Following on from the recent threads on Oca and Quinoa, are there any other new, exotic (and exciting!) things you're going to try next season?
My list so far (apart from the Oca and Quinoa) is:
Black Turtle Beans
Beer Friend Soy Bean
Jicama
Fakir Parsley Root
Poona Keera Cucumber
Sikkim Cucumber
West Indian Gherkin
Chia
Amaranth
Stevia
Licquorice
Allspice
Chinese Mustard
Wonderberry
Red Roselle
and several new (to me) chillies.
I'm sure there's more, but I daren't look at my seed collection too closely...
;D
Kale!
well it's new to me anyway!
Like Quinoa, I've got Licquorice, but never sown it ???
I've just bought some water melon and barley seed 8)
Loads of differsnt varieties of my usuals but new to me are lentils and having a go at a selection of Soya Beans, I haven't done these in the UK yet apart from one. more cow pea varieties this year and I am diving head long into a Gourd collection.
XX Jeannine
My wacky list for 2008 stands like this at the moment.
- Quillquina. Herb
- Quinoa
- Salsify
- Scorzonera
- Seakale
- West Indian Ghurka
- Lemon grass
- Mangel Worzel
- Casabanana
Plus several new (to me) tomatoes, chillies and squashes. subject to space, weather, germination etc and Santa bringing me a polytunnel.
I will also be re-growing all the oca and ullucus as these did not get a fair crack of the whip with the very early frosts. Looking forward to the jibes from the other plotholders once again such as "You don't bother growing food then?".
I've grown Cassabanana to flowering stage, but the poor sunshine levels meant the season wasn't long enough for fruit. It has lovely velvety leaves.
Quote from: Amazin on December 19, 2007, 22:26:06
I've grown Cassabanana to flowering stage, but the poor sunshine levels meant the season wasn't long enough for fruit. It has lovely velvety leaves.
I have cassabanana, naranjilla and pepino on my exotic fruit list next year.
Am also growing out:
Maca
turnip-rooted chervil (yes, finally found a supplier)
Liscari sativa (grew once before but did not get past seedling stage)
Moringa oleifera
Madagascar bean
Jicama
skirret
Japanese burdock
And a variety of Japanese melons bought from Bakers Creek.
I feel truely humbled... I like to grow something new and exotic each year but these lists include some things I didn't even know existed!
:-[
Squash is new to me, so are parsnips. Only been doing this a couple of years! My brambles are going great guns though, I may try NOT to grow these next year.
;D
Ditto saddad, our new veg for this year are a pattypan squash, artichokes and a black (ish) kale. Mind you, that's adventurous for us, OH has really got the bug for this thing since April last year, but he's still at the potato, sweetcorn, carrot , parsnip level, all these varieties are a bit more info than he needs ;D
Still, if we get a bit more space next year ( rumour has it we may get a full plot to add to our half....) then let me at them catalogues boys, ther'll be no stopping me!
Im only growing what we eat but have included Yard long beans and Chinese red noodle beans and i try 1-2 varietys of tomato and chilli/peppers each year.
No point taking up room with loads of things we prob wont eat and space is limited, rather slip a few rows of different potatoes in as we know we will eat them :D
I'm growing bottle gourds in the greenhouse next year. You can use them to make fabulous nesting boxes and bird feeders.
http://www.gitaland.com/tutorials/tutivy.html
http://www.amishgourds.com/site/1278922/page/441648
http://www.ehow.com/how_2090948_raise-bottle-gourds.html
QuoteNo point taking up room with loads of things we prob wont eat and space is limited, rather slip a few rows of different potatoes in as we know we will eat them
I'm with Dawn on this one!
Perhaps I am a bit old fashioned but I want to master what I do grow, rather than experiment with stuff that I know nothing about or in some cases never heard of.
But it wouldn't do if we were all the same so I wish you all the best of luck with what you grow in 2008.
Quote from: Tee Gee on December 20, 2007, 11:12:22
QuoteNo point taking up room with loads of things we prob wont eat and space is limited, rather slip a few rows of different potatoes in as we know we will eat them
I'm with Dawn on this one!
Perhaps I am a bit old fashioned but I want to master what I do grow, rather than experiment with stuff that I know nothing about or in some cases never heard of.
