2007 New Introduction: Carrot F1 'Ya Ya'

I wanted to start looking at some New Introductions for 2007, and the new Carrot F1 'Ya Ya' - Daucus carota - caught my eye.

If you live in a warmer climate, you can be growing carrots now, but many will have to wait till early spring.

Here is some information about the new F1 Carrot 'Ya Ya'

Hardiness: Cool-season vegetable good in USDA Zones 3 and warmer

Light: Full Sun

Soil: Deep, light, well drained soil without stones or other obstructions

Water: Regular watering. Don't overwater as continually wet soil can cause root rot

Habit: 7-inch (17.8 cm) long 1.25-inch (3.2 cm) wide cylindrical, blunt-tipped shape

Comments: A very sweet Nantes bunching carrot, with a bright orange color. Sets a new standard for quality and flavor. Harvest 60 days from sowing seed

Please visit www.weekendgardener.net for more 2007 New Plant Introductions!

Persimmon Fruit Ideas and Uses

It's Thanksgiving next week and we always seem to use persimmons in the same old way - in puddding. So here are some new ways to use persimmons in your everday cooking.

1. Wash Fuyu persimmons, remove core and leaves, and slice or eat whole

2. Rinse Hachiya persimmons and slice in half. Remove seeds and spoon fruit out of skin

3. Add firm Fuyu persimmon slices to salads

4. Puree Hachiya persimmon flesh and add it to drinks, smoothies, or fresh fruit sauces. You can also use the puree to make cookies

5. Slice Fuyu and spread with lime juice, salt, and chili powder. Eat with a slice of low fat cheese

6. Mix cubed Fuyu with grapes, pomegranate seeds, cubed apple, and sliced kiwi for a colorful fall salad

7. Top hot or cold cereal with cubed pieces of bright orange Fuyu

8. Make salsa with a twist - add chopped Fuyu, onion, tomatillo, cilantro, and chili Serrano and mix together

9. Start your morning off right! Add chopped or blended Fuyu persimmons to your pancakes, waffles, and French toast

10. Have an instant persimmon sherbet! Simply cut off a piece of the pointed tip of the fruit, tightly wrap the fruit, and freeze for up to three months. Defrost the fruit in the refrigerator for about four hours, scoop the fruit, and enjoy!

Don't know the difference between the two varieties mentioned above? Here is a bit more information:

There are countless different varieties of persimmons, but these two are very popular and are distinguishable by their shape.

Hachiya:
This type of persimmon makes up approximately 90 percent of the available fruit. It is identifiable by its acorn like shape. This persimmon is tart until it becomes very soft and juicy.

Unripe Hachiya persimmons taste very bitter and will suck all the moisture from your mouth — not very pleasant. The tartness will go away as the fruit ripens.

Fuyu:
This persimmon is gaining popularity here as it is in Japan. Similar in color, but looking like a squashed tomato, this variety is smaller, sweeter, and is edible while still firm.

Crown of Thorns - Euphorbia milii

At this time of year people start thinking about Euphorbia pulcherrima commonly known as the Poinsettia.

There are, however, many other nice Euphorbias and one of them is Euphorbia milii - Crown of Thorns.

I wanted to talk about this plant because it's not as well known as the Poinsettia, and because it can be very showy with these bright pink bracts nearly all year long.

It's a nice little evergreen, and I grow mine as a houseplant. They can get up to 4 feet eventually with about 1 foot spread.

Bract colors can vary and come in yellow, red, and orange. They grow great in a container and are tolerant of salty soils, so if you live at the beach, you could grow this outdoors.

It tends to like very little water so let it dry out between waterings. It does well in full sun to partial shade, but mine likes it in the house in very bright light with some direct sun in the afternoon.

Do be careful around this plant though, it does have some pretty big thorns all along its stem, thus its name. As long as you're careful you'll not have any problems.

So if you haven't tried one, try Crown of Thorns and give the Poinsettia a run for its money this season!