If Variety is the Spice of life...

[Meadowlark]

...then this spring garden is full of it.

On the right of the trellis, 12 varieties of potatoes, 4 varieties of tomatoes, 4 varieties of squash, 2 varieties of carrots, 4 varieties of beans, 4 varieties of cucumbers, four varieties of peppers, onions and garlic.

On the left of the trellis, 3 more varieties of beans, 4 varieties of okra, 2 varieties of corn, 3 varieties of melons, 3 varieties of sweet potatoes, 2 varieties of cantaloup, 2 varieties of sunflowers, and a test plot of jicama and test plot of sunchokes.

 

[Tetters]

Cor, you really do have an impressive plot - most definitely spicy. I have never even heard of jicama or sunchokes (are those related to arti- )

 

[Meadowlark]

Thank you Tetters. Much appreciated.

Jicama is widely grown in Mexico which is where I was introduced to it. Driving around rural areas in Mexico (back when it was safe) the local kids would approach your vehicle with offers to sell them. It has been a staple of the indigenous people living in Mexico for thousands of years. I'm told that after the Spanish colonized Central America, they introduced it to Europe and their other colonies around the world. It has become a staple in Southeast Asia.

I'm growing it for fun and looking for a healthier potato substitute. It is difficult to get started and needs a long growing season. Along those lines, the sunchoke. aka Jerusalem artichoke, which is neither from Jerusalem nor an artichoke, is another potential potato substitute/extender that is widely grown in North America.

 

[Tetters]

Right - I thought that you meant a relation of ''Arti'' learning all the time. Thanks for all the info

 

[headfullofbees]

Your plot is impressive in both size & variety.
May I ask what the total area you use for growing?

 

[deckman22]

Your garden is impressive like always Meadowlark. I always read your post on the 2cool site back when I visited there.

My neighbor grows sunchokes, they do have a potato taste. A bit on the small size for me to get interested in growing them. Maybe they get bigger than what they grow as most of their gardening is in pots.

 

[Meadowlark]

Howdy Deckman22.

Turns out I'm growing my sunchokes in a container also in my case to avoid any invasive happenings for which they are known. You ever tried Jicama?

 

[deckman22]

Have not tried jicama. I am trying some new cantaloupes this year and some new varieties of lettuce. I don't have the space you do so my limited gardening expansion is containers on the back porch where I grow spices, spinach and a couple of pepper plants.

 

[Meadowlark]

I had surprising success last fall/winter growing lettuce and other leafy veggies here in Texas in Hügelkultur containers. Check out the thread:
https://www.gardening-forums.com/th...ulture-in-containers.24560/page-7#post-236049

 

[deckman22]

I like those containers you have. Where do you get them?

I've been using containers bought at local Ace store that look to be about 7 gal containers. I've had good luck growing in them. I have very good success growing lettuce in my garden so don't do much of it although I do have one container with little gems now. My plan was try different plants and see what grows well that doesn't grow well in the garden. Spinach and arugula get eaten bad in the garden by little black beetles but, don't get into the plants in the containers. I'm guessing because the deck is raised about 4' above grade so the bugs can't get to them. Some herbs/spices get attacked by aphids so I'm trying them out on the back porch containers now. Looks like something is eating the dill but, nothing else.

I think my neighbors were not having too good of success in years prior because they were using mainly their homemade compost for dirt. I showed them the Happy Frog potting soil I'm using and they switched over to using more of it and did much better last year. They grew beautiful cauliflower and broccoli last fall/winter in containers. Nice to have gardening neighbors to learn from each other. I'm an old dog but, still learning new tricks.

 

[Meadowlark]

I like those containers you have. Where do you get them?

...

I originally fed my cows protein out of them. They originally held 200 lbs of cattle feed. Now, loaded with the Hügelkultur materials and some garden topsoil it is about 60 pounds of material and a volume of something like 25 plus gallons. Makes a fantastic growing bed and is actually movable.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I reckon if I grew all those varieties I would only get one of each in my garden

Looking at growing in containers, I can buy 12 litre plant pots from around £1.50p up to around £10 depending on quality, I can get a 12 litre bucket, with a handle, for £1. They are orange, but even the black ones are cheaper than the most rubbish plant pots. The handle is really great, I can put them out on a nice day, get them in on a cold night, move them out of the way , etc. I don't know if it really matters, but they have a pouring lip, so I always put them down with that facing South, plants don't move about naturally, they might not like being the other way around. I have about fifteen planted up now, first were broad beans, then tomatoes, then chard; the aubergines will be next, oh, and I have one red cabbage I was given and didn't know where to put it.

 

[Meadowlark]

Heat wave in Texas...no problem... it's to be expected. It's hot and humid now until October... 100/100 every day.

This is probably the peak of variety in harvest time from my garden with literally buckets full of cucumbers, corn, tomatoes, okra, jalapenos, bells, toros, picked every day and functional sunflower plants to trap the leaf footed bugs.

Sweet potatoes, watermelons, cantaloupes, jicama, and sunchokes are in progress.

I have a theory (not surprising) that soil nutrient density is the key to producing good yields even in extreme heat and humidity that we are having here.

 

[Heirloom farmer1969]

Growing vegetables in that kind of heat has to be challenging. If we have just a week of temps in the 90s without rain here in Ky, I'll have to start watering like crazy, especially my beans and tomatoes.
I cannot imagine that kind of heat lasting 3 or 4 months. I can't even remember when it got into the 100s last in Ky.
But then again by looking at pictures of your veggies you are having very good luck!!

 

[Oliver Buckle]

looking at pictures of your veggies you are having very good luck!!

Not sure about that, reading his posts for a while I have the feeling it is as much the application of considerable knowledge. A lesson to all of us, the more you learn, the better your results.