Thank goodness for gardening in 2020! While COVID-19 brought uncertainty into all our lives, gardening was a respite for many, including me. Because so many people either took up gardening for the first time or took a renewed interest in gardening, seeds were scarce. However, I was able to try some new plant varieties and continue with varieties that worked well in the past. 2020 was a good year in the garden. Here is the 2020 Garden Assessment, my report card.
To sum up, I grew 46 different varieties of vegetables, flowers, and herbs in 2020. At the end of this post, you will see a summary of everything I grew. However, first, I will start with two preventive measures we took in the garden.
Solar Powered Fence
For the past four years, groundhogs have been a constant pest in the garden. It’s amazing how much damage a groundhog causes. First, we laid wire mesh all around the perimeter of the garden to prevent groundhogs from digging under. However, with the mesh in place, they simply climbed over the fence.
Therefore, our next line of defense was to install a simple one-wire solar-powered electric fence around the perimeter of the garden. I am happy to report the electric fence worked like a charm. As a result, not once did a groundhog enter the garden. In the following post, you will learn more about our electric fence installation at ‘How to install a solar-powered fence to keep groundhogs out of the garden’.
Black Plastic Deer Netting
Our vegetable garden has two sections. The original section has a four-foot fence, and the new section has a six-foot fence. While there was always a concern about deer jumping the four-foot fence, that did not happen for four years. In 2020, our luck ran out. Over the course of a couple of days, deer jumped the fence twice and chewed off two feet from the tops of all the tomato plants. Out of desperation, we quickly installed six-foot-tall plastic deer netting around the original section of the garden. In short, this plastic netting was super easy to install and did the job of keeping deer out.
2020 Garden Assessment
All the plants I discuss in the 2020 Garden Assessment were grown in USDA gardening zone 6a (New Jersey). In 2020, NJ recorded its second hottest summer on record. In addition, the statewide average precipitation for July and August were above average. The combination of heat and rain resulted in a good growing season.
Rating Scale
First, let’s look at the rating scale I developed.
| Grade | Rational |
|---|---|
| A | Above average yield, high resistance to pests/disease |
| B | Good yield, moderate resistance to pests/disease |
| C | Either below average yield or stubborn pests/disease |
| D | Combination of low yield and stubborn pests/disease |
| F | Crop failed to produce |
2020 Garden Assessment – Vegetables
Most vegetables were started from seed indoors. Those marked with an ‘*’ were direct seeded.
| Vegetable | Rating | Review Summary |
|---|---|---|
| *Arugula Roquette | B | Good yield. Resistant to disease. |
| *Arugula Wild | C | Low yield. Went to seed quickly. |
| Broccoli DeCicco | C | Yield ok. Significant leaf damage from the cabbage moth. |
| Cabbage AllSeason | C | Yield lower than expected. Needed a location with more sun. |
| *Carrot Danvers | B | Good yield, no pests/disease. |
| *Carrots Scarlet Nantes | B | Good yield, no pests/disease. |
| Celery Tango | D | Stems seemed to deteriorate. |
| Cucumber Early Fortune | B | Good yield. |
| Cucumber Pickling | A | Above-average yield. Three-year-old seeds. |
| Eggplant Diamond | A | Above-average yield, no pests/disease. |
| Kale Delaway | B | Good yield. Damage from cabbage moth. |
| Kale Lacinato | B | Good yield. Damage from cabbage moth. |
| Kale Westlander | B | Good yield. Damage from cabbage moth. |
| Lettuce Aunt Mae’s Bibb | B | Harvested for 5-6 weeks. |
| Lettuce Bergams | F | Seeds did not germinate. Three-year-old seeds. |
| Onion Cabernet | B | Good yield, delicious. Needed a location with more hours of sun. |
| Onion Walla Walla | C | Good harvest, however, all the onions went to seed which impacted the overall quality of the onions. Two-year-old seeds. |
| Pac Choy Shanghai Green | B | Good yield, low disease. |
| Pepper Vinedale | A | Great yield. Some damage from the stink bug. |
| *Radish Cherry Bell | B | Good yield, no pests/disease. |
| *Radish Holmes Royal Red | B | Good yield, no pests/disease. |
| *Rainbow Chard | A | Above-average yield and minimal pests/disease. |
| *Snow Pea Mammoth | B | Good yield, no pests/disease. |
| Spinach Bloomsdale | F | Failed to fully mature. |
| Spinach Matador | F | Failed to fully mature. |
| Tomato Brandywine | B | Yield ok. Plants damaged by deer. |
| Tomato Cherokee Purple | B | Yield ok. Plants damaged by deer. |
| Tomato Cherry Roma | B | Yield ok. Plants damaged by deer. |
| Tomato Missouri Pink | C | Yield not great. Plants were damaged by deer. |
2020 Garden Assessment – Flowers
All the flowers were started indoors from seed and later transplanted out in the garden.
| Flower | Rating | Review Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Calendula – Pacific Beauty | B | Good yield. Lots of damage from bagworm. |
| Cosmos | B | Good yield and no pests/disease. |
| Marigold – Dwarf Bolero | C | These marigolds were very prolific. However, they were not attractive. |
| Nasturtium – Dwarf Jewel | B | Good yield and minimal pests/disease. |
| Nasturtium – Whirlybird Blend | B | Good yield and minimal pests/disease. |
| Sweet Pea – Galaxy Mix | F | Good germination but did not develop once transplanted. |
| Zinnia – Cactus | B | Good yield, damage from deer and groundhogs. |
| Zinnia – Cut and Come Again | B | Good yield, damage from deer and groundhogs. |
| Zinnia – Fruit Smoothie | B | Good yield, damage from deer and groundhogs. |
| Zinnia – Profussion Salmon | A | Great yield and long-lasting. |
| Zinnia – Profussion White | A | Great yield and long-lasting. |
| Zinnia – Thumbelina | B | Good yield |
2020 Garden Assessment – Herbs
All herbs were started indoors from seed and later transplanted out in the garden with the exception of rosemary and mint. I find both of these plants difficult to start from seeds. Each year I purchase a new rosemary plant. Mint is a perennial, therefore it grows back each year.
| Herb | Rating | Review Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Basil Genovese | B | A good year for basil. |
| Basil Tony Scavo | B | A good year for basil. |
| Dill Banquet | C | Transplants did not do well. However, the seeds dropped and lots of new plants developed in late summer. |
| Parsley Single Italian | A | Great yield and longevity. |
| Rosemary | B | Good yield, no pests/disease. |
| Mint Sweet | B | Good yield, no pests/disease. |
| Mint Chocolate | C | Ok yield. Took a while to establish. |
In summary, 2020 was a good year in the garden. I hope you have enjoyed reading the 2020 Garden Assessment. Please leave me a comment with any questions. In addition, you may enjoy the following articles:
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