different vegetables

Monek Marie
Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited February 2021 in Vegetables

I am going through my vegetables seeds and sorting them as when to start them and how. One day I'll do this in the fall but I have to admit it makes a great relaxing evening.

So as I am doing this I find my unique seed varieties and think I will post some - just because. I hope if you have different seeds and crops in vegetables you will share them too.

First seed variety:

Red Leaf Orach - Altriplex hortensis Rubra I m including a link for all orach. It comes in four colors. I chose red because I love color in the gardens and yards https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/orach/how-to-grow-orach-plants.htm

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Comments

  • frogvalley
    frogvalley Posts: 675 ✭✭✭✭

    Wow @Denise Grant , something I've never heard of before. I know about Lamb's Quarters and Goosefoot, but have never heard of Orach. It sounds like something I need to investigate. Thank you.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @frogvalley I should have some extra. Let me go thorugh my seeds and see if their might be something else I can share too.

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    I have ordered Purple Orach seeds this year. A friend grew it last year. Very similar to Amaranth which grows very well in our area. The copper variety sounds interesting.

    Never seen black pumpkins before. Very cool. Are they tasty or mostly ornamental, @Denise Grant?

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @torey They are actually edible and taste much like any other pumpkin.

    I plan to make sure I grow out seeds this year.

  • gardneto76
    gardneto76 Posts: 528 ✭✭✭✭

    I am going to attempt to grow tri-colored Chinese spinach (a type of Amaranth) and Ruby Buckwheat again this year. We did not do so good with it last year.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @gardneto76 I have heard of tri-colored chinese spinach. I 'll have to look it up. And ruby buckwheat? Wow!

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Another veggie I love just because its different. Rattail Radish. I found it listed in pinetree seed catalog and with a name like that, would could pass it by?

    I love it becuse it grow 3 to 5 foot tall and has the prettiest white pink mini flowers. It grow a radish pod on the plant and ther pod can get 6 or 7 inches long. When I grow it in the garden everyone remarks on it.

    The pods can be eaten small when they are tender or you wait until they are bigger and harvest tehr seeds. Raw seeds are great on a salad and later they are wonderful ground up and made into a spicy mustard.

  • I grew orach this past year. I got a pkg of seeds from Baker Creek that has multiple colors. What ended up with (luck of the draw lol) was four different colors. I just checked but for some reason I didn't take a picture. I got a deep burgundy smooth leaf, as almost chartreuse smooth leaf, a dark green wrinkled leaf and I don't remember the 4th lol. It is very good and I saved some seed heads of the three I named. They have a husk around the seeds but once removing that the seeds are edible. They grow tall and the burgundy one esp should make a beautiful addition in the landscape.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @seeker.nancy - Central Texas I also have that packet of Orach from Bakers Creek and hope to have a lot of color. Let me check what the other color was. It almost seemed like it was an orange or a yellowish color. I plan to save seeds if it grows well and will send you some of your missing color.

  • VickiP
    VickiP Posts: 586 ✭✭✭✭

    I have grown the tri-colored Chinese spinach. I liked the flavor but it didn't produce much. May try it again, it was certainly good enough to deserve another chance.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @VickiP Possibly it just needed to be planted at a different time. I am surprised how often a week one way or ther other will make a difference in crop success or less than happy results.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2021

    I prefer Heirloom tomatoes over most tomatoes. I also try to find the varieties that produce well. Some have a great taste but hardy have any fruit. For my shorter climate I need tomatoes that produce well.

    In cherry tomatoes I am growing sweet 100's (although they tend to split if watering is uneven), Red and yellow pear, Artesan Tiger and Artesan Bumblebee blend. The Artesain blends are crack resistant. I grow a lot of cherry tomatoes to give away to give to the food banks. They also sell well at the farmers market if I go this year.

  • karenjanicki
    karenjanicki Posts: 996 ✭✭✭✭

    That's neat! I am a pretty new gardener so admittedly I have only grown pretty common plants but I would like to experiment with some new and exciting varieties!

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2021

    @karenjanicki I started growing something different or new every year to give me something to look forward to. Its fun to see what you get and hear family or neighbors responses.

  • gardneto76
    gardneto76 Posts: 528 ✭✭✭✭

    @Denise Grant I agree 1-2 weeks difference in planting time can make a huge difference. I ordered both my buckwheat & spinach from BakerCreek as well. The Ruby Buckwheat had a first name that starts with a T, if I remember correctly. It really was a beautiful little plant with bright pink flowers. We had a very warm summer and I mist a few watering so it did not get very big. Only a few went to seed. I had it in a fairly small pot as a trial. This year I redid the pot, but am also going to try some straight in the garden as well. We shall see which one does better.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2021

    @gardneto76 I have really tried not to order seeds this year but that Buckwheat sounds too interesting.

    The only thing I really have to have (LOL) is a multi colored lettuce.

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    A friend of mine grows this reisetomate. She calls it her Chernobyl tomato. :)

    There seems to be some conflicting info about the origins of this species. A German heirloom but some sites say the origin is Central America (Guatemala) and others say Peru.

    It does seem to have quite an acidic taste compared to some of the newer varieties that are grown for sweetness.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I have seen the same conflicting information @torey

    I am going to give it a try and see what I think. Its unique and I like that you can break parts off and use it that way.

    I take it your friends must like it?

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    @Denise Grant Yes, she does like it. Its the third or fourth year she has grown it.

  • karenjanicki
    karenjanicki Posts: 996 ✭✭✭✭

    That's a cool idea! There are so many unique varieties. And I've seen some gorgeous plants in the seed savers catalogue!

  • vickeym
    vickeym Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I grew a few different varieties of tomatoes last year. The one thing I noticed was that every type from beefsteak, Siberian, paste and cherry varieties all had a very tough skin. I have been having dental issues and had to peel the tomatoes before I could eat them as the skin was so tough I could not bite it.

    Have no idea why.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @vickeym

    Water seems to make a bigger difference in my tomato skin here in PA. And certain tomato varieties have a thicker skin.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2021

    Tasmanian Blushing tomato. Does this look like a fun tomato? Its from the experimental farm (so is the photo) Originally from Australia. I am trying it to see if its one I want to save seeds from

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2021

    Queen Annes Pocket Melon.

    Grown by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello in the United States. It has a 1000 year history overseas. Its very small and aromatic. Ladies in society put it in their pocket sort of as a aromatic sachet. Very aromatic but bland in taste. It is usually about the size of a tennis ball

    It grows on a small vine and can be grown in a pot but needs trellised.

    Photo from southern exposure seeds


  • nicksamanda11
    nicksamanda11 Posts: 755 ✭✭✭✭

    I found a green heirloom pumpkin sitting randomly in the woods. I brought it home and saved the seeds. So I'll grow those this year.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    amana orange organic tomato. Its a large beefsteak style tomato that is very sweet. Size 4 to 5 inches across (photo from etsy)

    I was given a bunch of tomato seeds last year that I will be trying this year and also giving seeds away. Thye are heirlooms and it would be good to keep the seeds going

  • blevinandwomba
    blevinandwomba Posts: 813 ✭✭✭✭

    I'm pretty sure I grew some rattail radish last year. I planted a radish mix, and some of the plants made seed pods. I was surprised how succulent the texture was.

  • SuperC
    SuperC Posts: 952 ✭✭✭✭

    @Denise Grant yellow cherry tomatoes are high in sweetness and nutrients. Thank you for sharing these colorful and fun veggie photos!