Survived through the winter without protection:
-kohlrabi

Grew back without protection:
-garlic chive
-hamburg rooted parsley
-onion/walking onion
-asian/chinese celery (sorry don't know the exact name)

I lied about my intention to not spend too much money this season. Spent a few hundreds on trellis.

I expanded the squash trellis top layer from 7ft wide to 21ft wide, which cost about $90. This was 2019, so this year there's a lot more sprawling space. Also bought 7ft staking kits for my five Earthboxes. These cost almost $40 each, coming out to $220 after shipping and tax. Extremely overpriced but I guess that's the price of convenience. I am very much intending to grow Rapunzel F1 single stemmed up this trellis to get that long trusses. Searching for "Earthbox trellis" on Google images will reveal a lot of ideas for cheaper. Earthbox website does sell individual parts for the staking kit. You could just buy essential parts and provide your own 1/2" conduit and netting, and possibly save 25% or more depending on your ingenuity.

Also FYI, previously Earthbox sold their 4-pack caster wheels for $20, now they have lowered the price to $10. Shipping seems to be $10 if you buy 4 set of them, and higher starting from 5.

The three yacon rooted cuttings I grew in growbags last year produced some small tubers. I will grow one of the yacon crown in a big container, and put two in the ground. It's nicked named 'ground apple', I wouldn't say it taste like an apple, but it has a soft but crunchy texture. It taste better and sweeter if left in the fridge and shave off the skin. I only eat it raw. It doesn't provide calories so more of a prebiotic and possibly has some micronutrients.

The yacon plant had issues with aphids underneath the leaves. And there was something eating the leaves between the leaf veins, so I had to use diatomaceous earth.

Very nice job! How do you like your metal raised beds? I invested in a couple and will be trying them for the first time this year.

Those earth boxes and trellis look great. But I can't get a picture of them out of my mind, of them scooting off down the road carried by the wind. But brilliant if you need to reposition during the day to get Sun exposure

Texgal wrote: ↑Mon Apr 05, 2021 2:03 pm Very nice job! How do you like your metal raised beds? I invested in a couple and will be trying them for the first time this year.

You want get these standard ones, which are thicker. The colorful ones are thinner and I'm certain they won't last as long.

There will be three days of freezing night temps left, so I bought an extremely overpriced raised mini greenhouse. Gave it a little make over, an additional double layer of fleece, a wheel on each leg, and a rack inside to hold more plants. It's well protected from wind so no worry about getting blown over.

It's tiny, but I only need it to protect young plants from forst. I can break out the double layered low tunnels if I want to grow more things.

It looks like the bottom might be insulated? That would make a difference.
I found that raising off the ground at all, made a big difference to plant tolerance of cold outdoor temperatures.
But when that wasn't enough, I put a row of flat sided juice bottles filled with water underneath the plant trays. Really good for those windy days.

Very nice.

Found at Aldi for $40, so I thought why not. Quite flimsy on it's own so I gave it support with the t-posts.

It's at least 2 weeks past my last frost date and still got down to freezing temp yesterday. I wasn't prepared for the unusual cold of this spring at all and is running behind.

Finally fed up so I removed those two green steel beds and built cold frames. My first attempt, 1" planks but treated, facing south too. Pretty happy with the results. I am aware those tiny lid hinges are not ideal.

Should be more prepared for next year, and will have low tunnel for the other raised beds too.

You sure did a beautiful job for an unplanned build! They are perfect for this years spring.

Barely getting started here after a delayed cold spring. This week is uncharacteristically hot in the high 80s.

Also I have sown maybe 10 packets of lettuce seeds weeks ago and zero has germinated, so I'm guessing those seeds must be no longer viable. I bought them 2-4 years ago.

Better Belle II F1 peppers Meaning to transplant 2 beefsteak tomatoes here each side. On the left the hamburg rooted parsley survived last winter and starting to flower.
These trellises are Aldi's Belavi Trellis costing $10, which they sell in their Aldi's Find section sometime in May, but seems to be sold in selected stores and is sold out in 24-48 hours. Better Belle II Slugs ate every single bean plants sown in the ground. Had to start them again in trays and spread some Sluggo. I think the chipmunk digs up the beans and hid them in my random grow bags too. The chipmunk also like to chew the stem of my corn and cucumber seedlings. I'm buying a cage trap. Tasty Green F1 cucumber

Dan Follette's Picolo Gato, F8. Saved from one plant last year which produced nice uniformed trusses unlike the rest. The characteristic seems to repeat this time. They are definitely one of the earliest producing.

Lots of work but looking good!

Wouldn't it be nice to have this truss trait stabilized! Good job.

Everything looks so beautiful!

That Picolo Gato is such a cute plant.
You're lucky to find such nice trellises at such a good price.

Black Beauty
Had lots of diseases with them in Florida. First time growing in Ohio, seems to like the low humidity. Dark leaves and very bushy plant, large fruit clusters, lots of flowers. Black Cherry
The easiest to grow and most vigorous tomato variety. Copper River
A semi-dwarf copper/green beefsteak. Doesn't get very tall, 5-6ft. Dark and textured, almost rugose like leaves. Does well in 5-7gallon containers from past experience. Good for patio and balcony I wager. Esterina F1
First time growing, it seems to be the most vigorous plant, tall and bushy. Girl Girl Weird Thing
Very beautiful and uniformed fibonacci like sequence of the leaves. Not very tall, but can become very bushy and heavy plant needing lots of support. Great White Blue
A white blue beefsteak tomato. Very productive and produces big fruit clusters, but require maximum sun or it won't produce well. The branches are thin and require good trellis support to not break from the fruits weight. Maglia Rosa
Similar to Blush, very wispy leaves and bushy, so I expect it won't be too tall and go to around 5ft. Rapunzel F1
Durable stem, tall growing with dark grayish leaves. Can become quite bushy without maintenance. I am single stemming it. Sunrise Bumble Bee
Similar to Pink Bumble Bee, short plant and the branches grows a bit stiff and less flexible, usually gets 5ft tall and fits perfectly in typical tomato cage. Should be ideal for patio/balcony. Curtis Cheek
frost damage recovery. Oxheart so its a slower growing seedling, thin vine, will become very bushy and prolific late in the season. Opalka
frost damage recovery, still haven't had great success with this one, finger cross for a good harvest. One of the slower growing seedling.

I doubt there's just one.

Cutest animals in the world, but such pests! I have a garden and yard full of them. No matter what havoc they wreak, I can't stay mad at them for long.