#black japanese trifele tomato

[cygnoir]

Our first time growing heirloom tomatoes, and the Japanese Black Trifele is a winner. 🍅 Sweet and smoky taste with a silky texture.

[jensownzoo]

Am working on converting an approximately 6x8’ patch of grass/clover into planting beds. It’s tough going because it’s basically a thin layer of turf and topsoil, followed by rough gravel, followed by ground up asphalt, until you finally hit solid clay about a foot down. I’m repurposing the gravel and asphalt for a packed earth path in the side yard that’s gotten a bit too trippy with exposed tree roots. The turf is going to the chickens to compost for me. So I’m basically excavating and hand-sifting everything (helped by a mattock to loosen it all up) and it is sloooooooow since I have to take many breaks to rest my hands/back.

I was able to finish a foot-wide swath this week. I added in a general mineral amendment that I had mixed up last month from a recipe on a gardening website. Since it will take a while to start breaking down significantly (but it will last 5-10 years), I mixed a bit of conventional fertilizer for vegetables into the top couple of inches. Then I was able to transplant my first seedlings! Eight tomato plants (Japanese Black Trifele x3, Amish Paste x2, Barry’s Crazy Cherry, Blue Berries Cherry, and Sweet 100 Cherry) plus four clumps of Sweet Annie (Wormwood). I will still scratch in a mixture of cosmos, marigold, and zinnia seeds that I harvested last season and then top everything with used chicken bedding for mulch. I’ll start on the second foot-wide swath next week then add the supports for the tomatoes.

Here is the new bed, phase 1. The transplants look a little wilty mostly because it rained for an hour immediately after I got them in the ground (plus transplant shock).

Here are most of the remaining seedlings in my Macgyvered-together cold frame made out of cinder blocks, Tidy Cats litter buckets filled with water and put in black plastic contracted bags, a little bit of lumber, and old window panels:

Here are some of the spring crops I’ve got going in the Earth boxes including cilantro, Swiss chard, kale, mixed baby greens, and salad spinach:

And the lettuce that’s ripe for thinning—may have a nice salad from it tomorrow:

And the peppermint is emerging. I’ve found that two boxes generally produces enough for me to dry enough for tea to last through the rest of the year. I’ve also been planting small bits of it in the side yard where it’s pretty shady. I’ve got lemon balm mixed in with the groundcover on one side and I’d like the peppermint to take over the other. Just bought little pots of spearmint and Kentucky mint to do the same thing in the front—down with boring grass! Up with mints!

Uncovered my Chinese cabbage to take advantage of the rain and found that something’s been at them despite being covered:

And then I found (and relocated) the culprit!

Final picture is of the sugar snap peas emerging. I rebuilt this raised bed this fall and worked all winter to fill it with plant material (twigs, leaves, etc.). It got all of the spring load of compost that my chickens made for me. The number of earthworms that I dug up while planting the peas was unreal, so I think the bed should be successful! I’ll put in pole beans as well in a week or two. I’ve got two old metal fence panels (freshly spray painted) making an A-frame over the whole bed to support the vines.

It was unseasonably warm and dry this past week, which is making me worried about this summer. But at least I’ve got a solid start?

[bashcha]

Dragulji iz bashche

Sezona 2019 u punom jeku, kažu da je loša godina za paradjz i na pijaci drži cenu. Da kucnem o drvo, meni je ova sezona baš dobra i ne mogu da se požalim.

Da li je do toga što sam radila zimsko sejanje, ne mogu sa sigurnošću da tvrdim ali više ne planiram da se zezam sa sejancima unutra. Jednom su dobili prskanje sa razređenim mlekom i jednom zalivani algama, sem toga prepušteni sebi, pustila sam i zaperke da rastu jer nisam htela da mu stvaram rane pošto je bio dug kišni period krajem juna.

Paradajz džungla, doduše u nakon ove fotografije sam malo skinula donje listove da ga prozračim pošto smo odlazili na godišnji a prognoza je bila nepovoljna po paradajz.

