2026 garden plan (open to critique)

snarfing said:
Just a pic off Google. But I grow sprouting broccoli which instead of forming 1 big head forms a bunch of smaller ones. And when you cut it it will sprout 1-3 more times.

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Looks like above.
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Oh yeah, I grow those as well. How could I forget? My purple sprouting broccoli, recommended to me by a fellow gardener from south of the border, though, didn't fare too well here; it was very sparse, but the green one does well here. My kids love this type of broccoli.
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@TorontoJoe. Got my first seed catalogs and they are already dog eared. What kind of tomatoes do your Italian friends and family grow? All heirlooms or are there some I might be able to find online or in these catalogs?
 
Figgin' A said:
Oh yeah, I grow those as well. How could I forget? My purple sprouting broccoli, recommended to me by a fellow gardener from south of the border, though, didn't fare too well here; it was very sparse, but the green one does well here. My kids love this type of broccoli.
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Yeah i actually grow the green one but thought the purple was easier to see. I think its worth the spot.
 
betdempster said:
@TorontoJoe. Got my first seed catalogs and they are already dog eared. What kind of tomatoes do your Italian friends and family grow? All heirlooms or are there some I might be able to find online or in these catalogs?
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Almost all of my regular tomatoes came from the old country from family farms...Not found in any catalog...... and they're glorious! Send me a DM some time...

Ne parliamo :)
 
betdempster said:
@TorontoJoe. Got my first seed catalogs and they are already dog eared. What kind of tomatoes do your Italian friends and family grow? All heirlooms or are there some I might be able to find online or in these catalogs?
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Copia tomato is a favorite of mine. Extremely fruity. But I only eat them for fresh eating. Grow em every year and experiment with a few varieties each time
 
snarfing said:
Copia tomato is a favorite of mine. Extremely fruity. But I only eat them for fresh eating. Grow em every year and experiment with a few varieties each time
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I grow most of my tomatoes for fresh eating... and I eat a load of them. From July to October it's a real bonanza...
 
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Here's what I have so far....
Sugar baby watermelon
French breakfast and pusa gulabi reddish
Calabrese sprouting broccoli and asparbroc
Badgerflame beets and golden beets
Honeynut and koginut winter squash
Partial eclipse summer squash
Dragons tongue bush beans
Strawberry bite
Kyoto red and purple dragon carrot
Purple and Rio grande tomatilli
Brown jalapeño and black Hungarian hot pepper
Black lentils
Long island improved Brussels sprouts (represent)
Alice's dream tomato and my saved copia seeds
Bunching onion and american flag leek
Black kabouli chickpea
Purple globe artichoke
Mammoth dill
Slow bolt cilantro
Hamburg rooting parsley

Whew scary to look at all written up.
 
snarfing said:
View attachment 16126
Here's what I have so far....
Sugar baby watermelon
French breakfast and pusa gulabi reddish
Calabrese sprouting broccoli and asparbroc
Badgerflame beets and golden beets
Honeynut and koginut winter squash
Partial eclipse summer squash
Dragons tongue bush beans
Strawberry bite
Kyoto red and purple dragon carrot
Purple and Rio grande tomatilli
Brown jalapeño and black Hungarian hot pepper
Black lentils
Long island improved Brussels sprouts (represent)
Alice's dream tomato and my saved copia seeds
Bunching onion and american flag leek
Black kabouli chickpea
Purple globe artichoke
Mammoth dill
Slow bolt cilantro
Hamburg rooting parsley

Whew scary to look at all written up.
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You let the dog pick out what seeds to sow? That's one smart puppy! :)

The mammoth dill I grow. It's excellent. I keep it on a north wall now and it doesn't bolt. It's my go to for pickling cuc's, peppers and beans.

Best Jalapeño I've ever grown are from seeds from one I bought at a market. Huge peppers.... I pickle more than I the family can eat with a couple of plants.

French breakfast may be my favourite radish. Not too strong and grow so fast. I have left them in the ground too long once and ended up with some mutants. I wish I took pictures.
 
speaking of seeds: i think i need turnip seeds (for after my potatoes). anyone have a variety they like? ive never grown them. Id like to eat the greens + tuber.
 
snarfing said:
ive seen these but i need to look more into them, do you grow them? Leeks are actually a perennial, if you let them go they grow new ones and you just divide them out. part of why i grow them, also cause i love them
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Yes, I do grow them from bulbs and I always end up with too many bulbs by the end of the year. I usually eat the leaves and rarely eat the tiny onions. I love having carefree plants that can take over my garden to some extent. I have not had success with leeks when I tried to grow them in zone 7. By the way I also grow sunchokes but be careful because they can become invasive and turn the area into a jungle. Lol I'm trying to be a carefree gardener not a weed whacker.
 
