bolting plants not just one or the other.
I'm growing almost everything you're not growing 😄 I didn't grow kale last year and probably won't grow it this year unless I have extra space late in the season just because I'm not crazy about it. I enjoy spinach and swiss chard much more. I haven't grown melons in a long time because they never came out too good and never tried winter squash because I'm afraid it may be too sweet for me. I'm trying sweet potatoes for the first time and just ordered two shortcake raspberry plants I'm going to grow in 10 gal grow bags so I'm trying a few new things. Good luck. Hope your snow melts early.
Mr Scott. I'll be tired of okra. I actually have 8 plants from 12 seeds planted growing now. I'm fearing a very long hot summer. Also all of a 10 seed free packet of cucumbers.
I had limited success with tomatillos as well. It took very long and by the time it was ready to produce, the cold set in. The drought last year was intense.
Great ideas. Love Broccoli but weather has been 30s then 90s the past 3 years eastern Nebraska zone 5B
This year I'm asking myself those same questions as far as what to, or not to grow. I'm considering the local farmers' markets and what they usually sell. There's also an Amish market within 20 miles. I can take advantage of all of them and their fresh produce. My daughter will be growing some things I won't, and I'll be growing some things she won't. We'll be sharing. Another question for me is how much I want to process and/or have room to store for this next winter.
Brassicas are always something I struggled with in my garden as well. Have you tried kohlrabi? It's a great early and late season crop that will do all the work broccoli does as a food, except I like the flavor quite a bit more. Since you eat the bulbous stem rather than florets, there's a lot more leeway regarding when to harvest, and there seems to be quite a bit less temperature sensitivity. I successfully grew kohlrabi through some seasons that triggered early bolting in a lot of my crops. We found that the leaves can be eaten similarly to kale, allowing us to use more of the plant. The leaves are tough, and only the very youngest can be eaten raw. This same toughness of the leaves reduces some of the pest pressure I usually see on cole crop, though, and since my family loves to eat saag, we don't mind an extra cooking step.
Some cultivars have woodier stems than others, so it may take some trial and error before you find the kohlrabi that's right for you. The woodier ones can simply be harvested smaller, which allows you to space them closer together and take more harvests. I found I was able to grow using my preferred method without supplemental fertilization- just a 2-3" layer of compost mulch every spring the way I like to make all my other beds.
For years almost every inch of my space was dedicated to the _'Giant Papaver Somniferum'._ The huge purple flowers were nice to look at, but with my bad back, it wasn't the reason I grew them.
After finding an understanding and kind doctor, I shifted to things I buy the most. Tomatoes, garlic, green onions and snap sugar peas.
This year will be more of the same, except I've already planted half my tomato garden with garlic (adding the 'elephant' variety). I'm also going to try some sweet potatoes. I've been nurturing a slip in a glass of water that I grew very late last year.
I kind of miss the opium poppies, but there was always the worry of feds breaking down my door.
Last year I grew too many plants of one type. Realized I had too much and scaled down to one or two plants instead. Gives me the chance to experiment this year with the limited space I have.
I am sure mother nature will have a say in what I'm not growing this year despite my best efforts.
Same here... LOL !!
I love radishes and have containers on my deck railing gutter grow system. Only other things I grow on the railing system are celery and strawberries. Never grow kale and broccoli is my favorite thing to eat besides pepperoni pizza and peanut butter (not together). Love zucchini, hate summer squash. Try new stuff, get rid of stuff that doesn't work.
We have not had success w/ tomatillos either. Lots of effort, space, water..time for sunpar quality. Seem to be finicky
Great video! I live in a climate where we garden year round. Next cool season, I won't be growing radishes because we don't eat enough of them or mustard greens because I learned that I don't like the taste. I'm also not going to grow broccoli because it always seems to bolt. This summer, I'm going to grow more determinate tomatoes because it's too hot here for the indeterminate varieties to survive the summer.
I live in a hot climate in South Florida. I can't grow broccoli, spinach, or many greens because they bolt. We can grow collards and kale does pretty well. If you want a heat loving indeterminate tomato which if unchecked will take over your entire property, look to the everglades. They are marble sized and love heat. ohhhhhhh, the flavor! But you gotta trellis them because they will get vines that go 10-12 feet.
I'm very much still learning and I don't want to cut out entirely any crop that I have some interest in growing and eating. But I am cutting down to token experimental plots eggplants, groundcherries, and melons. Here in upstate New York, we just don't have the consistent length of summer to do any of them well, and starting things inside to add to that is still hit-or-mostly-miss.
I am not doing any melons this year, or corn.
I am only doing 2 yellow squash bushes. LOTS of kale. We only eat it saute'd in a little butter
New this year will be shallots
Loved this. I have cut out many things this for many of the same reasons.
Delicata is phenomenal!
I also take food preservation time and effort into consideration. If it takes more than chopping and tossing into a vacuum freezer bag and if I can’t eat it all fresh, then I’m not considering growing it.
Good reasoning. I'm not eliminating but just smaller more manageable plantings. I like a little bit of some fresh stuff that doesn't have to be an endless amount. You should try some sweet corn. Just have a few plants, shake the plants in the mornings at pollination time. The yellow pollen dust falls heavily for excellent pollination as you probably know.
Garlic, peppers and tomatoes. A man after my own heart.
If you really want radishes, they do absolutely great in those little clear plastic totes as long as you drill holes in the bottom. I realized last year turnips do as well.
I’m not growing parsnips, Brussel sprouts, radicchio, or tomatillo this year. Last year was my first year growing tomatillo and I had great success with two plants in a large container but I found that we had no use for all of them and I ended up tossing some. We used them in salsa and guacamole but will I grow them again…well maybe 😊.
Love how you explain your thought process! Really helps me reason through my planning on things I would have overlooked!👍👍 still my FAVOURITE gardening channel on UA-cam.
If you change your mind about broccoli I would recommend you try purple sprouting broccoli to plant indoors or shade in June to then transplant into your garden in September and over winter to pick broccoli in March and April. It yields a lot of broccoli and it was quite beautiful. Most importantly for me I was able to harvest all the broccoli before the cabbage moth became active. They destroy the brassicas so quickly.
My balcony, unfortunately, doesn't get much light, and virtually everything I tried to grow there just failed. The only exceptions were some herbs, and dwarf cherry tomatoes, so I'll probably just stick to those things this year on my balcony. I had tried broccoli, kale, spinach, hot peppers, roma tomatoes, green beans, and some leafy greens.
I also garden at my parent's place, but I can only get out there every week or 2. I've harvested so many tomatillos from there over the last 2 years that I still have tons of canned jars left, so it's not something I need any more of right now. I also grew some summer squash & cucumbers, but what I found was by the time I made it there to harvest, they were always too big to use the way I wanted to. We also grew potatoes, but some animal kept digging them up and eating them, so the harvests were lackluster, so I don't know if I'll bother again.
I read the last two years of garden journals in December before ordering seeds for this year. I came away with a few things I am not growing, or ordering. One was different melons. I grow cantaloupe, honeydew, and sugar baby watermelons each year. The last two years I had tried other unique melons. They were not a hit and so I am sticking to what my family eats. I have been trying to get brassicas to grow successfully. But I was trying 6 different kinds. This year I am limiting it to cabbage (a past failure) and radishes that do great. I will invest time to getting the cabbages right then introduce one brassica a year and do the same thing. Herbs are being limited as well, I have jars of dried herbs saved from the last few years, this year its only going to be what I use fresh, and not as many plants.