Worst Year Ever

barbamWY · January 30, 2020

I have been gardening most of my 60 plus years and 2019 was so depressing it is hard to get excited about 2020. We had a cold wet spring that brought on disease and we had frost up until mid June. We then had a couple of weeks of hot summer weather. The tomato plants dropped their blossoms. Then we had snow the first of October. The sugar beet farmers had 30% of their crops freeze in the fields. I usually successfully grow Stump of the World, Pink Honey, Chapman, Kellogg's Breakfast and others but I had to pick them green. Our local CSA farmer who grows plants with me for our plant sale called me in Nov. thinking about not growing for our sale. He changed his mind. I grow about 20 flats for our sale and he does over 60. So here is our list: Bloody Butcher, Cosmonaut Volkov, Legend, Sweet Tangerine, Green Zebra, Mountain Fresh, Goliath, Early Wonder (TGS), North Dakota Earliana, Sheyenne, Black Giant, Chalks Early Jewel, Mountain Majesty, Russian Rose, Heidi, Sun Sugar, Juliet, Fargo Yellow Pear, Sweetie and Gardener's Delight. I dropped most of the later varieties. I have been looking at Manitoba, Latah, Soldaki, Millet's Dakota, Betalux, and Roma Napoli. Anyone grown any of these? We have grown Stupice, Glacier, Kimberly etc. in the past and looking for something different. If you are zone 4 what works for you?
Thanks so much for letting me vent.
Barb

January 30, 2020	#1
barbamWY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: North West Wyoming Posts: 466	Worst Year Ever I have been gardening most of my 60 plus years and 2019 was so depressing it is hard to get excited about 2020. We had a cold wet spring that brought on disease and we had frost up until mid June. We then had a couple of weeks of hot summer weather. The tomato plants dropped their blossoms. Then we had snow the first of October. The sugar beet farmers had 30% of their crops freeze in the fields. I usually successfully grow Stump of the World, Pink Honey, Chapman, Kellogg's Breakfast and others but I had to pick them green. Our local CSA farmer who grows plants with me for our plant sale called me in Nov. thinking about not growing for our sale. He changed his mind. I grow about 20 flats for our sale and he does over 60. So here is our list: Bloody Butcher, Cosmonaut Volkov, Legend, Sweet Tangerine, Green Zebra, Mountain Fresh, Goliath, Early Wonder (TGS), North Dakota Earliana, Sheyenne, Black Giant, Chalks Early Jewel, Mountain Majesty, Russian Rose, Heidi, Sun Sugar, Juliet, Fargo Yellow Pear, Sweetie and Gardener's Delight. I dropped most of the later varieties. I have been looking at Manitoba, Latah, Soldaki, Millet's Dakota, Betalux, and Roma Napoli. Anyone grown any of these? We have grown Stupice, Glacier, Kimberly etc. in the past and looking for something different. If you are zone 4 what works for you? Thanks so much for letting me vent. Barb