Gardening: What I Have Learned + Sketchy Seeds

Gardening has been a real learning experience.  I've learned that I still need to work on my timing when it comes to planting, that bad insects are really bad, that I usually over-water and that most plants can survive with a lot less water.  I've also learned that I can grow lettuce.

I can definitely grow watermelons, and that no matter how abusive you are to Vates (the collard variety I'm growing) they will survive.

Surprisingly, the rapini I'm growing is doing very well.  This is the first time I'm growing this variety.

But like all of the fall crops, I should've planted them back in July. I think I would be harvesting rapini by now. 

Also, if I had planted in July, I think I could've avoided a slug and aphid infestation this fall. As the weather cooled down in August, I had a ton of problems with caterpillars, aphids and slugs.  Yesterday, I had to pull out my scrawny, totally deformed kale.  My napa cabbage had the worst damage.  The cabbages were completely ravaged by aphids and slugs. I removed this particular cabbage because it was riddled with aphids.

I used tulle thinking it would "protect" the plants but look what I found....

My other problem with this napa cabbage is that it's more like a giant bok choy!!! The seed packet definitely said "napa cabbage" and there is a barrel head type cabbage pictured on the packet but what grew looks and tastes nothing like napa cabbage. What have I learned?  Don't buy seeds from my local Vietnamese market.

I had also bought a packet of Thai eggplant seeds from the same Vietnamese market.  Totally sketchy!  I had the hardest time with germination; out of 4 seeds planted, I only had one germinate. So, I am throwing these seeds OUT!

No more sketchy seeds! I went ahead and ordered an heirloom variety of Thai eggplant seeds from my favorite seed company, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, and will be ordering napa cabbage seeds from Kitazawa Seed Co.