I have decided to no longer grow these...
hot/sweet cherry peppers
purple cherokee tomatoes
any yellow tomatoes
purple green beans
borlotti beans
why?
because they are junk! they were nothing but nuisance.. the cherokee all split on top - they were just starting to turn purple too, I thought they were gonna come out nice, guess not tho, the cherry peppers all leaked - spewed and a lot of them went rotten as soon as they started getting red. and the yellow toms (lemon boy and cherries) tasted gross! the beans were ok I guess, just wasn't my cup of tea. and the beans because I found no use for them honestly, there wasn't many for me to do anything with them.
There's a few things I no longer try to grow. Summer squash is one of them since after trying numerous times to get a decent crop only to see the SVB's destroy them in a couple weeks time.
Also, heirloom tomatoes have not done well for me over the years. The ones I've tried just seem too delicate for our conditions. I did have some success with the yellow variety but found them not to my liking in taste.
As for beans, I've grown many varieties and love all of them. However, my wife didn't care for the Rattlesnake beans I grew last summer since the pods had a fuzzy texture. She also didn't care for the purple Japanese Yard Longs I grew last summer since when cooked they remained purple and actually turned even darker when cooked. The previous year I grew a purple pod bean that turned green when exposed to the heat of cooking and she liked them.
In the winter months I don't grow cabbage or cauliflower even though I love them. I just can't justify that much space for a one and done vegetable.
As for using beans, have you ever tried grilling them. They are excellent fixed that way and you just grill them similar to doing asparagus. I also smother them down with a cut up link of smoke sausage, some onion, garlic and a little salt and pepper. I'll sometimes put potatoes and carrots in the beans for a nice medley. This makes a nice hot side dish with chicken or any roast.
Also, heirloom tomatoes have not done well for me over the years. The ones I've tried just seem too delicate for our conditions. I did have some success with the yellow variety but found them not to my liking in taste.
As for beans, I've grown many varieties and love all of them. However, my wife didn't care for the Rattlesnake beans I grew last summer since the pods had a fuzzy texture. She also didn't care for the purple Japanese Yard Longs I grew last summer since when cooked they remained purple and actually turned even darker when cooked. The previous year I grew a purple pod bean that turned green when exposed to the heat of cooking and she liked them.
In the winter months I don't grow cabbage or cauliflower even though I love them. I just can't justify that much space for a one and done vegetable.
As for using beans, have you ever tried grilling them. They are excellent fixed that way and you just grill them similar to doing asparagus. I also smother them down with a cut up link of smoke sausage, some onion, garlic and a little salt and pepper. I'll sometimes put potatoes and carrots in the beans for a nice medley. This makes a nice hot side dish with chicken or any roast.
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applestar
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The consensus a couple of years ago here was that Cherokee Purples do split a lot and Spudakee is the better choice.
I like the Purple Podded Pole beans. Tried growing Burgundy Bush beans this year, but they are being affected by something -- either fungus or maybe stink bugs. But I want a round podded purple variety so I'll have to try again in a sunnier drier location or find another variety. Purple Podded is Roma type/flat podded but it has been way more vigorous. They turn dark green when cooked.
I have been growing Yellow Bell sauce/salsa tomatoes for three years now and I really like them. Very early and keeps on producing until frost. I'm looking for more yellow tomatoes. I'd like to find a good beefsteak type. I'm growing A 2nd generation Sun Sugar (orange when ripe) and it's doing well even though their parent was an F1 hybrid. But I'd like to find a true yellow colored cherry. I have two Yellow Brandywine plants but one is not growing well at all and the other is in a somewhat overly shady spot (the other one was in the sunny spot) and it's growing vines like mad, all the way to the top of the 7' trellis but haven't ripened any of the green fruits yet.
Not sure if I would grow Cherry peppers -- they look cute in catalogs and I saw a photo of a bowlful of fresh ones stuffed with some kind of cheese mixture that was pretty on the table. Aren't they also pickled with blanched whole almond inside? WHY do you suppose they "leaked"? Not BER?
@gumbo -- I'm sure you've seen my posts extolling Tromboncino squash.
I like the Purple Podded Pole beans. Tried growing Burgundy Bush beans this year, but they are being affected by something -- either fungus or maybe stink bugs. But I want a round podded purple variety so I'll have to try again in a sunnier drier location or find another variety. Purple Podded is Roma type/flat podded but it has been way more vigorous. They turn dark green when cooked.
I have been growing Yellow Bell sauce/salsa tomatoes for three years now and I really like them. Very early and keeps on producing until frost. I'm looking for more yellow tomatoes. I'd like to find a good beefsteak type. I'm growing A 2nd generation Sun Sugar (orange when ripe) and it's doing well even though their parent was an F1 hybrid. But I'd like to find a true yellow colored cherry. I have two Yellow Brandywine plants but one is not growing well at all and the other is in a somewhat overly shady spot (the other one was in the sunny spot) and it's growing vines like mad, all the way to the top of the 7' trellis but haven't ripened any of the green fruits yet.
Not sure if I would grow Cherry peppers -- they look cute in catalogs and I saw a photo of a bowlful of fresh ones stuffed with some kind of cheese mixture that was pretty on the table. Aren't they also pickled with blanched whole almond inside? WHY do you suppose they "leaked"? Not BER?
