Mine has been Shimonita onions. Started them out in the greenhouse, transplanted in early May, many of them grew to nearly 2' in dia. They're a beautiful plant as well, with big, fat air-filled leaves that you can pop like a balloon.

Right now, they're hollowing out and getting ready to shoot up a flower stalk, so I'm kind of in a dilemma of what to do with approx 200 left - which is a maybe 4 wheel barrow loads with all the leaves. I've eaten / processed / sold well over half of what I grew - this is another example of how much trouble you can get in with $5 worth of vegetable seed.

Here is a link that might be useful: link

So, David, this Shimonita onion must be a Japanese bunching onion, eh?

E v e r y b o d y who enjoys onions and gardens should grow Japanese bunching onions!

. . . just my 2â.

And here I thought you would say, "Rainy's Maltese tomatoes!" . . . by the way, about 20 Picador shallots are out of the ground and getting ready for their long winter's sleep. Really, I could spare 3 or 4 to learn how they taste but I want to have enuf for a crop in '11.

I will learn if they hold their purple color better than the Prisma that I have. The answer looks like it will be yes. The Prisma is kind of an ugly shade of brown rather than the purple they were when pulled from the ground.

S'

There were so many new things fore me this year that it is almost hard to remember!

The one new thing that blew us away the most was the red bunching onions from baker heirloom seeds. Oh, so darn tasty and with some kind of subtle flavour that I can't put my finger on. I'll plant twice as much next time! The chives I usually plant come back each year, not sure if these will though as I pulled up whole plants rather than chopping some off the top. I hope they come back as I did leave a couple in the ground.

I was also very impressed with the champion radish and the beets. I'd never tried those before, any kind of radish or beet!

I was bummed about the basil, also a first for me, as it barely got going before it was burned by the frost. I salvaged three little plants and brought them in. Hopefully, they will make it.

Oh, the mesclun mixes were really fun! They obviously don't get burned by frost and just keep coming back after I chop them off for salads. I did not start my arugula seeds because the spicy mesclun mix contained arugula.

The mustard greens were so much fun until they bolted, same with the bok choy. Maybe I did something wrong? Was I supposed to cut those off at the base? Mine never filled in like the kind in the store, they just looked bedraggled and bloomed quickly. Oh, well, I'll still try them next year because they were so delicious in salads!

The teeny, tiny red fig tomato that I picked up at the spring swap has apparently never heard of the old "tomatoes don't do well in the frost" adage because I have forgotten to bring it in for four frosts now and it just doesn't care! It hasn't fruited, oh well, but it seems so happy just the same. I actually am hoping it will fruit inside. it is in the window, getting endless hours of direct light and has quite a few blooms. We shall see. I would try it again.

I'd also try the green zebra tomato again--it, too, has absolutely no sign of any frost damage and the fruits are coming along nicely. No, not quickly, just nicely.

Posted by jclepine. . .
The mustard greens were so much fun until they bolted, same with the bok choy. Maybe I did something wrong? Was I supposed to cut those off at the base? Mine never filled in like the kind in the store, they just looked bedraggled and bloomed quickly. . .

It is just how they respond to stress, J. They bolt to seed.

Too cold or too hot - it doesn't seem to matter.

South China must be a place with little weather stress for long periods of time. I have to grow Chinese cabbage under plastic as a protected environment.

S'

Ah, but I'd just come in from pulling and trimming 50 odd onions, so it was on my mind. The Shimonita isn't so much a bunching onion, think more of a leek like habit.

jclepine, those red bunching onions sound good. Alliums are one thing that does seem to do well with our 'interesting' weather conditions. Onions, leeks, garlic, shallots for more northern latitudes, etc. Another good find this year is that Tochliavri (thanks, Peter) garlic, but I still need to figure out when to pull it for maximum yield. A 3" dia head isn't out of the question.

Re bunching onions, last year I'd planted a bed of Evergreen bunching onion, which were touted as being great for over-wintering. Boy, did they, and all went to seed. But, as I'm learning, that doesn't stop the plant, or its baby bunches, from continuing to grow the next year, and the seeds sprout, and one ends up with a bed full of half-rotten onion, brand new onion, and some bunches mixed in there. To top it all off, these things are onions, so pulling them out of the ground and leaving them there to dry up and die doesn't work, they just keep on sprouting roots and tops. Nor does weed whacking them then smothering them with a foot thick layer of grass clipping do much. We're talking one tough plant, and who ever named these things "Evergreen" may have done so out of frustration. So, with a bed of these things running 30 foot long and 4 ' wide, I may end up calling in a bull dozer.

