I’m loving all the peak harvest season pictures in this sub lately—they’re so inspiring! But I’m curious, what plant varieties will you “never” (because never say never) grow again and why? I enjoy experimenting with different varieties, but I’ve definitely made some hard decisions on a few this year.
For me, it’s:
Holy basil/Tulsi: Despite its popularity online, I just don’t like the smell. I prefer lemon or lime basil.
Shishito peppers: They’re too thin-walled and way too seedy!
Blush tomato: The flavor isn’t great, and it seems more prone to disease than my other tomatoes. It’s tough to get a blemish-free fruit.
What about you? Are there any varieties you won’t grow again? And what do you plan to grow instead, if anything?
I think I’m giving up on growing squash, except for my beloved zucchino rampicante. The vine borers and squash bugs are driving me crazy—they make me want to set fire to the whole garden!
I felt the same way, so this year I grew tromboncino squash and had no issues! You might want to give it a try!
Moschato varieties generally perform much better against pests, powdery mildew, and can handle high heat and humidity better than pepo or maxima varieties.
PSA: I wish I had known about these differences before my first year of growing them! 
Agreed! I wish this information was more widely known. I had decent luck with honeynut and delicatas last year, but this season was a total bust. The rampicante/trombocino (also a moschata variety) is the only one I’ve had consistent success with.
Growing them two years in a row might be the problem. The most common pests of cucurbits in the U.S. have a two-year lifecycle. If you’re in an area with high squash bug and vine borer pressure, it’s best to always skip a year.
This is great advice. I have a large garden (5000 sq ft) and have always rotated my crops, but maybe taking a year off completely would be the best approach.
I’m going to have to try this. I rotated my crops this year, moving them from one bed to another, but it didn’t seem to be far enough. I managed to control the SVBs, but the squash bugs still got to me, and the production has been disappointing. Here’s to better luck in 2026, I guess!
Thanks, this is good info I hadn’t read before.
That’s unfortunate! My honeynut and delicatas are the only ones that have thrived.
I’ve had such a terrible year with cucumber beetles—they destroyed everything! I’m never growing cucumbers or squash again. Honestly, I barely like cucumbers enough to buy them occasionally, and I don’t even like squash or zucchini at all. Next year, I’m sticking to tomatoes, peppers, herbs, beans, and sunflowers. Who am I kidding? I’ll probably put myself through the same thing next year and tell myself, “This is the year it all goes perfectly!” 
Same here with the cucumber beetle disaster. However, I have big cucumber and melon fans at home, so I have to try again next year with a much more aggressive pest management strategy.
I just said the same thing! I totally feel your pain.
Every fall: “I’m never growing zucchini again!”
Next spring when I see a zucchini seedling: 