King Snake Beans

King Snake Beans are just another kind of Green Bean, with the exception of their size.

One bean pod can serve as the vegetable dish for an entire family at the dinner table. You might think such big beans can be tough. But they are actually quite tender and juicy.

King snake beans are genetically more resistant to bugs than other bean species. So you can save on pesticides. Since they grow so big, they do need higher scaffolds and more frequent fertilization. 

Malabar Spinach

Malabar Spinach is a broad-leafed variety of spinach that is grown in Far Eastern countries for the shoots and leaves of the plant. It has a mild taste and is perennial. Malabar spinach is in the Basellaceae family, not the spinach family. The taste is similar to spinach hence it name.

It is a vigorous climbing plant and the vine should be taught to climb up some type of support. It thrives in warm, moist, and sunny climates especially when the temperature reaches over 90 degrees. It is not a cold tolerant plant. You should harvest the leaves and shoot tips 60 days after seeding and continue harvesting throughout the growing season. You should cut from the top and sides of the plant as it grows. Malabar spinach can be cooked or eaten raw and can be used to thicken soups, in stir-fries, or even in salad dishes.

Goat Horn Cantaloupe

 

The goat horn cantaloupe is no different from a regular cantaloupe when it comes to its growing condition.  If regular cantaloupe can grow in your zone, goat horn can grow too.  The vines and flowers of the goat horn look the same as regular cantaloupe.

Besides the shape, the only difference is the mild taste, thin skin and tender texture. The green flesh of the goat horn is not as sweet as regular cantaloupe and can be cut up and put into either fruit salad or vegetable salad while regular cantaloupe can only be used for a fruit salad.  The skin of goat horn is paper thin. You don’t need to peel it at all.  You can just bite into it directly. The texture of the goat horn is crispy and tender.  It melts in your mouth after you chew it a couple of times.  That is why it is great for children to gnaw on.

If you pick a regular cantaloupe too early, you probably will have to throw it away. But if you pick a goat horn too early, no big deal, just eat it as a cucumber.  When a goat horn is not ripe, it tastes exactly like a cucumber.

Because of its tender skin, goat horn is very attractive to mice. I have a cat patrolling my garden during the growing season.  Since goat horn is a cantaloupe, squash bugs are deadly to them.  If you don’t have squash bugs in your area, why not plant some goat horn? I will have seed for sale in the spring of 2012.

Chinese Artichoke (Crones)

The Chines Artichoke or Crone has been cultivated in Asia for over a thousand years, and was introduced in the US about 100 years ago. Crones belong to the mint family and look and bloom just like mint.  

Under ground, crones resemble molten pearls and the tubers are arranged in the same pattern as potatoes.

Because the plant spread like mint, you only need to plant it one time and it will come back every year. Crones are a hardy plant, do not attract insect like other vegetables, and are relatively low maintenance. The tubers form in the last month of their life cycle which is typically before first frost, so fertilization is needed prior to that.

 
If you plan to grow crones, make a ground level bed with good draining soil and plant your tubers 1-2 inches apart when the soil is no longer frozen. As soon as the temperature stabilizes at 60⁰ Fahrenheit, the shoots will come up.  Let them grow. Starting in September, start using organic fertilizer on them. After the tops are killed by the first frost, the tubers are ready for harvesting. The depth of the crone roots should not exceed 5 inches, so you wont need a hoe to dig them out. You can leave some in the ground for next year. What I recommend is to dig everything up, pick out the tubers you want to use as seeds, and replant them 2 inches deep in an even arrangement. Finally, cover the soil with some wood ash. No other protection is needed.
 
Today, very few people grow them commercially because machine harvesting is almost impossible.

The tubers are crisp, juicy and very delicious.  You can pickle them, make a salad with them, or make a stir fry with them.