Nije ostao ovako besprekorno zelen, ali i kada su neki od listova počeli da žute ili dobijaju pegice samo sam ih skidala, ali bez preterivanja da ni slučajno ne ogolim previše biljku pošto je sunce bilo nemilosrdno i lako bi stradali plodovi od opekotina. Za razliku od prošle sezone nisam se previše opterećivala i plesala oko njega sa raznoraznim pripravcima.

Krajem jula stigli su prvi plodovi. Sadim dosta čerija jer oni prvi sazreju i posebna su poslastica. Novitet ove godine je Green Doctors, izuzetno ukusan i sladak čeri zelene boje.

Još jedan novitet je Black Japanese Trifele, kruškastog oblika, veličina plodova varira, kod mene su najmanji veličine jajeta, obilato rađa. Ukus je kompleksan, a sok od njega u kombinaciji sa Persimmonom je za umreti koliko je odličan. Trenutno mi je omiljen uz doručak i već sam krenula da sakupljam njegovo seme jer definitivno ostaje na spisku i za sledeću sezonu. 

Treći novitet, Amish Paste. Crven, novina u mojoj bašti, ali htela sam dobar paradjz za kuvanje. Amish Paste na papiru obećava, a u stvarnosti pa definitivno je bolji od onog sa pijace ali moja subjektiva ocena je da je dosta neutralan te je baš za to što mu ime kaže, dobar za kuvanje. Za salate i ostale sveže varijante ima boljih kandidata. Plodovi su krupni i različitih oblika, na jednoj biljci su mi bili više duguljasti a na drugoj okrugli, dosta je otporan na pucanje i puno rađa. Ima svašta što mu ide u prilog pa ću i njega sačuvati za sledeću godinu.

Dalje su stari favoriti, Persimmon i Orange Banana, izuzetno lepe sunčano narandžaste boje. Zanimljivo je da narandžasti i žuti paradajzi imaju manje kiseline, ukus im je blago voćkast i sladak (Orange Banana pogotovo kada ih pečete sa belim lukom i malo maslinovog ulja u rerni na 150°C), a inače su vrlo versatilni i ukusni na mnoge načine.

Za kraj Purple Russian, šljivar kojeg sam posejala da obnovim zalihu semena. Iako je izuzetno osetljiv kada naglo dobije vodu i često se raspuknu plodovi to nije razlog da ga ne sadite jer kako Amy Goldman  autor knjige  The Heirloom Tomato kaže:

Paradajz za koji vredi živeti.

Da li je tako dobar procenite sami, ukusi su subjektivna stvar, ja bih rađe to rekla za neki drugi paradajz.

U bašti Green Zebra i Black Zebra tek kreću da sazrevaju tako da će biti i za kasnije. Volela bih naći još neku kasniju dobru sortu da uvrstim za stalno.

[olmosgarden]

Planting out this ‘Japanese black trifele’ tomato next to the roses outside the fence of the veg garden....this is a potato leaf variety. it was potted up on jan 28 about a month ago. 

[on-my-way-to-the-woods]

If anyone wants tomato seeds or pepper seeds (or many other kinds of seed), Free Heirloom Seeds is really trying to get the rest of their seed stock sent out before the end of planting season and you should check them out.  4 packets of seed per household per year.  The seeds are free, please donate $1.25 for shipping if you can, but you don’t have to. 

Note: they will ship outside the US, email them for details.

Tomato and pepper varieties as of 2/1/2021, check their website for the most recent list.

#TO1-Tomato - Amish Paste, (85 Days) Organic, Indeterminate, Wisconsin heirloom from Amish farmers dating back to around 1870 boats big oxheart fruits with consistent flavor

#TO3-Tomato - Japanese Black Trifele, (74 Days) Organic, 4-6 oz fruits with deep flavor, potato leafed indeterminate, harvest whe shoulders are still green for the best flavor, 5-10 seeds per request

#TO4-Tomato - Cherokee Purple, (77 Days) Organic, Heirloom tomato said to have originated from the Cherokee Indians is known to be one of the best tasting tomatos in the world. Brownish pirple skin & brick red flesh

#TO5-Tomato - Black Krim, (80 Days) Organic, red with deep brown shoulders, full flavored tomato has been described as "smoky", high yeilding indeterminate is sure to please, 5-10 seeds per request

