So*, we're moving soon, and I plan on starting a garden. I've been discussing rhubarb fairly extensively over here. And I tossed in the idea of possibly also growing lemongrass and sugarcane. Lemongrass for cooking, sugarcane for fun.
As well, my sister brought me a bunch of seeds last October that I just haven't got around to planting yet. But, with our move to a new house, we'll have a lot more room to grow stuff. So it's time.
I have seeds for:
catnip (for fat cat Oberon)
basil
chives
cilantro
garlic chives
oregano
parsley
peppermint
sage
spearmint
marjoram
wild parsley
curry leaf plant - need to transplant over to new house
aloe vera plant (potted and just gave birth to new babies!)
I have no idea the difference between wild parsley and regular parsley, but whatever. I'll grow it anyway.
The point behind all this is that I'm growing herbs that I'm used to cooking with but are not readily available here. Well, I can basil and oregano in some grocery stores, dried and/or powdered, and I can sometimes get cilantro, mint, and parsley, but not with the regularity that I would like.
I'm planning on growing the herbs primarily in containers. Mint out of necessity so it doesn't take over everything. The rest... Well, I don't actually know why I'm planning on doing that. It seems simpler. But maybe I'm wrong. Anyway, you expert gardeners, if you have comments, please let me know. You know, things like "well, if you grow this next to the door, it'll keep the bugs away." Well, anything useful, really. I have a green thumb when it comes to indoor plants in Canada. Here, it's a whole other ball game.
I'm also considering other seeds to get. My sister flies back in September, and she'll gladly bring me more seeds if I ask. I'm thinking of adding thyme to the list, but can't really think of much else at the moment. So other suggestions there would also be fine.
FYI, I have sunny areas, and I have shaded areas. Temperature is usually around 26-27 Celsius at night, and up to 32 Celsius during the day. During monsoon, it can rain buckets and buckets and buckets for days or weeks on end, and at other times, it can not rain for months at a time. We have a covered car park, so if excessive rain is an issue, if they're in pots, I can move them. Or, you know, whatever.
Help!
Edit to organize to satisfy my anal retentive tendencies. And to help me remember what I've said. Yeesh!
Seeds added to my list to get:
thyme
radishes
rhubarb rhizome
lemon grass
sugarcane
hot peppers
dill
rosemary
lavender
anise
licorice ?
galangal
lemon balm
Thai basil
cinnamon basil
lemon basil
tarragon
Vietname coriander ?
summer savory
chervil
stevia
yams (no, not sweet potatoes. Yams.
Swiss chard
equipment: composter
[ May 23, 2005, 08:28 PM: Message edited by: quidscribis ]
Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :
Btw, I think it's really cool that you have a cat named Oberon.
Good luck with the gardening! If my thumbs were even remotely tinted with that lovely green color, I would help, but all I can do is offer you good luck, and volunteer to be the first to try your produce. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Plant radishes around the outside of everything that's in the ground, and keep planting them. Not only do they mature fast, giving you quick and abundant gratification for your work, as well as making excellent pickles, salads, etc., they'll keep away many underground pests. (Marigolds do the same thing, but attract more bees than I'm comfortable with and don't have much of a use other than being pretty-- they are edible, but I don't really eat them.) Of course, I don't know if you have those pests there...
Posted by alluvion (Member # 7462) on :
I've always been curious as to how one actually grows a potato?
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Not the first reaction I was expecting. Yeah, I love that name. People look at me funny. They have no clue. Not a single one.
And Raia, if you want to try my produce, you'll have no choice but to come out for QuidCon2005.
Oh, I should mention. I'm not planning on growing the commonly available vegetables here. I'm looking at growing stuff I can't get. Which reminds me of something to add to the list:
hot peppers Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Wait... You live in Sri Lanka and can't get hot peppers?
The mind boggles. Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Radishes! Do you know how long it's been since I've had a radish? It's, um, sometime in Canada. That's a great idea!
And I hate marigolds. They're ugly and smell funny. I'd rather have radishes. Oooooh, and I'm allergic to bees. Good point!
Potatoes are grown by planting a potato in the ground, waiting several months, and then digging up the new ones. Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Oh no, I can get hot peppers. But only one variety. And they ain't hot. To me, or to Fahim. Even though they're hot to most other people here. I want to try other varieties, hotter varieties. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Some potatoes grew in our compost heap once.
Along with some really funky hybrid squash!
My brother had not been doing his duty in regards to turning the compost.
Posted by alluvion (Member # 7462) on :
wait, wait, wait, wait...
you put a potato in the ground, and that's it? other ones spring up?
sorry, you've lost me. how do know where to dig for these new ones?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
quid, my dad is the hot pepper home-growing expert. The next time I talk to him, I will ask him what really hot ones he recommends as easy to grow and good tasting.
What kind can you get, and what kinds do you consider "hot"?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Potatoes are tubers. They grow a... plant-thingy, and then more tubers grow on the roots. Kinda.
Posted by alluvion (Member # 7462) on :
sounds a little too allegorical for a simple condiment.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
kq, let me put it this way. I drink tobasco for a refreshing mild drink. The green chiles that we get here would kill most Norte Americanos, and no, I don't know what variety they are. We usually use three or four in a dish and don't notice it. I can handle food hotter than most Indians, Mexicans, and South Americans. I can handle hotter food than, oh, at least 99% of the rest of the population. Does that give you a better idea? I need fiendishly hellishly purgatorially triple barn burner suicidally scorchingly flamingly hot. Does that work for you?
I need to get a composter. Fahim's not thrilled with the idea, but this is my garden. My work, my responsibility.