But it wouldn't do if we were all the same so I wish you all the best of luck with what you grow in 2008.
Trick is, there could be some truly delicious vegetable or fruit out there that I have not yet discovered, the only way I will know is to try them. Plus most of the plants I am trying have the benefit of being hardy and not troubled by pests, so potentially an easier crop to grow.
Give us yer address Rob and you'll have some Apricot Brandywine to grow too!
Quote from: Rob the rake on December 20, 2007, 11:27:23
Give us yer address Rob and you'll have some Apricot Brandywine to grow too!
Just pm'd you.
Without us adventurous types, the rest of you would have to play it safe forever with your tomatoes, peppers, sweetcorn, squash and the like.
Also bear in mind that while the changing climate allows greater possibilities for the growing of new 'exotics', some old stalwarts like potatoes may well be on their last decade or so before being reduced to the speciality niche as unsuitable weather and a build-up of pest and disease takes its toll.
I imagine this exact discussion probably took place a few hundred years ago amongst gardeners in the local pub, some bragging about trying the new tater while others digging their heels in because they would rather learn more about growing the worzels that the missus already knew how to cook.
Wouldn't you need a good summer for that, I seem to remember lots of wind and rain. ;D ;D ;D
If you want to mess about down on the lotti then try some of the outlandish veggies. But if you are serious about all the time and commitment you give toyour plot then stick with what you know. Ask yourself how many packets of these nonentities will be sold in twenty years time and then get back to the good old faithfuls.
QuoteAsk yourself how many packets of these nonentities will be sold in twenty years time
Which nonentities would this be then? If this years weather has proved anything it is that the more variety you have stuffed in the ground, the greater your chances of good harvests. The Irish race was almost wiped off the face of this earth by the failure of a single crop.
As for how many of these nonentities will be around in 20 years time, that is easy to answer: They all will because these so called nonentities are all staple crops from different parts of the globe as is potatoes. If a plotholder wants or needs to play it safe that's fine but do not knock the pathfinders for their experiments. You may be grateful for the knowledge they gain long before your 20 years pass.
Please bear in mind that virtually everything grown today is either a recent introduction or a recent serious improvement of a weed. Somebody has to do the messing about for your gain. Don't knock it.
Some of us expect more from our plots than survival, hence we grow wacky novelties, gourmet delicacies, AND flowers.
While the Ullucus is unlikely to make it beyond a niche crop, the Oka could well be a stalwart staple within 5-10 years time. If you do not had the nerve to try, just look the other way while I have all the fun.
I'm with the try something different group( if not exotic) but i try one or two things each year , if we like we grow again ,tried Kohl rabi ,salsify and ja's; love them and will grow all the time ,grew swiss chard this year and did not enjoy so it's a no next year.I'm with a lot of you and trying oca next year and red celery from real seeds. if you don't try you'll never know
QuoteI want to master what I do grow, rather than experiment with stuff that I know nothing about or in some cases never heard of.
QuoteNo point taking up room with loads of things we prob wont eat
QuoteBut if you are serious about all the time and commitment you give to your plot then stick with what you know.
(sigh!) and to think, five years ago, I'd never grown vegetables.
Gosh, if only I'd stuck with what I know...
Tell me folks, what's your expert view on purple carrots then - any good?
...or do you secretly grow those newfangled orange ones?
Enjoy!
;D ;D ;D
This year was my first with courgettes. They came in abundance . As there is only me eats them in our house I won't bother again. But I came, I saw, and I conquered.
I agree with bedrockdave. I only try a maximum of 2 new things each year, at least I wont have wasted much of my plot if we dislike the new stuff. There is plenty wasted due to pests and lousy weather.
Then there is the stuff I want to grow but never seem to have any joy with such as pumpkins. The plants grow great but then wither before they fruit. 2 years running they have not materialsised, so do you waste the space again or move on to pastures new?....
Well Amazin,
I grew Purple Dragon....or was it Queen? carrots this year. Absolutely brilliant taste and smell, Im so surprised the carrot fly didnt find them. I will grow again in 2008, but more succesional sowings and more packets. As I found there were not too many seeds to a pack.
