[Womble]

 
I heard an interview on the radio yesterday with James Wong, of 'grow your own drugs' fame.
 
His latest book is due out in September, entitled "James Wong's Home Grown Revolution". The premise is that most veg gardening books promote the growing of veg that is either cheaply available commercially (e.g. spuds and carrots), or stuff that we no longer eat much of (e.g cauliflower).
 
His proposed solution is that we should all be growing things like saffron and goji berries in our back gardens instead, alongside traditional favourites such as mullberries, which have fallen out of favour commercially simply because they don't transport well. Now, this is 2012, so of course Suttons will sell you the relevant seeds, all pre-packaged with the poor chap's face all over them, etc etc  .
 
It's an interesting thought though.  After our first forays into carrot growing were only good for the obscene vegetable prize at last year's CSSA show what you grow, we've switched our main focus onto expensive veg that's best fresh (e.g. wet garlic, blueberries, courgettes etc.).
 
So, any thoughts folks?  What 'exotic' veg have worked well for you, and are you really ready to give up growing spuds just because Tescos can beat you on price?  Answers on a postcard please.......

[Fleecewife]

Black currants are better than Goji berries which are just a middle class fad as far as I can see.
 
I love growing spuds as they taste infinitely better than anything Tesco, or even my local greengrocer can sell.  Also they fit well into my rotation and help me get soil into good growing condition.
 
Homegrown carrots are a delight to the taste buds, as is homegrown sweetcorn, garden and sugarsnap peas, fresh runner beans.
 
I've never used saffron in my life - it is irrelevant to my lifestyle.
 
If I planted a mulberry now, my grandchildren would get some berries I suppose, but I prefer brambles which are easy and prolific - and cheap.
 
Dedicated followers of fashion will give James' ideas a go, but they will probably starve to death 
 
 

[Womble]

Yes, I think you're right Fleecewife!  One point he made on the radio was that even if you had finest spuds home delivered from Harrods, they would still end up being cheaper than if you grew them in one of the pre-packaged 'kits' they sell at the garden centre.
 
Now, I don't dispute that for a moment, but that doesn't necessarily invalidate spud growing, but it does illustrate that the kits are a waste of time!
 
By the way, I also like growing spuds, but I can't see that I'd ever try to be self sufficient in them. By the way, my Dad got fed up of potato blight, so grew a fantastic blight resistant wonder-variety this year.  The result? Well, no blight whatsoever, but also totally tasteless, and and fell apart before they were finished cooking! 

[smithycraft]

Dedicated followers of fashion will give James' ideas a go, but they will probably starve to death 

Can't disagree with that, I've had a Goji berry bush growing in my polytunnel for a few years and not a single berry!

[Fleecewife]

 

 
 
 
Womble - you don't need all that many spud plants to be self sufficient in them.  I grow rows 20 plants long.  Last year I grew eight rows and that was far too many for us, including plenty sold and given to our offspring and their families.   This year I grew five rows and that seems a better number, so that's a plot only 12' by 30'.  Then you grow your brassicas there the next year, and everything else the year after, then back to spuds.  So you need a plot 30' by 36' to be self sufficient in everything and have a good rotation 
 
Blight is a big problem, especially as it keeps mutating so spuds which are resistant one year may be affected the next year.   Lady Balfour is a nice potato which used to be resistant to blight but isn't any more.   Cara is resistant and very tasty but even that has some blight this year.
 
The Sarpos are the new 'wonder spuds' but like you I find them tasteless and coarse, at least the first ones developed.   I'm growing 20 Sarpo Mira this year, but the first 3 plants in the row have succumbed already. 
 
There are some spuds which simply disappear with blight, leaving nothing anywhere - the special roaster I was growing last year did that, but there were plenty of others to fill the gap.

 
I agree that the kits are a waste of time unless you have nothing more than a small patio to grow on.  Same with those tiny raised beds which cost the earth and grow four cabbages, or whatever.  I am lucky to have good soil so I grow everything direct in the soil, no beds, no containers - but masses of weeds 

[SallyintNorth]

I WWOOFed on an organic farm which was in a blight area.  They grew a variety classed as a 2nd early / maincrop which would store, and lifted the lot as soon as the blight warnings indicated that it was time.  Their potatoes tasted fabulous.  I know you're going to ask me for the variety now... it'll come back to me...

[RUSTYME]

When i can get the book for 1p , i will , but I don't think he came over very well at all .
People will grow food for many reasons , cost is not the main one .
I grow my own food to avoid the poison that is fed to , and sprayed on them .
I also grow old varieties that have taste and have all the nutrients  in them that they draw from organic non polluted soil .
Yes i can buy a swede in tesco far cheaper than i can produce it , but how much poison , ie roundup , fertilizer and pesticide has been pumped into the bought one ?
Buying organic is out of the question for me , and many others too .
It sounded very much like he has gone the route of Mr Hugh FW , MONEY !
 Oh well , another one bites the dust !
I shall just carry on as i did before hfw and now jw !
I am more William Cobbett in essence , although i don't think that tea is the devils brew ! That title belongs to mass produced food .

[YorkshireLass]

I think he has a point, but people who agree with him have surely figured this out already...?


I don't eat many potatoes, but it was nice to go and just furtle a few out for dinner instead of buying a bag and waiting for the remains to go wrinkly 


And I genuinely enjoy salsify, scorzonera so in limited space grow them instead of carrots.


I'm moving away from traditional veg for other reasons though 

[deepinthewoods]

i think the whole thing is great! the point about growing the expensive veg is obvious but as rusty says, only if cost is the motive.
i think for me, the greatest satisfaction comes from gaining the knowledge, both practicaly and academicly. i think thats the important thing, knowing, sharing and passing on the knowledge needed to provide your own food, be it through animal husbandry or foraging hedgerows.

[MAK]

I agree that we all grow our own veg for different reasons. I have several reasos for keeping a veg plot. Essentially I experiment or labour with veg because it is a lifestyle I enjoy.
1, I grow some veg just for the pigs and rows of lettuce for the ducks. Rabbits get surplus stuff too.
2. I love cooking with my own fresh veg picked minutes before it is served.
3. I enjoy the hard work of digging and harvesting. We ploughed up the spuds and stored them in the cellar= good fun and a good work out.
4. It saves us money as our neighbours give us seedlings, their excess veg and teach us how to gather seed from plants for next year.
5. We love making chutney, pickles and freezing stuff so save us time and enjoy out of season veg.

I think it is difficult to embrace a new style of cooking and using novel or weird veg at my time of life so I will stick with the veg I know and enjoy ( but try different receipes of course).

[doganjo]

I recycle  - ever tasted 'cupboard potatoes' - yummy 

[HelenVF]

I have to say, cost is a big factor for us and we do tend to grow things which are dearer, like soft fruit.  We do grow potatoes as we don't eat a great deal and it's handy to have them when we need them, rather than sitting in a bag for ages.

I actually like James Wong but more because he is a good presenter.

Helen

[RUSTYME]

Yes Helen cost does matter ,  but what i meant was if i count the cost of seed or plant , plus the cost of time spent tending the plants then i can't compete with the shops .
I like jw and hfw .

[doganjo]

I prefer Jamie Oliver myself.  What a honey.

[Alistair]

I always buy my potatoes from Harrods, have them delivered by horse and cart and placed in my fridge, it's much much cheaper than growing them,

I've always tried to Avoid the stuff that's cheap to buy and concentrate on the expensive nice to haves,

Mind I only seem to be having success with sprouts this year, roll on xmas