Fordbook Giant
Expected germination: 4-10 days
Expected harvest: 55 days
18 seeds
06/02: Planted 2 per cell in 9 cells.
06/06: No visible change.
06/10: 18 of 18 (100%) have shoots 1/4″ to 1″ tall.
06/14: 18 of 18 (100%) have shoots 3/4″ to 1-3/4″ tall.
06/19: 18 of 18 (100%) have shoots 2″ to 3-1/2″ tall.
06/21: Planted out.
07/01: Heat stressed – added shade.
07/05: Started occasional outer-leaf-snipping harvest.
07/05: Removed shade.
07/12: Removed approx one third of leaves due to brown patches.
07/14: Brown patches identified as caused by spinach leaf miner.
07/18: No harvesting since 07/12 as MJH prefers larger leaves. Now 7″ to 12″ tall with diameters 9″ to 19″.
07/22: Sprayed with 0.001% spinosad, an organic pesticide.
07/24: 11″ to 20″ tall, with diameters 9″ to 15″. Harvesting remains deferred in favor of continued growth.
07/28: Sprayed with 0.001% spinosad, an organic pesticide.
08/01: 17″ to 23″ tall, with diameters about 16″. Occasional harvest resumed.
08/07: 15″ to 30″ tall, with diameters 12″ to 19″. Occasional harvesting.
08/15: 18″ to 24″ tall. Nearly exhausted.
08/23: 12″ to 27″ tall. Old but still harvesting.
08/30: 11″ to 17″ tall, with diameters 10″ to 18″. Old but still harvesting.
Oregon Sugar Pod II (Livingston)
Expected germination: 8-12 days
Expected harvest: 68 days
36 seeds
06/02: Planted 2 per cell in 18 cells.
06/06: Most have swelled and are now visible at or upon soil surface. 24 of 36 (67%) have shoots 0″ to 1/2″ tall.
06/10: 35 of 36 (97%) have shoots 0″ to 1-3/4″ tall.
06/14: Shoots are too dense to count and mostly 1-1/4″ to 3-1/2″ tall.
06/19: Shoots are too dense to count and mostly 4″ to 5″ tall.
06/23: Planted out.
07/18: Vine mass to 22″ tall.
07/24: Vine mass to 27″ tall. Flowered during last week and a dozen or so pods developed. Started occasional harvest today.
08/01: Vine mass 26″ to 32″ tall. Plants were set back a day or two by the extreme heat but now the daily harvest has resumed.
08/07: Vine mass 28″ to 33″ tall. No pods are present due to heat setback, but new growth has started.
08/15: Vine mass 32″ to 36″ tall. No pods are present due to heat setback, but there are many new flowers.
08/21: Resumed harvest.
08/23: Vine mass 29″ to 34″ tall. Yielding nicely again.
08/29: Sprayed with baking soda (1/2pt at 1t/qt) against (light) powdery mildew.
08/30: Vine mass 26″ to 34″ tall. Several flowers and lots of pods. Yielding nicely.
09/15: Drastic drop in productivity since last week’s hot weather.
American Purple Top
Expected germination: 3-10 days
Expected harvest: 90 days
36 seeds
06/02: Planted 2 per cell in 18 cells.
06/06: 27 of 36 (75%) have shoots 0″ to 1/4″ tall.
06/10: 35 of 36 (97%) have shoots 1/4″ to 3/4″ tall.
06/14: 35 of 36 (97%) have shoots 1″ to 1-1/4″ tall.
06/19: Shoots are too dense to count and mostly 2″ to 3″ tall.
06/23: Planted out.
07/10: Thinned. Leaves and stalks chopped and boiled with dinner.
07/18: 9″ to 14″ tail, with foliage diameters to 24″. Unfortunately shading carrots.
07/19: Found and hosed off some aphid colonies.
07/22: Sprayed with 0.001% spinosad, an organic pesticide.
07/24: Approx 17″ tall, with foliage diameter approx 24″.
08/01: 14″ to 18″ tall, with foliage diameters 29″ to 33″.
08/02: Sprayed some leaves with 0.001% spinosad against aphids.
08/07: Approx 22″ tall, with foliage diameters approx 32″. Crowding cabbage and carrots.
08/12: Powdery mildew.
08/12: Started harvest.
08/15: Approx 22″ tall, with foliage diameters approx 36″. Crowding cabbage and carrots. Powdery mildew.
