I’ve been researching what I want to grow next summer and already have a pretty good idea of what I’m going to plant.
Tomatoes!
They grew so well this year and were so tasty, so I am going to make them the central crop for next year. Though the three varieties from this summer performed well, they were small fruited and less suited to my cooking needs. After lusting for all the fancy varieties at Laurel’s Heirloom Tomato Plants and TomatoFest, I decided on four varieties that I will start from seed next spring.
- Sophie’s Choice – A very small, bushy plant that produces very early. Fruit are regular red globes, 8-10 oz.
- San Marzano – Semi-determinate plant that make lots of red, plum-type tomatoes that ripen mid-season. These are good for sauces and tomato paste.
- Black Sea Man – Satisfying my desire for a unique looking tomato, these are dark burgundy with green shoulders and are 12-16 oz a pop.
- New Big Dwarf – This was the only beefsteak kind I saw that is a determinate, making is better suited for container growing. As with all tomatoes it’s size it ripens late in the season and gets 1 lb+, but the plant only gets about 2′ tall.
I’m very excited about this variety and I’ll let you know how they perform. If my ambitious seed-starting program doesn’t go very well I will get starters at the farmer’s market again, probably another Sweet 100, a Better Boy and an Early Girl and maybe something else. They aren’t as specially suited for container life, but I think they will be ok.
Peppers
No jalapeno and bells next year. I want poblanos for stuffing and pepperoncini for pickling. The poblanos should be no problem to find starters for, but I’ll have to grow the pepperoncini from seed.
Salad Greens
They grow while it’s still cool, so I’ll buy a long trough and have them both in the spring and fall. I imagine I’ll buy a mescalin seed mix and call it a day, but it is hard to resist the urge to try more interesting things like swiss chard and kale.
Snow Peas
Not sure what kind yet, but I can direct sow these also while it’s cool. I love these raw and in stir fry, but they can be expensive at the store and I hear they freeze well.
Flowers
I’m the most undecided here. I’m pretty sure I want morning glories to trellis up the dividing wall between our deck and our neighbors, maybe poppies, maybe some columbine. I will probably decide on a whim at the last second depending on the selection.
Herbs
Basil again, for sure. And probably catnip for the cats and maybe some spearmint? I’d do more, but space is at a prime.