#TO7-Tomato - Green Zebra, (77 Days) Organic, Slicing tomato ripens green with yellow stripes, very enjoyable out of hand. ALway a pleasure to grow

#TO8-Tomato - Fargo Yellow Pear, (82 Days) Organic, Vigorous determinate introduced in 1934. Each plant produces about 3 dozen 1 oz. fruits

#TO9-Tomato - Golden Jubilee, (80 Days) Organic, Indeterminate slicing tomato, 8 oz. gold tomato won AAS in 1943

#TO11-Tomato - Valencia, (85 Days) Organic, Indeterminate, Maine family heirloom is a nice small midsize bright orange tomato great for fresh eating.

#TO12-Tomato - Matt's Wild Cherry, (85 Days) Indeterminate, this bright red heirloom cherry tomato has origins tracing back to Hidalgo Mexico, where they grow wild. Full flavor cherry tomato.

#TO14-Tomato - Orange Banana, (85 Days) Organic, Indeterminate orange paste tomato of exceptional quality, also said to be a great choice for dried tomatoes

#TO15-Tomato - Sheboygan, (80 Days) Organic, Indeterminate red paste tomato, highly productive Lithuanian Heirloom

#TO16-Tomato - Peacevine, (78 Days) Organic, Small fruited red tomato, rampant indeterminate produces countless clusters of sweet fruit. Originally selected from sweet 100

#TO19-Tomato - Pink Brandywine, (82 Days) Organic, Indeterminate potato leaf variety. Possibly the most famous heirloom of all. Specially selected to offer the best that the Brandywine variety has to offer

#TO20-Tomato - Yellow Brandywine, (78 Days) Organic, Indeterminate potato leaf variety. Rich flavor from these large, meaty yellow fruits. 5-10 seeds per request

#TO21-Tomato - Principe Borghese, (75 Days) Organic, Vigorous determinate small fruited red tomato. Praised by people who have gotten this seed from us in the past as a great yielder with fantastic taste

#TO28-Tomato - Speckled Roman, (85 Days) Organic, Indeterminate,This pointed roma type tomato is great for fresh eating & is very easy on the eyes with orange stripes over red. One of our favorites! 

#PPH1-Pepper/Hot - Anaheim Hot Pepper (78 Days) The pepper for Chile Rellenos & so much more. Got it's name being grown for a factory near Anaheim around 1900

#PPH4-Pepper/Hot - Early Jalapeno (75 Days) a familar friend that packs the heat at 4000 to 6500 scovilles

#PPH5-Pepper/Hot - Hidalgo Serrano (75 Days) Organic, A bit hotter than Jalapeno, with quite a range from 2000 to 17,000 scovilles, prolific plants produce dozens of small finger sized peppers

#PPH6-Pepper/Hot - Fish (80 Days) Organic, A serrano pepper mutation dating back to the late 1800's. No joke at 5000 - 30,000 scovilles

#PPH7-Pepper/Hot - Poblano Ancho Grande(76 Days) The classic medium hot roasting chili pepper, appx. 10-20 seeds per request

#PPH8-Pepper/Hot - Hungarian Hot Wax (58 days pale yellow/83 red) Organic, Sunset ripening yellow, orange to red make for gorgeous pickled peppers, 5-10 seeds per request

#PPH9-Pepper/Hot - Habanero (80 days green/100 orange) Organic, Famous, flavorful extra hot pepper, an extremely pugent Habanero with hints of ctirus, 5 seeds per request

#PPS1-Pepper/Sweet - Golden Cal Wonder Bell Pepper (75 Days) Abundant producer of big blocky bell peppers that ripen to a deep gold. Appx. 10-20 seeds per request

#PPS2-Pepper/Sweet - Horizon Orange Bell Pepper (75 Days) Vigorous producer of full sized bells, known for it's premium "gourmet" color, appx. 5-10 seeds per request

#PPS4-Pepper/Sweet - Yolo Wonder L Bell Pepper (75 Days) Abundant producer of big blocky bell peppers that ripen to a deep red. Appx. 10-20 seeds per request

