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I am looking for new plants to grow in my garden this year. I thought I would let the steemit community help me decide. I've also been interested in getting some shares in steembasicincome so I'm combining them. Let know what your favorite variety of plant is and you might win a share in @steembasicincome.
Shares in SBI will give you free upvotes for life. You can learn more about steembasicincome here.
Rewards
I will be giving out 5 shares in steembasicincome. If this post rewards more than 1 SBD, I will give out an additional share for every whole SBD.
For example, if the author reward is 2.5 SBD, I will add 2 bonus shares, for a total of 7.
How to enter
Upvote this post
Resteem is not required but would be appreciated. It will give this post more exposure and might increase the number of shares given out.
Make a comment telling me about one of your favorite plants and strain. Explain what makes this plant special and why you chose it. You can also make a post and provide a link in the comments. If you make your own post, please include the plant type in the comment.
Rules
You can make as many entries as you want but I will limit each person to 2 shares.
Entries must be able to grow in my climate. I'm in Washington state, zone 7.
Your entry won't count if someone suggested it before you or if I have it already. I will let you know so you can try again.
I am mostly interested in plants that produce food but will consider plants with other uses. Bonus points for plants with multiple uses.
When this post pays out, I will pick my favorite answers and give a share for each. If I can't decide, I'll use a random number generator.
I look forward reading your suggestions. Let me know if you have any questions.
i would grow cannabis
Haha, hopefully that will be legal here soon.
Chamomile grows in zones 3 - 9. It makes a great tasting tea that has medicinal properties which can come in handy. It is used as an anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, anti-infective, menstrual cramps, stomach cramps, indigestion, flatulence, diarrhea, fever, colds, congestion, headaches, insomnia, nausea, vomiting, stress, nervousness, and poor digestion, ulcers, infections, rashes, and burns. For babies, it is helpful with symptoms of colic and teething pain. I use half black tea and half chamomile daily. I drink about a gallon a day and almost always use this mixture. It help me deal with long term pain without resorting to pain medicines which are addictive. German Chamomile is usually considered the best variety to use.
Great suggestion. Those are some incredible medicinal properties. I'll have to grow some and try making tea.
Love it. I use it when im wanting to relax a stressful day off...
I think you should grow Okra!!! It definetly will grow in Washington climate and it is a wonderful food. My favorite way to eat it is pickled!! It is hard to find not a lot of people grow it so it is a good idea to grow your own. There is a huge list of medicinal benefits that come from this plant, that plus the delicious flavors when fried up makes Okra one of my favorite plants!!
I don't think I have every eaten okra. It's not a very common food around here. I'll look into growing okra.
Purslane, Amaranth and Goosefoot. Theyre wild plants that are very very nutritious and need no looking after
Purslane is a good idea. I have eaten wild purslane before but have never grown any. I haven't tried the others but I think I have goosefoot growing wild on our property.
The great thing about them is that they pretty well grow themselves with little help from us
I wanted to suggest cucamelons, but I see someone already mentioned that...
I'm pretty passionate about out-of-the-ordinary fruits and vegetables, and last season I tried growing a whole bunch of them.
Next to cucamelons, I had two that have been a real success:
This big, beautiful plant is closely related to the sunflower. At the end of the season, it produces very tiny yellow flowers. The edible roots are delicious and taste like apple, so you can eat them like one.
More info about Yacon
Click to enlarge
The edible tubers of this plant are incredibly crispy and enjoyable to eat. The plant is winterhardy,so you can harvest all winter long. I planted 2 tubers in April and they multiplied so that I must have harvested like 300 of them.
The plant is very invasive (every tuber left in the ground will become a new plant in spring) so best kept in containers 😉
More info about Crosne
Click to enlarge
Those both look like really interesting plants. I like growing unusual plants. There are some foods you'll never get to try unless you grow your own.
I think I will get some yacon. It seems similar to sunchokes but with a sweeter flavor. If it's as easy to grow as sunchokes, it will be a great addition.
