Family: Solanaceae

Common name: ‘Red Robin’
Zone: 9 – 11
Height:  12-14 in (30-35 cm)  Spread: 10 in (25 cm)
Aspect: sun; partial shade
Soil: humus-rich; moist
Water: regular    

Days to maturity: 55 days from transplant
Seed life: 4 years

Description: An open-pollinated, dwarf bush (determinate), high-yielding variety with deep green potato-like leaves. Clusters of globe-shaped, red fruits measuring 1 to 1¼ inch (2.5 – 3 cm) in diameter, weighing ½ oz (14 gr) in mid- to late summer.

Special Notes: This variety is perfect for containers for growing outdoors on a balcony or small patio. It is also suitable for growing indoors although the yield will likely not be as high as if it were grown outdoors. Benefits from being staked to support the stalk.

Fruits are full of flavour and very juicy so be sure to pop the whole fruit in your mouth before you bite down.

How to use: Snacks; salads

In our Zone 7a garden: The first year I grew this variety, I transplanted the seedlings into 6-inch (15 cm) pots and placed them on my porch railing. I had to move them down to the porch step when a high wind knocked a couple of the pots off the railing.

It was interesting to find all descriptions I have come across about ‘Red Robin’ have noted its size as anywhere from 7 – 12 inches (18 – 30 cm) tall. My plants were 20 – 22 inches (50 – 56 cm) tall. I do not have an answer to this discrepancy other than perhaps it was the soil mix I make up for all of my potted plants because I certainly did not give them any other fertilizer than what I initially put in the pot.

Posted on September 8, 2021

Lycopersicon esculentum var.cerasiforme 
(ly-koh-PER-see-kum  ESS-kew-len-tum var. see-ras-if-FORM-ee)
Family: Solanaceae
Common name: ‘Tiny Tim’
Zone: 9 – 11 
Height: 10-18 in (25-45 cm)  Spread: 12-14 in (30-35.5 cm)
Aspect: sun; partial shade
Soil: humus-rich; moist
Water: regular

Days to Maturity: 45 – 55 from transplanting
Seed Life: 4 years

Description: An open-pollinated, dwarf bush (determinate), high-yielding variety with deep green leaves. Clusters of globe-shaped, red fruits ½ – ¾ in (1.3-2 cm) in diameter, weighing 0.4 – 0.5 oz (12-14 gr) from mid-summer to late summer.

Special Notes: This popular tiny tomato was bred by Dr. Albert F. Yeager, specifically to be grown in pots, and introduced in 1945. In fact, it does not do well in the ground. Can be grown year-round indoors. Its parents are Tomato ‘Window Box’ and Tomato ‘Red Currant’ (1700s).

May need staking to help stalk support fruit clusters as the weight of the yield can outweigh the plant’s weight 3:1.

Plant maintains dwarf height and high-yield production when placed in full sun. Will tolerate less sunlight but plant will become lanky, less tidy and yield less fruits.

How to Use: Snacking; in salads

Pests & Diseases: Tolerant of, or resistant to Alternaria alternata sp. lycopersici (Alternaria stem canker) and Stemphylium solani (grey leaf spot)

In our Zone 7a garden: I grew these one year in small pots on the front porch railing. Very productive. Flavour a mixture of sweet and tart. Regret I did not bring the 2 plants indoors at the end of August to keep them going over the winter. Apparently, this is doable. 

Posted on February 13, 2021

Lactuca sativa var. crispa ‘Prizehead’
(lak-TOO-kah  saw-TEE-vah)    Family: Asteraceae
syn. ‘Prize Head’; ‘Early Prize Head’
Common name: ‘Prizehead’ lettuce
Zone: 3 – 12
Height: 9-15 in (23-38 cm) Spread: 4-6 in (10-15 cm)
Aspect: full sun; partial shade
Soil: fertile; well-draining
Water: regular

Days to Maturity (from direct seeding): 50 – 60
Seed Life: 3 years

Description: A tall, looseleaf-type lettuce. Broad, light green leaves are upright with red-blushed, curled tips. Excellent, mildly sweet flavour.