Tiger garden said:
Yes, I do grow them from bulbs and I always end up with too many bulbs by the end of the year. I usually eat the leaves and rarely eat the tiny onions. I love having carefree plants that can take over my garden to some extent. I have not had success with leeks when I tried to grow them in zone 7. By the way I also grow sunchokes but be careful because they can become invasive and turn the area into a jungle. Lol I'm trying to be a carefree gardener not a weed whacker.
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mine in raised beds so should be fine. ive grown leeks a few years in a row and have done well. they like a bit more shade ime
 
Wow that's an ambitious bunch of gardening. I'm just hoping to grow tomatoes and enough so no one notices when they don't make it inside. and I haven't had luck here with cukes or green beans so maybe just those three under shade cloth and we'll keep our fingers crossed. My three favorite veggies. Will look for copia tomatoes
 
I would grow the potatoes in buckets. They do so much better and are easier to harvest without using up so much space in the raised beds. I'm still harvest potatoes that were grown a year ago as they are cold hardy (perennial) in my zone 7.

I also would not grow squashes/watermelons too close together. They require so much space, nutrients and you could use that area for companion planting. Use the 3 sisters method or a variation (corn, beans, squash). On this note spread out your crops. Do not put all your brassicas in one spot. Brassicas love partial light so I believe some can grow alongside your tomatoes or garlic ect. I have some areas in my yard that did well for tomatoes but the other beds for some reason were horrible for tomatoes. I was glad I didn't put all my tomatoes in one area.
 
Tiger garden said:
I would grow the potatoes in buckets. They do so much better and are easier to harvest without using up so much space in the raised beds. I'm still harvest potatoes that were grown a year ago as they are cold hardy (perennial) in my zone 7.

I also would not grow squashes/watermelons too close together. They require so much space, nutrients and you could use that area for companion planting. Use the 3 sisters method or a variation (corn, beans, squash). On this note spread out your crops. Do not put all your brassicas in one spot. Brassicas love partial light so I believe some can grow alongside your tomatoes or garlic ect. I have some areas in my yard that did well for tomatoes but the other beds for some reason were horrible for tomatoes. I was glad I didn't put all my tomatoes in one area.
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interesting, I do have a trellis arch i was planning on training both vines up, do you think that changes anything re watermelon and honeynut squash?
Ive done potatoes in bags and they did -fine- but my bag space is where my 23 figs will be living this year ;)

My thought process for the brassica /squash bed is i was thinking it could allow for easier spraying since we get SVB and cabbage white pretty bad here. Though I wasnt -sold- on spraying anything yet.


Are you saying instead interplant the broccoli/brussels sprouts/turnips/radish? I could put the broccoli in with the artichoke and move the leeks to where interplant within the squash/later brusselsrpouts, but my thoery was i dont want to risk pulling a leek too early when i unroot the squash late in the season, though I guess i can just chop to the ground.
 
I get aphids, mealy bugs and white flies sometimes. But I also have a lot of lacewings, lady bugs, praying mantis and green anoles. They seem to balance each other out. Scales is probably the exception as the ants farm and protect them. I put borax sugar on the scales to get the ants take them back to the nests. Cucumber beetles and stink bugs don't seem to be on anyone's food menu, so I have to take care of them.

I interplant a lot of garlic, onions, herbs with regular crops.
 
snarfing said:
Hi all. Last frost mid april, first in novemeber. First time doing this much vegetable garden and wondering where improvements can be made. All beds are 8x4 feet. First frost is in November, last frost is in april. Usda heat zone 5 and hardy zone 7a/b.
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My initial thoughts: will i be able to plant again after potatoes or my honeynut /watermelon bed you think? Do need so.ething after bushbeans or can i just keep planting those till frost? I put my heavy pest pressure plants in one bed so i can maybe spray them if i want (brassica and summer squash)
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Great idea for a thread, i should post my own plan as well.

Like you i have designated potatoe plots but i have also added pumpkins and onions.

I attempted a spot for carrots and one for beans but i think the areas do not vet enough sun this time of year so i will adjust.

Have you considered adding herbs into the mix? I did so with oregano
 
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