Square Foot Gardening High-Value Veggies

by Mel Bartholomew

  1

  EGGPLANT

  As with most vegetables, simple is best when grilling this purple crowd-pleaser. Cut an eggplant into 1/2-thick slices, coat each slice with olive oil, sprinkle with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, and grill on medium-high heat for about 4 minutes per side. Most grillers undercook eggplant; it should be soft and gray.

  2

  ONION

  It’s best to grill onion wedges rather than slices because this will be keep the onions together—slices can fall apart into rings. All onions need is a light coating of olive oil and they’re ready to grill. Grill for about 17 minutes covered by a foil pan. Turn the wedges once or twice with tongs. Yellow and white onions are fine for grilling, but red onions become incredibly sweet when grilled and are simply heavenly.

  3

  RADICCHIO

  You might not think this salad addition could hold up to grilling, but you’d be wrong. Slice a head into wedges along the length, including a portion of the stem with each wedge. Coat with olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt, and then grill over medium-high heat for 10 minutes with the lid closed.

  4

  ZUCCHINI

  For a pleasingly mild, smoky flavor, it’s hard to top grilled zucchini slices. Slice a zucchini lengthwise into thin slices. Melt a quarter stick of butter and whisk in the juice of a one lemon and half a teaspoon of oregano, and brush the slices liberally. Grill over medium heat for about 10 minutes on one side, flip, and grill on the other for about 3 minutes. The slices should be tender but still slightly firm, with char marks.

  5

  BRUSSELS SPROUTS

  This may not be the first vegetable that pops to mind when you think of grilling, but the sublime flavor when grilled makes this one well worth considering. Whisk together olive oil, a splash of Dijon mustard, minced garlic, and some salt and pepper. Clean, trim, and coat the Brussels sprouts with the marinade and then skewer the sprouts. Grill over medium heat for 5 minutes, then flip and cook for 5 minutes more.

  6

  CORN

  Corn on the cob is so delicious grilled that once you try it once, you’ll probably never cook it any other way. You can grill it in the husk or the bare ear wrapped in foil. If the corn is in the husk, soak in water for about 10 minutes before grilling. If it’s in foil, add a pat of butter to each ear. Grill either way, turning occasionally, for 20 minutes over medium heat.

  7

  POTATO

  All kinds of potatoes can be grilled, for a flavor much like roasted potatoes. Many cooks parboil the potatoes for 10 minutes, although many grillers just grill the potatoes longer, watching them closely. Grill slices or red potato halves by coating them with oil, dusting with chopped fresh rosemary, and sprinkling with sea salt. Grill 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until deeply scarred by char marks and fork tender.

  8

  TOMATO

  Tomatoes are an unusual grilled veggie that really brings something special to a cookout. Slice a large hybrid like a beefsteak into thick slices. Brush with olive oil and grill for about 5 minutes without turning. Make the tomatoes extra special by grilling with a dollop of pesto or olive tapenade on top of the tomato.

  9

  BELL PEPPER

  Grilled bell peppers have a smoky roasted quality to them that makes them ideal accompaniments to grilled meat and pork. Clean, seed, and trim the peppers and cut them into halves. Coat with olive oil and grill on one side for about 5 minutes and the second side for about 3 minutes, allowing the skin to char.

  10

  ASPARAGUS

  Asparagus is wonderful grilled with just a coating of olive oil or wrapped in bacon and grilled until the bacon is done. In either case, use thicker varieties, or use a grilling basket to stop thinner stems from slipping through grill grates.

  10 BEST VEGETABLES FOR CONTAINERS

  Containers can be an incredibly efficient way to grow edibles, whether you’re using them to supplement a larger backyard garden or as a standalone garden. The beauty of containers is that you control all aspects of cultivation. It’s easier to know what’s in the soil, and simpler to detect and deal with problems such as pests and diseases as soon as they arise.

  Containers are also mobile. This means you can move them to match the sun, adjusting for trees that leaf out over the season, or just for the movement of the sun in the sky over the course of a season, or as seasons change. You can even move sensitive crops indoors as need be—a great way to extend the growing season with a container garden.

  That said, you should be careful when selecting containers for edibles. Some materials, such as the ubiquitous terra cotta, have drawbacks that may not serve vegetables well. For instance, unfinished terra cotta may leach water too quickly away from thirsty plants roots. Wood containers may have contained substances that left behind compounds harmful to plant roots. It pays to be careful about the containers you use.

  You should also take the opportunity of choosing containers to find ones that suit the look of your backyard (or front yard, as the case may be). Containers can be an excellent way to beautify your outdoor spaces, and you can always paint or otherwise modify your containers to improve the style.

  1

  HERBS

  If you’re going to consume large amounts of the herbs you grow, such as basil, dedicating one container to a plant makes sense. However, if you’re looking for a small kitchen garden, you can use a larger container such as a half-barrel to grow smaller amounts assortment of your favorite herbs all in one place.