It is easy to grow. I’m gonna need to look up what sunchockes are, but since Yacon is also related to the Jerusalem artichoke, I assume you could be right 😉
Found it. Sunchockes are Jerusalem artichokes - lol.
I must admit I haven’t tasted those yet. i planted them for the first time this year. All I can say is that the yacon root is really delicious, tasting like apple
That reminds me, I may have some yacon roots left, stored in the basement... yummie! Gonna check that in the morning... 😋
Yeah, sunchoke is just another name for jerusalem artichokes. I really like them. They are low maintenance, prolific and delicious. They are sort of like a potato with a hint of sunflower seed.
One of my favorite vegetables is Sunshine kabocha squash. Johnny's Select Seeds has it as does Fedco Seeds. To me it has the best flavor of all the squashes. I am in Zone 4a so it should grow for you.
I grow a lot of squash but haven't tried this variety. I'll have to check this one out.
I'd say celery and arugula which are very nutritious and healing. I would also grow fennel. There are so many recipes you can make with the tops.
I have some arugula already. I would like to grow celery but hear it can be difficult to grow. Do you have any experience growing celery? Is it really as hard as people say?
We've always had celery in our vegetable garden in Italy. They are dark green and have pungent flavor nothing like the yellow faux celery at the store. It's not hard to grow but doesn't rain often in our area so it's important to water them often. I'll inquire with my dad who is an expert farmer for some tips and I'll get back to you!
Sweet potatoes. For sure. Pretty darn easy to grow and not a lot of maintenance. You just have to keep the vine growing on something so that it doesn't try to send down new shoots. You can do just about anything with a sweet potato that you would do with a regular potato.
I hadn't thought about sweet potatoes. They might be a challenge in our short warm weather growing season but I want to give them a try.
We're in a 6b zone here in Detroit and they managed pretty well, but I know they benefit from warmer conditions. I read somewhere to cover the soil with clear plastic to help keep the soil warm. We didn't do it, but might be worth a shot.
Cheers.
I'm going to try out growing some plants in a low tunnel this year. That would probably be a great place to put sweet potatoes. It should give them a little extra warmth early in the season.
I've grown globe artichokes out here in Zone 4a for 20 years. The important part is that the seedlings get about 3 consecutive weeks of 50F weather, but don't get frozen at night. That will induce buds. Some years I get 20 off the 4 - 6 plants, some years just 3 - 4.
This plant is liver supporting, which is why I grow it.
I like artichokes but have not tried growing them. I think they are supposed to grow well in my area. Thanks for the suggestion.
I would grow garlic, everywhere in between plants in order to keep the ground beetles and bugs away. It is also a great root to have around at all times. Second I would grow Turnips. Third, cilantro. Check out my posts on these plants.
@derekfreeman, You beat me to garlic. Had to go with my second fav!
I have a bunch of garlic planted already. I'll try planting some in with my other plants.
I grew some turnips last year but didn't really like the taste of them. Is there a type of turnip you like? With that many benefits, I might have to give them another try.
I will definitely be growing some cilantro this year. I love the flavor of cilantro but did not know about all the health benefits.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Well i use the golden globe and the regular purple, but love the golden globe. The greens are awesome fried up with butter or olive oil, garlic and mushrooms! Crazy how good they are for you. Have a great garden, I already have a lot popping but we got a cold snap tonight (o)(o)
I’m not familiar with USA zones but here is my suggestion: Tropical Lettuce Tree (Lactuca Indica L.). It’s not common, the leaves can be eaten raw or stir fried. Grows as over 1m high.
That's an interesting plant. I seems like I might be able to grow it during the summer. I had a hard time finding info on it. I might try it if I can find seeds.
In the words of the late great Guy Clark:
"There's only two things that money can't buy, that's true love and homegrown tomatoes."
I just finished a very similar contest, I love this project and how people are coming up with ways to use it to support the community.
The winners of my contest won with a strain of tomatoes called Tiny Tim and lemons, which I will attempt to grow indoors.
