Row by Row Episode 123: Are Certain Seed Varieties Regional in the Garden?
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Does It Matter Where Seed Varieties Are Grown?
We often get the question "will this grown in my region", the answer, for the most part, is yes and it generally does not matter when growing plants in your vegetable garden wherever you live. However, there are a few minor crops that need to be planted correctly if you want to have better success growing those certain seed crops in your region.
Which Seed Varieties Are Regional?
However, there are a few seed varieties that may matter where they are grown regionally. The first crop that it does matter is onions because of the three different types of onions that can be grown. The three types are short, intermediate, and long day onions which all have different day lengths which alter what seed varieties can be grown based on your location. Another example is English peas and field peas. Field Peas grow way better in the south, in which English Peas grow better with more moderate temperatures such as mild summers in the North. Okra is another crop that does better growing in the South because of our long summer temperatures. Overall, maturity dates can matter if you experience a shorter growing season. Some varieties are also designed for certain climates due to the heat-tolerant characteristics. For example, Green Magic Broccoli, this is the most heat-tolerant broccoli we offer and if you live up North you need to start seeds earlier than we do in the South. Top Bunch 2.0 is another crop that will do great no matter your region just know it will take some heat. A few more varieties that are heat-tolerant varieties are the Cherokee Lettuce, Tehama Lettuce, Sun Angel Spinach, South Anna Butternut, Seminole Pumpkin, Cherokee Tan Pumpkin, Bella Rosa Tomato, and Red Snapper Tomato.
Show and Tell Segment
On the show and tell segment this week, Greg and Travis have a few more fig varieties to taste test on the show. Greg also has some hibiscus roselle that he has harvested from the garden. He has made juice, tea, and jam out of the hibiscus which has a tart flavor that will need a little sweetener to get it just right. Travis has harvested some sweet potatoes and this year Hurricane Sally did get to some of them in the garden. In the greenhouse, the guys have tons of transplants popping up and getting ready for planting in the vegetable garden soon.
Viewer Questions
For the Q & A segment this week, Travis and Greg answer some questions from last week's show. Travis mentions that when planting onions they plant them 3 to 4 inches apart and before they start bulbing they will go through and pull every other one for green onions. Another question the guy's answer is whether or not minerals such as high levels of iron in water can be harmful to garden plants. Greg mentions that he does not know of any harmful natural minerals in water that can affect your plants negatively. However, he has experienced where pH levels can harm plants negatively.