Your Favorite Variety of Veggies

[digitS']

Here we are clearly showing the differences in our growing conditions. I was asking a retired farmer neighbor if he knew what his family grew in the way of sweet corn 100 years ago. My suspicion was that there wouldn't have been a variety that consistently matured early enuf for this part of the world :/.

He didn't know the varieties but said that it was probably like everything else - some years they might produce, some years they might not .

Fortunately, we aren't stuck back there pre-Golden Bantam, pre-early maturing this-and-that. However, I have to be very selective in the choices of most things. This is very arid country with wide swings between day and night temperatures. Days-to-maturity ratings are a pet gripe for me since they are usually so far off in my garden .

Yesterday, DW wanted to buy some butternut squash seed at the garden center . . . well, some years they might produce, some years they might not . We'll try but the conversation seems to be on beans . . . beans, I can grow!!

Kentucky Wonder pole and Green Crop bush beans have wonderful flavors but they are kind of homely beans and can get a little stringy. A real consistent producer of lovely beans is Jade.

And, tomatoes . . . I bet a dime to a doughnut that 85-day Mortgage Lifter tomatoes won't ripen in my garden but I was so pleased with Thessaloniki tomatoes last year ! And, what a pretty tomato . . . darn near as nice as the Big Beef with a real pleasant, fruity flavor.

Zucchini - - Aristocrat has been consistently good over a good number of years and even seems to be able to withstand mildew better than some of the newer varieties.

Beets - - I have grown quite a few different beets and like Red Ace real well.

Melons - - hey, I can grow Honey Girl Charentais melons ! Big find for me and boy are they good tasting! Fastbreak and Passport did fine in the garden last year, also! Wow!

Steve
:tools

 

[Reinbeau]

OReinbeau, I would like to try that sweet cicely cause it sounds so interesting and I love licorice.

Later on this summer I'll gather seeds and offer them in the Trade forum.

 

[silkiechicken]

Talk about so far off. The cool weather plants like beans and peas are not too bad, but any crop requiring heat, I like to add a good month to the time they are ready for harvest.

I read online somewhere that corn is ready to harvest 3 weeks after the silk emerges... try 6 weeks!!!

 

[hcammack2]

I really like lemon cucumbers and heritage tomatoes they are the best.

henry

 

[Settin'_Pretty]

Here we are clearly showing the differences in our growing conditions. I was asking a retired farmer neighbor if he knew what his family grew in the way of sweet corn 100 years ago. My suspicion was that there wouldn't have been a variety that consistently matured early enuf for this part of the world :/.

He didn't know the varieties but said that it was probably like everything else - some years they might produce, some years they might not .

Fortunately, we aren't stuck back there pre-Golden Bantam, pre-early maturing this-and-that. However, I have to be very selective in the choices of most things. This is very arid country with wide swings between day and night temperatures. Days-to-maturity ratings are a pet gripe for me since they are usually so far off in my garden .

Yesterday, DW wanted to buy some butternut squash seed at the garden center . . . well, some years they might produce, some years they might not . We'll try but the conversation seems to be on beans . . . beans, I can grow!!

Kentucky Wonder pole and Green Crop bush beans have wonderful flavors but they are kind of homely beans and can get a little stringy. A real consistent producer of lovely beans is Jade.

And, tomatoes . . . I bet a dime to a doughnut that 85-day Mortgage Lifter tomatoes won't ripen in my garden but I was so pleased with Thessaloniki tomatoes last year ! And, what a pretty tomato . . . darn near as nice as the Big Beef with a real pleasant, fruity flavor.

Zucchini - - Aristocrat has been consistently good over a good number of years and even seems to be able to withstand mildew better than some of the newer varieties.

Beets - - I have grown quite a few different beets and like Red Ace real well.

Melons - - hey, I can grow Honey Girl Charentais melons ! Big find for me and boy are they good tasting! Fastbreak and Passport did fine in the garden last year, also! Wow!

Steve
:tools

I'm 30 miles North of Idaho Falls.
You can get a crop of Mortgage Lifters, but you have to be a smart and committed gardener, as with trying to grow ANYTHING in this frozen tundra of a wasteland.

I grew Bird House gourds here, those are 110 days
Mortgage Lifters are worth the effort.
Wall-o-waters are your friend.

 

[digitS']

That's gettin' darn close to Yellowstone, Settin'_Pretty . . . .

 

[Settin'_Pretty]

Yep, it's pretty close buy.

 

[Rosalind]

Purple Peruvian potatoes. They put up with drought, mud, mulch blowing off, moles, shrews, deer, coyotes chasing the deer through their beds, and still produce a lot of potatoes, which keep quite well and are wonderful to eat, not mealy at all and barely need milk/butter in the mash.

Sugar snap peas. I can get DH to weed, dig, etc. if the sugar snap peas are out. Only problem is growing enough to keep him fed.

Scarlet runner beans. Pretty, attract hummingbirds, and make really good baked beans. I like multi-purpose plants.

Nasturtiums. Also pretty, nearly indestructible, can be eaten like watercress, good on creamcheese sandwiches.

 

[Rio_Lindo_AZ]

I realy love planting peas!!!!! That is probobly my favorite. But I also like planting Squash & melons

 

[nightshade]

I am trying Candy Cane beets this year. Anyone ever have them?