We mostly haunt the Tomato Forum (since we love heirloom tomatoes), but I thought this would be a better place to ask about "other" heirlom veggies.

So to you growers in the south-eastern states, what are your absolute favorite old-timey (or unusual) varieties that grow well in our climate? We are trying lots of new things this year, and just ordered a book called "Taylor's Guide to Heirloom Vegetables" which we hope is a good starting point. But tips from your experience will be the most helpful.

Thanks,
Ron and Patty

There's more, but they don't come to mind at the moment.

.....Alan.

It's always hard to list "best" anything, because everyone has different interests and tastes. But here are a few that you might find of interest:

Beans: My all time favorite is Tobacco Worm, which is the standard against which I judge all pole beans. I also like the group collectively known as "six week beans" because they make good follow-up crops. My favorite among them is Bailey's Six Week bean, a commercial version of which is sold as "Red Peanut."

Turnips: I really like the Amber Globe, which is a very old variety that's said to be the closest to the 18th century Dutch Yellow.

Summer Squash: Yellow Crookneck is my choice, here. It's much tastier than any of the straightnecks, and is historically important because it is pre-Columbian.

Cowpeas: The original Whippoorwill can't be beat.

Butterbean: Snow On The Mountain, an old butterbean dated to the 1880s.

Okra: I have two I particularly like; Betty's White, an heirloom from North Carolina; and Jimmy T, an heirloom from Kentucky. Both seem to do well throughout the south.

Cucumbers: Little White is a favorite for historical reasons, but not for taste. It's one that Jefferson grew. For taste and overall usefullness, I like Straight 8.

I don't know how much longer to go with this, as you didn't specify what types of veggies you might be interested in. If you're interested in regional heirlooms, I would also suggest you join AHSC (the Appalachian Heirloom Seed Conservancy), which is directly involved with preserving the edible heritage of the mountain south. We have members in Georgia who might have a better fix on heirlooms of your state. For details, contact AHSC at KentuckySeeds@hotmail.com.

Yes, I see now that my inquiry was a little open-ended. Since our property is small and we are growing primarily for local farmers markets, we concentrate on high density, high value crops like tomatoes, lettuce, snow and snap peas, garlic, cucumbers and summer squash. You gave us a good start, and I'd like to get a copy of your newsletter (e-mail coming).

Is there garlic "seed" (meaning bulbs) in your Living Seed Bank?

Thanks again,
Ron (and Patty)

Indeed, Tom Greenwood, who's an authority on multiplying onions, will be giving a presentation about them at our fall conference in October.

So I'm sure you'll find plenty of trading opportunities if you decide to join us.

Meanwhile, if you're interested in garlic, come on over to the Alliums forum, here at GW. That's where the garlicheads mostly hang out.

I have a question about the Jackson Wonders. I planted them in a row as bush beans. I hope that is right. They aren't pole beans like Florida Speckles are they?

Jim

.....Alan.