The economic downturn is inspiring many of us to grow our own fodder. Much as I’m delighted to see this new interest in vegetable gardening, I do have a recurring nightmare of Denver knee-deep in zucchini come September.
This is not as far-fetched as it sounds. I personally created the Great Zucchini Glut that terrorized my neighborhood in the summer of 1998. After taking up much of the lawn and piling it upside down in mounds for rock gardens, I grew vegetables in the sod for one season to ensure the bluegrass and the weeds were truly dead before proceeding.
It really was a good plan. Planting two dozen varieties of summer squash was not. By August I was harvesting a full grocery bag of squash every day. My family of four could not keep up. Bags of zucchini went to colleagues at work, to anyone unwary enough to answer the doorbell, and in a final act of desperation, we dropped bags on neighbors’ front porches. (Tales of Midwesterners keeping car doors locked in late summer to prevent unwanted zucchini are not urban legends.)
When deciding what vegetables to plant, it’s wise to first ask yourself a few questions:
How much room do I have? Homegrown sweet corn is one of summer’s true delights. Unfortunately, corn is not very productive. To reap enough for more than one or two meals requires a lot of space. The good news is that we live in a state where sweet corn is cheap, available for several weeks in late summer and is some of the best in the country.
Is it economical? Gardeners who have limited space would do well to consider payback. If a bag of radish seeds nets six bunches of radishes and radishes regularly go on sale for less than $1 a bunch, is the $5 you save — not including the original cost of seeds, compost and water — really worth your time? Boutique vegetables like heirloom tomatoes, gourmet salad blends and purple string beans cost the earth. Growing those yourself makes economic sense.
Is homegrown better? To be perfectly honest, homegrown spinach tastes exactly like mass-produced. Homegrown beets are so much better than store-bought that there is no comparison. Instead of growing what is available in every grocery store in town, why not try something unusual like red Aztec spinach, Shungiku edible chrysanthemum or cardoon?
Do I like it? Unless you’re planning to sell it, don’t waste time, space and money on vegetables that you or your family won’t eat. Sounds obvious but you’d be surprised how many gardeners do this to themselves. By all means, try something you’ve never heard of. Just don’t put in a row of rutabagas, no matter how easily they grow for you, if you don’t like rutabagas.
How much can I consume? One plant of each variety of summer squash, like zucchini, crookneck and patty pan squash provide more than you could possibly want. In any case, start a file of zucchini recipes now — by August, you’ll be glad you have them.
Marcia Tatroe is a garden writer and lecturer. Her most recent book is “Cutting Edge Gardening in the Intermountain West,” ($29.95, Johnson Books). E-mail her at rltaurora@aol.com.
