The Xylangouro Greek Cucumber

What can I say about the Xylangouro? I watched a video once that touted it as better than the regular Armenian cucumber. While this may be true, I’m not too impressed with this Greek landrace variety. It did alright in the greenhouse for me, but the flowers were all different and the shape of the fruit was a bit irregular.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Despite being sold by a well-known company, I’m not sure if I will be growing the Xylangouro to offer to others for a while. Why is that, you ask? The texture of the fruit that I tried, along with the variable flower type tells me that this is a variety that promises more work than reward. Though it may sound selfish, I prefer to grow the more promising varieties first and save the less rewarding varieties until later. Over time I usually get around to the others.

Dark Armenian Cucumber in the Greenhouse

Desperate for a supplier of Dark Armenian cucumbers, I tried one well-known seed seller. Unfortunately, the germination was not up to specifications. That being said, I still wanted to know if the variety was actually what it was advertised as – just in case I needed an additional source of Dark Armenian cucumber seed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I grew it out in the greenhouse in the spring. The variety did alright. It wasn’t exactly as vigorous as I would have hoped, but given that it sprouted from old seed, I was happy when the fruit eventually set. One fruit was enough to let me know that it was true-to-type, howbeit not want I would want to use for my future population of Dark Armenian cucumbers.

Tar Kakdi in the Greenhouse

Around the same time that I started growing my last outdoor Tar Kakdi, I started growing a few Tar Kakdi in the greenhouse. The primary reason why I chose to do this was to save seed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, in growing this variety in the greenhouse I came to really love how thin and beautiful the Tar Kakdi is. Growing a vegetable variety like this reminds me so much of why I garden. I get so much of the love of the culture for its gardens and fields when growing each indigenous cucumber or melon variety. I believe that with this particular population, the grower selected the variety for both the beauty of the flowers and also the wonderful texture of the fruit. In all the other populations I encountered, I was never experienced the same texture or stretched appearance to the fruit. This particular Tar Kakdi seemed much less like an Armenian cucumber and much more of its own cultivar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet Potato Slips from the Greenhouse

So I grew sweet potatoes in the garden again this year. There was no fanfare to the whole event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to my EasiOyYa (Easy Olla) I am able to grow out sweet potato starts from May through the end of the summer. It is rather easy. All I need to do is plant my best sweet potatoes next to the EasiOyYas, let them keep everything moist and wait. Once the plants emerge, I let them get to be about 1 foot or so in diameter, then I twist them free of their mother tuber and bring them where I want to plant them. Then I plant the entire slip (including the roots) up to the first set of leaves. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Generally speaking, sweet potatoes transpire very little, so there is minimal water lost in the whole process. This being said, it may be wise if you live some place where the average high is over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, to provide afternoon shade for the first week – while the slip is establishing itself. This will ensure that it is able to get a good foothold before sprawling across the yard in its quest to conquer the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A little dish with cooked Purple Sweet Potato Pie filling.

 

 

As I produce slips from the greenhouse during the hottest part of the summer, I almost always have plenty to spare. If you are ever in town and in need of some Dingess Sweet Potato slips, simply drop by Cucumber Shop while I am around and I may just have some sweet potato slips waiting just for you.