What's your most unique crop?

DebM · #21 03/26/12, 12:42 PM

luffa gourds

stormrider27 · #22 03/26/12, 02:29 PM

I am growing cassava this year. Not all that strange in the islands but kind of unique here.Storm

honeyrobber · #23 03/26/12, 06:28 PM

The mouse melons have to be picked just like cucumbers. They have a weird taste and get mushy if you let them get over ripe. Some people I know from india let them get completely ripe like a cucumber turning yellow and pick them early for different uses. Pick young for cucumber for salads and such and they cook with the ripe ones.

We have a good growing season. 8 months when planned out well. I grow gourds as part of my fall crops never thought of them as unusual.

Qhorseman · #24 03/26/12, 08:32 PM

Santa Claus Melons. Got some from the grocery store once, I saved the seed and they reproduced true. I have not seen the melons in the stores since

NW Rancher · #25 03/26/12, 11:41 PM

Long list here, but one I'm particularly excited about is Crosnes.

romysbaskets · #26 03/26/12, 11:52 PM

Hands down would be my terrifying Washington Great Nettles....LOL Well besides the feared sting by so many...my friends have begun referring to them as .....a Gold Mine. For their many uses and high nutritional value...I must say they are. My favorite edible I grow...would be...my Royal Red Currants...a gift from a friend of the past...how I miss him and see him as I pick the berries and make that amazing Jelly!

CajunSunshine · #27 03/27/12, 02:41 AM

Calaloo and Thai Tender (Amaranth species grown for delicious 'greens'); Aurora Orach (more 'greens', but with a pretty and unusual array of colors: red, gold, green, pink, carmine and purple!); Egyptian ''Spinach'' (related to okra and hibiscus, survives both dry and wet weather); Malabar ''Spinach'' (gorgeous exotic and edible vine); purple cauliflower; a rare Seminole Indian winter squash plus bunches of other stuff--all organic or open pollinated. No Frankenfoods here, lol.

CajunSunshine · #28 03/27/12, 02:48 AM

RB, are those Washington nettles different/better than the ordinary kind?

CajunSunshine · #29 03/27/12, 03:03 AM

QHorseman, what do those Santa Claus melons look and taste like? (With a name like that, I gotta ask!)

romysbaskets · #30 03/27/12, 03:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CajunSunshine

RB, are those Washington nettles different/better than the ordinary kind?

The Washington Great Nettles reign King of the Nettles due to their towering heights of up to ten feet tall! That and how many leaves they produce. I literally have to bend them over to gather their seeds and these are ones I cut repeatedly prior to allowing them to seed! Of over 600 varieties...yes I would call them special! Yes let the laughter begin....I drink the tea, make salves, oils and perfumes from them. I use them to compost my garden as they rot to a manure due to their 40% protein per leaf content and general composition. They make a good bug spray for other plants. We eat them as a veggie, I have used them to rinse my hair...shines with a tingle to the scalp too. They are wonderful to feed to livestock....many a starving and overly thin horse was saved by Nettles given to them by the German side during World War 2 as the high protein, vitamin and mineral content was quite nutritious to help them recover from harsh conditions and lack of food. The stalks have been used to make both paper and sheets for bedding in Europe. Prescribed by Doctors for Gout here in the states and abroad for Prostate health. I find them quite useful for lady's cramp relief, pain relief, allergy relief (as they lessen congestion). A doctor told my daughter with Asthma to get some to drink, I had already given her a gallon sized bag of it. For skin care, rashes, mild burns etc....gosh..aren't they just so useful? So the bigger the better, right, when it comes to these? LOL Yes...I love my Nettles!

CajunSunshine · #31 03/27/12, 04:09 AM

I'm a big long-time fan of nettles for all the reasons you listed...but WOW! Ten feet tall! That's just incredible! I would love to grow some of that.

CajunSunshine · #32 03/27/12, 04:17 AM

Thanks for such a comprehensive list about the gazillon uses for nettles. I think I may have learned a new trick or two!

Sanza · #33 03/28/12, 01:21 AM

ok, google is my friend right now as I try to find these things you all wrote about and I wonder what else is on your list NW rancher....
I'm going to be looking for seeds of the santa claus melons and the crosnes next time I get to the big city.

SilverFlame819 · #34 03/28/12, 01:21 AM

My crop is nothing but melons this year, as I don't have space to really grow much of anything.

Weirdest melons in the group are Crenshaw (I looooooooooove Crenshaw!) and Charentais. Have never had the Charentais before. I have high hopes.

Gardencrazy · #35 03/28/12, 01:49 PM

Pineapples. So far I see 8 but they don't all produce at the same time. Have about 20 plants total.