Alluvion, put the potato in the ground, it produces lots of green foliage. When teh green foliage dies back in the fall, the potatoes are ready. That's the short version.
Oh hey, kq, it just occurred to me that I have a picture of them here. The dark green ones.
Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :
Hey, I know what Oberon's from! I know my Shakespeare, at least a little bit!
He's the King of the fairies in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." And, in the movie, he's played by Rupert Everett. Posted by alluvion (Member # 7462) on :
Why is this quidscribis person following me about?
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Raia, you got it! That's where I got the name from. And it fits, somehow.
Um, alluvion, this is my thread. So who's following who?
Posted by alluvion (Member # 7462) on :
I'm not sure, but for the life of me, I'm willing to bet you're one hell of a smarty-pantz.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
So, I made a couple of phone calls, and it appears as though rhubarb can't be grown in my area. In the hill country, yes and absolutely. On the other hand, I have someone trying to hunt down seed stores for me because they may have the rhizomes so I could give it a try and find out, regardless of consequences. It also means that I may have a source for seeds and potting soil and fertilizer and other good things. Sometimes, calling people and asking for help can be a really really good idea. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Hmm, quid, hellfire hot can be hard to grow at home. On the other hand, I'll bet you have the hot weather for it. I'll ask my dad what some good varieties for you to try might be; he's had minor success growing Thai peppers with heat lamps in CA, before the lamps were stolen. Zimbabwe peppers are supposedly the hottest in the world, but I don't think they are available as seed. Now, according to my dad, any peppers can be grown hotter; just give them a little less water and a little more sun (not enough to kill them, but enough to make them work for their existance, you know).
We both eat our Indian food "hot" and find Tabasco very mild, too. It would help if you could find out what kind of pepper you're eating if at all possible, even a local name, but "hotter than most Indians" helps some. Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Ooooooh! Less water, more sun. Check. And that's one tip I'll be sure to try out.
Locally, that green chilli is called "green chili", one L. I spell it with two, however. If you check that previous link I provided, you'll see a picture of it. I know nothing beyond that.
I could add that I didn't find habaneros hot. Didn't like the flavor much - they were too bitter, IIRC. I'm also always more than willing to experiment.
Oh, and I would love to be able to make my Sambol Oelik, made with hot red peppers, so that would be a bonus if it worked out. Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
TabascoSauce is so diluted that even Naval cadets drink the stuff during hazing. Here's a pretty good site for descriptions of various chiles.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
The hottest pepper is the Red Savina habanero. I like hot peppers, but i do not like habaneros.
Quid, if you can find good, fresh dried peppers, you can often just plant the seed, as long as they are not roasted. You have a long enough growing season you can probably grow them right from seed.
Chile peppers are actually quite easy to grow. Don't fertilize them too much with nitrogen(manure). They like a more cid soil. One trick that I use is to take packs of matches, and sprinkle half a pack in the hole, then an inch of soil, then the plant. (or seed if you are planting straight into the soil)
Another tip is to mix a little bit of epsom salts with water, and spray the flowers as they emerge. This helps to set the bloom.
Plant the peppers close together, they like it.
Mulch with peat moss if you can get it.
My favorite source for chile pepper seeds was Shepherd's Garden Seeds, but they are no longer. they were bought by White Flower Farm, and seem to not be selling vegetable seeds.
Peppers will be hotter the hotter the climate. Also, there are varieties which will grow year round. These are the most wild types, with tiny peppers, but they grow beautifully, like bushes, and get to be about four or five feet high.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Tabasco may not be the hottest sauce, but it has the greatest flavor. I make chile sauce using red jalapenos, but my favorite pepper sauce was made from a pepper called Arledge, which was a Louisiana pepper. I canot find the seeds.
I just bought a few flats of plants, because we have too much clutter to start seeds these days. I bought green chili-making peppers: Anaheim, Ancho, and jalapenos. Yum! (I also love serrano peppers-hot, and great flavor.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Elizabeth, you are a fountain of useful information!
Dried peppers we can get, but I have no idea how fresh. I'm not in the habit of buying them dried, you see. On the other hand, they're cheap enough that it's worth a try anyway.
I have to admit that I'm just lazy enough to prefer all my plants be perennial, despite me knowing that that simply isn't so. I think I'm going to have to learn which are which, even though I suspect I already know. Is there anything about the nature of, say, cilantro, that will cause it to continue growing here longer than it would in a normal climate with winter? Wishful thinking alive and well...
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Quid, Cilantro will keep reseeding like a weed. It will go to seed quickly the hotter the weather, though. Then you have coriander. You could keep planting it, though, to have a constant supply.
Edit: Some of the plants which are annuals here in New England grow year round elsewhere. One example is lantana, a beautiful flowering vine. My parents have a huge bush in their yard in Phoenix.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
quote: how to pick chile pepper to the methods used to protect chile pepper crops from cats and fire-ants
Um, I could have a problem, then, as I have both a cat and a fire-ant problem. Well, not me, personally, but the entire country, so I suspect it would only be a matter of time before they attack. By the way, that's from the linky that aspectre provided regarding different types of chilli peppers.
Elizabeth - most excellent news about cilantro! Thanks!
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Ah, missed the link before. quid, if you didn't find habaneros hot, there's not much hope for you; the various varieties are rated very high on the standard Scoville scale (determined by how many times a standard amount can be diluted and still tasted; yes, my dad is a bit of a chile expert.)
