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The vegetable seed trials are conducted by Master Gardeners across the state and the Dakota County Master Gardeners also trial these seeds in the demonstration gardens here at UMore. We keep track of planting dates, germination rates, growth habits, harvest dates and best of all, how everything tastes! The results are sent in during October and are then published in the Northern Gardener magazine.
This year in addition some old favorites such as lima beans and zucchini, we are trialing a variety of Asian vegetables. We have had some challenges because of the cooler weather; these vegetables seem to prefer hotter, more humid weather and the Foo Gwa (Bitter Melon) never germinated.
Here are some interesting facts about the vegetables in our garden:
Zucchini: Latin name Cucurbita pepo, is a part of the cucumber and melon family. Archaeologists have traced the zucchini and other summer and winter squashes back to their Central and South American origins as far back 7,000 and 5,500 BCE. Christopher Columbus brought zucchini from the Americas and introduced it to people living in the Mediterranean and Africa.
Lima bean: Originally thought to originate from Brazil, a wild, primitive form of lima bean has been recently discovered in Guatemala, leading scientists to believe that the bean's origins may actually lie here. The name "lima bean" originated from the discovery of the bean by European explorers in Lima, Peru. Its development includes three main courses of travel: through Mexico into our Southwest, then over to Florida and up toward Virginia. Second, down through Central America into Peru (this is where larger pods developed than typical lima beans of North America). The third course of development for the bean was east through the West Indies and Southward toward South America.
Leaf lettuce: Experts have guessed at lettuce's origins in places as diverse as Siberia, the Mediterranean or the Middle East but no one knows for sure. We do know that the Persians and the Egyptians of about 500 BC enjoyed lettuce and that lettuce seeds have turned up in Egyptian tombs. The lettuce these ancient people grew was nothing like what we eat today. What they ate were the leaves of the plant's tall seed stalks. If you've ever planted lettuce at home and seen it "bolt" or send up seed stalks once hot weather arrives, you've seen ancient Egyptian lettuce.
Edamame: Edamame is a green vegetable more commonly known as a soybean, harvested at the peak of ripening right before it reaches the "hardening" time. The word Edamame means "Beans on Branches," and it grows in clusters on bushy branches.
Mizuna: A peppery green from Japan that does well in cooler weather but in our experience, seems slower to bolt in hot conditions. Use in salads or stir fries.
Asparagus Pea: Latin name, Tetragonolobus purpurea, is a scrambling, herbaceous annual legume endemic to the Mediterranean region of southern Europe, where it is a common spring-blooming wildflower in field and scrub. There are records of its cultivation in Sicily from the mid-16th century. Growing around 6 inches tall and 24 inches wide, the plant has small trifoliate leaves, and its deep crimson flowers are borne in pairs. The winged pods that develop after flower pollination grow up to 3 1/2 inches long. The pods may be boiled, sautéed, steamed, dipped in tempura batter and deep-fried, or pickled. The mature peas have been employed as a coffee substitute.
Cee Gwa (Chinese Okra): Latin name, Luffa acutangula, a vegetable with high nutritional value that is best eaten raw or cooked very lightly. Its fruit slightly resembles a cucumber with ridges. It ranges from central Asia and eastern Asia to southeastern Asia. They also grown as houseplants in places with colder climates.
Dau Gok (Yard-Long Bean): This plant is of a different genus than the common bean. It is a vigorous climbing annual vine. A variety of the cowpea, it is grown primarily for its strikingly long (35-75 cm) immature pods and has uses very similar to that of a green bean. The pods, which begin to form just 60 days after sowing, hang in pairs. They are best if picked for vegetable use before they reach full maturity. The plant is subtropical/tropical and most widely grown in the warmer parts of Southeastern Asia, Thailand, and Southern China. Yardlong beans are quick-growing and daily checking/harvesting is often a necessity. The many varieties of yardlong beans are usually distinguished by the different colors of their mature seeds.
Chinese Radish: herbaceous plant (Raphanus sativus) belonging to the family Cruciferae with an edible, pungent root sliced in salads or used as a relish. It is thought to be native to China; it spread to the Mediterranean area before Greek times and to the New World in the early 16th cent. There are many varieties, with white, red, or black roots of different shapes and sizes, some quite large. Radishes grow easily and quickly throughout temperate regions; they are a staple food in Japan and China, where they are generally pickled in brine.
Foo Gwa (Bitter Melon): looks like a cucumber with ridged, bumpy striations. The inner flesh is white and pink with seeds that resemble those of cucumbers. It is primarily used in soups but may also be fried.