Most of the northern hemisphere is done with the gardening season.
What are some lessons you can share with other gardeners so we can all grow together?
I personally learned to germinate seeds outside of soil for better success rates. I used a moist paper towel and Ziploc bag method, which worked best for me. This helped me control the conditions for germination.
Chancey said:
You only need one cherry tomato plant.
I suggest you grow two. One lesson I’ve learned is that it’s a real downer when one plant dies off early or mid-season, and you don’t get any of that kind all year. If you only have one, it’s fine, but if it’s the only cherry type you have and it dies, you won’t have any cherries.
@Fifer
Exactly! If you plant just one, it might die. If you plant two, there’s a chance of one surviving. If you plant more than you can eat, they’ll all thrive.
Chancey said:
You only need one cherry tomato plant.
You need different colors! One Sungold and one SuperSweet 100 should work well.
Don’t forget to include a black cherry tomato…
Chancey said:
You only need one cherry tomato plant.
I grew seven this year 
… Just a couple next year, maybe one of the black cherry varieties.
Chancey said:
You only need one cherry tomato plant.
I grew seven this year … Just a couple next year, maybe one of the black cherry varieties.
Those are my favorite. I usually grow at least eight cherry plants; people eat them faster than I can grow them.
Chancey said:
You only need one cherry tomato plant.
I had six plants. So many small tomatoes. It’s November and I’m still picking them. I still have tiny green ones even though we have freezing temperatures this weekend.
Zone 7B
Chancey said:
You only need one cherry tomato plant.
I had one cherry tomato plant and got about 20 tomatoes. I experienced a lot of blossom drop, probably because of the heat (it was mostly 90+ with high humidity in zone 6b) and I didn’t know they could be put in partial shade. Most of the leaves got fried. I managed to move it under a tree later, and new leaves grew, but the blossom drop continued. I planted it in a pot. I wish I had planted several.
@Jaden
You need a big pot for tomatoes. They drink a lot of water, and in full sun, they likely need to be watered every day. I’d say at least ten gallons minimum.
Whit said:
@Jaden
You need a big pot for tomatoes. They drink a lot of water, and in full sun, they likely need to be watered every day. I’d say at least ten gallons minimum.
I used 7 and 10-gallon fabric grow bags this summer. I’ve already bought some 15-gallon and 20-gallon bags for next year.
Chancey said:
You only need one cherry tomato plant.
Nah.
So many lessons learned.
Groundhogs are sneaky creatures that can jump or destroy fences without a problem.
Odor-based pest repellents don’t work against them.
Despite what my family says, they don’t really like to eat tomatoes or peppers.
@Tan
Even people who don’t eat tomatoes will eat tomato sauce and pizza sauce 
. You can dry extra peppers into powders or cook them into pastes.
@Tan
I was shocked to see groundhogs can scale fences. I thought it was deer eating my pole beans until I looked out one day and saw the little creature sitting on top of a 6-foot fence enjoying my beans. I was both shocked and a little mad about it.
Bo said:
Just because you grow it doesn’t mean you’ll suddenly like it. Okra and eggplant are examples.
Plant what you want to eat!
Bo said:
Just because you grow it doesn’t mean you’ll suddenly like it. Okra and eggplant are examples.
Plant what you want to eat!
Many people will eat lots of things, but knowing how to prepare them is another story. Not everything is meant to be eaten straight from the plant.
Bo said:
Just because you grow it doesn’t mean you’ll suddenly like it. Okra and eggplant are examples.
That was me with Swiss chard . Great harvest, but no one ate it.
Bo said:
Just because you grow it doesn’t mean you’ll suddenly like it. Okra and eggplant are examples.
That was me with Swiss chard . Great harvest, but no one ate it.
Exactly! I ended up giving mine away in a neighborhood group, and someone took it to feed their iguana 
.
Bo said:
Just because you grow it doesn’t mean you’ll suddenly like it. Okra and eggplant are examples.
Radishes are so misleading. They are easy and fun to grow and bring joy to the start of the season! But you need to actually eat radishes…
@Tan
Roast or sauté them! I’m looking for a potato substitute and had them roasted with butter yesterday. They were delicious!