#PPS6-Pepper/Sweet - Karlo Paprika Pepper (70 Days) Organic, 3-5" pointed peppers, Semi-sweet/semi-hot pepper ripens to bright red, making an excellent choice for paprika, 5 seeds per request

#PPS7-Pepper/Sweet - Tangerine Pimiento Pepper (85 Days) Organic, Beautiful bright Tangerine color with outstanding sweetness fresh or roasted, appx 5-6 seeds per request

#PPS8-Pepper/Sweet - Greek Pepperoncini (65 Days)Classic Pepperoncini, sweet with just a little bite, produces an abundance of fruit on a compact plant, just over a foot tall. 5-6 seed per request

#PPS9-Pepper/Sweet - Klari Baby Cheese (65 Days) Organic, aka "Golden Delicious Apple Pepper" this Heirloom from Hungary produces small globe peppers about 3", that are fantastic for eating out of hand, 4 oz. fruits ripen from yellow to red, appx. 5-7 seeds per request

#PPS10-Pepper/Sweet - Sweet Pimiento (80 Days) Organic, early & productive red pimiento. You can't go wrong with this sweet fruity pepper, appx. 5-6 seeds per request

#PPS11-Pepper/Sweet - Chocolate Cake Sweet Pepper (90 Days) 3.5" thick walled pepper that makes a sweet green pepper that if allowed to ripen turns to a deep chocolate red. great, sweet flavor! appx. 6 seeds per request

#PPS12-Pepper/Sweet - Jimmy Nardello's Elongated Sweet Pepper (76 Days) Our favorite, long Italian sweet pepper, always a joy to eat & grow. Brought to the US in 1887 from Southern Italy  by Jimmy Nardello's mother. appx. 6 seeds per request

[wildrungarden]

7/14/21 ~ Mystery Tomato #2. One of the ones I forgot to label. This is either Purple Cherokee or Japanese Black Trifele.

[theinadvertentgardener]

Started to date

started on 2/12:

Peppers Bhut Jolokia (5) Biquinho Hot (5) Black Hungarian (5) Corne De Chevre (7) Fatalii (7) Fish (4) Miniature Chocolate Bell (4) Jalapeno Traveler Strain (7) Joe's Round (4) Red Cap Mushroom (4) Red Marconi (7) Serrano Tampequino (5) Syrian Three Sided (4) Tabasco (4)

started on 2/17:

Peppers Ancho Gigantea (7) Ausilio Thin Skin Italian (7) Black Hungarian* (7) Bulgarian Carrot (7) Caloro (5) Chervena Chushka (4) Cyklon (7) Georgia Flame (3) Hot Portugal (5) Italian Pepperoncini (5) Wenk’s Yellow Hot (5)

Tomatoes Beam’s Yellow Pear (2) Black From Tula (3) Black Icicle (4) Black Sea Man (4) Black Vernissage (2) Cherokee Purple (4) German Pink (4) Gold Medal (4) Green Grape (4) Green Vernissage (2) Japanese Black Trifele (4) Jersey Devil (3) Kellogg’s Breakfast (3) Martino’s Roma (4) Mexico Midget (4) Paul Robeson (3) Royal Chico (4) Ukranian Purples (4)

started on 2/24:

Peppers Aji Charapita (5) Banana (5) Carolina Reaper (5) Cayenne (5) Chocolate Seven Pot (5) Cubanelle (5) Dave's** (5) Golden Marconi (4) Lemon Drop (5) Shishito (4) Small Reds from Mel’s Garden** (2)

* apparently I lost track and started Black Hungarians twice (the second time around, I clearly figured we’d need fewer than I initially did). Whoops! Looks like we’ll have a lot to spare.

** Dave’s Chilis come from peppers we rescued from Mel’s brother Dave (his garden turned into a delicious dinner for a family of deer two days after he planted several years back). The peppers were labeled “Capsicum annuum,” so I have no idea what they truly are, other than delicious, prolific, and a staple of all our gardens since. When we sat down to start our seeds this morning, we couldn’t find any Dave’s seeds. I’m sure they’re around somewhere, but since they weren’t where we expected to find them, we decided to carry out an experiment. We started 5 pots with seeds from peppers we have dehydrated for powder, and we started 2 pots from an envelope labeled “Small Red Peppers from Mel’s Garden.” We are fairly sure the envelope has an original batch of saved Dave’s seeds (which may not be viable based on age anyway), but we won’t know until they grow.

