This year, I had success with:
Red Swiss Chard -too much success in fact. I am getting a bit sick of it to be honest and am going to cut back from 4 to one plant next year! But it is partially shaded and did very well this cool summer. the heat spikes can make it wilt easily so i have to alter the watering according to temperature more than with other plants.
Spinach- the seeds didn't start well and i only got one plant, but it is delicious. Popeye would be proud.
Oregano, thyme - easy and plentiful. And great to cut and dry when you need to thin the plant out a bit.
parsley -flat and curly- they grew slowly and struggled a bit, but i had plenty around for pesto with 3 plants. they're pretty hearty as well.
Green onions - i grew them in a plastic kids sand bucket that i punched holes into for drainage. the handle makes it easy to move around if i have to, and it's very light. They are AMAZING.
Mixed results with:
Lettuce- One batch of the cut and come again variety grew wonderfully. and i ate my own salads for about 2 weeks. i think it has one more growth spurt left in it.
but the other batch got some icky orange mold. sort of like pieces of those circus peanuts i devoured as a kid. so i didnt eat that batch.
arugula - when it sprouts it is more packed with flavor and spice than any other shoot i've grown. and the first round of greens are mind blowing. but it seems to get tough as it goes on. i need to work on this because i'd love to have arugula in my life everyday.
On the struggle bus:
basil- it bolted and flowered. and one pot got the orange circus peanut mold thing. so now i'm trying to harvest the seeds from the clean one.
cilantro- was great for 2 weeks. i ate it everyday. and then,wham-o,overnight, gone. a few plants bolted afterwards, and i have some great fat seeds from them.
chives - they are more like angel hair than linguini. i don't think i got the moisture right. let's call them a work in progress.
rosemary- this one is a super slow grower. and likes to be left to dry out. my seedling from april is now about 4 inches tall. and gives off an insanely potent scent that i catch when i walk up the stairs. but i may be 50 before i get to eat it.
would love any san diego gardening tips! i'm still trying to figure out these crazy micro-climates!
