Tatsoi forms a flat rosette close to the ground with tender dark green, spoon-shaped leaves and short light green stalks. Best choice to plant during spring or summer. It appreciates a nice fertile soil with some added nitrogen and sunny site with good drainage. If you start seeds, fill a nursery flat with a quality potting soil, water it and spread the seeds over the surface. Cover with ¼-inch potting soil and keep in a partly sunny, protected location until plants are about 1-inch tall. Thinning is very essential for best result. Seeds grown indoors can be transplanted when 2-3 leaves appear. Spacing should be at least 8-10”. Keep soil moist and fertilize as needed. Tatsoi can tolerate light frost, but exposure to cold temperatures in spring can trigger early bolting. The older leaves can be used in soups, stir-fried, sautéed or wilted.

Young leaves are good raw in salads, harvest individual leaves with scissors when the plants are 3 to 4 inches tall or about three to four weeks after planting. Leaves will regenerate after a partial cutting if the growing point is left intact, which makes it useful in cut and come again mixes. Full grown plants are usually ready in less than two months. Cut the base of the plants leaving 2-3” in the ground to produce new leaves.

This plant requires a long growing season but excellent tomato to choose when planting because of its tasty and lovely fruits. Before transplanting outside, it will need 6 weeks indoor planting.  In planting have your seed bed ready, it must be fertile and warmer to facilitate faster germination.  Dig up to ½ inch deep, and sow the seeds 12-36 cm apart. Keep the soil moist while waiting for the seed to germinate.  When germination occurs, transfer the seedlings to an area that has well drained and fertile soil in a full sun position for faster development. Put organic blend fertilizer rich in phosphorus and potassium, and moderate nitrogen for a healthier result. Staking and pruning can also help the plant grow well. Wait until it reaches its harvest period. Tomato Amish fruits are juicy, best for slicing, making sauce and are commonly used for cooking.

Wait until fruits are fully ripened on the vine, for they are the good flavored fruits compare to the picked fruits early and then allowed to ripen. Pick them at the peak of redness, and don't allow them to stay longer on the plant for they have a tendency to crack. At the bottom part of the fruits, ripening starts. Cut off or remove all new followers one month before the first expected frost. This will help direct the energy of the plants the ripening fruits rather than producing new ones.

This variety of tomato ripens to a green, yellow, and purple with a sweet and smoky with a hint of citrus. It grows annually and reaches an approximate height 1.20 meters. Have the soil in your seed beds be ready before sowing. Dig up to 0.78 inches and sow the seed with a distance of 2.60 feet. Water moderately. In transplanting, make sure that the temperatures are mild to avoid damage to the seedlings caused by high temperature.  Ensure that the soil outside is loamy. Wait until it is ready for harvest. Use in salads or sliced alone with onion, olive oil and fresh herbs it can be a meal. They can also be slow roasted and grilled.

To know that the fruits are ready for harvest is when after a week they turn green, yellow, and purple. The warmth of the temperature helps the fruit ripen faster. The same way as other tomatoes are picked on the plant. Pick them when they are fully mature, and do not allow them to stay longer on the plant to avoid cracking tendency. Cut off or remove all new followers one month before the first expected frost. This will help direct the energy of the plants the ripening fruits rather than producing new ones. Enjoy the fruit of your labor.

This variety belongs to botanical family and grows annually.  The color of the fruit when it gets ripen is similar to cadmium orange and orange to red. It grows to a height of approximately 1.20 meters. Have your seed beds ready for planting where the soil is well watered and fertilized. Dig up to 0.78 inches and sow the seed with a distance of at least 2.60 feet.  Water moderately, while waiting for the seeds to germinate.  After the seedlings occur, transplant them to an area with a full sun position and a soil that is well cultivated. Water moderately and put some fertilizers while allowing the plant to grow and bears its fruits. Harvested fruits are great for sandwiches, in salads and for cooking.

You will know that the fruit is ready for harvest when the color turns to cadmium orange and orange to red, and appears shiny.  Fruits that are ripened on the vine are good flavored compare to the picked fruits early and then allowed to ripen. Pick the fruits off and do not allow them to stay longer on the plant. Months before expected date of frost cut off or remove all new followers one month before the first expected frost. This will facilitate the energy of the plants to the ripening fruits rather than producing new ones.

Sow seeds 5mm deep on the surface of a good, free-draining, damp, seed sowing mix and cover with a fine sprinkling of compost or vermiculite. When seedlings gain 2 true leaves, transplant them into final location.  Tie in each main stem to its support with soft garden twine, keep well-watered and feed weekly once flowers form. Apply foliar feeder, a water-soluble formula that can be absorbed through the leaves, on a 10- to 14-day schedule during periods of active growth. Regularly pinch out the side shoots that form between stem and leaves once they reach about 5cm long to encourage plants to form one central stem with plenty of fruit. Use for slicing, cooking and canning.

The fruits mature to an unusual mahogany brown, darkening with age, and are large. To enjoy the best-tasting fruit possible, it's best to pick your tomatoes when they're red-ripe. Do not leave them over ripen as they will become floury and lose their sweetness.

Gourmand option when selecting tomato crops during spring.  Roma tomatoes have a cylindrical or plum shape, and feel heavy for their size. Their colors range from pink to orange to deep red. Romas' need the same conditions as other tomatoes—well-drained soil high in organic matter, full sun, and plenty of water. Plant them about 14 to 20 inches apart. Best in making can salsa, sauces, slicing and cooking.