[buenprovechofarm]

Saturday 5/29 7:30am+ Self-serve tomato plants for sale - $4 each or 3 for $10 - Paul Robeson, Japanese Black Trifele, Cuor di Albenga, Granadero, Striped German, Chancha 9055 Old Redwood Hwy, Cotati - at the road. Google the tomato names to see photos for variety. Payment info is on the photo of the whiteboard. (cash or Venmo) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPcOtYzpabl/?utm_medium=tumblr

[amkhaseed]

‘Japanese Black Trifele’ is an indeterminate potato-leaf heirloom variety that despite its name, was actually bred in Russia. 3 to 7 ounce crack resistant, pear-shaped fruits have an exceptionally complex flavor great for fresh eating or canning. #tomatoes #organic #garden #food #sustainable #foodforest #seedsaving #homesteading #urbangarden #growfood #growyourownfood #organicgarden #homegrown #veggies #heirloomtomatoes #heirloomseeds #growyourown #gardening #seedsaving #openpollinated #seeds #permaculture #sowsomething #amkhaseed (at Westminster, Colorado) https://www.instagram.com/p/BxVeMwol_9H/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=gkynukr497ft

[zachary8486]

Abe Lincoln, Beefsteak, Black Beauty, Black Krim, Black Vernissage, Cherokee Purple, Cherry Gold Nugget, Homestead, Japanese Black Trifele, Kellogg’s Breakfast, Manitoba, Moneymaker, Oxheart, Pink Beauty, Rutgers, Sungold, White Cherry, White Wonder, Pink Brandywine #March #spring #organic #garden #gardens #gardening #gardenlife #instagarden #vegetables #fruit #tomato #tomatoes #seedlings #aerogarden https://www.instagram.com/p/BvcQzOznTWp/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ds1s2hclt5pq

[josephkitchen0]

Boost Profits and Prolong Growing Season with Japanese Vegetables

Whether you are looking to boost profits at a farmers market or extend your growing season, Japanese vegetables are the way to go. Japanese vegetables should be grown on the homestead because of their heavy yields, aesthetics, adaptability, and palatability. In the Japanese countryside regardless if the household is a humble farmhouse or a 21st century marvel, it is rare to see a home without a vegetable plot. Regardless of your climatic situation, make space this year for Japanese crops —  they’re delicious and resilient.

Japanese Vegetable Garden

Japanese vegetable gardens are positioned near the home and in the sunniest of locations. Many times, multiple generations are living in one house. The garden’s accessibility to all family members is important and should be incorporated into the garden design.

“People with little space put that space to use. Gardening, in general, is very big in Japan,” Jere Gettle, founder of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds says.

Japan has many rivers, and gardens are often planted near them, or near irrigation canals to maximize growth. If you lack space, grow your Japanese vegetables vertically, with cucumbers, melons, squash, tomatoes, beans, and peas traditionally supported on long bamboo stakes cut from the hedgerow. Trellising allows for better air movement and access to more sun. Companion planting with vegetables and flowers and rotation of crops is often utilized in Japanese gardens.

Japanese long cucumbers grow great on trellises. Photo courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

Yard long beans are good raw or cooked and produce high yields.

“What makes Japanese varieties so special is that the Japanese people stick with the project from generation to generation. Vegetables have been selected for hundreds of years for varieties which produce the most crops, most beautiful flowers, and best-tasting vegetables,” said Gettle. “Once farmers grow and taste Japanese vegetables, they often do not grow other varieties.”

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In Japan, varieties are selected for first their flavor, then uniformity, and then shipping. American crops are selected first for uniformity, shipping, and then flavor. By growing Japanese vegetables you’ll be tasting some of the most flavorful crops. Selling at farmers markets reduces transportation and allows you to sell your fresh food fast.