If you don't like bitterness, you might want to give them the water they want (but make sure they have lots of sun), since depriving them of water can intensify bitter flavors as well as the heat (although if you use a sweeter hot pepper, that may not be a problem.) Um, how big are the peppers on that page? If they're 1-3 inches long, they're probably Thai peppers, which were my only suggestion for hotter than habanero heat; they aren't always hotter than habaneros, but some Thais can be hotter than some habaneros, you know how it goes. Luckily for you, they have a sweeter taste than most hot peppers. If that is what you have, it may be that you are getting green ones, which tend to be slightly less hot than the red ones.
Or, it may be that no chile is going to be hot enough for you. Unfortunately, the "hottest in the world" spots all currently go to different varieties of habaneros. Sorry.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Those peppers are three or four inches long, can grow as long as six inches.
I didn't know that water deprivation meant bitterness. Does it work that way in humans, too? I do prefer sweeter peppers, and I've grown hot peppers in the past, and mine always turned out way hotter than anyone else's did, no idea why. Maybe it was karma or something.
Checked out the picture on your link, and sure enough, that looks like what I have. Perhaps they just grow longer here, or it's a close relative. No idea. I've also found that, while the dark green ones are most common here, when they turn red, they're way way way way hotter than when they're green. Green I can munch on as a snack. Red damn near killed me.
We also get some mutant peppers here - hybrids, and usually, they're accidents, or so it seems. So it's also possible that the longer green chillies we get here are accidents.
Yep, I knew there was a distinct possibility that I'll never find a suicidally hot for me pepper, but I can hope, can't I?
And tell your dad that I love and respect him for his knowledge of chilies alone. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
He makes excellent salsa with lots of cilantro and many kinds of hot roasted peppers, too.
If red Thai peppers is what you want, I will go out, buy some red Thai peppers, get some rubber gloves on, de-seed them, and send the seeds to you. Not a problem, and much cheaper than mail-ordering seeds. Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Rubber gloves? Why bother?
Yeah, yeah, I know, you should always use rubber gloves when dealing with hot peppers. I never do. They don't irritate my skin. It's sad, you know, but they're not hot to me in any way. Not to taste, not going down, and I've never experienced that ring of fire that so many others talk about. Anyway, yes, if you're anyone other than me, use rubber gloves when handling peppers.
But yes, that is a good idea. I'll get some from the grocery store and grow those.
I think I may want your father's recipe for salsa. Yum! *drools*
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
You know, I only found the hot red ones like once. I am a little concerned that it may be a fluke. And that's the reason I wasn't pushing for those. But yeah, cheap enough that even if it doesn't work out the way I want that it won't matter. So yes, I'll do that. Thanks! Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I have incredibly sensitive skin. I can't even wash with regular soap. I'm allergic to freaking alcohol! So I would be wearing gloves.
If you can get hot enough ones, then go for it. If you can't find the red ones, though, or they're not hot enough, then let me get some for you; they'll only cost a dollar or so, and won't add more than an oz. to your package. Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
You are seriously one of the most wonderful people I know, kq.
You know, it's funny, I also have incredibly sensitive skin. I use herbal soaps, and my skin is fine with that, but I can't use regular. It worked out well because the ayurvedic products I'm fine with, and they're available everywhere here. I can't even use fluoride toothpaste because it burns my mouth out. Chlorine is nasty for me, and the list goes on.
But hot peppers? Nothing. Not a single thing. Bizarre.
I'll see if I can find some when we go grocery shopping in a couple of days. My list is getting longer... Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Oooooh! I just changed my mind. Send me some anyway, please? Variety and all that. I like trying out different flavors, and you may have some that simply aren't available here, and that could be fun! Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
kq, thought just occurred to me. Before you mail anything to me, I need to get you our updated address. We're moving in two weeks, and...
But I have to get it from Fahim...
And I think I use the ellipses way too much... Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
I am suddenly reminded of The Poisonwood Bible.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I liked that book, although the backwards talk stuff was hard to get into at first. But I'm a much bigger fan of The Bean Trees. Although the sequel is not very happy.
quid, it will probably be a while before I find the chocolate and chiles for you, anyway. When you move, just e-mail your new address to me. Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
There is no such thing as a red pepper, really. Red peppers are just ripe green peppers. So if you like a green pepper, and you think it is pretty hot, plant the dried seeds and let the peppers get red and hotter.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
But, Elizabeth, some peppers are dark green when ripe, some are bright green when ripe, some are yellow or orange when ripe, and some are red when ripe. Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Not really. If you let most peppers go long enough, they will turn red, even the purple ones. Yellow ones will stay yellow, though.
And I am talking about ripe in the strict sense. Some people get tummy aches from green peppers but not red ones.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I've let peppers go and go and they just stayed green and then fell off.
I am also talking about ripe in the strict sense.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
OK, you win the pepper ripeness game, Ketchupqueen!
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Well, have a pepper, then. *hands very ripe green chile to Elizabeth* Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Um, Elizabeth, ketchupqueen, I had no idea about this part of the peppers, so thanks for the info.
I've reorganized my first post so it's easier - both for me as well as anyone else who wanders in here - to see what I've got in mind.
I think I want to get a little exotic - I've read a little about Thai basil versus Italian basil, for example, and I don't know the difference. I'd like to find out.
If any of you see anything to suggest I add, feel free.
Dill! I forgot to add dill to the list!
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Do you like rosemary? I loooove rosemary. And if you get the kind that grows pretty much wild in CA, that does well with heat and drought. You can not only cook with it, it's excellent for scenting linens, deterring some clothing pests, etc. in sachets. You can make a tincture of it to use as a mild antiseptic/analgesic (think shaving cuts). And did I mention it's wonderful smelling and tasting? And that I love it?
Plant it in a nice big pot, and it will grow into a big bush that lasts forever without taking over a corner of your yard. Of course, I've heard that it can also keep some buggies away, so maybe you want to put it in the ground. Or just put a pot by the door or something.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Oooooh, rosemary! Thanks!
