Three crops great for Florida that require almost no work: yams, chaya, yard-long beans

From the blog of David the Good:

Three crops that would feed you in Florida with ALMOST NO WORK:

- Yams (easy to grow 1,000lbs worth by scattering them along the edges of your property). Note: Yams are different from sweet potatoes. They taste like white potatoes and both fry nicely and are a good addition to soups. Yams can grow in the “wild” parts of a yard, beneath trees and along fences. You can also buy yams at ethnic markets and even in Publix supermarket.

- Chaya ("endless" nutritious greens). Note: You must cook them, otherwise chaya is poisonous. Chaya can be turned into a hedge that produces greens.

- Yard-long Beans (also known as snake beans)

References:

Huge Yams - The Survival Gardener http://buff.ly/1ZCdFLu
Baked yams, Marabou Thomas on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/B8H2HTuhutr/

Instagram:

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A post shared by Marabou Thomas (@marabouthomas) on Feb 3, 2020 at 3:07pm PST

NuMex Suave are New Habanero Peppers that Pack Little Heat but Still Have that Citrus Flavor

For years chileheads have been hot on the trail of the elusive mild habanero, a pepper that was born to be mild. New Mexico State University scientists said they've finally selected in 2002.

NMSU researchers have 2 for sale 'NuMex Suave Red' and 'NuMex Suave Orange' pepper seeds: http://www.chilepepperinstitute.org/cart/seeds/

Chile peppers are rated in Scoville Heat Units. The 'Red Savina' habanero, one of the hottest scientifically tested chile pepper in the world, is a blistering 577,000 heat units. A normal tongue-burning jalapeño ranks about 25,000 teary-eyed units. Paul Bosland, a chile breeder with NMSU's Agricultural Experiment Station and the director of NMSU's Chile Pepper Institute, said his new 'Suave Orange' rolls in at a mild 835 heat units and 'Suave Red' at a smooth 580 units

Asked why they bred a mild habanero, Bosland said simply, flavor. "Habaneros have unique flavors as chile peppers, but most people just couldn't taste them because they're so hot," he said.

The name 'Suave' comes from the Spanish for mellow or smooth. "We wanted to emphasize the mild nature of these chile peppers," Bosland added.

References:

http://www.chilepepperinstitute.org/content/files/Suave.pdf

New Habanero Peppers Pack Little Heat, Citrus Flavor
http://newscenter.nmsu.edu/Articles/view/6676

Habaneros for those who can't take the heat
http://www.sfgate.com/homeandgarden/article/Habaneros-for-those-who-can-t-take-the-heat-2686951.php

From Amazon:

How To Grow Lemongrass (Cymbopogon)

Cymbopogon, commonly known as lemongrass is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family.

Culinary use

Lemongrass is widely used as a culinary herb in Asian cuisine and also as medicinal herb in India. It has a subtle citrus flavor and can be dried and powdered, or used fresh.

Insect repellent

Citronella grass (Cymbopogon nardus and Cymbopogon winterianus) grow to about 2 m (6.6 ft) and have magenta-colored base stems. These species are used for the production of citronella oil, which is used in soaps, as an insect repellent (especially mosquitoes).

Citronella can be planted in home gardens to ward off insects such as whitefly adults. Its cultivation enables growing some vegetables (e.g. tomatoes and broccoli) without applying pesticides. Intercropping should include physical barriers, for citronella roots can take over the field.