They didnt get too big for me though, maybe I was too eager to eat them :D
I've just been googling for something absolutely nothing to do with gardening but somehow got distracted away from the topic. (It only happens to me). Now I was of the opinion that Mangel Worzels were an old English stalwart but it would appear that it is also a recent introduction of about 200 years.
Trawling through a google achive of the period reveals heated debates amounst the farmers of the day writing posts in the weekly farming magasine hotly debating the merits and otherwise of growing these new fangled roots over a period of several decades.
If you've got time to kill have a read.
http://books.google.com/books?id=4dcEAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA138&lpg=PA138&dq=mangel+worzel&source=web&ots=G5otVg8lNJ&sig=ftn3nNnb4vMZTk80PzlHRgjJmKA#PPA159,M1 (http://books.google.com/books?id=4dcEAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA138&lpg=PA138&dq=mangel+worzel&source=web&ots=G5otVg8lNJ&sig=ftn3nNnb4vMZTk80PzlHRgjJmKA#PPA159,M1)
That's a fascinating read Eristic.
Amazin, I reckon them new-fangled orange carrots taste a mile better than the purple ;D
Seriously, though, we ought to try at least one new thing every so often, just to make sure we aren't missing out. I tried growing mooli radish this year, was amazed at how easily it grew and didnt get attacked by the slugs and grew fine and long and white, even though my soil is heavy. Only thing was, the whole packet germinated and although I gave loads away, still ended up digging some in.
Winter Radish like "Black Spanish" are very reliable for a late crop. They are 'hot' if grated raw but boil out just like turnip..
;D
Quote from: jennym on December 21, 2007, 00:13:21
Seriously, though, we ought to try at least one new thing every so often, just to make sure we aren't missing out. I tried growing mooli radish this year, was amazed at how easily it grew and didnt get attacked by the slugs and grew fine and long and white, even though my soil is heavy. Only thing was, the whole packet germinated and although I gave loads away, still ended up digging some in.
I grew them 3 years ago and now they're like a weed on my allotment :-\
Quote from: saddad on December 21, 2007, 07:42:37
Winter Radish like "Black Spanish" are very reliable for a late crop. They are 'hot' if grated raw but boil out just like turnip..
;D
A lot of the 'new' crops that I am focusing on next year are overwintering or winter growing plants - the maca and turnip rooted chervil grow through the winter for harvest from March to May, and I am still trying to source seed for a few other plants that prefer to grow through the winter or are very late maturing (Nov/Dec/Jan).
Many of our regulars, like tomatoes, sweetcorn, squashes, etc, were outlandish innovations once.
Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on December 21, 2007, 08:26:51
Many of our regulars, like tomatoes, sweetcorn, squashes, etc, were outlandish innovations once.
and a lot of the 'new' crops we are trying out these days are simply forgotten crops that were once popular.
I never said i DONT try anything new and i did list a few 'New' items im trying in 2008 BUT !!
Have you stopped to think that even though the climate is changing it has always been doing this,
we learn to adjust the way we grow our crops ie, raised beds, hot beds, mulching, ect in my eye that is what
gardening is all about, finding ways to grow plants to there best against all the odds ;D
I love the idea the plot manager who's plot is next to mine trys out new ideas, if he has some spare seeds he will sow them at odd times ect and maybe 3 types to a row just to see if any of them do well !
At the City allotments prizegiving a couple of years ago the Lord Mayor said in his speech that he was amazed at all the exotic things people grew nowadays - like sweetcorn and courgettes!
Quote from: flowerofshona2007 on December 21, 2007, 10:17:58
I never said i DONT try anything new and i did list a few 'New' items im trying in 2008 BUT !!
Have you stopped to think that even though the climate is changing it has always been doing this,
we learn to adjust the way we grow our crops ie, raised beds, hot beds, mulching, ect in my eye that is what
gardening is all about, finding ways to grow plants to there best against all the odds ;D
I love the idea the plot manager who's plot is next to mine trys out new ideas, if he has some spare seeds he will sow them at odd times ect and maybe 3 types to a row just to see if any of them do well !