My entry in your contest is Black Eyed Peas. We grew them one year and just a few rows had us eating peas a few suppers a week for months. Plus, they're a good luck charm here in the south. They store well when canned too.
Homegrown tomatoes are one of the best things about gardening. We grow a lot of tomatoes. Tiny Tim is an interesting variety. I probably don't need more tomato varieties but I might anyway.
I love peas and plan on growing a lot this year. I'll have to add black eye peas. Thanks for your entry.
of course you could also go for
Click to enlarge
Have you tried Brussel sprouts? Really great tasting edible buds!
Unfortunately some insects around here in northern Norway like them very well too, but I usually manage to grow a few of them in between tobacco plants, wich repel the insects.
I’m Belgian, so growing Brussel sprouts is very common here. Last year, I planted them early in the season (like in April, whereas you normally plant them later so you can eat them in the fall) and I didn't have a lot of bugs eating them. The ones I planted later, were completely digested by caterpillars.
I use several herbs to plant around them to keep the bugs a away, and I think this year I will protect my cabbages with an insect net...
I thought I answered the post directly.. I understand they are familiar to you yes :)
Worst thing here is some mites covering these plants, and they are too small for any net unfortunately.
I'm itching to start gardening now, but it is still below zero here and garden is filled with snow :(
@aisu, do you find my answer, or do I need to repost it?
Sorry, I didn't see this until now. I did grow some brussel sprouts last year. They were attacked by a lot of insects but I will be trying again this year. Hopefully, they will do better this time.
Large insects are easier to deal with than small mites, is my experience.
The only plants I have grown not mentioned in here then must be coffee arabicum and Aloe vera. Both useful plants IMO, but I'm an coffee addict too :)
Never had beans on them, but make coffee tea
Wow, I never would have thought I could grow a coffee plant. I see that it does pretty well as a houseplant but isn't likely to produce a lot of beans. I haven't tried coffee tea.
Aloe vera is good option. It is a very useful plant.
I need to take them in for the winther so I keep the coffee bushes in buckets. Snipping them from the 5th leaves so they become bushy. I have had them for two years now, but don't think the season is long enough for any beans to mature here as I'm at 63 deg north, zone 8a.
Those all look like interesting plants, especially the szechuan buttons. I'll have to read more about these.
Contender green beans are a great plant to grow. They are a bush bean as opposed to a pole bean and form fairly compact plants that are very prolific. They are also delicious. They thrive in a variety of conditions. They are a fairly fast maturing plant so you can stagger plantings to keep getting them through the season. I grow them every year in Montana. I have tried other beans, but I always come back to the contenders.
Thanks for the suggestion. Those look like a good strain of beans. I want to grow lots of beans this year. I'll add contender to the list.
I think you should try Cucamelons! It's an annual with really thin vines and tiny edible fruits, the size of a grape. It looks like a mini-watermelon and tastes like a cucumber with a little bit of a citrus taste. They should do well in your zone. They are drought-resistant, pest-resistant, self-pollinating and just downright cute! :)
Those are adorable. I need to grow some of these.
One of my favorites to grow is a Purple Pole Bean. I love that they grow tall to take advantage of vertical space, and so you don't have to bend over to pick them. They are really easy to see when ripe because they are purple! The other amazing thing about them is they turn green when cooked. You can read more about them here.
Those are really cool looking. I'll have to try growing these. They would add some interesting color to the garden.
I've planted them before, but it's been awhile.
I love radishes. I have several types that I will be growing this year but I don't think I have any daikon. I'll add them to the list of seeds to buy.
You could grow mushroom plants (Rungia klossii) in container and bring them in-house during winter.
Else try Malabar Spinach (Basella alba) and save the seeds for next season.
A plant that tastes like mushrooms... how weird. I had never heard of mushroom plant but it sounds like a cool plant.
I have heard of, but forgot about, malabar spinach. I think I will add some to the garden this year.
