What unusual things do you grow?

yumyums

Is achocha easy to grow and does it taste nice?

Also, do kiwis produce fruit OK here? Do they need to be kept in a greenhouse? (Always think of them as a more exotic fruit!)

pinkcandyflossprincess

do pomegrates take in england? i thought i may try one as the kids like them but expensive to buy- although tbf the kids take ages to eat one:o

Farway

yumyums wrote: »

Also, do kiwis produce fruit OK here? Do they need to be kept in a greenhouse? (Always think of them as a more exotic fruit!)

They do grow outside here, depends on your location really, but be warned, they are vigorous & rampant climbers, be up in your gutters in no time unless kept under control, oh and you need male & female plants, but I think there is one variety that is OK on it's own

Farway

pinkcandyflossprincess wrote: »

do pomegrates take in england? i thought i may try one as the kids like them but expensive to buy- although tbf the kids take ages to eat one:o

No, like citrus they can be grown but really only indoors overwinter, no idea if you would ever get one to fruit

lostinrates

Farway wrote: »

They do grow outside here, depends on your location really, but be warned, they are vigorous & rampant climbers, be up in your gutters in no time unless kept under control, oh and you need male & female plants, but I think there is one variety that is OK on it's own

I've asked about them and been put off....anyone got any good tales to tell? I have a west facing barn wall I could cover in something productive

Primrose

I grow kohl rabi, which is delicious, either sliced up matchstick size and eaten raw in salads, or sliced very thinly in Chinese stir fries, where it is the best substitute I know for water chestnuts.

Some years I also grow Daikion - that foot long smooth white skinned radish type plant. It's incredibly easy to grow as it's effectively a jumbo radish although milder, , and again can be eaten sliced raw in salads or cooked in stir fries.

Last year I tried tomatillos but unfortunately they matured so late I didn't get a chance to eat them so have sowed some again earlier this year in the hope of better luck.

Another vegetable I grow is celeriac, which looks an ugly bulb but is actually great in salads, soups, stews and caseroles.

angelavdavis

I like to try out unusual varieties of veg which you aren't likely to find in the shops. Things like red and yellow pear tomatoes and foot long beans.

I also pick up a lot of seed packets when on holiday.

This year, I am growing tomatilos, 12 inch long black aubergines, globe artichokes, red kale, land cress, kohl rabi, purple carrots, romanesco, various weird and wonderful french beans and cape gooseberries. I also grow squash and courgettes of all sorts of shapes and sizes plus heritage sweet peppers which come in purples and browns; and purple, white and pink radishes!

I have only had success with cape gooseberries under glass - last year in the conservatory and previously in my greenhouse.

Things I wouldn't try again would be baby sweetcorn (seemed like a good prospect as they are so expensive to buy but they just didn't seem to develop into anything special) and italian radiccio (pale green with red speckles which was too peppery to eat!)

rabidbun

Achocha are very easy to grow Yumyums - picked young (before the spines go hard) they can be deseeded and sliced for frying or used in casseroles. Taste a bit like green pepper and used in much the same way. They like their space though and climb vigorously and like a sunny position with a fairly fertile soil.

dogstarheaven

hey everyone!

seems like a lot of ppl here are growing new stuff that I'm doing too this yr. this time, it's -

• globe artichoke (from seed unfortunately as offsets are best as you get the same variety that you intended - violetta di chioggi and green globe)

• tomatillo

• amaranthus tho' find out that it's also called callaloo/chinese or indian spinach

• chinese celery

• borlotti (firetongue - lingua di fuoco)

• asian aubergine (long and slender - last yr's ones weren't v successful, so i opted for these as an alternative)
• bitter melon (tho' needs a greenhouse really, but i'll try in a sheltered part of the lotti)

• winter melon (another chinese veg - good in soups)

also, for the last two years i've been growing thai basil, perilla and lemongrass (latter is overwintered on my bedroom windowsill and is growing again v well.

cjb02

yumyums wrote: »

Is achocha easy to grow and does it taste nice?

Also, do kiwis produce fruit OK here? Do they need to be kept in a greenhouse? (Always think of them as a more exotic fruit!)

achocha is very very easy to grow. one plant is enough and it goes bonkers. some one else has commented about the spines going hard., I have not had that experience but we might be growing different varieties. I got mine from realseeds. As for taste, all I can say is I like it.

As for kiwi. well.... I have not had fruit from mine yet, I have 3. some pointers.

They grow great here in the UK, no problems. they are hardy to -20degree c or something silly like that. So outside is fine

Some varieties you need a male and a female. there are self fertile types though.actinidia deliciosa is the type you buy in the supermarket and self fertile variety examples are jenny and boskoop another type is actinidia arguta and a self fertile variety of these is issai. this is a small grape look alike fruit.

I have a boskoop (2yrs old) and an issai (2yrs old) neither have born fruit yet. I also have one I grew from a seed from a kiwi fruit from the supermarket which is 4yrs old. This one is either male or female but has not flowered yet. but looks awesome against the garage with large green heart shaped leaves.

Internet research suggests plants flower anything between 4-7yrs of age. Flower then produce fruit.

this is my guide on growing achocha on my website here

This is my boskoop last year (still in a pot and got to 8ft) here. it is still in a pot because I am running out of places to plant stuff but I just got a lottie so it might make it there.

Here is a list of all the different types of actinidia here which frankly is mind boggling to me. I would love to try some.

and this is my asda fruit seed against my garage wall last year. here if any one wants a great looking climbing for a wall I would fully recommend growing a kiwi fruit from seed but it would only ever produce beautiful foliage.