Worst Year Ever

[barbamWY]

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

[barbamWY]

I grew Gregori's Altai in the past. Maybe I should add that one to my list.
I see Soldacki is listed in Carolyn's book.

[whoose]

2019 for Montana was even worst. Froze in June snowed in September. The greenhouse did not even produce up to normal.

[barbamWY]

Yes Montana was cold too. And no apples on my trees or my families in Montana. I only got one squash to ripen. The pumpkins were still green. I hope we don't get another year like that.

[Labradors2]

I always grow some compacts in 3 gallon containers, mainly to get a jump on the season, but they might work for those with tricky weather because they can be brought inside (or under cover) during inclement weather. My container plants last year were pretty much Septoria-free because I was able to shelter them from the rain.

Some good candidates for 3-gallon pots (which mature early) are: Maglia Rosa, Pipo, Jagodka and Russian Cherry.

Linda

[zipcode]

Azoychka has been consistently quite early. Gold Nugget produces a lot of very early cherrys, surprisingly so, but sensitive to disease. Although it doesn't have a fame for earliness, Indian Stripe and Cherokee purple are fairly early, and especially they tend to make a high, concentrated first crop on the first two trusses if pollination was good.

[Tormato]

Manitoba & Latah




Soldacki is fairly late for me, and is the only variety that consistently has radial and concentric cracking at the same time. Fruits can look like a pink mini disco ball. It does have great flavor.



I'll recommend Pervaya Lyubov, an early tasty beefsteak.

[PaulF]

Sorry to hear about bad years. It does happen to everyone once in a while. We had the "worst year ever" a couple years ago. Last year was the best I can remember. Here's hoping this year is better. For me that is what makes gardening interesting...fighting the weather along with everything else.

[JRinPA]

I hope everything turns out well for you two this year. The apple trees will be loaded if they didn't make anything last year. They'll probably need to be thinned heavily if a lot of flowers make it through without a bad frost and it could still be a bumper crop. At least, that is how our pear tree works.

[Tracydr]

So sorry about the weather.
2nweeks ago I had to built a greenhouse around my blueberries. In full bloom with a hard freeze coming. Thank goodness the othe fruit trees hadn’t blossomed yet.
Our winter has been too mild with a few freees thrown in. Last summer was bugs and drought which was bad on tomatoes but ok for peppers.
I ended up using about 20 gallons of green tomatoes at the end of the year in green Chile stew because they were going to rot from stink bugs and army worms. The good thing is tat I keep learning how to deal with this southeastern growing season. I’ve only been here 5.5 years.
I did live in CO most of my life and up north of Wellington when stationed in Cheyenne for four years. I remember snow and freeze every month if he year at one point or another and my mother would always have a basement full of green tomatoes on newspaper in September.
I do actually miss that part of the world but lots to love here,too.

[barbamWY]

Originally Posted by Tormato

Manitoba & Latah




Soldacki is fairly late for me, and is the only variety that consistently has radial and concentric cracking at the same time. Fruits can look like a pink mini disco ball. It does have great flavor.



I'll recommend Pervaya Lyubov, an early tasty beefsteak.

I ordered some Pervaya Lyubov seeds. I am glad I did not order Manitoba or Latah. Love the puke emojis.
Thanks,
Barb

[barbamWY]

Originally Posted by zipcode

Azoychka has been consistently quite early. Gold Nugget produces a lot of very early cherrys, surprisingly so, but sensitive to disease. Although it doesn't have a fame for earliness, Indian Stripe and Cherokee purple are fairly early, and especially they tend to make a high, concentrated first crop on the first two trusses if pollination was good.

Indian Stripe usually does pretty good for me. I loved Black Early but it is hard to find the seed. My cousin who lives in Canada got the seed for me a few years ago. I think Black Giant is very close. I do love Cherokee Purple but Black Giant is slightly earlier. I grew Azoychka but it did not do well for me. I can't remember the issue. I think I pulled it up due to disease. I guess I should try it again.
Barb

[RJGlew]

Saraev 0-33

[asmx91]

Hello,
in Germany the weather is bad since 2 years, it is hot, hot and hot.
Good were by me:
Father Frost - Dedusha Moroz
Frühzauber
Natrue's Riddle - Zagadka Prirody
Juni - my earliest "Dwarf" from Russia
an yellow Coctail from Hamburg (very cold and vet climate)
French Cherry
Ernteglück
If you want I can send you seeds - but my seeds were older, you must try them
asmx

[barbamWY]

Is there a commercial source for some of the colder climate European seeds? I have never ordered from a European company. Or is there a source you use in the states?
Barb