08/23: Approx 25″ tall, with foliage diameters approx 36″. Crowding cabbage and carrots. Severe powdery mildew.
08/29: Sprayed with baking soda (1/2pt at 1t/qt) against powdery mildew.
08/30: Approx 24″ tall, with foliage diameters approx 30″. Crowding cabbage. Powdery mildew. A few roots formed.
09/15: Leaves dying back despite very little development of storage root. Dug up remaining plants.
Harvest: 74-105 days. Good flavor but only about half yielded usable roots.. Poor crop may be due to limited sun and/or overcrowding.
French Breakfast
Expected germination: 5-7 days
Expected harvest: 23 days
18 seeds (we’re planning on 54 more later)
06/02: Planted 2 per cell in 9 cells.
06/06: 17 of 18 (94%) have shoots 1/2″ to 1″ tall.
06/10: 18 of 18 (100%) have shoots 1/2″ to 1-1/4″ tall.
06/14: 18 of 18 (100%) have shoots 3/4″ to 1-3/4″ tall.
06/19: Shoots are too dense to count and mostly 2″ to 3″ tall.
06/23: Planted out.
06/30: Begin harvest as they become ready.
07/06: End harvest.
Harvest: 28-34 days
Quadrato D’Asti Rosso
Expected germination: 10-12 days
Expected harvest: 95-110 days
9 seeds
06/02: Planted 1 per cell in 9 cells.
06/06: No visible change.
06/10: No visible change.
06/14: No visible change.
06/19: 8 of 9 (89%) have shoots 1/2″ to 1-1/2″ tall.
07/06: 8 of 9 (89%) have shoots 1-1/2″ to 3″ tall.
07/10: 8 of 9 (89%) have shoots 1-1/2″ to 3″ tall.
07/10: Planted out.
07/18: 2-1/2″ to 4-1/2″ tall.
07/24: 4″ to 6″ tall, with foliage diameter 4″ to 7″.
08/01: 6-1/2″ to 7-1/2″ tall, with foliage diameter 9″ to 11″.
08/07: 8″ to 11″ tall, with foliage diameter 12″ to 16″. A few leaves have become twisted/inverted.
08/15: 7″ to 12″ tall, with foliage diameter 13″ to 21″. Healthy looking.
08/23: 13″ to 19″ tall, with foliage diameter approx 16″. Buds just starting to form.
08/30: 13″ to 20″ tall, with foliage diameter 15″ to 18″. Buds not yet opened.
10/09: With nights getting colder we picked the largest pepper – about half the normal dimensions or about an eighth the normal volume.
Wando
Expected germination: 8-12 days
Expected harvest: 68 days
54 seeds
06/02: Planted 2 per cell in 27 cells.
06/06: Most have swelled and are now visible at or upon soil surface. 22 of 54 (41%) have shoots just starting.
06/10: 51 of 54 (94%) have shoots 0″ to 1-3/4″ tall.
06/14: Shoots are too dense to count and mostly 2-1/2″ to 3-1/2″ tall.
06/19: Shoots are too dense to count and mostly 3″ to 6″ tall.
06/23: Planted out.
07/18: Mass is up to 26″ tall with four vines taller at up to 37″. First flowers developing.
07/24: Mass varies from 27″ to 48″ tall. Many flowers and the first few pods are developing.
08/01: Mass varies from 40″ to 63″ tall. Many pods starting to fatten.
08/07: Mass varies from 37″ to 68″ tall. Many pods ready to pick and many still fattening.
08/07: We’ll count the harvest as starting today, although we actually left them on the vines until 08/09 so as to have enough for four people at Sunday lunch.
08/09: Light powdery mildew on leaves facing fence.
08/15: Mass varies from 46″ to 69″ tall. Harvest continues. Powdery mildew on all but newest leaves.
08/19: Heavy powdery mildew. Harvested two small servings.
08/23: Mass varies from 60″ to 70″ tall. Heavy powdery mildew below 52″. Several young pods.
08/29: Sprayed with baking soda (1/2pt at 1t/qt) against powdery mildew.
08/29: Harvested two small portions.
08/30: Mass varies from 36″ to 68″ tall. Lots of powdery mildew. A few young pods.
09/05: Mostly died back, severe powdery mildew, and only a few young pods. Pulled out.
Harvest: 66-88 days, perhaps 6ozs total. Very disappointing.
Harris Model
Expected germination: 15-25 days
Expected harvest: 130 days
54 seeds
06/02: Planted 2 per cell in 27 cells.