Vegetable gardens in Japan are in use year-round. Some of the best winter vegetables include onions, garlic, carrots, and daikon radishes which are often let to sit under the snow to sweeten. Japanese bunching onions resemble strong-flavored scallions. They can be harvested for their green shoots or white stems. ‘Red Beard’ is a beautiful variety with its red stalk and looks great at a farmers market. It is easy to grow, with the red stalk reaching a foot long and the entire plant growing up to 27 inches.

Minowase daikon radish grows huge and is sweet and crisp. Photo courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

Radishes are very important in Asian gastronomy. They can be pickled, turned into a pudding, eaten raw or cooked in soups, stir-fries, and casseroles. Daikon radishes, like other radishes, are quick to grow, don’t need great soil and can be planted within existing crops. Unlike Western radishes which are small, round and red, Asian radishes can be red, pink, green, or white and oblong or tapered and range from mild to spicy. It’s easy to see customers being attracted to the variety of radishes at a farmers market. Offering free samples can help attract customers that might be aloof to the new varieties.

Early spring vegetables include many leafy greens, which are staples in soups and stir-fries. Mizuna is a mild Japanese mustard that is popular as a salad green and tastes great cooked. Mizuna has long, slender stems with serrated leaves. Colors range from lime green to red streak to purple.

Red streaks and lime streaks mizuna. Photo courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

Benihoushi mizuna. Photo courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

Japanese pickling eggplant. Photo courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

Growing vegetables in pots, as well as herbs, is convenient for those with limited space. Shiso (Perilla frutescens) is a member of the mint family with its seeds, leaves, and sprouts being used in Japanese cuisine. Its flavor is a mix of mint, anise, basil, and cinnamon along with grassy notes. Shiso has a unique flavor profile. It’s versatile and can be used to garnish drinks or flavor entrees, desserts, or fruit bowls. Chrysanthemum greens are often sold as mature leaves which should be blanched for 30 seconds, and then cooled and served with salad dressing. Growing chrysanthemum greens at home allows you to harvest young tender greens for a fresh salad or soup topping. The Japanese also dip chrysanthemum flowers into sake at the beginning of meals to symbolize good health.

Shiso Kaori Ura. Photo courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

Try These Japanese Varieties on Your Homestead

Bunching Onions

Evergreen White Nebuka

Heshiko

Tokyo Long White

Red Beard

Chrysanthemum Greens

Garland Round Leaved

Garland Serrated Leaf

Komi Sungiku Salada

Oasis

Cucumbers

Japanese Long Cucumber

Suhyo Cross

Summer Dance

Tasty Green

Tasty Queen

Zipangu

Eggplants

Black Shine

Choryoku

Kyoto Egg

Millionaire

Mizuno Takumi

Japanese Pickling Eggplant

Japanese White Egg Eggplant

Herbs

Mitsuba, Japanese Parsley

Red or Green Shiso

Japanese Mugwort var. Yomogi

Green peppers

Fushimi

Himo Togarashi

Managanji

Shishito

Tenderbell

Leafy Vegetables

Alrite spinach

Giant Red Mustard Greens

Japanese chard var. umaina

Misome var. choho

Misome var. misome

Mizuna

Wakamine cabbage

Melons

Japanese Cream Fleshed Suika Watermelon

Ichiba Kouji

New Melon

Radishes

Japanese Minowase Daikon Radish

Shogoin Globe

Sakurajima Mammoth

Giant Luo Buo

Tomatoes

House Momtaro

Japanese Black Trifele Tomato

Momotaro Tough Boy 93

Odoriko

Winter Squash

Akehime

Blue Kuri

Chirimen

Kogiku

Sweet Mama

Shishigatani

Do you grow Japenese vegetables? If so, what are your favorites?

Boost Profits and Prolong Growing Season with Japanese Vegetables was originally posted by All About Chickens

[olmosgarden]

Planting about 3 tomatoes in the front garden. japanese black trifele 

[just1garden-blog]

It’s supposed to be a Japanese Black Trifele. Could be something else though? But sure looks amazing. #tomato #fruit #garden

[michaelenegriffin]

Farm heirloom tomato Our Japanese black trifele is the first to bear fruit.red brick color perfect smooth crack resistant the flavor is sublime having richness of fine chocolate this is one of our farm favorite.

