Gardeners: What produce are you growing this season?

my spaghetti squash was a bust last year.. very very small.. any suggestions on what to try this year? I am gonna try an eggplant, even though i don't usually eat eggplant

If you can successfully grow pepper, then you should be fine growing eggplant. I've personally never had a problem with them (growth wise or pest wise).

I grew spaghetti squash a few years ago but since I'm not a huge fan of them and a neighbor of mine always over-plants them, they didn't make the cut the last couple of years. However, I noticed that they can be tricky to grow like the luffa gourds. They need a fairly long growing season. Here in WY, that means I have to start them indoors, not always ideal for squash since they can be finicky transplants. Put them out at least two weeks after your last frost since they are very cold intolerant.

Like all squash, they need regular water that keeps the soil damp but not water logged. Soaker hoses can be extremely useful for this. You can just soak an area each morning for 15-20 minutes before it gets hot and they should be fine for water. If you're into plasticulture, then plastic on the ground will not only help warm early spring ground (if that's an issue in your area) but it will also maintain the ground's moisture level. It also reduces the need for watering (useful in semi arid climates like mine) since far less evaporation can occur and less weeding, if using black plastic, since the weeds can't come through. Just be aware that hot mid summer temps can then backfire on you with the plastic so you might have to double mulch with something that will keep the sun from directly hitting the plastic (yard grass clippings, wood chips, etc).

Since I don't know your micro climate, there are a number of reasons why yours didn't flourish. Possibilities include:

Poor pollination due to a lack of pollinating insects
Hard packed soil since they like loose soil. Avoid stepping in the root area and keep foot traffic to between rows
Inconsistent water since they are water lovers.
Or poor soil nutrients. They aren't heavy feeders but they can do with a light feeding right after the male flowers have dropped off.

However, since you said they were small, they might have been overcrowded. A lot of gourds will under-produce if the plants are too closely spaced. They need about 3 - 5 feet between parent plants. Also make sure that they are regularly weeded since, as I'm sure you already know, you don't want weeds competing for the water and nutrients.

That's about all I can think of at the moment but I hope this helps. Good luck!

Tomatoes (a large variety)
Peppers (a large variety)
Green beans
Peas
Lettuce
Spinach
Squash (a large variety)
Blackberries (have a couple thornless upright bushes and love them)
Caroline raspberries
Black cherries
Tristar Strawberries
Mignonette Strawberries
Apples
Pears
White Currants
Elderberries
Mulberries
Blueberries
Plums
Einslet Grapes
Herbs (a large variety)

Newly planted this year:

Olympian Fig
Flavor Delight Aprium
Crimson and Gold Flowering Quince
All-in-One Almond
Nanking Cherry (2)
Emerald Carpet Raspberry (2)
Aurore grapevine

I think I'm jealous of your growing environment based on some of those. Figs! I wish I could.

I think I'm jealous of your growing environment based on some of those. Figs! I wish I could.

Well, I'm in the NW, so when it comes to some fruit trees, I do have to choose my varieties carefully in order to have any success -- the Olympian fig, for example, was discovered in this area and, unlike many figs, is cold-hardy and a reliable producer in cool/coastal climates.

Fortunately, I'm trained in Google Fu. :happy:

The google fu is strong with you.

Maybe I'll look into a varietal that can survive here, though I won't hold my breath. What I need is a miniature variety so I could add it to my orchard of two trees, one mini orange and one mini lemon, that make the circuit from indoor to outdoor depending on the season and overnight temps.