06/06: A couple have swelled and are now visible at soil surface.
06/10: Nothing visible, not even the two 06/06 seeds.
06/14: 26 of 54 (48%) have shoots 0″ to 1/2″ tall.
06/19: 44 of 54 (81%) have shoots 1/2″ to 1″ tall.
06/23: Planted out.
07/18: 7″ to 11″ tall. Unfortunately shaded by turnips.
07/24: Approx 14″ tall.
08/01: 11″ to 19″ tall. Storage roots approx 1″ long and 1/4″ to 3/8″ thick.
08/07: 13″ to 24″ tall. Crowded by turnips.
08/15: 18″ to 27″ tall.
08/23: 13″ to 28″ tall.
08/30: 20″ to 26″ tall. Storage roots approx 2-1/2″ long and 3/4″ thick.
09/22: Harvested about a dozen. Storage roots approx 3″ long and 3/4″ thick.
Ferry Morse / Gourmet Green Mixture
Arugula, endive, red kale, red and green romaine, Salad Bowl and Lolla Rossa lettuce.
Expected germination: 7-10 days
Expected harvest: 40-60 days
72 seeds
06/02: Planted 4 per cell in 18 cells.
06/06: 63 of 72 (88%) have shoots 0″ to 1/2″ tall.
06/10: 66 of 72 (92%) have shoots 0″ to 1-1/4″ tall.
06/14: 67 of 72 (93%) have shoots 1/4″ to 1-1/2″ tall.
06/19: Shoots are too dense to count and mostly 2″ to 4″ tall.
06/23: Planted out.
06/27: Started occasional leaf-snipping harvest.
07/18: 3″ to 7″ tall. Leaf harvest continuing.
07/24: 3″ to 6″ tall. Leaf harvest continuing.
08/01: 3″ to 7″ tall. Leaf harvest continuing.
08/07: 3″ to 8″ tall. Leaf harvest continuing.
08/15: 3″ to 5″ tall. Nearly exhausted. Weeds and clover present.
08/23: 3″ to 7″: tall. Getting old. Now mostly endive.
08/30: 2″ to 5″: tall. Getting old. Now mostly endive.
Parris Island
Expected germination: 7-10 days
Expected harvest: 60-70 days
18 seeds
06/02: Planted 2 per cell in 9 cells.
06/06: 11 of 18 (61%) have shoots 0″ to 1/2″ tall.
06/10: 17 of 18 (94%) have shoots 1/4″ to 1/2″ tall.
06/14: 17 of 18 (94%) have shoots 1/2″ to 3/4″ tall.
06/19: 17 of 18 (94%) have shoots 1-1/2″ to 2-1/2″ tall.
06/23: Planted out.
07/07: Started ongoing outer leaf harvest.
07/18: 9″ to 10″ tall, with diameters 8″ to 10″. Leaf harvest continuing.
07/24: 10″ to 12″ tall, with diameters 6″ to 7″. Leaf harvest continuing.
08/01: 10″ to 13″ tall, with diameters 4″ to 8″. Leaf harvest continuing.
08/07: 7″ to 14″ tall, with diameters 3″ to 6″. Appears nearly exhausted.
08/15: 5″ to 9″ tall. Nearly exhausted.
08/23: Approx 7″ tall. Almost lost in weeds.
08/29: We needed the space so we took a small final harvest and dug them up.
Harvest: 35-88 days
Bibb / Limestone
Expected germination: 7-10 days
Expected harvest: 57 days
18 seeds
06/02: Planted 2 per cell in 9 cells.
06/06: 7 of 18 (39%) have shoots 0″ to 1/2″ tall.
06/10: 17 of 18 (94%) have shoots 0″ to 1/2″ tall.
06/14: 16 of 18 (89%) have shoots 1/4″ to 1/2″ tall.
06/19: 16 of 18 (89%) have shoots 1″ to 2″ tall.
06/23: Planted out.
07/07: Started ongoing outer leaf harvest.
07/18: 5″ to 8″ tall, with diameters 6″ to 8″. Leaf harvest continuing.
07/24: 6″ to 9″ tall, with diameters 6″ to 9″. Leaf harvest continuing.
07/28: Still edible but they’re bolting.
08/01: 7″ to 15″ tall, with diameters 4″ to 9″. Leaf harvest continuing.
08/04: Last leaf harvest. Dug up for compost.
Harvest: 35-63 days
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