263 The Top Homegrown Vegetables Pt. 1

Today: It's America’s Top homegrown vegetables. Master Gardener and vegetable expert Gail Pothour and I talk about them, along with growing advice for each one, including our favorite varieties.

We actually got into such detail about each, we have to divide this chat into two episodes: today’s and next week’s Garden Basics podcasts. So today, we are talking tomatoes (no surprise there that is America’s favorite vegetable to grow) as well as cucumbers, sweet peppers, beans and carrots. Next week: five more!

It’s the Top Homegrown Vegetables, Part 1. It’s the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today by Smart Pots and Dave Wilson Nursery.

Pictured: A "river" of tomatoes and peppers, at the 2012 Heirloom Expo

Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net.

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Vegetable varieties mentioned in Ep 263

TOMATOES Gail: Brad's Atomic Grape, “Thorburn’s Terra- Cotta” , Green Doctor, Purple Boy, “Goldman's Italian American” UC Davis Vegetable Research and Information Center:

“Cherry Grande”, “Sweet Cherry”, the “Sweet 100”, and the “Red Cherry”. For suitable container varieties they name “Patio”, “Toyboy”, “Better Bush” and “Small Fry.” Fred:

Ace, Better Boy, Early Girl, Champion, Whopper, Big Beef, Dr. Wyche’s Yellow,

CUCUMBERS

Gail - Green Fingers, Silver Slicer, Alibi,

VRIC: Pickle Bush, Bush Champion, Parks Bush Whopper, Salad Bush, and Spacemaster. Sweet Slice.

PEPPERS

Fred- Big Red, Early Sunsation, Ozark Giant, Tequila,

Gail - Sweet Roaster,

VRIC - Gypsy

BEANS Gail-Roman, Strike, Romana, Roc d’Or, Purple Queen

VRIC - Goldencrop Wax, Resistant Cherokee Wax, Fordhook 242 Bush, Henderson’s Bush (pole type), King of the Garden (bush butterbean), Dixie Butterpea (butterbean type), Baby Fordhook Bush (butterbean), Contender, Harvester, Roman, Tendercrop, Kentucky Wonder, Romano (Italian), Scarlet Runner

Fred - Bingo.

CARROTS Fred - Danvers Half-Long, Gail - Chantenay, Imperator

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