Vegetables grown here have a bitter taste? =(

12 years ago

With Spring approaching, i've been thinking a lot about gardening. I tried to grow a few things this past Summer. But, between the ducks stealing my tomatoes and the rest of the veggies tasting inedibly bitter, it wasn't a good year. lol

I planted cabbage, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, carrots and raddishes. The cabbage was stunted by some insect, and never recovered. The tomatoes kept my ducks happily fed....and me wishing I had put up a fence to keep them out of the garden!! lol The onions started well, but something got them (the ducks? lol Not sure!). The raddishes and carrots grew slowly, never reaching full size. The lettuce also grew slowly. And tasted AWFUL! =( I mean, sour/bitter, just plain awful. I planted the SAME lettuce and carrots in a tiny area out back, near my shed. In the spot where I had an old hay bale breakdown into "compost". The lettuce grew pretty well, and tasted GREAT! (same seed packet as was planted in the other garden) The carrots didn't mature very quickly, but the foliage did. I did get small carrots out of it, and they were good.

So, what could be wrong with the soil, to cause very little growth, and very, VERY bitter flavor in the veggies? I'm not sure what to do?

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Comments (7)

stuffradio
12 years ago
Lots of heat and sun would probably do it. Lettuces, Carrots, Radishes, etc. need cooler temps to be sweet. (Radishes have a bite to them anyways) It could also be the variety for Lettuce.
soilent_green
12 years ago
Have soil tested. Knowledge is power.
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I tried for the first time last year. I started the seed in February and transplanted it out at the same time as I my tomatoes (early May). The vine grew and fruited okay through August but never set fruit. The same vine sets male and female flowers and the flowers open at night. It seemed like there were not enough pollinators to transfer the pollen; I am going to try growing it again this year and attempt pollination myself. As I did not have any fruit set, I cannot unfortunately tell you if it would have ripened or not in the Western Washington climate. I can tell you that given light and warmth it is a vigorous vine. It probably needs more warmth at night than the climate here can give it; if you can grow it in a (really big) container and grow it in full sun and yet keep in sheltered at night it might do well. I was growing it in a raised bed and the root system was not super extensive after a full growing season - container growing (5 gallon worth) might work and
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missingtheobvious
12 years ago
Another possible reason for the difference between the same crops grown in the different locations could be sun. Did the veggies that didn't grow as much receive as much sun as the ones that grew larger? As much water?

Carrots need light soil; if planted in heavy or rocky soil, they won't grow as long, and will be misshapen or forked. If that's the sort of soil you have, choose shorter carrot varieties.
planatus
12 years ago
Some friends who have ducks wrap the outside of their tomato cages with row cover to about 3 feet high to keep the ducks from eating the fruits.

Overall, you have a fertility problem. A couple of your crops -- cabbage and carrots -- need fertile soil with good tilth, and in my experience radishes are only "easy" if you have good soil. Even though my soil is quite good, I would not attempt to grow anything without proper supplemental fertilizer. Right now I'm composting poultry manure fertilizer in a bin, indoors, so it will be ready to lay down in a band under my onions when I set them out in April. Cabbage planting holes will get similar treatment.

Lots of different stresses will make lettuce go bitter, especially the double whammy of heat with drought stress. Some varieties like Buttercrunch hardly ever go bitter when grown in spring and fall. We're in the same Zone. I start setting out lettuce under cloches in early March, and succession plant every three weeks until late May. Then sow in August for a great fall crop.
biscgolf
12 years ago
if you tried to grow all that stuff in summer you were trying to grow everything but the tomatoes out of season. most of what you listed are spring and fall crops.

lettuce that does not grow quickly tends to get bitter- needs good nutrients and lots of water.

carrots do poorly in our virginia soil in general- raised beds are the only way i've grown decent looking carrots over the years.

to some degree you answered your own question when you said the lettuce on the composted hay area grew quickly and tasted great. add more organic material to your main plot, mulch if you're not doing so already, try raised beds or dug-in partially raised beds for root crops.
gunnersm8
12 years ago
yep. if you were growing tomatoes well, thats explains bitter lettuce. i have done ok with carrots in the raised bed, and about the same in a container. regardless, ive had better experience with carroats in the loosest soil possible. mine usually are as long as they are wide...haha
Deborah lippitt
7 years ago
I grow great tomatoes(very sweet, no lie) and for years have compared with others tomatoes ...I only water them when they really really need in so so soil and do not fertilize much ( several locations and climates..same results) Some plants really need lots of organic material in the soil Like cucumbers . So I make little spots for the ones that require loamy soil. And keep the ones that like more water close to each other.Economising water usage..I am basically a water miser. I'm also lazy so raised beds11?? OK so I need yard slave before that will happen. I grow in what even is handy.

I can never be accused of over watering especially tomatoes. I only grow Early girl and better boy. Have tried Heirloom with mixed results so stick to my proven winners. (some grape tommy toes are great.) Red candy every year..though recently moved to Oregon and will have to change my technique..inconsistent sun has made for a poor tomato crop but I hear everyone had that problem. Lettuce you have to pick as soon as it is ready!! Letting it go past that and it starts turning bitter. So so with carrots, need more amending of soil here. Something here clobbers my baby sprouts ..esp.. broccoli!! Never had issues with beets even in poor soil..also water miser. Like with fruit/ citrus..you give too much water and it dilutes the flavor.

Vegetables grown here have a bitter taste? =(

Comments (7)

stuffradio

soilent_green

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