Vegetables Archives - Page 3 of 7

Twining Direction in Beans – are Scarlet Runner Beans Different?

I was working on my new book, Plant Science for Gardeners (to be released spring 2022), and came across a claim that most beans twine anti-clockwise, but that runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) twine clockwise. This claim was on a government extension site, so it just might be true. It seemed really odd to me, but why would someone make this up? Surely this is something that is easy to check?

I have been growing runner beans for many years but I decided not to plant any this year so I couldn’t even check my garden.

There are also claims that plants, including beans, twine differently in the Southern and Northern Hemisphere. The idea that water drains in a different direction in the south is a myth, so what about twining vines?

Twining Direction in Beans - are Scarlet Runner Beans Different? — Twining Direction in Beans – are Scarlet Runner Beans Different?

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7 Best Ways for Washing Fruits and Vegetables

I recently asked our Facebook Group, Garden Fundamentals, what they used for washing fruits and vegetables and I got quite a range of answers. Some did not wash most items. Quite a few used just water and many used a type of soap. Vinegar and baking soda were also popular for washing fruits and vegetables.

What does the science say about different washing solutions for fruits and vegetables?

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10 Perennial Vegetables for Colder Climates

Everyone loves fresh veggies but the amount of work that goes into a vegetable garden is a lot less appealing. Perennial vegetables are gaining popularity as a lower-maintenance alternative to conventional annual crops. You can plant perennial vegetables once and enjoy harvests for years to come.

This is not a new concept – many parts of the world rely on perennial vegetables, like cassava and taro, that live for many years and can be maintained and harvested by hand. Many annuals in the north are grown as perennials in warm, southern climates. Still, there are many wonderful perennial vegetables that grow well in colder climates.

Perennial vegetables, clockwise from top left; asparagus, sunchokes, fiddleheads, horseradish

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Should You Prune Suckers on Tomatoes?

To prune or not to prune suckers on tomatoes – the age old debate continues – until now!

There are two distinct camps here. Some people prune suckers on tomatoes so that they end up with a single stem and they claim that is best. Others don’t prune suckers at all and they claim their method is best. And then there are the ones that sit on fence and sucker to two or three stems. In this blog I’ll tell you the best way to prune tomatoes.

Should You Prune Suckers on Tomatoes?, source: Sixteen Acres

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Is Organic Food Better Than Non Organic?

Is organic food better? I know you have heard the marketing. It is more nutritious. It is healthier. It is better for the environment. But is any of that really true? How much of this is marketing hype by both companies and pro-organic groups, and what is the real science behind organic food?

Let’s get the facts about organic food.

Is Organic Food Better Than Non-organic Food?, source: Super Market News

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Myths About Growing Cucumbers

Cucumbers are grown by many gardeners, but they are still a mystery, shrouded in myths. Learn more about cucumbers as I debunk some common myths.

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Growing Mineral Rich Food – Are Heirlooms and Organic Methods Better?

Everybody wants to grow nutrient dense food that is more nutritious, but what methods produce the best food? There is lots of talk online about organic gardening producing healthier food but is that really true? Are heirloom varieties better for you than hybrids?

In this post I’ll look at some interesting studies that try to answer these questions and the answers will surprise you.

Growing Mineral Rich Food - Are Heirlooms and Organic Methods Better? — Growing Mineral Rich Food – Are Heirlooms and Organic Methods Better?

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Does Real Garlic Seed Exist?

Go to any nursery or garden center and ask for garlic seed. What you get are garlic cloves, just like the ones you get from the grocery store. Hold on a minute, you asked for seed and what you got were cloves, so you head over to racks of seed packages and look for garlic. You won’t find any. Check your favorite seed catalog and they won’t have garlic seed either.

If there is no such thing as garlic seed, where does garlic come from? How can we have so many different varieties of garlic if they don’t make seed?

Here is the true story about garlic and garlic seed.

Does Garlic Seed Exist? — Does Real Garlic Seed Exist? Photo by GARLIC ANALECTA

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You Are Eating Poisonous Organic Fruits & Vegetables?

Fruits and vegetables are supposed to be good for you – how can they be poisonous? You are probably thinking that I am talking about vegetables sprayed with pesticides, but I’m not. Or maybe this refers to vegetables contaminated with pathogens – that’s not it either. I’ll briefly discuss both those problems, but this post is about non-GMO poisonous fruits and vegetables with no synthetic spray or pathogen contamination.

Some fruits and vegetables are poisonous, but not all of the claims are correct.

You Are Eating Poisonous Fruits & Vegetables Even If They're Organic! — You Are Eating Poisonous Fruits & Vegetables Even If They’re Organic!, photo by Harvard

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Straw Bale Garden vs Traditional In-ground Garden – A Critical Comparison

Straw bale gardening seems to be an “in-thing” to try and I have written about it in Pros and Cons of Straw Bale Gardening. I see people on line praising the technique, but I also see a lot of people reporting failure. What is rare is any side-by-side comparison of straw bale gardening to traditional in-ground gardening. Even proponents of straw bale gardening don’t provide evidence for their claims by making a comparison.

I wanted to see for myself how well it worked, so this year I decided to do a comparison between my traditional vegetable garden and straw bale gardening. Here is what I found.

Straw Bale Garden vs Traditional In-ground Garden — Straw bale garden vs traditional In-ground garden

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A Tomato Myth is Born – More About Tomato Ripening

A few weeks ago I published the post called Ripening Tomato Myths—Both on the Vine and in the Home, which explained why tomatoes ripen completely when picked at the breaker stage. Some people pointed out a discrepancy in that post. How could the fruit be sealed off from the plant at the breaker stage and still show fruit cracking due to excessive water in the plant? This was a valid point that needed some more investigation.

In this post I will clarify the situation and explain how this tomato myth got started. This will lead us to a better understanding of the tomato ripening process.

A Tomato Myth is Born - More About Tomato Ripening — A Tomato Myth is Born—More About Tomato Ripening

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Are Vine Ripened Tomatoes Better – And Other Tomato Ripening Myths

You have worked hard all spring and summer to get some fresh red tomatoes from the garden. Now you have all kinds of green tomatoes on the vine and hope that they get red before the frost hits. What can you do to speed up the ripening process? Should you remove some leaves and let more sun reach the fruit? Can you harvest them green and complete the ripening process inside?

Some people suggest putting a banana or apple in a bag with green tomatoes to ripen them – does this work?

Does fertilize or water affect ripening? Would a change in culture speed up the tomato ripening process? Let’s have a close look at the facts and help you bite into a red tomato.

Myths About Ripening Tomatoes: Do you have lots of green tomatoes? — Ripening Tomato Myths: Do you have lots of green tomatoes? Photo credit: Tori Lynn

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