Your most difficult/frustrating crops

[Jukebox Actual]

I recently watched a video titled "X crops I'd never grow again" and it made me wonder what others found difficult or "not worth it" to plant.

I have been having the most difficult time growing rosemary to an adult plant. I have killed around 60 plants this season. I don't even cook with it often, it just seemed like another easy herb to grow. I am beginning to think the juice isn't worth the squeeze.

What are yours?

 

[Meadowlark]

Easily, by far, the most difficult to grow has been celery. It is a climate thing coupled with the growing requirements. Celery can require up to about 140 days of temps 60 to 70 deg. F... Never going below 40 deg. F or above 80 deg F. That kind of window just does not exist here.

I'm making one perhaps last attempt this year. I started plants from seed back in July in AC controlled environment. Transplanted them into HK containers about two weeks ago. They've already endured above 85 deg F but there is something about those HK containers that really helps protect leafy veggies so I'm hopeful that protection will work here.

For example, growing lettuce I've discovered is relatively easy in HK containers here but virtually impossible in the ground.

So, along come next February, we will see how this turns out. I'll need to "baby" them through several below 40 deg F nights to get there and rely on luck on not too many 85 deg. plus days. After Feb. every day is 85 deg plus here so they have to mature before that hits.. It is an interesting challenge.

 

[Jukebox Actual]

Interestingly enough, I also discovered that my lettuce did better in my HK bed than my in-ground did. Our temps are still above 80F here currently, with only 2 days in the coming weeks that will dip to 79F.

 

[Tetters]

I'm hoping that Zigs will have a go at growing celery, and I think there might be a better chance in our temperatures - but we'll see. Celery is such a useful ingredient, and I like to use it to make mirepoix - an extremely good base for many savoury dishes from our near neighbours on the continent -France and Italy I believe, in particular.
I'm afraid I have lots of flops when it comes to veggies. This year I think my biggest flop was the yardlong beans. There weren't even enough good ones to make a pair of shoe laces -so I will stick with the flowers in future and leave the veg to Lord Awful

 

[Anniekay]

Brussels Sprouts !! I quit trying but, being as stubborn as I can be, I have babies in starter pots. Had them under grow lights but now, no power so they’re hardening off on the porch. They’re fine so far, so we’ll see. And dang it all they’re one of my favorite vegetables!!

 

[big rockpile]

Squash seems wherever I plant it i have a problem with Powdery Mildew.

I'm thinking get after it before it gets started.

big rockpile

 

[Mike]

Last year being our first year gardening, and we may have been lucky, but nothing we planted was very hard to grow.

The toughest was the watermelon, but that was mostly due to us not knowing how to tell when they're ripe. We'll definitely be planting them again this year.

Everything else did pretty darn good of you ask me. I think we're doing everything pretty much the same this year, but rotating where each veggie goes in the garden, so we'll find out if we got lucky or not.

The biggest issue we had was with fire ants but we started spreading fire ant killer about 5 feet around the outside of the garden and that seemed to help.

 

[Tetters]

A successful first year could be seen as a good omen @Mike, and if you think about it, you already learned a whole lot of information from it too.
It's been my philosophy for many years that none of us can or ever will know it all. There is always a new tip or trick to discover. It's also not only what you know, but the conditions around it. The weather is never the same from one day to the next, and the unexpected plague of creatures seems to crop up, sometimes when you least expect them.
You have shown us some of your crops from this first year, and I think you should give yourself a pat on the back! Our own efforts here have not been so good, and it has been the year of the slugs and snails, and we have both been gardening for many years.
Being close to the soil, out in the fresh air, caring for the creatures, and getting the peace of mind that comes with it, as well as good nutritional food for a family is the best occupational hobby there is.

I believe that we neither have the space or the climate to grow watermelon and similar here, and so they have to be off the menu. It's usually too cold. We have to be glad of what we have got!

@Ostrodamus Rosemary, Thyme, and Lavender are all ''Mediterranean'' herbs. They grow best in unfertile ground in a very hot climate. Rosemary is a shrub I have grown a lot of here. Once a plant is watered in - in its infancy, it is best left to fend for itself without feeding and without regular watering.
We use it in dried form or fresh from the bush, but I haven't seen it in a liquid?
When Zigs visited Israel many years ago, he remembers seeing Rosemary growing all over the place.

 

[big rockpile]

I have Lavender doing fine. Didn't have any Rosemary so I bought some.

Was looking in my Greenhouse and my Spearmint is going wild I need to cut it. I'm letting my Garlic Chives go some so they will go to seed and give me more.

big rockpile

 

[Tetters]

I have often wondered @big rockpile how your pineapples did? Were they successful?

 

[big rockpile]

I have often wondered @big rockpile how your pineapples did? Were they successful?

Just had one and it was great. Have four little ones that will be ready in about two years.

big rockpile