Garden Wisdom Blog — category: Vegetable Talk

It is thought that there are over three thousand heirloom tomatoes in cultivation, from the very well known Black Krim to the rather more obscure Sibirskiy Skorospely (Early Siberian). With modern bred open pollinated and hybrid varieties, the number is more like fifteen thousand types. So, how to choose a tomato can seem daunting for the beginner gardener. It’s a subject that experienced tomato growers can grow highly passionate over. Everyone has their favourite types, and all for different reasons. Just about every tomato has its own unique charms, but where does one start? There are several ways to narrow...

As a vegetable crop (as opposed to a grain crop), the potato is the world’s most important foodstuff, so there are many interesting facts about potatoes. The starchy tubers of the potato plant are exceptionally nutritious and so rich in carbohydrates that potato fields can yield 2- 4 times as many calories per acre than can grains. Potatoes can be grown, with little effort, in a variety of soils, and under tremendously diverse growing conditions. As we shall see, it is no wonder that potatoes have come to represent such a large proportion of the world’s food crops. The first...

All homegrown vegetables are nutritious. The fact that you can eat them fresh, just after they have been harvested, means that they will be at the peak of both flavour and nutrient value. But among the many food plants you can grow at home are a handful of homegrown super foods, plants that contain significantly high nutrients or boast other health benefits. Here is our easy to grow super foods list. Quinoa This ancient grain crop is grown primarily for the abundant seeds it produces at the end of summer. It’s an easy crop to grow, and quite attractive looking....

Carrots can be grown quite densely compared to a lot of other crops. They’re not only good for fresh eating, but they store particularly well for use in the fall and winter — and beyond in some cases. With a little guidance the home gardener can easily learn how to store carrots in the ground, in cold storage, in the refrigerator, and in the freezer. Carrots can even be canned, pickled, and dried for really long term storage. Of primary importance is preserving moisture in the root, and preventing its loss. For cold storage (in the ground, root cellar, fridge,...

Squash (Curcurbita sp.) Of all the vegetable varieties, squashes are by far the most diverse in shape, size, and overall appearance. The sheer complexity of this vegetable group invites growers on a life-long adventure. There are many hundreds of different named varieties of squash (perhaps more types in cultivation than any other group of vegetable), each with its own fascinating history, but there are countless more yet to be developed, as the plants are so easy to breed and prone to cross-pollination.