  2

  TOMATO

  Tomatoes thrive on controlled water, making containers ideal because you can easily check soil moisture and provide a consistent supply of water with drip irrigation or even a small hand-watering cup. Most will grow up inside a tomato cage quite handily, allowing for excellent air circulation and perfect positioning for ideal sunlight exposure.

  3

  BUSH BEAN

  Bush bean plants fill out the average large container and leave room for a support if necessary. Container planting also makes it easy to check for any pests and to harvest your crop when it’s ready.

  4

  POTATO

  Use a large, deep container, and continue covering the emerging sprouts with soil and you’ll wind up with a bumper crop of spuds. A container will also allow you to make sure there is nothing in the soil—disease or pest—that might attack the growing roots.

  5

  EGGPLANT

  Use a trellis in a large container to grow eggplants up a support, offering them beneficial air circulation, ideal sun exposure, and easy harvesting.

  6

  BELL PEPPER

  Bell peppers—and other pepper plants for that matter—are ideal container plants. The bush will thrive and the container can be moved to the shade when the heat threatens to overwhelm the plant.

  7

  SWISS CHARD

  This is an ideal crop for a medium-sized container (a recycled 5-gallon bucket is ideal). This will accommodate the plant’s taproot and allow for a bushy top growth. Place the bucket right outside the kitchen door so that you can harvest leaves whenever you want to.

  8

  RADISH

  Radishes are ideal for a child’s container garden. Use multicolored varieties to introduce children to the wonders of gardening and show them how to care for plants in a confined, easily manageable area.

  9

  LETTUCE

  Use a large container and grow a salad garden. Mix and match different types of lettuce. An all-in-one container will allow you to snip as you go and make custom salads from whatever happens to be ripe. It will also keep the tasty greens out of the reach of snails and slugs.

  10

  SPINACH

  The rich, healthy, nutrient-packed greens do best in super-nutritious soil, which you can provide in one easy package by planting in a container. You can also keep this useful kitchen standard growing for as long as possible by keeping it in the sun and moving it
inside to extend the season.

  10 BEST VEGETABLES FOR A FASCINATION GARDEN

  Introducing a little oddity into the edible garden is a terrific way to add interest, expand your culinary horizons and experiment in the backyard. In addition to the list below, a little investigation in seed catalogs will turn up eye-popping unusual varieties of standard vegetables.

  Fascination plantings don’t necessarily have to take up a large amount of your valuable garden real estate; planting a couple of these can add more than their fair share of interest. Many, such as black radishes or ‘Green Zebra’ tomatoes, are also just as productive and useful for eating purposes as their more commonplace relatives.

  Unusual plantings are an excellent way to get children engaged and involved in gardening. The weirder, the better. The more they see strange things grow—plants that pique their curiosity—the more they’ll want to grow. And kids aren’t alone. Weird vegetables can be a way for any gardener to amuse herself or himself and any visitors to the garden. This part of the garden can also add a lot of interest to a cookout or outdoor cocktail party. Some of these are great conversation starters.

  You can eat all of these, but they may not be to everyone’s taste. Regardless, be sure to learn all can about the cultivation of any plant on this list, because some require specialized care to grow their best.

  1

  MEXICAN SOUR GHERKIN CUCUMBER

  If any vegetable can be described as adorable, this is the one. The prolific plant produces 1-inch long fruit that look remarkably like miniature watermelons. The flavor is pure fresh cucumber with a hint of citrus. Kids will absolutely love these plants.

  2

  ROMANESCO BROCCOLI

  If broccoli grew on Mars, this is what it would look like. Resembling the drill head for machines that bore through mountains, the spiral, conical form competes with the glow-in-the-dark lime green color for attention. However, it’s delicious and can be prepared in exactly the same way as any other broccoli.

  3

  PURPLE KOHLRABI

  Kohlrabi is yet another vegetable that looks like a space being with antennas. The green variety looks otherworldly enough, but in an intriguing shade of light purple it looks downright weird. A relative of cabbage, even the purple variety can be eaten raw or cook after being peeled. It’s full of vitamins and fiber.

  4

  BLACK SPANISH RADISH

  You’ll think you pulled up truffles when you harvest these unusual vegetables. This is another children’s garden favorite because it looks so unusual. The orbs are larger than standard radishes—about the size of a handball—and matte black. The flavor is a bit spicier than other types of radishes.

  5

  KARELA

  Karela is a type of bitter melon native to India and China. It looks like a spine-covered, eyeless prehistoric fish with a tiny tail. The texture and flavor of the flesh is closer to a cucumber than a melon, but inside the ugly exterior hides a stunning number of nutrients.

  6

  SUNCHOKE

  Also called the “Jerusalem artichoke,” the sunchoke is a tuber—closer in taste and texture to a potato than to an artichoke. The flavor is sweet and nutty and the vegetable can be eaten raw or cooked, and is even fermented and used to make an alcoholic drink. In any case, it looks like a knobby worm.