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
You're welcome. I couldn't live without rosemary! Rosemary and cumin. But I know you can get cumin there, easily.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Oh yeah, no problem. Dried and powdered and by the bucketload. The anal side of me wonders if I should try to grow it, but the practical side says I have enough going on already. The practical side wins.
I wonder about anise. Is that easy to grow? I guess I better find out.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
It's one of those plants that should be, but I have a suspicion it might be heat-sensitive.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
*snickers at the irony of rosemary having been forgotten*
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
*sigh* Okay, let us in on it, rivka. What's the snickering all about?
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Hamlet. Ophelia, actually.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Ooooh. I thought you were referring to our earlier discussion of a certain song, not to be mentioned. Shakespeare is much better. Thank you.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Darnit! I had finally gotten that song OUT of my head! Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Don't taunt me. Dragostea can be piped non-stop into your house.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Hmmm. Wasn't there an NCIS with something like that?
Peace offering? (Click on menu. )
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
I'm drooling and I'm still on the beverages!
What's NCIS?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
It's a show about Navy investigators. It has a goth criminologist hacker girl.
And I know! Seeing as they're less than a mile from our apartment, we may have to try them out this week, just to hold me over until you all come out. Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
And yet you tease me with their menu? When I won't be able to eat their food for 12 days? Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Okay. I promise not to eat there until you are there.
But I don't promise not to go without you afterwards.
*plans what she will order*
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
USDA Zones: All - 2b-11; Take usual precautions in Northern Zones for frost damage.
This site says it's native to the Middle East. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Awesome! Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
You guys sure were busy while I was doing some research.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
kq, I was not asking you to not go. Merely complaining about taunting me with the menu.
Now I'm thinking tomorrow's supper may be a curry. A chicken one, though. *goes off to inspect freezer*
quid, in our defense, we DID also answer your question.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Lavender! I forgot lavender!!!!
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
rivka I know, I know! I saw it, and I'm checking out your links. And thinking about licorice. Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Okay, so*, with licorice, it's mainly the root that's used. That could complicate matters as I have no idea how to get just what I want without killing the whole thing. Will have to investigate further.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
What I know about anise and licorice can be summed up thus: I find them equally dreadful. More for you, I guess. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Anise is good with a game roast. Licorice, only fond of the candy. Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
I like them both as tea. Other than that? But I want to experiment. Now that I'm a kept woman, I have the time to do stuff like that.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Really, anise is excellent braised with gamey birds or (even better) venison. It softens the gaminess wonderfully.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
We don't have either gamey birds or venison here, so while I appreciate the thought, if you know of other ways to use it... I'll also end up - eventually - searching for recipes involving pretty much everything I'll be growing.
And ketchupqueen brought up another point on another forum. I have to watch out for heat - can the herbs handle the heat or not? More research for me to do. I think this supports the notion of having them in pots because, if they don't do well outside, I can bring them into the relative cool.
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
Ya know, I've never ever seen a cat mess with a chile plant. However, birds love the stuff: they don't have the pain receptors which interact with capsaicin, and also make perfect vectors for distibuting seeds widely. Thus the chile breeds itself to repellant to mammals and pest/herbivorous insects at a capsaicin concentration of 1to100parts per million while remaining tempting to birds at a concentration of 20,000parts per million, and non-harmful to beneficial pollinating and predatory insects.
So I suspect the site owner is being disinformative, more interested in protecting birds from cats than in protecting the chiles.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
I just read about putting moth balls around the garden. It apparently doesn't have to be repeated because the smell will train the cat to stay away. Will this harm any plants?
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
"ow I'm thinking tomorrow's supper may be a curry. A chicken one, though. *goes off to inspect freezer*"
I am in in Greek hell. My father in law gave me two grocery bags, filled to the top with Tupperware. filled to the top with curries he made for me.
I checked on my WW points tracker. One cup of beef curry is 10 points! Ack! And that is like having one potato chip.
Any curry loving Hatrackers in the area are welcome to come over and have some.
Oh, and Qud, do you have French tarragon on your list? It imparts an anise-like flavor to fish and chicken. I make mayonnaise with it, and it is delicious as a dip for grilled meats.
Also, I remember one of my favorite stories from Bocaccio, "The Pot of Basil." The basil grew in a pot continuosly, and should grow that way as long as you keep snipping the flowers. (I wouldn't add the head for fertilizer like in the story, though.)
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Is French tarragon the same as just plain ol' tarragon, as in Artemisia dracunculus?
I have no idea what your WW points system is like, but you do know that curries can be made to fit, right?
My list has grown. I need to update it.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
I know that curries can be made to fit, but when an Indian man makes forty frozen pounds of it for you, you can't just say, "Um, thanks, but this is a little too high in calories, can you make me some new batches? Thanks."
I am not sure if French tarragon is Artemesia dracunculus, but it sounds like something I can use on the current Pun Smackdown!
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Um, yeah, I thought I'd try.
Gee, I was just about to type something stupid. Like gee I wish I had a father in law who'd cook Indian for me. Then I thought about it, and realized that I have a mother in law who can cook great Sri Lankan curries. She just won't cook 'em for us. Ah well.
Also, I updated my wish list on the first page. I want yams. Among many other things.
I also found out about a fortnightly sale on garden plants and such at Victoria Park. I just don't know which day of the week, time, and where the park is. Time for me to start asking more questions...
Anyone here know of a good forum where I can ask questions relating to planting & growing all this stuff in a tropical climate? Although, officially, it's called tropical monsoon...