[isabellelambert1975]

20 best vegetable varieties to grow

I’m creating a super-list of the best vegetable varieties to grow.

Out of curiosity, I threw myself on the mercy of Twitter. I asked the garden and allotment bloggers which one vegetable variety they wouldn’t be without. It should be easy to grow and tasty.

The answers were really surprising. I expected a roll call of familiar old favourites, but I’ve also discovered several unusual, delicious and easy-to-grow vegetables.

And I found some very interesting new posts on growing veg in the process.

Best tomato varieties to grow

Richard of the Homeallotment.com blog votes tomatoes as his favourite veg, and particularly loves ‘the fantastically named Japanese Black Trifele. It grows well as a cordon, either outside or in the greenhouse, and just needs the usual feeding and watering. They’re good either raw or cooked.’ Available from Brown Envelope Seeds.

Richard is also a Seed Guardian with the Stroud Community Seed Bank, and has written a very interesting post on 5 Reasons Why I Sow Seeds.

Richard’s Japanese Black Trifele Tomatoes

And The Chatty Gardener recommends Tomato ‘Costoluto Fiorentino’. It’s an old-fashioned big tomato, cordon-grown and an RHS AGM winner.

And because tomatoes are really one of the most popular home-grown vegetables, there is a third recommendation. Daily Mail gardening writer Constance Craig Smith says that ‘Sungold’ tomatoes are at the top of her list: ‘Irresistible!’

Best vegetable varieties you’ve never heard of…

There were some really exciting new recommendations. Professional gardener Joff Elphick of the Pot and Cloche Garden Podcasts loves growing puntarelle and agretti/barba di frate. ‘Puntarelle is something of an obsession in Italy. And I remember taking agretti to the Wilderness Festival and the chefs couldn’t get enough of it. I was backwards and forwards picking it to keep up with demand.’

Agretti or barba di frate is otherwise known as Salsola soda, Friar’s Beard or saltwort. It is a delicacy with a taste somewhere between seaweed and spinach. Serve in salads, stir-fries or lightly steamed.

Puntarelle is a variant of chicory, with light green stems and dandelion shaped leaves. It can be served raw or cooked. For stockists of both, see the end of the post.

The tastiest potatoes….

Once again, there were some unexpected recommendations. Robbie Cave of the Clockhouse Nurseries says that Spunta is one of their most popular sellers. Clockhouse Nurseries have 91 seed potatoes in their list. They don’t do mail order, so if you live too far away, there are suppliers at the end of this post.

New blogger, the Country Cottage Gardener, says she tried four seed potatoes last year, and loved Jazzy. And Julieanne Porter of Gwenfars Garden blog says that ‘ Sante is a good all-rounder and the most divine baked potato I’ve ever grown.’ Available from the Organic Gardening catalogue. She added that she’d like to nominate sorrel, too. ‘It’s a perennial, needs almost no work and rewards you all the year round.’ See her post on sorrel. 

Beetroot is a must-have…

One of the great bonuses of growing your own veg is to be able to enjoy unusual varieties. Many people mentioned beetroot as a top vegetable to grow. Steve Mercer (@stevemercer4) is a member of the RHS Veg Trials Forum and he says that ‘Boldor, a golden beetroot, is always on my list.’

Richard Chivers of the allotment blog Sharpen Your Spades also recommends a golden beetroot, Burpees Golden. ‘It’s much sweeter than the reds’.

Everybody loves garlic…

I was amazed by how many people had garlic on their ‘must-grow’ list. I’ve tinkered with growing garlic myself, but not wholly successfully. I was about to give up. However, I am freshly inspired by everyone’s recommendations. Gigi Allen writes a blog on interiors, art, gardens and all things flowery. She says she ‘wouldn’t be without elephant garlic. It’s milder, roasts beautifully and is delicious alone, on kale, or in fish, roasts or pasta. And it does well in my clay soil.’

My last garlic harvest was two bulbs, but everyone has inspired me to have another go.

…and cavolo nero?

