What unusual vegetables should I grow that I've never heard of?

Is that Peperomia pellucida? It is basically unheard of where I live.

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Weird weather, and the roselle is producing buds as of today. Not sure that’s normal for September, but it will “fruit” in Zone 7!

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I’m in zone 7. I set roselle out every year in May as ~-6-12" tall transplants. I typically have some roselle by late August, and lots all through September. Some years it continues through October, but other years it pretty much quits growing with the colder fall weather even before there’s any kind of frost. If I save the first pods that form, I have no trouble maturing seed. In fact, I’ve even harvested the first few pods of mature seed already this year, although it seems early.

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Anybody growing creasy greens? Id like to trial some in my garden but never tasted them before. I think now is planting time correct?

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Creasy greens grow wild here. It seems like a lot of years February is when they’re ready to harvest.

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This year I planted some hopniss I got from Oikos. Vigorous (easily 20 foot vines), healthy, and now they have beans. Lots and lots of beans. I’ve found plenty of information about cooking the roots/tubers, but very little about the beans themselves. Any advice?

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When I was 5, my mom and I shared a nut; probably pecan. Afterwards we found half a worm in the shell. She said I ate it. I said she ate it. We laughed. That has been a fond memory that we continued to laugh over for 50 years. Still smile when I think of it. Still eat nuts too.

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Up date on Chinese yam.
Well , I was unsure ( still am ) of what to do with this root I purchased in Aug.
( see post 206 , August 11 , above )
I ate some, kept in the refrigerator for a month . Not sure if it would grow at all since the the top had been cut off, no sign of a bud, growing point. Not sure what to do with it as it is late summer not much growing season left outside. …?
Mid September I put it in a large pot,( 5gal, ) put in a open stairwell area inside , and tied a string up to a very high ceiling.
Well my fear that it would not grow are over ! !
In “the last month” it has grown 16 + ft up that string.! ! !
Now I think it will need more than a little string.
If it keeps going , it will need a strong rope.
Not sure what will become of it ?
As it should be outside in the ground , just got it during the wrong season. Hoping I can move out in the spring .

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I distributed seeds to forum members for free a couple of years ago. The long growing requirement mean you likely need to over winter them in side.

yup…but while tomatoes may come up a week after they are planted…ground cherries will take about 3 weeks to come up. We are in zone 5b and every year I get fooled into thinking that they aren’t going to show up…probably not an issue further south where the warmer temperatures in the spring start earlier…but it is almost 2 months after everything is greening and growing before you even notice the small ground cherry seedlings coming up…so, it is well into September before we get fruit…often they are in full stride as the frosts hit…so it does pay off to start them indoors…they also do better than most other things do in containers…and you will want to keep mice chipmunks and squirrels off them… or you won’t be harvesting many for yourself

Oca,Oxalis tuberos, Is an Clover plant that produces edible roots. A native food from the Andes never coughs on like the potato.

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I love the red and yellow color . what it tastes like?

I never have not tasted them yet. My first attempt to grow didn’t go well as I moved that year and couldn’t attend to the ones I planted at my parents. Cultivariable’s site has loads of info on many Andes’s root crops. The Oxalis genus gets it name from oxalis acid. So the roots often have a degree of sourness to them. If left in the sun starches turn to sugars and they become sweet. But its best to just read his page on the subject. I ordered the random 10 and will try again next year.

They look interesting.I want to try to grow them next year

You can find them on Ebay or from this breeder.

Ok.thanks for the link.

OneGreenWorld has them in their “Andean Tuber” section. There’s some pretty varieties there.

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I’ve got ONE nice big fruit (started late), and its still green :frowning_face:. I’m either going to bring it into the garage for the cool weather, or I’m just cutting it off and seeing if it will ripen in a bag with an apple. This would make an interesting houseplant, its just spiky and mildly dangerous to touch.

Are Solanum species interfertile? Could this cross with my tomatoes?

Only unusual in the North, but I love growing Southern Peas. Living in Arkansas opened my eyes to the diversity and potential of this vegetable. I’ve only grown them one season in New Hampshire (this one), but they definitely work, at least the short season varieties. Even with our cool, wet early summer, my zipper cream peas pulled through and gave me a good harvest from August-mid September. Timing wise, it’s kind of like growing tomatoes, except you direct sow. They start ripening around the same time and produce about as long.

Also, radicchio de Treviso tardivo (late Treviso radicchio) is amazing! It needs to be hit by a few frosts, dug up, and then forced in a manner similar to Belgian endive. A little tricky on the home scale, but worth the effort. Grilled or roasted, it will show you what radicchio should taste like.

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