That Rainy's Maltise is some tomato - one vine is at least 6 ft in dia, a huge ball. I sure wouldn't call it 'mild' though.

You know, I've grown bunching onions for about 20 years, including that Evergreen (He-Shi-Ko, Nebuka). Yet, I've never overwintered them.

After that story, David, I don't think I ever will.

In many ways, I am an "anti-perennial" gardener. I got 'em in the flower beds and all those dahlias could be called perennials but I'm perfectly willing to pull 'em and cultivate the bed anew.

But perennials . . . quack grass and bindweed are what keep me to the "clean cultivation" cycle going into winter. I am even unwilling to replant the shallots, even tho' they should be fine over-wintered like garlic.

I have nightmares about those weeds . . . Maybe, I need counseling.

digitS'

Hmmmm ... I tried so many new things this year, not sure which ones to mention.

Since you guys seem to be discussing onions, I'll start there. This is my first year to direct sow onion seeds, and I tried Ailsa Craig. Haven't pulled them yet, but I have to say I'm impressed with their size. They are every bit as big as the ones I did from sets the last couple of years. Seems like I read to pull them, and leave them out in the sun for a day or two. Is that right?

Tried numerous new-to-me tomatoes and peppers, but I'll leave those for a separate discussion, besides, most of them are just now starting to get ripe, so haven't tasted most of them yet.

Tomatillos are new to me this year. Just tasted one, and threw a couple in some Taco Soup, but can't even describe the taste. Thought it would be more tomato-like in texture, but the flesh is more firm, and fruit like, rather than gelatinous. Anyway, hoping to get enough to make a batch of salsa verde.

Also a first for me is lima type beans. I grew Jackson Wonder, and Dixie Speckled Butterpea. Kept waiting for the pods to fill out, like a string bean would, and they never did. Then the pods started drying out, and I realized that they had been ready a long time, and just grow similar to a snowpea in shape. Duh! Anyway, decided to pretend it was intentional and let all the pods dry, and use them as dry beans instead of fresh. They are a lot of fun for the kids, since they pop open with the slightest touch, and they love opening the little pods.

I've tried melons a couple of times, without success, but this is the first year we have actually harvested ripe ones. So far, we've eaten an Orangeglo watermelon, which was tasty, but more yellow than orange inside; one that I think was a Tigger, which didn't have much taste at all; a Collective Farm Woman, which tasted like a Honeydew; and one Golden Midget, which could have used more time on the vine, but the vine died back prematurely. I also have three Noir de Carmes sitting on the counter that I hope to try this evening. So are the melons supposed to slip from the vine before harvesting? If not, how do you know when they are ready?

Okra ... need to do better with this one next time. I grew it in containers to try and increase the soil temps, which seemed to work, but didn't realize they were supposed to be harvested young, and let them go until they were large and woody. Finally gave up and let them just go to seed. I'll probably try again, but need to be more diligent about checking and harvesting. Also, can they be put in the fridge until I have enough for a meal, or do they need to be eaten right away?

First year for winter squash too, and there are some that I think are almost ready, the stems are starting to turn tan, but again, not sure if I should wait a bit longer still.

You can see that I sure don't have it all figured out just yet, but it is fun experimenting with new things each year.

Bonnie

Bonnie, maybe I can help with some of your questions. Re onions, if the tops have fallen over, I'd go ahead and pull them out and lay them on newspaper / cardboard somewhere to dry out for a couple of weeks - then snip off the top, brush off the roots and dirt, and they should store pretty well for most of the winter. If the tops haven't fallen over, I'd leave them in the ground until a hard freeze is coming, then pull them, bending over the top right at the bulb, and proceed as before.

For winter squash, I'd leave them on the vine until you get a freeze, and then pick them the night before - leave the stem on them. I set them on newspaper/card board as well to let them cure for a couple of weeks, and they'll last well into next year.

How big did your okra plants get in the containers? I'm going to try that next year, because in the garden, in rarely is warm enough for them to really do well. I pick okra when its about 3" long and still really tender, and yes, you can stick them in the fridge in a bag with damp paper towel until you get enough. Okra pickles are a big favorite here.

