What unusual things do you grow?

Jei70

I have tried growing purple-skinned kohlrabi and it was not great - very tough and fibrous at any size. Most ended up in the compost bin. I will try the plain white variety this year, hopefully with more success!

Last year I grew Jerusalem artichokes, not sure if they're unusual (can't see them in supermarkets). They were in those big potato growing sacks as I'd heard that they spread like wildfire in the ground. Tasty, but won't be growing them this year as my SO doesn't really like them and I'd like to use the space for Cavallo Nero kale.

I have some cardoon seeds which haven't germinated yet, although I thought the plants were smaller than globe artichokes. Maybe I'll abandon the cardoon and buy some artichoke plants instead as I love the taste.

Fig, another not sure if unusual plant. A small 3 year old tree in a tub - no actual figs yet although it's in front of a south-facing wall. Hope that improves!

Little_Miss_Determined

I won't hunt for asparagus peas then. I tried borlotti beans last year and might put a couple in this year as I still have some beans left but wasn't that impressed with the taste.
Think I'll put tomatillos on the list for next year!

stumpycat

I have loads of Jerusalem artichokes, and haven't eaten that many of them, so will probably have a forest of them...
I grew salsify, but the roots seemed a bit pathetic, so I've kept them as a pet instead.
Cardoons are lovely, but I've just had to move a couple and managed to dig out about 2 and a half feet of root when it snapped, so I hope they'll be ok. I've got a couple of Scotch thistles, but might keep them a bit more contained as the last one was about 11 feet and had loads of flowers - a true monster!

This year I'm trying crook-neck squash, orange aubergine, tomatillos and some strange herbs - all from * http://www.realseeds.co.uk/

*warning - this site could make you buy an awful lot of seeds!

Sally_A

I've been sent some Crystal Lemon Cucumbers from seedswappers.co.uk, they've been on my to do list for a couple of years, but I've always been too tight to pay for a large packet in case I didn't like them. (I swapped 300 self saved Enorma runner bean seeds that no-one seems to want , along with a lot of other stuff).

Am trying a few new chillies, and am also giving tomatilloes a 2nd chance - not really sure what to do with them but Rabidbun seems to know - so could you please post a separate thread please, I'd love to make salsa.

Am giving coriander a 2nd chance - still haven't made up my mind if I like it or not.

Gherkins are a first for me too - I'll probably not pickle them, it says you can eat them as sweet mini cuces. Should I decide to have a go at pickling, guess I'd better get my dill started.

valk_scot

I grow or have grown a lot of the more unusual crops mentioned above but I don't think anyone has mentiones salsify and scorzonera yet? They're very similar and look like long thin white or black parsnips, and have a taste like globe artichokes. You just scrub and boil them, then slip the skin off while still hot and dress with melted butter. They're very easy to grow as well.

I grow quite a few non-edible plants on the allotment, btw...willow and hazel for basket making and calendula, woad and madder to make natural dyes.

dogstarheaven

RAS wrote: »

If you have not grown this previously, one word of warning; winter melons are triffids. Expect several stems all about 20 feet long. I found fruit hidden in the strwberry patch at the end of the season.

oh, i shall have to rein them in then.. did you find them at all tasty? my mum grew them in big pots in Leics., with the stems trailing all over the gravel surface. she had them in a trad. Chinese soups.

valk_scot wrote: »

I grow or have grown a lot of the more unusual crops mentioned above but I don't think anyone has mentiones salsify and scorzonera yet? They're very similar and look like long thin white or black parsnips, and have a taste like globe artichokes. You just scrub and boil them, then slip the skin off while still hot and dress with melted butter. They're very easy to grow as well.

i'm trying out Scorzonera (Black Russian by Franchi) for the first time this yr along with Endive (do these taste good??) I shall be direct sow mine sometime this week.

I so wanted to grow Yacon (S.American tuber like potato eaten raw or cooked. crunchy) but found out that the only two suppliers in the UK had sold out in Early March:(:( so got my name down for next yr's stock instead..

I grow quite a few non-edible plants on the allotment, btw...willow and hazel for basket making and calendula, woad and madder to make natural dyes.

splodger_seedswapper

someone gave me some salsify the other day - which i transplanted and seems to be growing ok (never tried it before)

i grow some more unusual herbs - lovage and sweet cicely amongst other things

i have an unusual fruit that i grow - it is a cross between a blackcurrant and a gooseberry - it produces a gooseberry shaped fruit but with a blackcurrant flavour - another bonus is although it has leaf of a gooseberry, it doesn't have the spikes