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Quid, when he makes it, he tells me, "In India, they think my food is sh**." He grew up having women cook for him, but when he moved here if he wanted curry, he had to make it himself. A good half of the chiles I grow go to him.
When his sisters came to visit, they made a biryani, and I thought I was in heaven. (as opposed to Greek hell)
I am sure a search would find you a garden site for yur climate, because it really is completely different from New England.
Edited out the swear! Sorry!
[ May 17, 2005, 09:38 AM: Message edited by: Elizabeth ]
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
This is a site from some gardeners in Sri Lanka
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Just because I think y'all care (or should), I went with Country Captain (which I know is not really an authentic curry, but it's yummy anyway). Mixed it all up in the crockpot insert last night, and will put to cook just before we leave for school.
*looking forward for the way the house will smell when we get home*
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Elizabeth, I checked out that link and did a search on Sri Lanka, and all I found was this. It's a page about their vacation to Sri Lanka, but not about gardening in Sri Lanka, or, at least, as far as I could find. Thanks anyway.
I love biryani! I even have biryani paste in the cupboard as a cheat that I haven't used yet. Maybe I need to use this soon...
The closest I've found to a forum that looks useful is www.gardenweb.com with a tropical section. It's mostly occupied by people living in non-tropics trying to grow tropical plants. I've searched and found nothing that looks more useful than that. Perhaps I'll try again tomorrow. My Google-fu is failing!
I need a crockpot. Grrr!
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
You didn't see a list of plants to grow? Try here.
Oh, hmm. Seems they live in Australia? I am so confused. Still, many of those plants might work for you.
Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :
Stuff that should do well in the heat = okra, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, tomatillos, sweet potatoes, squash, melons, cucumbers, bitter melons, basil, green beans.
Malabar spinach is a good hot weather salad green. It's got a bit of a mucilagenous texture to it though.
Radishes tend to be hot/bitter and pithy in hot weather. I don't know how cool the winters are there, but if you try radishes, that'd probably be the best time for them.
Vietnamese coriander (aka culantro?) is a good idea -- if it's the one I'm thinking of, that's a perennial that doesn't bolt during the summer heat. (Never actually tried it myself. Well, I did try starting it from seed, but never got it to germinate.)
If your area is truly tropical, you can have a lot of fun growing things you can never grow in Canada or the US -- I think you mentioned yams, but you can also try stuff like oca, yacon, chayote, jicama, and a lot of other stuff that I've dreamed about trying someday. Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Is Sri Lanka like Hawaii and other environments, where you have to be really careful what you plant, so it does not take over fragile ecosystems?
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
I hate sweet potatoes. Hate hate hate hate hate hate hate 'em. Yams I love. Yams I can't get here. I wanna grow yams.
I think I've had the Malabar spinach here, and Fahim and I both hate it. I love North American spinach, though. I'm thinking of trying to grow Swiss chard, after I find out about it. That stuff, I like.
Vietnamese coriander is not the same as cilantro. They're not even related. As far as I can tell, it's not really known outside of southeast Asia. But considering how much I love Thai food, I'd like to give it a try.
Radishes - thanks for the warning about bitter and pithy. We don't have winter. We have monsoon, monsoon, and not monsoon. Otherwise, it's pretty much the same termperature all the year round - about 27C at night, about 32C during the day. Our climate is officially tropical monsoon.
I'm going to research some of those other things you mentioned. Okra, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, squash, melons, cukes, and beans are easily available here, so those I'm not going to grow - or, at least, not now.
Elizabeth - I have no idea. I suppose I should find out, eh? Mint, for example, I was planning on growing only in pots anyway. I know they take over any ground they get their shoots on. If there are any other plants on my list that'll take over, please let me know so I can make sure to keep them in a pot.
Posted by arevoj (Member # 7347) on :
Just a note on growing potatoes - we were given a tip several years ago that worked great. When you plant the potatoes, cover the plants with hay or straw. The new potatoes will grow into the straw so you need not dig in order to gather the potatoes; they can merely be cut / pulled off and the plant keeps producing. Plus, the potatoes are relatively clean - cleaner than when they have to be dug up, at any rate.
Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :
The straw method for potatoes does make them easier to harvest. Sometimes you'll get some mouse damage, though. And yields are about half as much as when you hill them with dirt.
quid -- is culantro (NOT cilantro) the same thing as Vietnamese coriander? Johnny's Seeds in Maine carries culantro, which is the cilantro alternative that I tried to start but couldn't get to germinate: link 1link 2 Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Oh, whoops! I thought it was a spelling mistake. I'll have to find out. But tomorrow. I'm going to bed in a few minutes. Have to say, that looks interesting...
Arevoj & plaid, does that potato trick also work for yams? For that matter, anything I should know about growing yams? Never tried 'em before.
Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :
Yams -- no idea. Every gardening and farming book I've ever read about yams that's mentioned them has said not to even bother trying to grow them in the U.S., that the seasons just aren't long enough here... so I'm very jealous that you can grow yams there.
I doubt that you can grow regular "North American" spinach there. It usually won't even germinate in hot soils, and even if it did, the plants would be tough and bitter and short-lived.
Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :
Chard should work, though it does tend to have a stronger flavor when it's hot. Collard greens are another good hot weather green -- a lot of folks prefer their flavor to that of chard.
Posted by arevoj (Member # 7347) on :
I've never grown yams - I'll be no help there; sorry.
I have heard tell of what plaid references about mice and yields. Our garden was small, about 12x20, in the city, and the potatoes did not make up the majority of what was planted. I did not end up with a mouse problem - luck? - and the yield was sufficient for what we were eating.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
I yam what I yam.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
12x20 is small? My space is absolutely puny by comparison. I think I have about 6x6, and a lot of that is already taken up by plants of what variety, I have no idea, and I don't know how much of them I can or will dig up & remove.
