Something New in the Veggie Garden?

[digitS']

For me, it was Tigerella tomatoes that proved to be a very special treat! Very productive and healthy plants, as well!

A number of companies sell the seed but, as I understand it, in the US, the one just called "Mr. Stripey" is sometimes something different. It didn't grow as a standard-sized tomato. Instead, the Tigerella is about the size of a silver dollar coin. A fruit (choke) about the size (choke) a gardener can push into the mouth and (koff) chew up and swallow all at once (gasp)!

T&M sells the seed and has a good picture (click here).

It was a very early ripening variety in my garden, with a good flavor and a tender skin. It never cracked and is a very pretty fruit. I did learn to wait until the green stripes turn yellow, however. At that green-stripe stage, they aren't ripe.

How about in your garden -- a new tomato, snapbean, eggplant . . . something new that surprised you??

Steve

 

[Ariel301]

I just got some Tigerella to try next spring.

This year my new varieties were Armenian Cucumber and "Solar Fire" tomatoes.

The cucumbers were excellent, but did not produce well in the heat. I will use them as a fall and spring crop from now on. I love the flavor, like a honeydew melon instead of a cucumber. They made great sandwiches sliced up on bread with cream cheese. (and tuna for those who like tuna, I don't but my husband does)

The Solar Fire tomato was advertised at the local Home Depot as a heat resistant variety that would do well here. It didn't. The plants have been in the ground two months and are still the same size as when I got them, and are just now starting to fruit, but the plants are so small the fruits are sitting on the ground. I won't do them again, I am going to try Porter and Creole next year for summer tomatoes.

 

[digitS']

Those Armenian cucumbers ARE unique, Ariel. And, they are tasty!

I grew them only once a couple of years ago.

They certainly could have been more productive. Maybe higher customer demand will lead to further development of those cucumbers.

S'

 

[RDRANCH]

I have plant Hyacinth beans off and on for the last several years with no success. All that grew were these massive green vines with no blooms, beans or color other than green.

This year I planted the Ruby Moon variety from Botanical Interests. Being a named variety they were more expensive ($2.99) for five seeds, but they were the rocks stars of the garden!

The plants are absolutely beautiful and from five seeds I will be able to save hundreds of seeds from this years production.

They will definately be planted in various spots around our property to brighten things up! These are fantastic plants that bring the pollinators and have an exotic look.

 

[wifezilla]

Chinese Red Noodle Beans was my newbie. Of course I don't know if the beans taste good or not. Every bug and critter in the area decided to taste them for me first. I managed to get a few plants to adulthood and got a total of 5 beans. Now these are impressive looking beans and I will have enough seeds from those 5 beans to try again next year (with more protection for the plants obviously).

Since I let the pods stay on the vine and dry out they got over 2 ft long. Even if I don't like the taste of the beans they look really cool. So another try is warranted.

 

[journey11]

I tried so many new things this year, I wouldn't know where to begin. But I found that I really like eggplant. And I am in love with scarlet runner beans (I put mine around front where everybody could see and enjoy them.) I had big dreams about a couple new varieties of turban squash/winter squash I planted, but they ALL got wiped out by disease except for one. Which reminds me--I need to post a pic of it, 'cause I have no idea what it is....

The Mr. Stripey's I grew a few years back were the different ones you mentioned, Steve--a rather large (1 lb+) yellow/red striped slicer. I'm not sure if they're an heirloom or not.

ETA: Hey RDRANCH, was your "Ruby Moon" a sunflower mix? I bought a mix by that name this year and loved the variety. They were great for bouquets, cut and come again.

 

[RDRANCH]

The Ruby Moon we planted is a variety of Hyacinth Bean. In the past I had tried an unamed variety that grew to be plain with no.

Considering that five seeds cost $2.99 and each bean produced three or four seeds, mulitply that times the 200 or so beans that formed I am very pleased and can't wait to plant them again!

I just might jump the gun and start some indoors now.

 

[ducks4you]

Neat looking tomatoes!! I'm still at the point of cherries, Romas and...others...

 

[digitS']

On August 21st, I planted seeds for Summerfest Komatsuna.

I came at this vegetable in a rather odd way. Senposai has been in my garden for 3 or 4 years. If it is given a fair amount of room, it will grow nearly as large as broccoli and can be used for the same purposes - the buds!! Senposai can also be harvested when it is young green.

Senposai is a hybrid of cabbage and Komatsuna , the seed companies tell me. Well, I've had cabbage often enuf . But, what's this Komatsuna?

Perhaps it's because of the time that it has been growing in my garden with the cooling nighttime temperatures and some autumn rains. There have been 3 frosts. Actually, the Komatsuna and other things I was planting that late in August would probably not have grown much except that those frosts have come late this year . . .

Let me just attest to one thing: the Komatsuna is the most tender Asian green I've ever grown! Yep, it can rank right up there with spinach . . . Come to think of it, spinach might be an Asian green, too.

Steve

ETA: what looks like a tasty recipe: click

 

[old fashioned]

This year I tried.....

Squash--hubbard, sweet dumpling, & scallop/patty pans & all were very productive. Although I don't think I'll do hubbards again since they nearly took over. And the family isn't too fond of the scallops/patty pans, so they don't have a future here either. But I will definately keep the sweet dumplings.

Grains--hulless oats, spring wheat, winter barley, winter rye & amaranth. These did really great, yet the amaranth was a bit trickier & I'll definately grow these again on a larger scale. This year was in a small test bed about 10x10 and each gave a good harvest although the birds (or something) got to the wheat before I did. :/

Tomatoes--Amish paste, Nineveh, Marglobe, San Marzano & Rutgers. What can I say here except the Puget Sound had a cool wet & almost non-existent summer. I did get huge plants loaded with fruits, but they ended up rotting before ripening. With the exception of the Nineveh that was planted in a different area. The plant was smaller, but it did give a few ripe ones. Just too bad this kind isn't all that great for eating. I had bought the seed from Baker Creek with the intention of adding the extra acidity to the canning pot which of course backfired. :/ I will grow all these again in the future along with my regular favorites like Roma & Brandywine. I just think this was a bad year for maters.