Tag Archives: vegetables

Heading North on the American Persimmon Highway

One of the easiest ways to create a strain of plant is to find similar individuals in a climate or zone similar to yours. The reason you might attempt this is that you desire to grow a plant that is … Continue reading

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From Fruits to Roots: Tranquility Potato

Have you ever looked at the roots of plants closely? The part of the plant you don’t see is incredibly complex. Since I used a shovel to dig all the plants for my nursery I soon had a birds eye … Continue reading

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Perennial Protein of Apios americana: Tubers on a String

In high school I owned several books of edible wild plants. This was in my phase of finding a cave in the wilderness and bailing on society. I still have a lot of those Bradford Angier survival and camping books. … Continue reading

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The Thicket Bean Explodes

Before the advent of annual beans, the thicket bean was well known. It was the protein that did not run away. It is a species of perennial bean found throughout the midwest and northeastern U.S. Unlike the thousands of selections … Continue reading

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Meet the Perennial Brassicas

It’s a common experience with gardeners to discover sprouts on old broccoli or cabbage stalks from the year before. Even the Brussels sprouts will kick out a new stem in the second year. This is because by and large Brassicas … Continue reading

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One Small Potato in a Seemingly Infinite Field

Let’s suppose you wake up one morning and announce to the world you are going to create a new potato far greater than anything that has existed before. You do a sort of Stuart Smalley daily affirmation, “I’m good enough, … Continue reading

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The Wild Andean Pumpkin

I have always enjoyed finding and growing the ancestors of crop plants. Unlike what would be called scientific breeding or selection I have a different motive. I want to see the plant that began it all. I want to time … Continue reading

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Too Little Too Late

Extreme environmental changes will require a major shift on how and where we grow certain human edible crop plants. Although human edible corn makes up less than five percent of all corn, it is still important to think of it … Continue reading

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Wild Tomatoes are Out of Control

Every now and then people will discover wild colonies of domesticated food plants like tomatoes. Some are accidental pitches by motorists but some have been around for many generations and have adapted to their new homes self seeding and creating … Continue reading

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