I would like very much to be able to plant banana, mango, papaya, and strawberry guava if I can. I've been thinking about it, and while I won't really know until after I see it again and do some more research, I'm hoping I can plant them at the back of the house between the house and the wall (every house here has a 6' high wall surrounding the property - a result of the civil war & all the bombings and shootings). I think there's only 3' between, but maybe four, and I have no idea if that's enough. I also don't know if there would be enough sun there. Or perhaps the side, with a similar amount of room. The front, where the garden isn't, is either garage or gravelled parking, IIRC. Not that we need the extra gravelled parking (Fahim's got a motorbike, we ain't got no car), so perhaps I can convert some of that over to fruit trees. And we're signing a contract for one year, but we'll probably be there for much longer. We both hate moving. And I can always dig the fruit trees up if we move, right? Right?
Yeah, Fahim hates spinach, so I won't be growing that. Chard I'd like to, and the suggestion of collard greens are a possibility - thanks! I'll have to research them. I've never had collard greens before. But I'd like us to have more greens in our diet, and what we can get here ain't great, and honestly, the variety isn't varied. I'm bored with what we can get here. Bored bored bored bored bored. I think I just realized that that may be a major part of what's fueling this gardening operation.
I've also had a suggestion for mustard greens. If any of you have any other suggestions, I'm open to hearing.
Thanks, y'all!
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Plaid, Vietname cilantro (Polygonum odoratum) is not the same as Culantro (Eryngium foetidum). But after reading about Culantro, I think I want some of that, too, so thanks for mentioning it!
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
I saw culantor for the first time today! It is quite something, kind of like artichoke.
There was also a Vietnamese cilantro.
Funny how Mexican food uses Asian cilantro(or American Mexican recipes anyway). The things you learn on Hatrack, I tell ya.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
So, Hatcrackers, opinions and internet resources on raised bed gardens? Anyone? Anyone?
Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :
I don't have much time right now quid to post, maybe more later...
6' x 6' is pretty tiny, if yams grow anything like sweet potatoes (big sprawly vines), then you won't have room for yams.
Raised beds... how much rain do you get during non-monsoon months? I assume you're wanting raised beds for improved drainage during the monsoon months... but if it doesn't rain too much during the non-monsoon months, then you may want to NOT have raised beds during those months, so that you don't have to water so much (raised beds lose moisture faster... which is good in wet conditions, but not good in dry conditions).
What do folks there do to protect the soil during the monsoon months -- is there some sort of really thick mulch that you can put on?
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
I don't know what people here do. I haven't picked brains here yet. I'm planning to - assuming I remember - at church on Sunday.
During monsoon, we can get rain for 12 hours straight, like a foot of it, I imagine. When it's a really good pour, anyone who's outside for about five seconds is completely soaked through. During non-monsoon, it might not rain for a month or longer at a time.
Most people water their plants every day when it's not raining. It seems to be pretty much of a ritual - first thing in the morning. A lot of people in my neighborhood have a lot of potted plants. Granted, the pots might be a foot in diamter, perhaps bigger for the really big plants.
Actually, as I think about it, the garden area at the new place is, I believe, raised anyway. Well, having seen it for only a few seconds, that's a best guess based on a somewhat hazily bad memory.
I'll see what I can find out. And yeah, I know I have really limited space. It might be bigger, I just don't remember and I didn't take measurements, anyway.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by quidscribis:
I haven't picked brains here yet.
You didn't mention growing THOSE!
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Oh boy!
Where did I post that? Was it last night during my insomnia?
I've been reading about Square Foot Gardening, which advertizes itself to being the most efficient method of gardening, and I'm liking what I'm seeing so far. A guy on another forum recommended it (after I found the website on my own somehow???), and it seems logical enough to me that that's the method I'm going with.
Anyone here have any experience with it?
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Picking brains. As in asking questions. As in gathering information. Talking to people. It's a common enough phrase.
*squints at rivka* Or has all this talk about skinning a boy got you worried that I meant it literally?
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
*twinkle* If you weren't Mormon, I'd ask if you'd had your coffee yet.
*adjusts quid's Sarcasmometer™*
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Yeah, sorry. Bad night. Got next to no sleep. Instead of feeding the cat, I brought the cat food into the bathroom. If I drank coffee, I'd be downing a gallon right now. I am not awake.
And yet, I'm walking around pretending like I am.
I am so confuzed.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
*hug*
quote:I am not awake.
And yet, I'm walking around pretending like I am.
I am so confuzed.
You just described my day today. And yesterday. And I think the day before, but I'm too tired to remember. Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Yeah. I haven't slept well in weeks. I'm at the point of hallucinating again. I'm at the point of putting gel on my toothbrush and toothpaste in my hair. Don't let me near any sharp objects, that's fer sher.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
We grew chayote once. It was awesome. And they grew just fine in Southern CA, although they do better in Mexico. I love that stuff.
I got you a present today, quid. I was in the grocery store and saw seed packets, and noticed the radish seeds. I went, "Oooh! Oooh! Can we get some radish seeds for quidscribis?" Ketchup Prince Consort graciously assented, and we will send them in your package. Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
My parents used to have a neighbor who grew chayote (as well as all sorts of other things) in his backyard. The vines climbed our wall, and we had lots of chayote every year for a long time.
Sadly, when he moved out, the new neighbors tore out the entire garden. Except some vine that keeps trying to invade my parents' garage (through the roof! ).
