Featured Plants : large fruit

Try This Bull's Heart Tomato!

patti-nhn — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 19:46:00 GMT

This "Solanum Coure di Toro (USDA Organic) Tomato, Solanum lycopersicum 'Coure di Toro Tomato', has taken the name of Coure di Toro which means Bull's Heart. Sounds a little scary but don't let the name fool you. The shape of the tomato is shaped like a bull's heart. This is a big tomato that can grow up to 2 lbs. The flesh is thick but tender with a sweet flavor. Its meaty, has very few seeds and the pink fruit is attractive.

The Bull's Heart is great for slicing in salads or for adding to sandwiches and eaten fresh with salt or sugar sprinkled on them depending on your taste. The Bull's Heart will also have great production and does well in cool summers. This tomato can be grown from zone3 to zone 9 and will harvest in about 75 to 80 days. Like other tomatoes, it needs moderately moist, well drained soil and full sun. It will also need some support to hold up these big tomatoes. Growing your own allows you the freshest tomatoes and you only have to step into your garden to pick them. How much better than driving to the grocer and getting tomatoes that are not the same as fresh grown.

This Delicious Watermelon Will Remind You Of The Moon And Stars

patti-nhn — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:51:00 GMT

This delicious watermelon will remind you of the Moon and Stars with its dark green color with yellow spots that remind you of stars and sometimes a yellow curved patch that reminds you of the moon. "Citrullus Moon and Stars (USDA Organic) Watermelon, Citrullus lanatus 'Moon and Stars' produces large and small melons weighing from 3 to 5 pounds. It is very sweet tasting, considered to be one of the best tasting watermelons around.

This melon is legendary and was rediscovered in rural Missouri. Like other watermelons, the Moon and Stars requires moderatly moist well drained soil and full sun. It is hardy from zone 4 up to zone 10. You will be able to harvest these gems in the fall. How much better can it be than to be able to go out to your back yard and have fresh melons at your fingertips! Not to mention the cost savings.

Drought Resistant Organic Muskmelon

patti-nhn — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 10:01:00 GMT

Hale's Best USDA Organic Muskmelon Cucumis Hale's Best (Muskmelon) produces large oval fruits. The fruits can be 4 to 5 pounds each. The Hale's Best Muskmelon is resistant to Powdery Mildew and is drought resistant. Hale's has a very sweet flavor that puts out a wonderful aroma. The fruit is firm and salmon colored and juicy. The skin of the fruit has a heavy net with few ribs.

Muskmelons require moderately moist, well drained soil. Full sun is best although the Hale's Best love heat and are sensitive to frost. It is hardy from zone 3 to zone 9. Hale's Best will be ready to harvest from 85 to 90 days after planting. They do not require support when planted. Muskmelons are nutritious and full of vitamins as well as being tasty. Growing your own can save you money at the grocery or farmers market and will also save you on gas driving there. Not to mention having the freshest melons right at your doorstep.

This Royal Raspberry Could Feed A Royal Family

patti-nhn — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:25:00 GMT

The Royalty Raspberry Rubus 'Royalty' is known for its large fruit size. The Royalty is a cross between a vigorous purple and a high quality red raspberry. Its berries have the light flavor of a red raspberry if picked while still in the red stage. They begin ripening in mid-July and are hardy and produce a high yield. Insect resistance is high. Royalty is great for jams and jellies, desserts and eaten fresh.

This plant will mature from 3 to 4 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. It grows upright and will need some protection from strong winter winds. Moist, well-drained soil and full sun is required for raspberries. The Royalty will flower in white and the fruits will ripen in mid-July. Raspberries are self-fruitful but will produce a larger harvest if one or more other raspberries are planted closeby. Birds like raspberries too so you will want to watch them and see if they need some protection or plant enough bushes to share!

Frontenac Grapes Are Perfect For Northern Gardens

patti-nhn — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 14:17:00 GMT

If you are looking for a cold hardy grape for Northern gardens, this Frontenac Grape 'Vitis Frontenac' is an excellent variety for you. It has proven to be hardy down to 30 degrees below zero. This makes it hardy from zone 4 to zone 8. If you like wine making, the Frontenac is one of the best for making red wines. It was developed by the University of Minnesota so has had to hold up in their cold temperatures. It is a vigorous grower and is disease resistant to Downy and Powdery Mildew.