Special Notes: An heirloom variety dating back to the mid-1700s. Suited to early sowing in spring and is also slow to bolt when temperatures begin to heat up. Sow some seeds in mid- to late August for fall harvesting. In some regions, ‘Prizehead’ may survive through the winter with protection, depending on your region.

How to Grow: Start seeds indoors under grow lights 4-6 weeks before your last frost date. (For us in Black Creek, this would be around the 1st week of March.) Direct seed outdoors when soil temperature reaches a minimum of 1.7 °C (35 °F). Optimum soil temperature for lettuce seed germination is 10 – 21 °C (50 – 70 °F). Amend soil with compost and a complete organic fertilizer before planting. Sow seed at a depth of ¼ – ½ in (6 – 12 mm) in rows 18 – 24 in (45 – 60 cm) apart. Thin seedlings to a spacing of 8 – 10 in (20 – 25 cm) for leaf lettuce types. For a continuous supply of lettuce throughout the season, sow a few seeds every 2 – 3 weeks. Cover early and late sowings with a poly tunnel or row cover to protect lettuce from frost. Ready to harvest in 50 – 60 days from direct seeding in optimum temperatures.

Special Growing Notes: Can withstand light frosts but will do better if given some protection. A thick layer of mulch, floating row cover or erecting a poly tunnel will save young plants in the spring and extend the season further into the fall months.

How to Use: Excellent in salads and sandwiches.

Pests & Diseases: Aphids, cabbage looper, cutworms, leafminers, slugs and whitefly are a few of the more notable pests. Of particular concern are aphids as they can transmit diseases such as lettuce mosaic and leaf roll. Anthracnose can also impact on lettuce plants.

In our Zone 7a garden: We like ‘Prizehead’ for its cold hardiness in our cooler garden. We often plant a row of ‘Prizehead’ and harvest individual leaves for our salads. When the heat hits in the summer, the kale in the next row usually is tall enough to shade the lettuce somewhat. If any plants are lagging in the heat, we will harvest them. Depending on our motivation to put in a winter garden, we will sow a row of ‘Prizehead’ in mid- to late August…depending on the temperatures at that time. Otherwise, I will grow a few seedlings under my grow lights indoors for some fresh greens in the winter. 

Posted on January 27, 2021

Special Notes: This apple was bred at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Released in 1958. This apple is a triploid; it needs pollen from another apple variety to develop fruit. Blossoms appear about mid-May. Fruits are ready to harvest in the month of September…exact date is determined by the weather during the growing season. Fruit does not keep overly long, but will last longer if picked slightly under-ripe. Good eating and holds its shape well as a cooking apple in pies, tarts and cakes. Wonderful made into a sauce or preserved.

Susceptibility is high for scab, cedar rust and fire blight; low for powdery mildew.

In our zone 7a garden: ‘Jonagold’ is one of the bottom branches on our 3-tier espalier tree, which has six different apple varieties…one for each branch. We have never enjoyed a bumper crop of ‘Jonagold’ since we planted the tree in the spring of 2013. This may be due to it needing two other apple pollinators since it is self-sterile. ‘Spartan’, on the opposite bottom branch, is self-fertile as is ‘Akane’ on the top branch on the ‘Spartan’ side. Then there is ‘Melrose’, another self-fertile variety, in the middle. With three possible pollen donors, I would expect better yields.

However, the rhubarb plants situated right in front of the espalier apple tree can throw quite a decent amount of shade. I do try to keep the rhubarb picked on that side bit sometimes the large rhubarb stalks with their huge leaves get away on me.