Chayote is yummy.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
ketchupqueen, and Ketchup Prince Consort, you are both so sweet and kind and considerate. Please give KPC a thank you kiss for me.
rivka, I've never had Chayote. What's it like?
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
You have to peel off a thin layer of skin, which is tough and has some (not many) prickles. Then you steam the inside. Texture is sort of like that of zucchini. It is meltingly tender, but very slightly chewy, and somewhat sweet. As this site mentions, they have a mildly citrus-like flavor.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
The chayote we grew had no prickles, and we steamed it with the skin on, cut into chunks. It's really good, though; mildly squashy, slightly citrusy, firmer than zucchini, kind of... creamy.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
I asked my mom. She said it was more like little fuzzy bits than prickles.
It's been a while. What do I remember? Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
I can't believe I forgot avocadoes. I'm definitely growing them. I'll have to learn how, but I can live with that.
Yams versus sweet potatoes. I am now officially confused. I no longer know if what I ate in Canada was yams or sweet potatoes considering that everywhere I looked on the internet, it said that yams are virtually unknown in America (which Canada isn't, but I admit that sometimes, there are similarities between the two), and that yams in the US are usually sweet potatoes that were misnamed by people who don't know the difference.
I've been reading a lot about them, and I still don't know. I hate the sweet potatoes called sweet potatoes. They're ucky to me. But I love the things we always called yams. And the pictures I found were all too small for me to be able to tell the difference.
HELP!!!!!
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
In the US, there are no true yams. They grow in South America (and are the original source of artificial estrogens, but I digress) and some parts of Mexico, IIRC.
That means both what are sold as "yams" (as in, the things that are candied and sold in cans) in the States and those sold as "sweet potatoes" are the same species.
However. Just as potatoes come in various breeds, so do sweet potatoes/yams. Generally speaking (but not always), the term "sweet potatoes" is used for those tubers which have a somewhat thick light-to-medium brown skin and yellow flesh. "Yams" is more commonly used to refer to those varieties which have thin red skin, and orange flesh. (Except when people refer to both as sweet potatoes, which is actually more accurate.)
I would guess the same is true in Canada, but don't know.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
See, and that's what I've been reading. But then I check out the websites that talk about yams and what they're like, and what I've been eating can easily fit that description. And that's why I no longer know. And I want to grow whatever it is that I love.
What I love comes about six inches long and about four inches in diamter, a reddish brown rough skin, with a dark orange interior that, when cooked, is really sweet. If roasted after marinading in olive oil, it will caramalezie. It needs no sugar added to it to qualify as a sweet.
So is that a variety of sweet potato, or is that a yam?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I think that's a variety of sweet potato.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
*twinkle* That is the variety of sweet potato that Americans call yams.
True yams are BIG -- many pounds apiece. More starchy than sweet, and lacking the vitamin A than "yams" and sweet potatoes are rich in.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Okay, so that clears that up, then. I've been calling sweet potatoes yams for my whole life. I hang my head in shame.
Now, what variety is it? I need to find the seeds! And I don't want a variety that I'm going to wind up hating!
Rivka, I love your sense of humour. I just had to tell you that. You are absolutely joyful! Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I don't know how you would find seeds or a variety name for that. Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
You want Ipomoea batatas that produce sweet, orange-fleshed tubers.
Seed catalogs probably call them jewel yams. At hough my last link says that they're usually grown from cuttings . . .
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by quidscribis:
Okay, so that clears that up, then. I've been calling sweet potatoes yams for my whole life. I hang my head in shame.
I know the difference, but I call them yams -- and feel no shame. It's what the stores call them, and it's not like I'm going to end up with a true yam by mistake.
quote:Rivka, I love your sense of humour. I just had to tell you that. You are absolutely joyful!
Thank you.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Nah, rivka, don't blush! Bask in it!
Thanks for the info. I really appreciate it. I checked through all the links you provided (I was looking last night when I was really tired - haven't slept well for weeks, so that's my excuse for low Google-fu) and what you linked to cleared it all up for me. Yes, I want the American Yams with the orange interior! You've got it bang on, sistah!
The sweet potatoes that are grown here are the skinnier variety that I really detest. I've never seen the variety that I prefer, so I don't even know if I'll be able to find the seedstock/cutting/whatever I need to grow the thang from. Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :
If you get a hold of a sweet potato tuber that you like, you can use it to sprout slips for planting. (Never actually done that myself, but I know folks who have done it -- for myself it's just always been easier to buy the slips).
Sweet potatoes are really sprawly plants -- the vines will spread out at least 5' in every direction.
I grew ~1,000 lbs. of sweet potatoes a year when I was out in Missouri, so if you do decide to grow some, I'll be happy to offer advice Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
plaid, how do you sprout slips from a sweet potato? Is it like sprouting an avocado seed -- toothpicks in the sides and dangling an end in a jar of water?
And if I successfully sprouted one, do you know if US customs would let me ship 'em to Sri Lanka?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
rivka, you could probably get away with just sending her a whole sweet potato. Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
I'd think that would almost certainly get flagged by Customs. Although they're probably more careful about things coming IN.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
It would likely be flagged by Sri Lanka Customs. Almost definitely. And with good reason. It may have bugs or germs or something that could destroy the local ecosystem or some such thing. Right?
quote: A new pest, after arrival and establishment, can rapidly develop into destructive proportions in the absence of natural enemies in the new environment. Plant pest epidemics could result in the loss of agricultural produce. This may adversely affects the food production or an existing export trade. Therefore, the main aim of plant quarantine is to prevent the entry of exotic pests into the country by enforcing laws without which it is hard to obtain compliance.
And I have no problem with that. I don't want a yam (or onions or potatoes) mailed to me (although I surely do appreciate the thought, rivka, my dear) because we don't know what kind of harm might be caused.