I did okra for the first time this year and it has done really well. So well that 2 weeks ago I pulled 2 of the 6 plants that I had going as I couldn't eat or give them away fast enough. Also they were overgrowing some peppers that need all the sun that they can get.

Huckleberries were new for me this year. One plant did really well but the other has faded. They have an okay taste when fully ripe and produce lots of small berries.

While not veggies but they are in the veggie garden I've done alot of cover crops for the first time this year including buckwheat, white dutch clover, alfalfa, hairy vetch, Austrian winter peas and crimson clover.

Also I grew endive this year for the first time starting in the spring. It's a bit bitter unless the outer leaves are tied together then the heart is quite tasty. I'm trying some this fall, it's supposed to be fairly hardy in cold weather, I'll see how it works out. The handful I started maybe 5 weeks ago look good and the few I planted a week ago are just germinating.

Posted by highalttransplant . . . So are the melons supposed to slip from the vine before harvesting? If not, how do you know when they are ready?

I believe the answer is that some should slip and some not, Bonnie.

I've had trouble with new melons. They are all reruns in my garden this year with the exception of Edonis, which I had hoped could replace Honey Girl. I am afraid that Edonis isn't proving to be a convincing substitute. The problem seems to be that it is so late ripening that I'm not sure if it is going to make it! Of course, Honey Girl might have had the same problem but it looks like I'd better plan on an order from Burpee in '11.

Anyway, I find that these Charentais melons require the "sniff test." I just have a real hard time seeing any external changes. Not being able to trust my eyes, I go with the nose.

Sugar Baby watermelon vines tend to die back when the melon ripens. Otherwise, not much seems to be going on with the fruit.

The other melons that I've raised for a few years now, Fastbreak cantaloupe and Passport galia melon, have visible changes to the rind. Watch for those . . . and there's information in some of the catalogs about slipping for specific varieties. That's about the best I can suggest. It helps to have a few extra that can go under the knife and be sacrificed in the Name of Science, of course.

S'

My new stuff:

o Tried 'Millionaire' okra. Produced very poorly. Back to 'Clemson Spineless' if'n I can get it.

o Left bolted arugula by cukes and butternuts, helped attract pollinators there & new standard.

o Went recycle bin diving in desperation for 2 L pop bottles for seedling protection from critters. Works very well. Will keep doing.

o Tried 'Tigger' melon. Only half the fam likes it. May cut back on space allowed next year.

o Separated some bell peppers from the bunch, almost 1/2 frs got sunscald. Will ensure all bells are stuck in middle of patch.

o Only grew 1 eggplant instead of two. Much lower production. Not sure what to do next year, as ratatouille is all the fam likes eggplant for (neighbors claim to like it...).

o I find that these Charentais melons require the "sniff test."
- I look for ants on my stems. Then they are ready to go. The wind will knock them off when ready, too.

o I grew too many vars of softneck garlic this year, after fam wanted more vars for roasting. We haven't roasted one single head so far (we'll see when snowing outside) and we all loved the pesto from scapes much more this year for some reason. Planting more hardneck this year, keeping the best producing softnecks.

o Some of the field mushrooms I found and sporulated in the lawn are fruiting this year, apparently I did things properly. Hopefully next year we can start to have a meal or two with them. Will propagate more when I get them.

o My squash and zuke in containers didn't overproduce, but next year I will bump up size just a bit, put a bit more time-release fert in potting soil, and maybe a bit more liquid fert application.

o I used cattle panel pieces to hold up my peppers instead of a stick and tie. Much better & my standard from now on.

o I relied too much on a cover for the potatoes to deter CPB rather than my eyes and Bt. Won't do that again.

All I can think of for now...

Dan

What's with all this interest in okra? Seems like I tried it once but it must have been back in the Pleistocene. Apparently, it has a reasonable chance here in the Inter-mountain West?

o I relied too much on a cover for the potatoes to deter CPB rather than my eyes and Bt. Won't do that again.

Dan, I can't find the Bt san diego that I've used with good results in the past. The story is that it is a GMO so has fallen from use by organic growers and it has been pretty much removed from the shelves.

Bt tenebrionis is evidently effective on potato bugs but I can't seem to find it either! Spinosad has potato beetles on its list but I waited too late to try it. The eggplant that was planted early was damaged beyond hope! The stuff planted late in another garden doesn't look like it has a chance of producing anything. Dismaying . . .

Anyway, I had hoped to concentrate on positives . . . The CPB didn't find my potatoes!

S'