Exotic vegetables redux
 

Total Failures
--------------
Bunium bulbocastaneum (pignut) - no germination
Vigna sesquipedalis (yard-long bean) - it really DOES need much
higher temperatures than we get; it grew slowly indoors, but
stopped when planted out.

Not Optimistic
--------------
Campanula rapunculus (rampion) - it took ages to germinate, and is
growing terribly slowly, which doesn't bode well for a crop
Chenopodium giganteum (magenta spreen) - much the same, plus
very attractive to slugs :-(
Basella alba (malabar spinach) - it took ages to get from starting
to germinate to showing cotyledons, but I have now got two
plants; however, I suspect that it needs more heat than we
get (as my wife said "And where's Malabar?")

Still Optimistic
----------------
Smallanthus sonchifolius (yacon) - attacked worse by snails and
slugs than any other plant I know, but otherwise growing
Cherokee Trail of Tears bean - OK, but seems to want a bit more
heat than we get
Cyclanthera pedata (achocha) - growing well, so far
Melothria scabra (mouse melon) - growing fairly well, so far
Greek Gigantes bean - growing well, so far; it makes ordinary
runners look like joggers :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.