more different plants...

[Rubykitchen]

we're having a go at tomatillo's this year. Tho purple not green - but believe green are more productive (doh!).

Also - melon pear?? anyone had any success? Again, need two for pollination so space is gonna be tight in greenhouse this year lol. Led to believe you treat the plants like tomato's.

Some weird brown african cucumbers which sound delicious if can get past the fact they're brown!?? and crystal lemon again - as they were lush and plentiful last year - heard that cucs cross readily - so that will be interesting a brown crystal lemon eugh!??

Also growing some wonderful scorzonera (root veg), Achocha fat baby - which was prolific in greenhouse last year (but well managed despite negative comments bout it being rampant inside) and some lovely oriental greens that we've never tried before - some 60 day calabrese (that I'd like to see!) and some amaranth...

Crookneck squash some weird forms of paty pans, and still searching for that early early early sweetcorn variety...

then if it all fails..next year will be back to carrots and spuds...(tho we'll fit them in somewhere this year)...

[Kleftiwallah]

As a similar type of experimental gardener, I hope they all come up and are worth the trouble. Cheers and good luck. Tony.

[Primrose]

One of my most disappointing failures a few years ago was Yard Long beans. We love beans of various kinds and they looked so seductive in the picture on the packet that I simply had to try some. . We don't have a greenhouse unfortunately and I suspect they simply arn't suitable for this climate. In the end they all simply withered away without producing a single bean, which was annoying because they took up productive growing space which could have been used for other beans.

Still, if you don't try these new things, you never know whether they can be grown successfully, do you? There's always a temptation to think that you can outwit nature.

[snooky]

I don't have a greenhouse either which means that I would grow Tomatillo's,which I quite fancy doing,in the open but being a member of the Tomato family it would be subject to Blight.How big do the plants grow because I have read of a tip to stop Blight on outdoor Tomatoes cover them with one of them plastic bags from the dry-cleaners.I wondered if they would be big enough to cover a Tomatillo plant?

[FelixLeiter]

Tomatillos do not suffer much with blight. They grow better outdoors — under glass can be too hot — but they do need a little heat to get them started. A windowsill will do. They're extensive, so you wouldn't want them cluttering up a small greenhouse for cropping. Green ones are more prolific, but purple are better eating.

Melon Pear (Solanum muricatum) is a tricky customer. Be sure to grow plants of a named variety if possible because they are so variable from seed. Like our tomatillos, they fair better outside where they are not subject to extreme heat. Both of these tend to drop their flowers if grown too hot. They are quite delicious if you can get them to take, but don't expect a heavy crop.

[Johnboy]

Hi Snooky,
Tomatillo (Physalis philadephica) is related to the Cape Gooseberry and not the Tomato which belongs to the Solanum family so they will not suffer from blight at all. They must be raised under cover and planted out when fear of frost has passed. A nice sunny, wind free spot will pay dividends.
Given the correct habitat the crop can be quite large. Some people use them instead of Tomatoes but although they are nice they, to me, are not really anything like a substitute. Enjoy them in their own right!
JB.

[FelixLeiter]

Tomatillo (Physalis philadephica) is related to the Cape Gooseberry and not the Tomato which belongs to the Solanum family so they will not suffer from blight at all.

Same family (Solanaceae), different genus (Physalis and Solanum), but that does not mean that they are totally immune to blight. It has to be a particularly pernicious strain, though, to infest Tomatillos, usually Late Blight at the very end of the season. By then, frost is usually a bigger threat and the crop can be brought in. The fruits store well inside their husks.

[Tigger]

They're excellent in salsa and I believe they make good chutney, but I haven't tried growing them yet. They talked about them on last week's GQT.

[Johnboy]

Hi Felix,
There are many blights that are varietal and I do not think that Physalis plants will be affected by Tomato blight. It may have a type of blight particular to Physalis and it may appear around the same time as Late Tomato Blight but I do not think that blights are related.
People around here grow them in the same small area and the Tomatillos have to my knowledge never suffered when the Tomatoes have perished.
JB.

[Rubykitchen]

Thanks for the tips - not sure if they'd cope with Northumberland weather outside!?? If so, would they be better in a container (if so what size?) or in the ground? - Tomatillo's and melon pear. Thanks