Lemongrass as a living fence:



Video by Mark Abbott-Compton:



References:

Cymbopogon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://buff.ly/1ktQvbj

Fall vegetables for South Florida

Here is a list of some fall vegetables that can be grown in South Florida. The list is from littlerivercooperative.com nursery: http://buff.ly/1Ss17Cx

Tomato varieties

Cherry tomatoes:

sungold
blueberry
chadwick red
everglades
yellow pear
black cherry
indigo rose

Paste tomatoes:
bush san marzano
amish paste

Full size tomatoes:
green zebra
homestead 24
black krim
black prince
costoluto genovese
cherokee purple
chocolate stripe
anahu
indigo apple
tropic
garden peach

Determinate tomatoes:
amber
black sea man
homestead 24
kewalo
bradley

Pepper varieties

Sweet peppers:
shishito
pepperoncini
biscayne
lipstick
lunchbox yellow, red and orange varieties

Spicy peppers:
bhut jolokia
fish variegated
long red cayenne
habanero
mustard habanero
datil
lemon drop
jalapeño
yellow thai chili
hot paper lantern

Eggplants
black beauty
florida market
listada de gandia
orient express
calliope

Greens
perpetual spinach
swiss chard
curly kale
dinosaur kale
collard greens
mizuna mustard greens
red rain frilly mustard
french sorrel
arugula
frisee
broccoli
romanesco
cauliflower
purslane

Flowers and herbs
nasturtiums
calendula
marigold
pea vine
rosemary
culinary sage
oregano
peppermint
spearmint
chocolate mint
orange mint
thai basil
purple basil
genovese basil
cilantro
parsley
dill
lemon balm
anise hyssop
celosia
papalo

Okra
okra green
okra red burgundy

Strawberry varieties
camarosa
florida festival

Cucumbers and melons
suyo long cucumber
ashley cucumber
armenian cucumber
romanesca zucchini
green tint scalloped squash
tromboncino squash


Large plants
moringa
mulberry
passion fruit
loofah
winged bean
sweet potato
gotu kola
cuban oregano
turmeric
allspice
fig tree
red lady papaya
florida special pineapple
red malabar spinach
betel leaf vine
hog plum
aloe vera

dry goods:
crab meal- helps keep nematodes away
kelp meal-organic nitrogen fertilizer for your garden
florida neem oil-used to keeps soft bodied pests like aphids off of your plants
Seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
Moringa powder

Sugar cane (sugarcane) is easy to grow, just buy stalks from the supermarket and plant

Sugar cane (sugarcane) is easy to grow, just buy the stalks from a local supermarket and plant them in the ground.

In the Fort Lauderdale area, some Bravo supermarkets have them, for example: Bravo Supermarkets, 12141 Pembroke Road, Pembroke Pines, FL 33025.

They can also be ordered from Ebay.

References:

Sugar Cane on The Run http://buff.ly/1SrXRXN

Related info:

C & S Caribbean restaurant & grocery, 18450 Pines Blvd, Hollywood, FL 33029
Florida Native Plants Nursery http://buff.ly/1OqQhy7

Fort Lauderdale Farmers’ Markets, Farm Stores & Produce Markets

Here is a list of Fort Lauderdale Farmers’ Markets, Farm Stores & Produce Markets:

http://localfoodsouthflorida.org/produce-retail/fort-lauderdale-farmers-markets-farm-stores-produce-markets.html

"Homestead 24" tomato grows in Florida heat

Homestead 24, 80 days, determinate or semi-determinate tomato that reportedly grows in the Florida heat. The fruit is reported to set under a wide range of conditions, making it popular. The plants are large with heavy foliage and produce 7-8 oz red fruits that are meaty, firm, and uniform. It is resistant to fusarium wilt. Developed for hot humid coastal areas, especially Florida. Often grown in the Mid-Atlantic region, where it reliably sets fruit at high temperatures. Red 8 oz slightly flattened globes.

Homestead 24 was released in 1956 by the Asgrow Seed Co., New Haven, Connecticut. 'Homestead 24' is a selection of 'Homestead' whose parentage was a stabilized complex cross ((Victor, Dobbies Champion, Pan American, Rutgers).

Related info:

Homestead 24 Tomato - Heirloom, Open-Pollinated, non-Hybrid Victory Seeds® http://buff.ly/1OqOSYi
Homestead 24 Tomato 0.16 g [49121] - $2.75 : Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Saving the Past for the Future http://buff.ly/1LRNYjI