You should grow gourds! They are very beautiful. So many different types to grow too. I like bottle gourds because you can dry them and turn them into neat things like birdhouses or, as their name suggests, water containers. Even bottle gourds are varied among themselves. I've seen pear shaped ones but mine always grow like hourglasses. I heard you can also eat them when they are immature.
I had never thought about growing gourds. I'll have to check them out.
I'm growing catnip for my cats. Originally I thought it would be just a recreational thing but it seems it had other side effects. One of my cats used to be very shy and nervous before I got the plant. She's another cat now, very outgoing and talkative.
Apparently, catnip tea has a calming effect on humans. I haven't tried it yet though. I'm sure you can grow it in the summer.
You are followed, upvoted and resteemed.
Oooo, or asparagus! I've never grown them, but they look like a hoot when they grow. Plus, they are actually pretty expensive in the store (at least in Michigan), so growing them yourself has that nice advantage.
We have some asparagus in the garden already and bought even more to plant this year. They are a weird looking when fully grown. The hardest thing about growing asparagus is that you have to wait a few years before you can eat any.
I think I heard that about asparagus once, but shoved it the back of my mind. Good to know if I ever want to try it. Also, good to know that you are able to grow them in that climate. What kind of maintenance or involvement does it take to grow?
They don't require too much maintenance. Keep the bed weed free and apply some compost or fertilizer each year. At the end of the season, the stalks should be cut down and the bed mulched.
If you decide to plant some, put some thought into where they are planted. It will be there for many years.
Good tips. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I'm not sure if we will, but I'll keep this in my back pocket.
I work in the flower branche, but yet I don't have any idea what I can suggest you. Probably because I'm working as financial 😀
Neither did I know that one could have more shares basic income 😀
I've just ordered a cherry tree.
Thanks, I'll have to check out Gurneys. I already ordered several trees that I should be getting fairly soon. I can't remember if one was a cherry tree.
My second suggestion is Moringa. It’s a superfood tree where you can eat leaves, flowers and fruits. Can be blended with fruits in a smoothie
That looks like a really great tree. Unfortunately, I don't think it could survive the winter here.
Try this https://permaculturenews.org/2017/04/05/tropical-lettuce/
Hey there ! That's a wonderful idea... Well someone already offered you to grow cannabis so I won't say it !
However for all the people out there that want to smoke something less harmful than cigarette, try to grow these plants, they can be smoked and turned into an herbal mix.
I personally like to use it as a blend with my spliffs. I spent 20 years of my life as a heavy cigarette smoker and nicotine addict so it feel so good to not have that craving no more , and replacing it with a healthier choice.
Here ara the plants that you can grow :
Mullein: Flowering plant in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae. They are native to Europe and Asia, with the highest species diversity in the Mediterranean.
It actually helps people with respiratory conditions. You don't have to smoke it to get the full effects . A tea or eating the flower will have the same calming effect on your lungs
-Catnip : is a species of the genus Nepeta in the family Lamiaceae, native to southern and eastern Europe, the Middle East, central Asia, and parts of China.
Don't smoke too much of it as it gives a headache. Its well known health benefit is the calming effect that it can have on the body.
-Rasperry Leaves: I discovered this herb when my wife got pregnant the first time around.Raspberry leaf tea has been used for canker sores, cold sores, and gingivitis in persons of all ages and anemia, leg cramps, diarrhea, and morning sickness in pregnant women, and as a uterine relaxant.
Works like a charm in a tea :)
Sage : Ahhhh the good old sage. I could say so much about it, but you know what ,just read the health benefits I've found on google about it:
Sage is used for digestive problems, including loss of appetite, gas (flatulence), stomach pain (gastritis), diarrhea, bloating, and heartburn. It is also used for reducing overproduction of perspiration and saliva; and for depression, memory loss, and Alzheimer's disease.
Good luck on finding what you want to grow this year, i hope it helps.
Special mentions: Korean Ginseng, lemon balm, mugwort, and skullcap