My bigger worry is that our society is so dependent on a handful of food crops, and usually only a small range of cultivars within each crop. That is very dangerous (as the potato famine and the later wheat crop failure in the 1970's shows). Currently in my home country they are hugely dependent on maize - it is the staple food for nearly 40 million people, yet increasingly our climate is unsuitable for growing maize. At some point there will be a total crop failure and people are going to starve, but rather than invest more money in alternative crops (and the marketing to get people to eat them) our government is spending money on irrigation schemes, using up water that is already in short supply.
I'm really enjoying this thread its just great to hear the different ideas and opinions, I think it is a very healthy debate. (even if some people go off at a tangent ;) )
So long as there are people like we have on these forums who have an interest in the art of growing vegetables I can't see any problem with some people wanting to grow this and others wanting to grow that, all I said was it wasn't for me but I wished those who do the best of luck.
The other thing is I said was; I want to master what I grow this not for selfish reasons I just want the knowledge to put on my website to share with others.
As many of you well know, I am prepared to share all my experience with people on this forum, so hopefully those people who are growing these unusual vegetables will share their experiences with us in the fullness of time.
Who knows I might get converted when I get to know a bit more about the vegetables that have been mentioned, and if so, it will be some more information to put on my website.
Would I be imagining things if I were to say that I think we have some immigrants involved in this debate? and we are seeing ideas developing from their countries of origin?
I think this is healthy too! for example; when I started growing veg many many years ago we wouldn't have dreamed of growing things such as Sweetcorn, Peppers and Chillis to name but a few, but now they are quite common and surprisingly easy to grow, I put this down mainly to eating in 'foreign national' type restaurants and people like we have here on this forum introducing it to us locals.
So long may it continue............... but as I said; its not for me, I am a bit long in the tooth for changing my ways now (I have reached my sell by date) but who knows after this year when I read about all these exotic veg I might get a change of mind.
Carry on with the debate folks I am loving it ;D
I remember exotics like courgettes in the early 70's (T+M) but being 800' up in the Pennines even tomatoes needed a greenhouse!
;D
peanuts and physallis..we've tried the physallis and liked it so are going to try to grow our own ;D
Everything is commonplace somewhere and exotic in other places, a decade ago squash was practically unheard of, when I came back to this country in 2000 very few people grew it and I missed seeing it on patches,now almost everybody grows some form or another,same with corn, now folks are educating themselves as to type and texture, it is not long ago that folks thought of it as cattle food.Look at beans..it used to be runners , now all kinds of beans are grown and they are all different. Melons used to be for the stately homes now there are so many varieties that suit the home garden.
We are also bringing back what was once commonplace.
Growing veggies is like cooking, if you never try something different you might be missing out on a real treat.
I love my squash, I have grown them for about 35 years and still every year I find more and more varieties and there is such a variety of textures and tastes too, just when you think you have tasted them all another one shows up which is very different and so it goes on. Tomatoes are just the same.
I keep an area for trying new stuff and I love it. Sometimes it grows wonderful and I don't like the taste but then I get the real treats too. I don't remember life before winter squash!!
I love Okra but have not had much success here, but next year I am trying again with a vengeance with several different types and I will find a way.
That is my two penneth.
XX Jeannine
I'm not so sure how many of us are from foreign parts but many appear to be well traveled and all of us live in a multi-cultural society these days. The sad thing is that many traditional English vegetables seem to be disappearing from the shops with no Jerusalem's and very few parsnips or sprouts.
When looking at other folks lists of exotics for trial next year it's funny to see so many veg that would have been instantly recognised by any Victorian gardener but have become a forgotten food. One of the biggest problems with a new introduction is not always getting it to grow but learning how to harvest, store and cook the produce afterwards.
As an old showman myself I do understand the desire to grow some crops to perfection and beyond but also believe that growing something totally new taxes our skills just as much, as different known growing methods are tried and the results analysed.
The first 'exotic' veg I ever grew was courgettes! I'd just discovered vegetable ratatouille and found it easy to make (phew!), but the ingredients were sooo expensive back in the day, especially aubergines. However, it never occurred to me that I could grow these Mediterranean beauties here in Blighty.
Then a very green-fingered friend of mine from back home in Scotland (yup, that's about as exotic as I get I'm afraid) said how lucky I was to live 'darn sarf' in a warmer part of the country where it was possible to grow so much more. That made me think. So I gave 'em a go and - WOW! It worked! Now of course I grow courgettes, aubs, peppers, etc - I'm experimenting with overwintering some chillies at the mo - and if I can just get my onions and garlic (on the plot) to succeed this year, I'll have the lot!