  7

  RADICCHIO VARIEGATO DI CASTELFRANCO

  Radicchio is renowned for its lovely appearance. But this strange variety looks a little like a crime scene, with pale yellow leaves and what can only be described as red “blood spatter” across the leaves. However, the flavor is all traditional, bitter radicchio, and this variety is eaten in salads or roasted.

  8

  DRAGON TONGUE BEAN

  This bush bean actually looks like what you might imagine a dragon’s tongue looks like. The slightly misshapen bean is mottled all over with purple splotches. The flavor excels, and is considered superior to other bush beans.

  9

  ‘GREEN ZEBRA’ TOMATO

  One of my favorite tomatoes. You’ll think it’s not ripe, but it is. It is a beautiful chartreuse with deep lime-green stripes. The flesh is bright green and very rich tasting, sweet with a sharp bite to it (just too good to describe!). A favorite tomato of many high class chefs, specialty markets, and home gardeners.

  10

  SPILANTHES

  Both the leaves and the gumdrop-shaped flower heads on this plant are edible. And both offer a mild shock to the tongue, an effect that no doubt contributes to the common name “Toothache Plant.”

  10 MOST POPULAR VEGETABLE SEEDS

  Each year W. Atlee Burpee & Company fills their signature packets with millions of vegetable plants in the smallest possible form. As a storied seed company dating back to 1881, Burpee is well acquainted with seed bestsellers. In fact, Vegetable Product Manager Chelsey Fields can name the Top Ten performers without looking. As someone who regularly dives deep in the market data, Fields has some well-informed ideas of how top seed performers maintain their ranks on the list.

  “In the past 15 to 18 years, we’ve slowly seen a transition from flowers to vegetables or edibles in home gardens. But as far as the edibles themselves, we see the time-honored favorites leading year after year,” she said.

  She thinks the allure is driven by consumers’ desire to know where their food comes from and pride in growing their own. “They’re looking at flavor and uniqueness of choice when it comes to homegrown versus store-bought.”

  Even within Burpee’s top “classes” or species on the list, there is consistency except for new innovations. For instance, the recently introduced ‘On Deck’ corn—meant to be grown in a container—is popular for the need it fills. But the flavors of traditional bicolor sweet corn still make that tried-and-true standard a favorite. Ultimately, though, Fields understands seed popularity relates to simple food quality and the rewards of gardening.

  “The number one is tomatoes. As far back as I’ve researched, it’s always been tomatoes. You get some of the best flavor and some of the most interesting shapes,” Fields said. “And though grocery stores are convenient, a grocery-store tomato can’t really compare to one grown in your backyard. People see the difference in taste, juiciness, and even skin texture.” Proof positive is Burpee’s legendary ‘Big Boy’, released in 1949 and still in the company’s Top Ten.

  Other reasons drive the popularity of other Burpee offerings: beans, cucumbers, and squash. Fields thinks it comes down to practical considerations or seasonality and production. “Things like peas, cucumbers, and squash are really great for putting up. Can them, freeze them, and they’re really nice for stretching your harvest into winter.” But she also feels there is a less tangible appeal. “These are really good for the socialization aspect of gardening. There’s always something to share. You can happily walk over to your neighbor with a full bag of produce to share, knowing you have even more coming.” After all, if you want to be the winner in your garden, and your neighborhood, it only makes sense to plant a winner.

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  TOMATO

  2

  BEAN

  3

  CUCUMBER

  4

  SQUASH

  5

  PEPPER

  6

  LETTUCE

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  CARROT

  8

  PEA

  9

  RADISH

  10

  SWEET CORN

  10 BEST VEGETABLES FOR CHALLENGING SOILS

  Elizabeth Murphy literally wrote the book when it comes to soil. Her book, Building Soil: A Down-to-Earth Approach: Natural Solutions for Better Gardens & Yards, is a comprehensive guide to creating the perfect living medium for all your outdoor plants. She complements the book with her highly entertaining and informative blog, “Dirty Little Secrets” (www.dirtsecrets.com).

  Murphy recommends a test as the first step to soil health. “A soil test is very helpful, especially starting out. The test
determines if the soil lacks a necessary nutrient. For the serious home gardener, test every three years, or when you notice problems or a decline in production.” She also suggests some simple guidelines for building good soil:

  Provide necessary nutrients by testing soil and adding appropriate organic fertilizers.

  Feed your soil (yes, the soil is a living thing) on a schedule, using bulky organic amendments as often as possible.

  Keep your soil covered with mulch, living plants, organic amendments, or green manures.

  Tests and amendments aside, Murphy says there’s no substitute for becoming familiar with your soil. “Know your soil texture. That’s defined as the amount of sand, silt, and clay, and determines the soil’s properties. In soil with a high sand or clay content, modify what and how you grow to match the soil.” See her specific plant suggestions on the right.

  10 Best Vegetables for Drought Soils

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  ASPARAGUS (ONCE ESTABLISHED)

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  BEAN

  3

  EGGPLANT

  4

  MUSTARD

  5

  OKRA

  6

  PEPPER

  7

  SQUASH (WINTER AND SUMMER)

  8

  TOMATO