2020 Peak Performing Plants in my Garden

Did you ever wonder why your flowers or vegetables did so well one year just to have them do terribly the next? Do you remember what plants were eaten by deer this year? Have you ever tried to remember the variety of a vegetable you planted, but simply could not? Well, the answer to all these questions is planning and documenting the results of your garden. Yes, it takes time. However, I believe in the long term it saves time, increases your gardening knowledge, and ensures you become a more productive gardener.

There are two simple steps I follow. First, plan what, when, and where to plant. Second, document the results. I do my planning and documenting in Microsoft Excel. You can also easily do it on paper. Check out my article “How to create a simple crop management plan” for downloads to help with planning.

Now, let’s take a look at the 2020 peak performing plants from my garden this past spring/summer.

The Plan and the Results

Overall, our garden got off to a late start. We spent the winter in Florida and because of COVID-19 did not arrive back in New Jersey until the first week of May (seedlings in tow). Our original plan was to arrive back at the beginning of April. However, even with a late start, 2020 was a great year in the garden. From the end of May onwards, we had much warmer than normal weather. The plants thrived. Overall, here is a summary of what I planted:

• Flowers – 12 varieties
• Herbs – 4 varieties
• Vegetables – 29 varieties

For 2020 peak performance plants, I chose 6 plants.

1. Arugula

Like most leafy vegetables, arugula is a cool-season crop. Thus, on May 19, I direct seeded Roquette Arugula. By mid-June, I was harvesting the loveliest bold, peppery flavored, arugula. The harvest continued for the next 3-4 weeks. I put roquette arugula on the 2020 peak performing plants list because of its fast growth and amazing taste. It’s so hard to go back to store-bought arugula after you eat freshly grown.

To learn more about growing arugula, read my blog post titled “How to grow arugula in your garden”.

2. Basil

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Each year, I grow lots of basil because I love to cook with basil and make basil pesto. I start basil from seed and plant outdoors at the same time I plant tomatoes. Because basil is very cold sensitive it should not be planted outdoors until the soil reaches a minimum temperature of 60°F. This past season, I grew two varieties of basil: Genovese and Tony Scavo.

In total, I had 6 plants that produced basket after basket of fresh basil. What did I do with all this basil? Well, I gave some away, I made lots of pesto, I dried a full jar of basil, I made a wonderful salad dressing from basil and I cooked with basil as frequently as possible. Basil made the 2020 peak performing plants list because of its production and because it lasted until almost the end of September with no disease.

To learn more about growing basil, read my blog post titled “How to successfully grow basil in your home garden”.

3. Swiss Chard

All I can say about the Rainbow Swiss Chard is ‘wow’. What really makes this plant stand out are two special characteristics. First, it is an attractive plant with its crinkly leaves and uniquely colored stems of red, yellow, white, and orange. Second, swiss chard is one of the few leafy vegetables that can withstand the coolness of spring/fall and the heat of summer.

On May 19, the rainbow swiss chard was direct-seeded. By mid-July, I was harvesting and this continued through September. As I mentioned, we had an unusually warm summer. While growth slowed a bit during the hottest periods, the plant continued to look beautiful and produce new leaves. Swiss chard was the last vegetable I pulled from the garden before we began our trek to Florida. Seriously, I could have left the plants in the garden and they would have produced through most of the fall.

Rainbow swiss chard made the 2020 peak performing plants list because it far exceeded my expectations from production and beauty. To learn more about growing swiss chard, read my blog post titled “How to successfully grow swiss chard”.

4. Cucumbers

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Cucumbers are my favorite vegetable crop to grow because they germinate quickly, grow fast, and produce fruit early. The summer of 2020 was simply an exceptional year. I start cucumbers from seed and plant outdoors at the same time I plant tomatoes. Cucumbers are very cold sensitive and should not be planted outdoors until the soil reaches a minimum temperature of 65°F. This past season, I grew two varieties: National Pickling and Early Fortune. In total, I had six plants, three of each variety.

Cucumbers always produce for me. I started the cucumbers from seed and transplanted the seedlings on June 5. By July 8, I was harvesting the National Pickling variety. The Early Fortune did not start producing fruit in earnest until the end of July. From these 6 plants, I harvested well over 100 pounds of cucumbers. Each week during the peak growing period, I delivered approximately ten pounds of cucumbers to our local food pantry.

Cucumbers made the 2020 peak performing plants list for three reasons. One, the sheer amount of cucumbers that were grown. Two, delayed onset of powdery mildew. Three, the early production of fruit.

5. Bell Peppers

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Every year I plant bell peppers, always choosing a red bell pepper variety. Disappointment usually ensues due to the time it takes for the peppers to ripen (e.g. turn red). This year, I tried a new variety called Vinedale Pepper. This variety was such a joy from its unusual growth pattern (it grew upside down) to how fast the peppers turned red. To top it off, the plants produced an abundant harvest.

I started 6 pepper plants from seed and only grew the Vinedale variety. The seedlings were transplanted on June 3 and fruit started forming by mid-July. By early August I was harvesting red bell peppers. These peppers were crunchy, juicy, and sweet. These peppers made the 2020 peak performing plants list because they are the best pepper I have grown from all aspects: ripening, taste, abundant harvest.

6. Profusion Zinnia

One flower made the list of 2020 peak performing plants and that is the Profusion Zinnia. I must admit that I love all types of zinnias. However, these zinnias are different. First, they are low growing, no more than 10 inches high. Second, they produce profuse flowers. In addition, they are not as susceptible to mildew type diseases as other zinnias.

The profusion zinnias were started from seed and transplanted into the garden on June 12. By July 11, the first flowers appeared. These plants do equally well planted in the ground or in containers. However, I find that they prefer to be planted in the ground. These flowers made the 2020 peak performing list for two main reasons. One, they are easy to grow and care for. Two, they produce lovely flowers and outlast other varieties of zinnia.

To learn more about growing Profusion Zinnias, read my blog post titled “Profusion Zinnias: An Awesome Flower to Grow”.