this years garden

[Rush2112]

As my garden season ends, I suppose some of you are getting ready for planting or may already have seedlings going. Wanted to share some experiences I had, maybe helpful.

best surprise: red russian kale. tried to grow kale for the first time and was pleasantly suprised at how productive and easy to grow it was. We have been clipping off kale for the past 4 months and still have an abundance of kale. Kale actually prefers cooler climates so may grow even better in the UK. I can see the plants here wilting in the affternoon heat so think I'll harvest the entire lot over the next week or two. Going to try to preserve by dehydrating some and canning some in a vinegar solution.

biggest disappointment: corn/maize. tried again with a different variety and same results: attacked by insects, all lost. I've tried several different varieties over the years and come to the conclusion I cannot grow corn without use of insecticide. So no more corn for now.

tomato fungus: got widespread fungus just as fruiting began. Sprayed with soap/water solution and had great results. Killed fungus over night, infected foliage wilted. new growth was ok.

our survival crops: sweet potatoes, yellow beans, yellow squash, kale,tomatoes

we also grow peppers and romaine lettuce, but if we were dependent on the food to eat this space would be used for something else.

IMO, this gives us a decent start in food production in combination with some fruit trees, herbs and berry bushes. TPTB dont allow any livestock in our area.

Good luck to all of you starting out this season! What do you consider your survival crops?