Seeds are a whole other ballgame. Those tend to be fine. Chemically treated somehow to prevent pests, I believe. So those, I have no problem receiving.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Yeah, sounds like Sri Lankan customs is about as paranoid as California customs -- and probably with good cause. You probably don't get *shudder* medflies, though.
I don't think seeds are treated. Rather, seeds (especially dry ones) are only barely alive -- not enough for any parasite to live on, I'd think.
So, no (inadvertent) ecoterrorism. Check. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
But darn, I already thought of about four ways to sneak a sweet potato through customs! Being law-abiding is no fun. Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
kq, you're too cute!
I'll see if there's a local source of what I want. I haven't even begun looking, so there's no point in giving up yet.
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
My flower seeds from England were confiscated by US Customs. Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Oh my. I guess that means I should be warned. Um, perhaps we shouldn't put "seeds" on the outside of the package? My sister brought me seeds, but they were in her luggage, and the Sri Lankan government didn't even dip a hand into any of that.
I'm said for you, Dana. Were they seeds not available locally? Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Yeah, in some cases, carrying any plant over the border can be big time trouble.
It is because there are so many plants that can be deadly to certain ecosystems.
That's why, Quid, I would really check your Dept. of Agriculture(or its equivalent) and see which plants are forbidden to come onto the island.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Yep, I agree. I've tried locating on the internet, and haven't yet found. OTOH, my head has been so compromised lately with sleep deprivation & headache that I didn't even bother putting in "department agriculture" in the search parameters. Of course, now that I do, imagine that! It comes up! *sigh*
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Ugh. I type in a bunch of stuff and close the tab before I'm done or posted, and I can't get the tab back. Where was I?
quote: Coconut, Tea, Rubber, Rice and Cacao- planting materials are some examples (refer to the Plant Protection Act).
I found the Plant Protection Act - no list of restricted materials. They really don't want us to know. On the other hand, finding the restricted export list was easy.
So*, I'm going with seeds are fine, yams are not.
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
I can get the same plant locally, but I haven't found seeds anywhere. And, of course, it's way more expensive to buy plants (If you want lots. I had 2 pakets of 100 seeds each.)
Apparently seeds have to come from a pre-approved company, labeled that they're safe for US import. Even though this plant is available here and is not invasive or likely to choke out native species, the customs people can't be expected to be familiar with every species of flower seed. Hence the preapproval requirement.
They thanked us several times for being honest and declaring the seeds. Otherwise they'd never have known we had them.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
In California customs they have trained dogs who sniff out stowaway produce. Seeds probably haven't enough scent, though.
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
Speaking of sniffer dogs...
They have beagles at the airport here for fruit and vegies, and drugs.
There was an article in last weekend's paper about how a group of the drug dogs have to be retrained: apparently a sample packet of talcolm powder used in school visits by police marked "cocaine" had been accidentally taken for the real stuff and used in the training.
The dogs have been sniffing out talc on airport passengers for a month.
True story.
Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :
Back in 2000 when I was in Europe I visited a farm that had white borage flowers. That was a neat thing -- white borage flowers hadn't been introduced over here in the US yet (they finally were a couple years later) and so I collected a few seeds and mailed them back to myself in the US.
(About half of the seeds got crushed in their envelope -- I should've included them in a package.)
I didn't have any problem with doing that -- I've got enough of a farming background to have felt like I knew what I was doing -- borage is an obscure enough flower not to be a potentially dangerous plant disease vector. (Of course, if this had been in a Michael Crichton novel, I'd have inadvertantly doomed North American agriculture through my actions...)
But, in the vase of Sri Lanka and live plants such as sweet potato slips, yeah, getting approved plants through customs is the smart thing to do.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Um, plaid, I beg to differ.
The SMART thing to do would be to not travel down that route. The smart thing to do would be to either not try to bring them into the country, or to make sure they're all disinfected and perfectly safe, and then smuggle them in.
But trying to deal with government beaurocracy here? No, that would be the decidedly NOT smart thing to do. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
quid, I bet your sister could carry slips through in her pocket when she comes...
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Yep, believe me, I've been thinking about that.
I've already warned her that I'll probably have another list of seeds to bring with her. She's cool with that. Of course, it helps that I let her, her husband, and her two kids stay with us for a month or longer at a time.
![[Kiss]](graemlins/kiss.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Dont Know]](graemlins/dontknow.gif)
Anyway, you expert gardeners, if you have comments, please let me know. You know, things like "well, if you grow this next to the door, it'll keep the bugs away." Well, anything useful, really. I have a green thumb when it comes to indoor plants in Canada. Here, it's a whole other ball game. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
Not the first reaction I was expecting. Yeah, I love that name. People look at me funny. They have no clue. Not a single one.![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
![[Angst]](graemlins/angst.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
It would help if you could find out what kind of pepper you're eating if at all possible, even a local name, but "hotter than most Indians" helps some. ![[Cry]](graemlins/cry.gif)
![[Mad]](mad.gif)
![[Taunt]](graemlins/taunt.gif)
![[Grumble]](graemlins/grumble.gif)
![[Party]](graemlins/party.gif)
![[Confused]](confused.gif)
The chayote we grew had no prickles, and we steamed it with the skin on, cut into chunks. It's really good, though; mildly squashy, slightly citrusy, firmer than zucchini, kind of... creamy.
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Blushing]](graemlins/blushing.gif)
Thank you.
![[Wall Bash]](graemlins/wallbash.gif)
![[Cool]](cool.gif)
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
Of course, now that I do, imagine that! It comes up! *sigh*