Topic: Experimental Planting

[jennym]

angle shades - once soaked some chick peas for cooking, didnt use them and chucked them onto soil, they sprouted fine! But I dug them in when they were still quite small as the area was wanted for something else.

[Barnowl]

That's quite a range: no wonder there's alway's someone in this forum who knows something :D

Everything was new for us this year (our first) but we did grow Malabar (climbing) spinach, which went well, and tried chillies outdoors (I've been growing them under glass for some years).

Next year's first's are mostly mostly aren't very exciting i.e. we will be growing courgettes, beetroot, caulis and Pak Choi for the first time.

I was planning to grow asparagus peas, but they got a real slating here on the forum so I'm left with Thai Pea Aubergine (if they're horrible I don't want to be told  ;) ) and galangal as next year's "exotica".

[Squashfan]

We're planting asparagus this year. Tried broccoli rabe this year, went to seed like mad and got everywhere! Now all the plots have rabe too. Won't do that again. :P
Also tried swiss chard and quite liked it. Easy to grow and tasty.
Tried a bunch of different squashes too. Might stick with Crown Prince and Waltham butternut next year tho, they tend to be bother prolific and reliable. Still not sure what to do with the giant blue banana squash I have in my kitchen.

[artichoke]

I tried Pink Banana Squash this year and am very impressed. Fruited like mad, lovely soft yellowy pink colour, very attractive among all the green leaves on the allotment. The fruit are lasting well, so far. It's lovely cutting into them in December with their orange, juicy flesh. Admittedly they don't taste of much, but I have made them into a vegetable curry with onions, garlic, spices, coconut cream, rice, dahl with spinach and a pool of yoghurt on the side, and it is wonderful. They don't dissolve like courgettes, but keep their shape as chunky firm cubes.

[Squash63]

I tried Pink Banana Squash this year and am very impressed. Fruited like mad, lovely soft yellowy pink colour, very attractive among all the green leaves on the allotment. The fruit are lasting well, so far. It's lovely cutting into them in December with their orange, juicy flesh. Admittedly they don't taste of much, but I have made them into a vegetable curry with onions, garlic, spices, coconut cream, rice, dahl with spinach and a pool of yoghurt on the side, and it is wonderful. They don't dissolve like courgettes, but keep their shape as chunky firm cubes.

I grew Blue Banana Squash for the first time this year, as well as Uchiki Kuri, Marina di Chioggia, Galeuse d'Eysines, Tonda Padana, Connecticut Field and Burgess Buttercup.  I've made soup today with some Tonda Padana, and also roasted some with Italian herbs - delicious!  I grew
the Banana, Uchiki and Burgess up bean poles to save ground space and it was very successful.  As you say, they don't dissolve like courgettes and in my opinion are 100 times nicer!
Betty
Walsall Road Allotments
Birmingham
www.growit.ik.com

[artichoke]

Yes, I grew mine among the beans too. Bit of a tangle in there, but I think I had only one very vigorous and prolific plant (lost the lables).

Another nice one with masses of immense, striking looking fruit was Tromboncino, but the fruit don't seem to be lasting so well. Again, they stay firm when cooked.

[Squashfan]

Oh goody, I'll be cubing my blue banana soon then!  :D I also liked Galeuse d'esyines, but it had to be used early because it had been attacked by vine borers and started spoiling about a month after picking. Made looooooooovely soup tho!

[Gillian]

I tried Strawberry Sweetcorn this year and I'm doing Rapunzel next year from some seeds I bought in Italy.

[Squash63]

Yes, I grew mine among the beans too. Bit of a tangle in there, but I think I had only one very vigorous and prolific plant (lost the lables).

Another nice one with masses of immense, striking looking fruit was Tromboncino, but the fruit don't seem to be lasting so well. Again, they stay firm when cooked.

I didn't mix my squash with beans, they had their own rows (can you tell I'm a Squash Anorak?lol) I also grow Trombonchino, I'm holding one in my profile pic.  Does anyone grow Sicilian Snakes?  We had a competition at our allotments to see who could grow the longest one.  Great fun!

[Merry Tiller]

I have never successfully grown a decent cauli!

I did it once, years ago, it was almost by accident, I planted them out and found them 6 months later smothered in weeds, they were perfect, all attempts since have resulted in various levels of failure