This year we bought a pot of cucumbers that were supposed to be
lemon cucumbers and a six pack of eggplants that were supposed to be
American type. The cucumbers turned out to be pickling type and the
eggplants turned out to be Japanese eggplants.

Last year we had the same problem with the eggplants. A few years
ago, we bought a six pack of cucumbers that were supposed to be
lemon cucumbers and they turned out to be Japanese cucumbers. One
year we bought a pot with three plants that were supposed to be
yellow crookneck squash and one of the plants was a scalloped type
squash.

Has anyone else had this problem?

Why does this happen? Are customers accidently switching the ID
stakes? Are children deliberately switching the ID stakes as a
prank? Are the companies that grow the transplants careless?

If it is customers or children switching the ID stakes, is there any
way we can get the stores/producers to use glue on ID labels on the
pots/six packs instead of the stakes? Thank you in advance for all
replies.
--
I know that if you grow fruits or vegetables and sell them they
are called produce. If I grow fruits or vegetables and give
them away are they amateurduce?

"Daniel Prince" wrote in message
...
[snip]
Has anyone else had this problem?

Why does this happen? Are customers accidently switching the ID
stakes? Are children deliberately switching the ID stakes as a
prank? Are the companies that grow the transplants careless?

The only foolproof solution to avoid the disappointment that comes from
mislabeled transplants is to sow your own seeds, either directly in the
garden or in flats under lights.

Cucumbers are easy to start in the garden. Buy the kind you want and stick
them in the ground when the danger of frost has passed.

Eggplant are a little harder b/c the seeds are smaller, so you might
consider starting them inside under inexpensive fluro-type shop lights.

Daniel Prince wrote:
This year we bought a pot of cucumbers that were supposed to be
lemon cucumbers and a six pack of eggplants that were supposed to be
American type. The cucumbers turned out to be pickling type and the
eggplants turned out to be Japanese eggplants.

Last year we had the same problem with the eggplants. A few years
ago, we bought a six pack of cucumbers that were supposed to be
lemon cucumbers and they turned out to be Japanese cucumbers. One
year we bought a pot with three plants that were supposed to be
yellow crookneck squash and one of the plants was a scalloped type
squash.

Has anyone else had this problem?

Why does this happen? Are customers accidently switching the ID
stakes? Are children deliberately switching the ID stakes as a
prank? Are the companies that grow the transplants careless?

If it is customers or children switching the ID stakes, is there any
way we can get the stores/producers to use glue on ID labels on the
pots/six packs instead of the stakes? Thank you in advance for all
replies.
--
I know that if you grow fruits or vegetables and sell them they
are called produce. If I grow fruits or vegetables and give
them away are they amateurduce?

It sometimes happens that customers will deliberately switch labels or
plants. Pick a pack up and look at them than place back in the wrong
tray. Sometimes, the growers are careless, particularly those using
generic names on thier plants. I think that you mean by American
eggplant, you expect something like Black Beauty, (big oval shape) and
that you are getting Japanese ( long skinny fruits) Unfortunately
eggplants vary from big round oval to long skinny types with lots of
intermediate types. All the types are available from American,Chinese,
Dutch, Israeli, Indian, Japanese, and Thai companies. While it would be
worth your while to learn the variety names for the type that you are
looking for, it is faily easy to differntiate between the plants of the
Black Beauty types and the Ichiban types. Most of the oval ones like
Black beauty will have green foliage and stems. Ichiban, Millionaire
and the like will have a purple tint to both the foliage and the stems.
The latter are hybrids and are usually more expensive also.
Don't know any way to distinguish between cucumber plants at that
stage. It is much easier to start them from seeds anyhow.

At least you didn't get hot peppers instead of sweet cherry peppers and
sweet Italian peppers. Only way you'll know is to sample them.

TQ wrote:
"Daniel Prince" wrote in message
...
[snip]
Has anyone else had this problem?

Why does this happen? Are customers accidently switching the ID
stakes? Are children deliberately switching the ID stakes as a
prank? Are the companies that grow the transplants careless?

The only foolproof solution to avoid the disappointment that comes from
mislabeled transplants is to sow your own seeds, either directly in the
garden or in flats under lights.

Actually, I've had it happen frequently when planting from seed! It's
just as hard to tell a bell pepper seed from a hot pepper seed as it is
to tell the plants apart. One year my pumpkins turned out to be
strange yellow gourds.

Susan B.

"sueb" wrote:


TQ wrote:

The only foolproof solution to avoid the disappointment that comes from
mislabeled transplants is to sow your own seeds, either directly in the
garden or in flats under lights.

Actually, I've had it happen frequently when planting from seed! It's
just as hard to tell a bell pepper seed from a hot pepper seed as it is
to tell the plants apart. One year my pumpkins turned out to be
strange yellow gourds.

Were these commercially grown and marketed seed in the little
packets?
--
When I was about nine years old I decided to grow a vegetable
garden. Not knowing any better I planted what we had in the
house which was Pinto beans and popcorn. The Pinto beans were
pretty good as green beans.

Daniel Prince wrote:
"sueb" wrote:


TQ wrote:

The only foolproof solution to avoid the disappointment that comes from
mislabeled transplants is to sow your own seeds, either directly in the
garden or in flats under lights.

Actually, I've had it happen frequently when planting from seed! It's
just as hard to tell a bell pepper seed from a hot pepper seed as it is
to tell the plants apart. One year my pumpkins turned out to be
strange yellow gourds.

Were these commercially grown and marketed seed in the little
packets?

These two examples were actually commercially grown seed.
I have had it happen with seeds that I've saved - probably due to my
innate lack of organization.

Susan B.