Posted on September 2, 2020

Cucurbita maxima ‘Uchiki Kuri’ 
(kew-KUR-beh-tah  MACKS-eh-mah)
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Common name: ‘Hokkaido’; ‘Orange Hokkaido’; ‘Red Kuri’; ‘Uchiki Red Kuri’; ‘Potimarron’
Zone: 3 – 12
Height: 18-24 in (45-60cm) Spread: 18-24 in (45-60cm)
Aspect: full sun (minimum 6 hours)
Soil: fertile; moisture retentive; well-drained
Water: regular

Days to Maturity: 85 – 95 days
Seed Life: 5 years

Description: Small, teardrop-shaped variety of hubbard squash. Hard, thin exterior skin is bright orange in colour. Inner flesh is creamy yellow in colour and has a sweet, nutty flavour. Plant needs some room to sprawl.

Special Notes: Developed on the island of Hokkaido from American hubbard squash introduced to Japan in 1878. Today ‘Uchiki Kuri’ squash has become popular in Germany, (where it is known as ‘Hokkaido’), France (where it is called ‘Potimarron’), Holland, England and North America.

How to Grow: Prepare the planting area by digging a hole roughly 12 inches (30 cm) deep and filling it with well-aged manure. Place soil from the dug hole overtop, mounding it about 6 to 8 inches 15 – 20 cm) high. This will increase drainage as well as keep the squash plants well-fed.

 For an early start, sow seeds indoors about 4 weeks before your last frost date or direct sow in the ground from mid-May through to mid-June. If growing seedlings indoors, harden them off for 1 – 2 weeks before transplanting them outside. Allow roughly 4 square feet (0.37 square meters) between plants.

Special Growing Notes: Select planting site carefully. ‘Uchiki Kuri’ squash prefer full sun, but they will do well with a minimum of 6 hours. Direct seed outdoors when soil temperature reaches 18 °C (65 °F) and soil is partially moist but not soggy. Wet soil may promote fungus growth on seeds and rot them. Allow 4 square feet (0.37 square meters) between plants to accommodate their sprawling growth habit. Also allow for good air flow between plants to discourage powdery mildew.

Germination takes about 10 – 14 days. Watch for slug, snails and cutworms once seedlings emerge from the ground.

‘Uchiki Kuri’ squash matures roughly 85 – 95 days after plant starts to bloom. The fruit is ready for harvesting when the rind end has hardened and the stem is about 2 inches (2.5 cm) long. If you harvest the fruit before it is mature, it will lose its sweet flavour. Cut ripe squash off the plant with a knife, being sure to leave 2 inches of stem intact.  Harvest before the temperature falls. Harvest all of the fruits before a heavy frost hits the plants.

Cure squash in full sun for about 10 days. If freezing weather is in the forecast, move them into a covered area and move them out into the sun the next day. When fully cured, store squash in a dark room at about 10 °C (50 °F) and at less than 65% humidity. Cured and stored properly, they will last well into the winter.

How to Use: ‘Uchiki Kuri’ squash may be baked, boiled, steamed, fried and sautéed. The best part about this squash is its skin. Once cooked, the skin becomes soft and blends well. It does not require any peeling. This squash is highly nutritious; a good source of fibre, vitamins A, C and B, as well as calcium, potassium, iron, riboflavin and thiamine.

Pests & Diseases: Potential insect pests include: aphids, cucumber beetles, squash bugs, stink bugs, cutworms, pickleworm and squash vine borers. Slugs and snails could also be problematic. Some diseases to watch out for are: bacterial wilt, fusarium wilt, blossom end rot, downy mildew and powdery mildew.

In our Zone 7a garden: I grew this lovely little winter squash in an extra-large pot on our driveway in 2017. I was intrigued by its heirloom status, small size and nutty flavour. There were not a lot of squash on the one plant come end of season. Proved the claim from one reference that each plant will only produce 3 to 5 fruits. So, if you have to feed a large family, you will want to plant more than one ‘Uchiki Kuri’ plant. But I was very pleased with the sweet, nutty flavour of this squash and can recommend growing this variety.

Note: I used my favourite cooking method for winter squash…cut in half, seeds removed, placed cut side down in a baking dish and baked in the oven.

Posted on August 19, 2020