So I guess that's the inspiration behind trying the more exotic veg - and fruit too (e.g. the Banana Passionfruit). If I'm lucky enough to have the opportunity to at least try, it would be criminal to waste it. But it's not just experimentation for its own sake - everything's only a novelty once. If I like the taste, it'll be on my list forever more.
If not, well, it's only one packet of seeds, innit....
Now, anyone fancy some Jobrovian Squish-fruit?
;D
I love the idea of Aubergines but have always stopped myself growing them as i just dont know how to cook them !! Back many years ago mum used to salt them to draw out the 'bitterness' and batter them (very healthy) ;D
Can anyone convince me to try them ????
We use them in a variation of Tomato slop... for ratatouille etc... never bother salting..
;D
Many of the newer varieties don't need the salting as they are not as bitter as they once were XX Jeannine
Yard Long Beans will be my challenge for 2008-in the greenhouse I think. Okra and Capers I will leave to others until someone gets a good crop.
Eristic-Lemon Grass is not too tricky,it germinates like a weed and if you can keep it growing you should have skinny plants by the end of the first year,then comes the slightly tricky stage.
Over winter it in a frost free place and keep the top soil bone dry,water very sparingly through the winter by standing your pots in a little water. I bring my indoors as low light levels do not seem to bother them.
In their second spring pot on and by the end of their second season you should have some to use and some to pot on again
Ho Cleo, is that Okra challenge good for this year, I have a few types and am one determined lady, sadly the floods beat me last year XX Jeannine
Ho Cleo, is that Okra challenge good for this year,
Hi-and Happy Christmas to you and yours-my word is my bond and I don`t remember putting a time limit on it :)
Has anyone seen the film "Grow your own"?
I'd like to try to grow some of the Shark Fin Melons that appear in it. Trouble is I can't seem to find anywhere I can get the seed from. I've trawled the web and can't even pin down a definite name for them. There seems to be so much confusion over latin names and most of the info I've found comes from forum posts 4 to 5 years old.
Does anyone have any clue what I'm talking about or where I can get a few seeds to try?
When the film came out I trawled the web to find out more about Shark's Fin - apparently there's two things with the same name, one is the melon, the other is a type of squash as I recall.
The general concensus from my search was - go to your nearest Oriental supermarket, buy the fruit and save your own seeds!
I'll be seeking them out soon, as I'm due a visit to my 'local' to stock up on the soy sauce, etc (I go through so much of the stuff, I'm sure someone in this house is bathing in it) - there are a few Oriental suppliers, both wholesalers and retailers, within easy driving distance, so if I find the melon I'll let you know and sort you out for some seeds.
Quote from: flowerofshona2007 on December 22, 2007, 16:33:09
I love the idea of Aubergines but have always stopped myself growing them as i just dont know how to cook them !! Back many years ago mum used to salt them to draw out the 'bitterness' and batter them (very healthy) ;D
Can anyone convince me to try them ????
How about trying some of the smaller varieties? Last year was our first and I grew Calliope and Little Finger in large pots. Definitely no need for salting the results. Also they have thin skins compared to the full size varieties and can be cooked quite quickly.
The dish I cooked most often with them was a sort of quick ratatouille:
Splash some olive oil (or garlic / chilli oil) into a wok, throw in some coarsely sliced onions and chopped aubergines (and also sliced/chopped courgettes and peppers if you like them!), cook on a medium heat adding chopped garlic (if you didn't start with garlic oil) after a couple of minutes. Add more oil if it all gets absorbed.
Don't let the garlic go brown it'll make the dish taste bitter.
When the aubergines begin to go brown (or earlier if the garlic is looking iffy) add chopped tomatoes a splash of white wine and some tomato concentrate/passata and herbs to taste, then cover and simmer for about five minutes (longer for a less crunchy result).
End by simmering for 5 minutes uncovered. Season with salt, pepper - and sugar if the tomato wasn't sweet enough) - and serve.
