Friday, September 6, 2024

Deck Garden, End of the Year Assessment

 
Summer has nearly come to an end, and it is time to recap how well things went in my deck garden this year. For the most part, I consider this year to be a bit on the mediocre side. After all of my efforts, loving care, not to mention expense, I was underwhelmed by the lack of production.


My inability to grow peppers, other than jalapeƱos, has become quite frustrating. Year after year I plant pepper seeds, all kinds, all colors, they will reach a height of between 3 and 4 inches, and stop right there and never do a thing.

On the plus side, I got loads of tomatoes and cherry tomatoes, so much so that I was giving them away. That’s a good thing because there’s nothing more delicious than a summer tomato warm from the vine. On the downside, despite vines crawling all over the deck, I didn’t get a single cucumber. That puzzles me because generally, as with cherry tomatoes, I am giving those away.

  Another plus (and I am thrilled beyond words at this) is that the seeds I had harvested from a black heirloom tomato that Melissa’s Produce had sent me, germinated and produced! I planted this late, so I wasn’t really expecting anything, even though I got a couple of blossoms. There are two tomatoes here; one is small and obviously pecked by a bird, unfortunately. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the other one makes it to the ripening stage. It should. Generally, I don’t have a need to pull up tomatoes until mid October, although the shorter days do impede their growth. I’m going to keep a careful watch on this, and photograph it weekly, so that I can capture the point when it begins to turn black. I’m so excited! 
The charentais melon seeds that I planted did quite well. I got 100% germination from all six of the seeds that I had harvested from an organic melon that I got from Melissa's Produce, and, like the cucumbers, those vines crawled all over the deck. Also, like the cucumbers, I didn’t get any melons… or so I thought. When I went out to pull up the vines, I got three of them pulled up, but when I pulled up the fourth, I heard a clunking sound. Upon examination, I noticed that there were six tiny melons on that vine. I cursed myself for having not been more patient. I did find another melon on one of the remaining vines, and I have been babying it ever since. I doubt, at this late stage, that it will be big enough to use, but I have been encouraged by this, and will certainly plant melons again next year.When I went out to water this morning, I saw yet another one on the way. It’s probably too late to actually turn into anything edible, but it’s exciting nonetheless. Clearly, I can grow melons. Noted for next year.Speaking of melons, this little mystery melon started growing in one of my window boxes. It’s not the same as the charentais melon because each striation is actually an indentation. This may just be a pumpkin! I have no idea where this came from. The only thing I can figure is that the neighbors have pumpkin seeds in the mixture they use to feed the birds, and one of the birds dropped it in my window box.

The scallions did well, my cash crop was jalapeƱos (I couldn’t give those away), the basil bolted way too soon, and I didn’t get one batch of pesto out of it. The Alstroemeria did quite well, and I am very pleased with the result of that bit of experimentation. I am going to dig it up, bring it into the house, and attempt to overwinter it. The petunias put on a very colorful fuchsia show, I’m also going to try to overwinter them; the zinnias were their usual beautiful self.

They attracted loads of hummingbirds that are always a delight to watch, as well as goldfinches that love to hang onto the branches, and painstakingly pull out the pedals, in order to get to those delicious fresh seeds. They’re so cute that I just let them. I’m already in the planning stages for next year.

What were your successes and failures this year?

I’ll see you in the spring for more garden talk.


7 comments:

  1. I don't garden, but this makes me want to...

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  2. Such a great garden. We are harvesting tomatoes every day! So good!

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  3. We overwinter our pepper plants in the garage because they are perennials. This summer our plants are three years old. They get cut back hard when we bring them out and need a really healthy dose of fertilizer in the Spring to get them going again. We use mushroom compost. Before I learned this we were in the putzing long plants situation as well. The second year they really produce, this year was less than last year but I suspect the really cold Spring and then extreme heat has been the problem.

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    1. That’s good information, Lana. I really am going to try to start some indoors by seed in February, and see if I can’t get them to a decent size before I take them outside. Then, I may try to overwinter them. I’m going to remember this for next year. Thanks!

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  4. I can grow tomatoes but that's about it! lol
    hugs
    Donna

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  5. I love your gardening posts! If you are in the planning stages for next spring, then your gardening was a success in my book. I tend to get discourage about viney plants with no fruit, and cukes and melons have been my greatest failures in recent years. However, I seem to be able to grow watermelons from tossing out rinds with seeds, and I have tomato plants that come up as volunteer plants almost every year. I noticed you had successes with harvesting seeds, and I'm convinced that's the way to go, if you can.
    I have my seeds purchased for starting, maybe late January. I have a seedling heat mat that is very helpful, and I usually use those little peat pots to start them in. I have used styrofoam cups (cheaper) with little holes punched in the bottoms, but those are pretty messy.

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    1. This is great information, Linda. I routinely have volunteer tomato plants come up, as well as basil plants, because I deliberately throw tomatoes and basil seeds back into the pots. I also, for whatever reason, have petunias self-seed. Other people I’ve talked to have not had that happen, but I have, and I’m grateful for it. I am going to get one of those heating mats, because I’ve heard other people talk about how well they work. Personally, I have never had any luck with those peat pots. I find that when I grow things in peat pots and then try to plant those that they never break down, and the plants do nothing. I think I’m just going to use regular terra-cotta pots, and up-pot as the plants get bigger.

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Thank you so much for commenting, I love every one of them! I am, however, unable to respond to anonymous comments.