Your plant nemesis

[bridgetmkennitt]

We all have at least one. It's that plant that you try to grow and grow, but for some reason or another, it just dies or doesn't bloom or doesn't grow any vegetables.

What plant do you consider your nemesis?

Comments

[3rdragon]

Radishes. Everyone says "They're easy! Grow them with your kids!" and sometimes they don't sprout, and sometimes they sprout but don't radish, or occasionally they do radish but only very small bitter rocks with worm holes in them. This year we gave up on watermelon radishes and are going for something with a short time to maturity, and they've sprouted and are making true leaves, at least. So we'll see.

(Hi, I'm Miriam, and I'm new here.)

[theora]

Yes! I also fail at radishes. Mostly they don't bulb up, but I am also acquainted with the "very small bitter rocks with worm holes in them" you describe. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. But I've given up and now grow salad turnips (Hakurei is the variety I like), which do work reliably and taste nicer too. They do take about a week or two longer than radishes, however. 35 days.

[3rdragon]

Turnips are easier than radishes, you say? Interesting. I do like Hakurei, and had mostly written off turnips as "won't be any better than radishes."

[theora]

I thought the same thing - they're pretty much radishes, right? But no, they've been totally reliable for me (the Hakurei, anyway, I haven't tried any of the longer season storagey ones). And my daughter loves them. They're one of the things she specifically requested to grow in her little patch this year.

[bridgetmkennitt]

Hello and welcome!

I've heard radishes are easy, but I dunno. I feel like I fail at everything. I may try for radishes this summer and see if my streak continues. Their tastiness beckons me to give it a try.

[theora]

My parents grow radishes with no problems, as do plenty of other people. I think there's maybe a soil deficiency or something that's making them not work for me (and possibly 3rdragon too), though nothing has been obvious on soil tests. They're worth trying, anyway. If you succeed, you get radishes; if you fail, you get to join the exclusive "I fail at radishes" club.