Might take a couple of practice runs to get it exactly the way you like it but a bit of randomness makes life more interesting, for instance a little bit of chilli at the beginning does seem to improve the final result but might not be to everyone's taste.
Quote from: Amazin on December 27, 2007, 13:19:54
When the film came out I trawled the web to find out more about Shark's Fin - apparently there's two things with the same name, one is the melon, the other is a type of squash as I recall.
That's the problem I had, couldn't pin it down to one specific variety.
My Wife bought me the film on DVD and in the "Extra's" they talk about the melons saying, "all melons look pretty much the same" so they used ordinary melons in the film. So, I'm assuming the ones I'm after are actual melons and not squashes... Trouble is I can understand a squash having the properties described in the film but a melon?
Quoteso if I find the melon I'll let you know and sort you out for some seeds.
Apparently they take up a lot of space so two or three would more than suffice. Many thanks for your kind offer, I look forward to it.
I have 2 1/2 tons of GG by products already rotting down in anticipation :)
What you want is shark's fin squash, but I've no idea where to get it unless you have a Chinese supermarket nearby.
Quotethey talk about the melons saying, "all melons look pretty much the same"
Good grief! Who was the horticultural advisor on the film - Monty Don?
;D
Quote from: Plot69 on December 27, 2007, 12:57:11
I'd like to try to grow some of the Shark Fin Melons that appear in it. Trouble is I can't seem to find anywhere I can get the seed from. I've trawled the web and can't even pin down a definite name for them. There seems to be so much confusion over Latin names and most of the info I've found comes from forum posts 4 to 5 years old.
Does anyone have any clue what I'm talking about or where I can get a few seeds to try?
Well I can help you out there! I grew loads of them this year, and we are still eating our way through them . PM me your address and I will happily send you some after our next meal. They have distinctive big black seeds, and the fruits look like watermelons! Here is one I grew on the allotment; warning, they are very vigorous, I grew mine around the base of my sweetcorn and that worked well. My seed came from a Chinese friend at work who has grown her own and saved the seed for years.
(http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l47/dlp133/sept008.jpg)
There are a couple of links to other posts where we discussed these too...
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,91/topic,25595.0
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,28653.msg283014/topicseen.html#msg283014
Quote from: Deb P on December 28, 2007, 15:47:05PM me your address and I will happily send you some after our next meal.
Thank you so much, I'm deeply indebted to you. If there is anything I can do in return?
I'm sure I'll think of something........ :o
If anyone else would like a some Shark's Fin Melon/Squash seeds PM me. I will have to make some more soup to use them up! ;D
Thanks Barnowl :D
I will give the little ones a go i think i have some seeds here from a magazine :)
Funny i have tried most veggies at some time but these have been one thing
i have shyed away from :)
Deb I would be very grateful for Sharks Fin seeds and have lots to trade you for, let me know what you enjpy growing I am bound to have it I think. Thank you so much XX Jeannine
I would love to grow Okra and tried Clemsons Spineless a few times but have never managed to get it to germinate. Anyone got any tips?
Hi Rob, I tried Okra last year along with a few other folks after Cleo offered to cook a meal for anyone who grew them, mine did grow and very well but the Hull floods finished them off, I actually got 2 fruit only.
I didn't find germination a problem. I did it a propogater in individual Jiffy pelletts and then popped the gator into the airing cupboard till they showed, then I kept them warm and gave them light.
I did find they don't like to be potted on so am doing that less this year.
I have about a dozen or so types now and am going to try an experiment with them this year. They vary in maturity dates from 45 to 90 days so I think the short season ones will do best. I used to grow these in Canada but I got them from my garden handy man and he gave them to me as healthy plants in decent sized pots
Watch out for the Okra post as I am sure it will be just as much fun this year, it was like a race with plants popping off unexpectedly.
Fingers crossed XX Jeannine
And nothing would give me more pleasure than to cook a meal for friends-especially if they shared the secret of a good okra crop with me
Cleo would you like a few of my seeds, I figured with several different varieties we would stand more chance.XX Jeannine
Hun-I would love to say yes,but at least 5 new toms,plus all the other stuff and yard long beans already stretches me well beyond breaking. I need to win the lottery-imagine couple of acres-yards of greenhouses and a full time gardener to help :)