@gumbo -- I'm sure you've seen my posts extolling Tromboncino squash.
Ruff, I haven't had problems with Cherokee splitting and I have grown them a few times. I brought 3 Cherokees in yesterday and none were split and those still on the vine are fine.
I do understand your frustration when things don't turn out well or that one's family doesn't like some of the varieties that you chose to grow.
gumbo, I lost 4 of 10 tomatoes plants due to vert. wilt. I'm going to look for some hybrids that are resistant to wilt and other diseases but still grow a few of the heirlooms.
I do understand your frustration when things don't turn out well or that one's family doesn't like some of the varieties that you chose to grow.
gumbo, I lost 4 of 10 tomatoes plants due to vert. wilt. I'm going to look for some hybrids that are resistant to wilt and other diseases but still grow a few of the heirlooms.
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rainbowgardener
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I haven't tried very many of the heirloom tomatoes, mostly stick to hybrids. But the Red Boar from what webmaster gave us is doing very well for me - very productive, very flavorful.
The only thing I just give up on (again, after trying them again this year) is the summer squash. Too vulnerable to too many pests, especially vine borers and squash bugs...
Other things like corn and pumpkins I just don't have room for in my small inner city garden.
The only thing I just give up on (again, after trying them again this year) is the summer squash. Too vulnerable to too many pests, especially vine borers and squash bugs...
Other things like corn and pumpkins I just don't have room for in my small inner city garden.
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gixxerific
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RBG I feel you there. I didn't put any in for that reason. Also because I didn't have room too many tomatoes took up the space. But after some other stuff was taken out (garlic, onions) I decided what the heck and planted much later than normal. I have not had a problem with any of that. Could it be I missed their window of oppurtunity (the pests that is) who knows. But they are doing great right now.rainbowgardener wrote: The only thing I just give up on (again, after trying them again this year) is the summer squash. Too vulnerable to too many pests, especially vine borers and squash bugs...
Ruffsta as far as Cherokee Purple. It is a splitter but still great, as stated Spudakee the potato leaf version is much more resistant. If you want a good black one to look at as well is Spudatula the PL version of Black From Tula. Very productive and tons a big tasty fruit. My plants broke the 12 ft mark last year.
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!potatoes!
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They grow oddly. Instead of them growing evenly long and slender, they grow short and fat in places and long and skinny in places and most never grow longer than 2 inches before they're all fat and seedy. -
!potatoes!
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again, and just sayin', 'purple' isn't a variety name. be skeptical about any seed packet that is so vague.
a farmer buddy of mine had excellent quality out of some 'amethyst', a new purple bean variety from johnny's. I spent hours helping him pick bushels of them on a couple different occasions (with samples along the way, because that's how it's done). (and yes, he doubtless had more planted than you, but we were picking 'enough to do something with' from just a plant or two, especially during the first big flush). by the end of the bed, we were getting upset that there were so many on each plant! many, succulently juicy, good-shaped beans. and they can't hide in there the way green ones can...
by all means don't grow what you don't want to grow, but it seems premature to give up on a crop because of a bad experience with one variety.
my 2 cents
a farmer buddy of mine had excellent quality out of some 'amethyst', a new purple bean variety from johnny's. I spent hours helping him pick bushels of them on a couple different occasions (with samples along the way, because that's how it's done). (and yes, he doubtless had more planted than you, but we were picking 'enough to do something with' from just a plant or two, especially during the first big flush). by the end of the bed, we were getting upset that there were so many on each plant! many, succulently juicy, good-shaped beans. and they can't hide in there the way green ones can...
by all means don't grow what you don't want to grow, but it seems premature to give up on a crop because of a bad experience with one variety.
my 2 cents
the one I was referring to was the PARK SEED - garden bean velour (dwarf french type).!potatoes! wrote:again, and just sayin', 'purple' isn't a variety name. be skeptical about any seed packet that is so vague.
item number: 5018
origin: France
Lot: #AS44
[url]https://parkseed.com/dwarf-french-bean-velour/p/05018/[/url]
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DoubleDogFarm
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Like !potatoes! has mentioned. One should try several beans, of the color of choice, before giving up.
I'll throw in another purple name. Royal Burgundy OG snap bean. This is my first year growing this one. Seems to be good for my climate. I like how some of them are almost black.
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20%20Vegetables%20and%20%20Fruits/SnapbeansAugust102012001.jpg[/img]
Eric
I'll throw in another purple name. Royal Burgundy OG snap bean. This is my first year growing this one. Seems to be good for my climate. I like how some of them are almost black.
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20%20Vegetables%20and%20%20Fruits/SnapbeansAugust102012001.jpg[/img]
Eric
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!potatoes!
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mmmfloorpie
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jal_ut wrote:I am with you. Good choice.hot/sweet cherry peppers
purple cherokee tomatoes
any yellow tomatoes
purple green beans
borlotti beans
I love my purple green beans. They taste great and are much easier to find on the vine. I'm growing 3 purple varieties now and all 3 are doing well, although the Royal Burgundy pole bean is my favorite.