Kale and cavolo nero cropped up in many recommendations. Liz of Hay Bulbs, a private botanical collection, says that her family’s health has improved enormously since she started growing cavolo nero, due to its high calcium and magnesium content.

Magnesium is associated with a number of benefits – it aids circulation, helps restless legs and calms horses (my words not hers). When my daughter was heavily involved with riding, I was curious to discover that people were giving their horses magnesium to calm them down. There certainly wouldn’t be any placebo effect on horses!

Personally, I am wedded to kalettes. The whole family loves them, even the kale haters. But maybe this is the year to try cavolo nero.

And other green leaves…

My own personal recommendations of the best vegetable varieties to grow include Swiss chard. I prefer the silver variety, but others like the Rainbow colours. If you pick around the sides, then one plant will crop for months, often during the winter.  Travel and lifestyle blog Fossils in my pockets agrees: ‘Swiss chard for me – stir fry, Sunday lunch, spanakopita, Thai curry, soup, pasta sauce, salad…keeps on trucking all winter and always there when you need it.’

I also adore komatsuna or Japanese mustard spinach. It is like spinach, but is easier to grow and less watery.

Komatsuna and Swiss chard are two of my top, easy-care, versatile green veg.

No veg patch should be without beans…

Brighton allotment holder and artist Pemblebee Art says ‘borlotti beans for me. They’re easy to grow. I just leave them on the vines to dry and when the weather starts to turn, I lay them out to finish drying on a tray in the window. But you could just pod them and eat them fresh or freeze them.’

New blogger Katharine from The Tea Break Gardener says that ‘Cobra’ climbing French beans are her must-have. ‘They look so pretty, with lilac flowers, bountiful green beans and grow up a wigwam so take up very little space.’ Cobra is one of my favourites, too, so that will go on the list.

And an unusual, delicious squash..

I was just going to wrap this up when one more tweet came in from ‘allotment geek and unusual veg enthusiast’  Modern Veg Plot. ‘Winter squash is a must-have for me, and Black Futsu is my favourite variety. It has a nutty flavour, firm flesh and stores well over winter.’ Available from Plant World Seeds.

Where to buy…

No single supplier stocks everything recommended here. I have included stockists for the most unusual ones, such as Japanese Black Trifele tomato and Black Futsu squash, in their entries above.

Amazon stocks a good selection – eleven out of the twenty recommendations. (I am an affiliate, so if you buy I may get a small fee): Sungold and Costoluto Fiorentino tomatoes, sorrel, Spunta seed potatoes, puntarelli, beetroot Burpees Golden, Kalettes, Cobra and Borlotti beans, elephant garlic , komatsuna and Swiss chard.

Mr Fothergill’s also stocks eleven: kalettes, Sungold tomatoes, Jazzy potatoes, agretti,  sorrel, beetroot Burpees Golden, Elephant garlic, Swiss chard, komatsuna, Cobra climbing beans and Lingua di fuoco borlotti beans.

Thompson & Morgan have Beetroot ‘Boldor’, kalettes, borlotti beans, Swiss chard,  Jazzy potatoes, Sungold tomatoes, Elephant garlic and sorrel, as well as lots of other veg. I particularly like the look of their four variety All Season Long Kale Mix which includes cavolo nero. They also have a ‘5 packets of seeds for the price of 4’ offer on at the moment.

Franchi Seeds of Italy have agretti, puntarelle, sorrel, Costoluto Fiorentino tomatoes, Spunta potatoes and more.

Start the adventure now…

I’ve placed my orders. To buy seeds or seed potatoes for everything in this list cost me around £85 in total, including shipping. Although my maths is not brilliant and I did have to buy from about five different companies so that figure is approximate. I’ll let you know how it all goes (so do subscribe if you’re new here).

It’s really quite exciting to have other people decide what I will grow, rather than dithering over seed catalogues myself. Although, of course, I’ve done my share of dithering, too.

PS: February’s Garden of the Month on the Middlesized Garden YouTube channel is Posy Gentles’ long narrow urban garden. She is mapping out a few changes so if you have a thin town garden, do pop across to see what she’s doing:

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from The Middle-Sized Garden http://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/15-best-vegetable-varieties-to-grow/