Whats the Most Rewarding Plant Youve Grown?

[Juliana]

Gardening takes patience, but some plants make it all worth it when they finally bloom or produce a harvest. What’s the most rewarding plant you’ve ever grown—whether it’s a tricky flower, a super-productive vegetable, or a tree that took years to thrive?
Would love to hear your stories and see some photos if you have them!

 

[Anniekay]

There's no way I could pick one "most rewarding" plant. I feel rewarded by any plant that I grow and especially any plant I grow from seed. Just watching the seed grow is enough reward for me even if the plant is just an annual or only a short-lived perennial, they all are equally rewarding. I don't feel like my Persimmom tree that fruited after one year is any more of an asset than any other plant I've ever grown.

 

[Meadowlark]

Welcome @Juliana! Interesting first question you posed.

Two plants come to mind when I think of an answer: 1) celery and 2) American black walnut

1) Celery: From the standpoint of difficulty and challenge, celery is the most difficult veggie for me to grow here in my climate. It has a very unforgiving requirement of about 150 days at a tight temp range which is simply non-existent here. Through the use of HK containers, this year I finally succeeded in growing a viable celery crop. Still giving it another couple of weeks until harvest and consumption.

Growing Celery In East Texas...Successfully | Gardening Forums

2) American Black Walnut: The story behind this favorite is posted in the thread below. Decades in the making cause this to be my most rewarding.

An American Walnut Story | Gardening Forums

 

[redback]

Because I call myself a vegetable gardener, I think mainly of the best crops I've had rather than the best plant.
Here's a photo of last year's tomato crop which produced enough to preserve 12 months supply of passata.
The only crop that pleased me more was a bean crop that grew itself thanks to perfectly timed periods of rain throughout its growing period.

 

[Ruderunner]

Another produce guy here. It depends on the year. Some crops have better results than others.

But, our favorites are tomato, pickle and green beans. Over the years we've managed to top 300 pounds of each at various times. Not bad for a 16x24 plot. Can't wait for the second plot to find it's groove.

One year we gave up after 350 pounds of beans, literally had no room to store them.

Challenging crops are cabbage and green bell peppers , bugs being the big problem for the cabbage and weather on the peppers.

We've given up on garlic and onions.

 

[smitty55]

That's a real easy answer for me. My Greek heirloom tomatoes are easily the best tasting tomato I've ever eaten, I've been saving seeds for way over 30 years since I first got some fresh tomatoes from Greek immigrants. You can't buy these seeds anywhere but I'm actually considering selling some this year as I did sell some for the first time to a commercial organic seed grower. I get to eat fresh ones daily for at least 6 weeks starting mid August and I never get tired of them ever. On top of that they are super meaty so they are excellent for canning and so for the rest of the year I use them in tomato sauce and salsa on a weekly basis.
The other crop would be garlic, since I started growing my own over 25 years back I have never bought garlic except a couple of times for seed garlic. I have it down now so that it easily lasts me into May and then with what I have left over I dehydrate and grind for garlic powder so again I get year round use of my crop just like my Greeks. That single tomato is 2lb 4oz.

 

[Meadowlark]

... You can't buy these seeds anywhere but I'm actually considering selling some this year as I did sell some for the first time to a commercial organic seed grower.

I'd be interested in getting some from you @smitty55 but it is getting late for them here. If you decide to sell some or want to trade let me know.

 

[MiTmite9]

My favorite plant was the Shiro Plum tree I planted back in the late '70s. The tree is long gone now, but I still think about those delicious plums. (The tree contracted a disease and RIP, dear friend.)

My second favorite plant is my Pomegranate tree.
That Pomegranate tree actually fell over when it was about a decade old. The tree didn't fall to the ground completely, but was leaning so far over it was obvious it was going to BITE THE DUST.
I cried to a friend of mine, without even realizing what a genius and savior he would be. He came right over and winched the tree back upright, no easy feat ---- by anchoring it to a huge old CA Pepper tree located about 15' further back in our yard.
Here it is something like 50 years later and the tree is still going strong, producing loads of delicious Pomegranates ever year.
Did you know that Pomegranate trees can live to be 200 years old?

 

[Meadowlark]

...Did you know that Pomegranate trees can live to be 200 years old?

Interesting and no, I did not know that. I have four growing, but the Polar Vortex has been tough on them.

Do you happen to know the variety you have?

 

[smitty55]

I'd be interested in getting some from you @smitty55 but it is getting late for them here. If you decide to sell some or want to trade let me know.

OK I can do that. I have already purchased some #3 coin envelopes but will have to find some small padded envelopes for mailing. PM me your address and after I figure out what my mailing costs will be I'll be able to give you a price and when you get the seeds we can do an E-transfer. I figure around $5 for 25-30 seeds. Or if you prefer you could mail me a SASE and we can do it that way. With your long summer you'll still have plenty of time, I start my seeds mid March. Or I could just put the coin envelope in a regular envelope, I have plenty of those.
EDIT: I just got a good price on 100 4x8 padded mailers so I will use those.

Cheers

 

[Meadowlark]

With your long summer you'll still have plenty of time,

Not here. Tomatoes stop setting fruit when temps hit 95 deg F and above. That happens here in early June. You have to start early or miss the window entirely and wait until fall. I figure I might have another week or two to get some started, but it gets marginal every day that passes now.

 

[Kevin B]

A big, long drift of white daffodils on the sloped right of way in front of my house is the only thing that turned out as nice looking as I'd hoped, and I've had strangers compliment it, so there's that. Meanwhile, a modest little herb, rose scented bergamot, has been a flavor revelation.

 

[smitty55]

Not here. Tomatoes stop setting fruit when temps hit 95 deg F and above. That happens here in early June. You have to start early or miss the window entirely and wait until fall. I figure I might have another week or two to get some started, but it gets marginal every day that passes now.

I hadn't thought of that, we rarely if ever reach those temps here, I don't even plant until the first or even second week of June as that's when soil temps rise enough to promote growth. Would it help if you were to cover the plants in floating row cover fabric?

 

[Meadowlark]

...Would it help if you were to cover the plants in floating row cover fabric?

No, the nighttime temps are just way too high for fruit set starting in June and continuing through Sept. I have given plants complete afternoon shade but that doesn't do anything for the high nighttime temps and fruit set.

Just goes with the territory...but on the brighter side, if I'm lucky we can enjoy fresh tomatoes in Dec. and Jan. and that is really a treat.

 

[smitty55]

No, the nighttime temps are just way too high for fruit set starting in June and continuing through Sept. I have given plants complete afternoon shade but that doesn't do anything for the high nighttime temps and fruit set.

Just goes with the territory...but on the brighter side, if I'm lucky we can enjoy fresh tomatoes in Dec. and Jan. and that is really a treat.

Yea there's always a trade off. Have you ever tried hand pollination? By mid October here growth has slowed right down but until we get a frost I can keep harvesting even if I have to finish ripening indoors. One good thing though is as being indeterminate once your temps cool down later in the summer you should still get good pollination on the new growth. I use 8ft stakes and they're always much taller. Normally for the most part there's no way you can keep eating the same thing everyday no matter how good it is but these tomatoes are the exception. No matter how many weeks I've been eating them I still look forward to having more the next day. I just hope they do well for you in that heat. It's only ever happened to me one year way back when I had them at a garlic growers property that was full sun all day long and we had a super hot and dry summer and I was getting some fruit that were splitting as they ripened. A master gardener I talked to thought that due to the high heat the tomatoes developed a thicker skin that didn't take as well to the high growth period and perhaps I was over watering.