Seeds are my drive to madness!! Help please :S

[joshie]

Just a quick question or two?

1.Does anyone know where to get a really good winter squash seed mix

2. Kohl rabi - is it worth growing, is it reliable, does it take up much space, any suggested varieties


I ask this as My beloved vegetable patch is being relocated to the old orchard with my five new trees, 33 raspberry canes 6 redcurrants, 4 black currants 2 gooseberries and 50 strawberries, We inherited it all so we cultivated a new plot beside it all and were getting a new polytunnel to put on it and i want to try some new stuff, So any other suggestions would be handy: Good websites for polytunnels, general advice,

Alll would be appreciated so thank you

[joshie]

Plus we have 7 other really old trees being renovated and a pear tree with pear midge, Great

[vicky]

Sounds really intresting (in a good way!). If you have any fruit questions post on Feeling Fruity, we have a few VERY knowledgable people on there who can help with all your problems!

Personally I don't like kohl rabi and haven't managed to grow it successfully (imagine corky golf balls...)

If you want a mix of intresting squashes I'd suggest buying a pack of one you like the look of then posting on the seed swop and asking to swop with other squashes. Or ask Ginger Ninger if the Squash Parcel is starting again and put your name down for that (you'll still have to get something to swop). Or look on Ebay, you can get packets with lots of seeds in them for less money than usual and some of the varieties are a bit different! Remember if you want to save your own seeds you'll have to prevent cross pollination are they can hybridise easily.

[Currysniffa]

I had a go at some kohl rabi last year, someone gave me some seedling so I thought I'd give them a go, they were fast growing I was told to treat them as you do brassicas, as for cooking we roasted them with some other veg though they where alright did't take to much room when in the ground, if your not sure just try a few this year.

[grenhouse]

I got a winter squash mix from thompson and morgan last year, however the only ones i thought were worth growing were celebration, the other 2 tasted pretty 'wet'. Have a look on somewhere like moreveg who sell small quantities and make your won mix up, or do the seed swap like vicky says.

steve

[joshie]

thanl you guys i think ill try a few plants nd that more veg website looks like a good place thank you

[northepaul]

I tried kohl rabi for the first time in September and liked it,- tastes abit like mild broccolli stems I guess - although I dont have a lot of growing room, so cant afford to have it taking up valuable space.
Squash mixes, as everyone else has said, it might be worth contacting Gingerninger about the squash parcel, or seeing if anyone wants to start a squash seed swap circle??

[oldie]

My OH doesn't like turnips but does like these. We have them grated raw in salads/coleslaw and also cooked as turnips. Usually pick them at tennis ball size but tried "superschmelz" this year. Grows to football size and does not become stringy or woody. I've seen one that weighed 8 kilos.

[trish60]

I think Kohl rabi tastes like a cross between turnip & radish is easy to grow,
Use in in salads stir fries.
The purple variety looks prettier although it's white when you peel it.
Plant looks fascinating as well :- it grows on top of the ground is sputnik like.

[Keith2202]

You can eat the kohl rabi leaves as well, they are like kale. I'm going to grow it again as I like crops that give more than one type of food.

[Vixxihibiscus]

I bought some "Mixed Squashes" from Seeds of Italy.

Seeds of Italy - MIXED PUMPKINS AND SQUASHES

There are well over 100 seeds in a packet and they'll do for the next couple of years. They are all mixed in the packet though 11 varieties I think.

Squash roulette

[frantic furball]

I love Kohl Rabi and grow quite a lot. Especially good raw in salad but also in soup, stew, roasted etc and like keith2202 I like a plant you can eat all of including the leaves.
I tend to fit it in with other brassicas or in spare bits of space as i grows quickly and I eat them reasonably small (tennis ball)