The Frontenac will produce white flowers in June and when the fruit ripens the grapes are small and dark blue in color. They can be eaten fresh, used in desserts and fruit salads as well as for wine. Grapes need a strong support to grow on like a trellis, fence or wall. They can be used to create some privacy as well. Moist, well-drained soil and full sun are required. It is best to plant them with a Southern exposure and near buildings or windbreaks to keep them protected from strong winds. Growing your own grapes is not only fun, they are much fresher than what you would get at the store. Growing your own grapes will save you money and can be a great learning experience for your kids.

A Cold Hardy Valiant Vigorous Blue Grape

patti-nhn — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:00:00 GMT

The Valiant Grape Vitis 'Valiant' is known for its vigorous growth and its round blue grapes. The up to half inch diameter fruits are great for jams, jellies and juices. They can be eaten fresh but they are a tart grape so be prepared for a little zing as you bite into them. This grape has low acid and high sugar content. The skins are easy to remove which makes them easier to prepare for cooking. Growing your own grapes will help you save money on your grocery bill and they generally taste better as they are fresh picked. Plus you have the satisfaction of knowing you grew your own grapes.

If you are in a hurry, the Valiant Grapes are fast growers and can bear fruit in about 2 years in good growing conditions. The grapes flower in June and the fruit ripens in late August. Valiant is vigorous and has been known to do well all the way down to 35 degrees below zero with little to no injury. The mature height on the Valiant Grape is 10 to 15 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. It is hardy from zones 3 to 8. Grapes require moist, well-drained soil and full sun. They will need a strong support to grow on like an arbor, trellis, fence or wall. They do best planted with a southern exposure and near a building or windbreak to protect the plants from strong winds.

Swenson Grapes Are Large Round Red And Delicious

patti-nhn — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:20:00 GMT

The Swenson Red Grape Vitis 'Swenson Red' is known for its large round red fruits that are very sweet with their high sugar content. This grape vine will mature from 10 to 15 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. Grapes require moist, well-drained soil as well as full sun for best fruit production. The Swenson will flower in June and the fruits will ripen in early September. This grape is a vigorous grower and very productive.

Grapes can be used for wine, dessert, juice, jams, jellies as well as eaten fresh. You will need a strong support for the vines which is generally a good trellis, arbor, fence or wall. Grape vines can be very attractive all season long with their green leaves, flowering and then the rich colors of the grapes. Growing your own produce is a great way to cut costs on your grocery bill.

Try The Worden Blue-Black Sweet Grapes

patti-nhn — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:56:00 GMT

The Worden Grape 'Vitis Worden' is known for its sweetness and its wonderful blue-black color. It grows in large clusters and is hardy from zone 4 to zone 8. It also is mildew resistant. The growth of this grape is very vigorous. It has been used for fresh eating, desserts, jams, cobblers and fruit salads. It is just plain delicious. The white flowers bloom in June and the fruit ripens in early September. While grape vines will provide home grown freshness and save you money at the grocery store, they are also considered decorative with the winding vines, attractive leaves and the color from the fruit as it grows.

Grapes need a good strong support structure such as an arbor, trellis, fence or even a wall. They can be used in areas where you would like some privacy. Moist, well-drained soil is best and full sun is necessary for good fruit production. It is good if you can plant them on a Southern exposure and preferably near a building or windbreak that can provide protection from strong winds. The Worden Grape will grow from 3 to 4 feet tall and spread 3 to 4 feet wide. It is hardy from zone 3 to zone 8. Growing grapes are also a great learning experience for children as they can help throughout the planting and growing and, oh yes, eating!

Grow Large Black Bristol Raspberries For Lots Of Flavor

patti-nhn — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:25:00 GMT

The Black Bristol Raspberry 'Rubus 'Bristol' is one of the best black raspberries. It is a large, firm berry with excellent flavor. They are great eaten fresh or incorporated into your recipes. They are also very attractive and would be good decoration on a plate of fruit as a color contrast or just to show off. Because these grow upright and in clusters they are much easier to pick than some of the other varieties of raspberries.

They will grow to a mature height of 3 feet to 4 feet and spread out from 3 feet to 4 feet. Raspberries do require moist, well drained soil and full sun. You will want to plant them away from strong winds and to protect them in the winter months. The Black Bristol Raspberry is hardy from zones 4 to 8 and is tolerant to powdery mildew. It will flower in May and ripens in mid-July. Growing your own raspberries is quite a cost savings from purchasing them in the market and they are healthy as well.