Growing new vegetables is exciting because it allows you to explore different flavors and textures that might not be available in stores. It is also a great way to save money and enjoy fresh, grown produce. Not only does it provide you with nutritious food, but it also gives you the opportunity to learn more about gardening and experience the satisfaction of growing something from seed. Plus, you get to pick and eat vegetables as soon as they are ripe!
Growing vegetables also allows you to experiment with varieties that have unique colors and shapes or try heirloom varieties that are not commonly found in supermarkets. It is also a great way to introduce kids (and adults) to the joys of gardening - which can be both educational and fun!
Here are five new vegetables to try growing from seeds:
Sweet Jade Kabocha Squash – This squash is the winner of the 2023 All-American Selection Edible Vegetables. It is a single-serving-sized hybrid winter squash. The kabocha-type squash is round with a flat top and a green exterior with a deep orange interior that has a dry yet sweet flavor. The squash can be baked, pureed, or roasted. Each fruit weighs between one to two pounds. Seeds can be purchased at Johnny Selected Seeds.
Pot-a-peño Pepper - This pepper is a unique cascading jalapeno plant making it perfect for hanging baskets, containers, and small spaces. The peppers grow under a canopy of small, dark green leaves. You can harvest green fruit for a traditional milder taste in any dish or let it ripen to red for a sweet, spicy flavor. These peppers will be great in any salsa. You can get your seeds from Burpee.
Volcana Lettuce – Volcana lettuce is a bibb lettuce meaning it is a small, compact lettuce. It is different from typical bibb lettuce because of its red coloring, which is all the way through the head. For better color development grow it under cooler conditions. The plant is also highly resistant to downy mildew. Purchase your seeds at Johnny Selected Seeds.
Montana Morado Corn – Montana Morado Corn is a deep purple and super anthocyanin-rich flour corn from Montana. It makes excellent cornbread because it is a rare, soft-flour starch that grinds easily. This corn is great for northern gardeners who have been looking for dark purple corn. The dark purple kernels have great healing potential. The plant is also drought resistant. These seeds are available at Baker Seed Heirloom Seeds and Johnny Selected Seeds.
Sun Dipper Tomato – This tomato has a unique shape. It is oval and elongated making it perfect for dipping. The shape makes it easy to pick up and keep your fingers above the dipping sauce. It makes a wonderful snack. Compared to other cherry tomatoes, it has a mellow, smooth, rich flavor. When compared to other elongated tomatoes like a Roma, it has a sweet with a slightly acidic taste. This new introduction is the new edible plant winner of the 2023 National Garden Bureau Green Thumb award. Seeds can be purchased at Pinetree Garden Seeds and Seeds ‘N Such.
Blooming Secrets does not receive any compensation if you purchase seeds from any of these vendors.
Photo Acknowledgements:
Sweet Jade Kabocha Squash photo courtesy of All American Selection
Pot-a-peño Pepper and Sun Dipper Tomato photos courtesy of Ball Horticultural Company.
Volcana Lettuce photo courtesy of Johnny Seeds.
Montana Morado Corn photo courtesy of Baker Seed Heirloom Seeds