Once the tomato is firm and red from the bottom to the top, it is ready for picking. Bring in the unripe fruits and ripen them in paper bags when frost season is approaching as they will not survive from it.

Gently spicy, Green Zebra tomatoes are mottled and striped green and pale yellow when ripe. This gourmand selection does best in well-drained soil, amended with compost, peat moss and fertilizer and in an area that has full sun light. Don't plant under trees or in shady places in your garden. Tomato plants need to be kept moist, so you must water at least every third day and only water at the base of the plant. Fruits are excellent with a sweetness that is combined with tartness at the same time. Tip, pick and eat while fruit is still firm and not soft and dull yellow color, it loses its flavor when overripe. Best for salad servings.

Look for the Zebra's light green stripes to turn yellow and when the skin looks smooth and waxy, these are some indication when fruits are ready to pick. Leave Zebras on the vine if you want them to be sweeter. But be careful – fruit can get mealy if you wait too long to harvest them. Fruit that is fully ripened on the vine has a much fuller flavor than fruits that are picked early and then allowed to ripen.

Tomato Grosse produces perfect balls of bright-red fruit with a much-loved rich flavour. Excellent tomato choice for planting. Tomato seeds can be planted directly into the garden bed, but best results are usually obtained by sowing into pots or trays and transplanting when the plants are a few centimeters tall. The ideal position for tomato plants is in full sun, protected from strong winds. Prepare the soil before planting by digging in some organic matter then water in thoroughly using a liquid fertilizer. Plant seedlings 15-18 inches apart and rows should have 3-5 feet distance. Put a 2-3-inch layer of mulch made of organic material like compost, straw, leaves, hay, clippings of grass, red or black plastic sheeting, or even newspapers around the tomato plants to prevent the growth of weeds and loss of water. Provide supports for the tomato vines to keep off from the ground. Tomato fruits are best when serve in salads, sandwiches or lightly fry with golden shallots, garlic chives and fresh Basil Pesto.

Harvest the tomatoes when they begin to become pink, bringing them indoors. To enjoy the best-tasting fruit possible, it's best to pick your tomatoes when they're red-ripe. If they are left to over ripen, they will become floury and lose their sweetness. Tomatoes get their rich red color due to temperature, not the sunlight. Fruits can just be pulled off the vine but always keep a little bit of stalk attached to the fruit so that it stores better.

Lemon tomato has translucent yellow-green cherry color with refreshing tart-sweet flavor that makes it best for adding color and taste in salads. Also delicious raw, sautéed, grilled, stewed, and added to many preparations. Raise seedlings first in seedbeds ¼ ‘deep. Tomatoes are sensitive to freezing temperatures, so wait to transplant outdoors until the soil is warm. This variety is heavy producers so proper maintenance is needed. Plant in full sun with a rich fertile soil. Keep the soil moist. Do not add a fertilizer to your plants that has high nitrogen content as this will cause the plant to add foliage but not bloom and can encourage blossom end rot.

Days to maturity-72-85.They are fully ripe about a week after they turn chartreuse-yellow. They are also ready to be plucked from the vine when their center is hard enough to touch. Twist Them with your hand leaving small stalks from the fruit to store longer, up to two weeks.

Start your seeds indoors before the last set of frosts in spring. Sow seeds in the seedbeds. When tomato seedlings begin to grow bigger and taller you can transfer them into their final location where there is a sunny spot. Plant them with spacing about 15- 18 inches apart. To facilitate the growth of the plant it's very important to add some support by the use of a tomato cage placing them around the plants or a trellis. Put a string in the trellis tightly and wrap the stems around the strings. Prune the tomatoes by removing the growing suckers or small branches that grow between the main stem and the strong main branches.  For highest productivity, tomatoes need a steady supply of available water and nutrients. Good for making salads, making preserves and canning, sandwiches, also tastes good in pizzas and other baked foods.

When the colors of your tomatoes are sort of pinkish red, they're ready for harvest. When picking you can twist gently to pull from the stem.  Keep them in warm place or place them in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

This type of tomato produces 110 to 170 grams fruit with a rich, tangy flavour. Sow seeds on the surface of a good, free-draining, damp, seed sowing mix and cover with a fine sprinkling of compost or vermiculite. When the plants develop their first true leaves, and before they become root bound, they should be transplanted. Pick an area where tomatoes enjoy full sun. Provide stakes to support the plants and as they grows, tie in the main stem to the support stake - check previous ties to ensure that they do not cut into the stem as the plant grows. Pinch outside shoots and pinch out the growing tip after 5 to 6 trusses have set. Water lightly and keep the soil consistently moist throughout the growing season. Harvested tomato fruits are great for salads.

Tegerella starts cropping at about 55-75 days. When fruits mature, they are the size of a billiard ball. Pick the fruits when the color turns to bright red with orange stripes. Do not let the fruits become over ripe, it's better to pick them while their color start to change and they will continue to ripen. Store them in warmth place or in fridge up to two weeks.

This variety is tasty easy to grow and tolerates in most types of soil. Prepare a well drained, fertile soil and loosen the soil very well removing all stones. Sow outdoors in rows from early spring until early summer thin out if necessary. Can be eaten raw, stewed and soups or delicious roasted whole.

Harvest in 7 weeks after planting. Do not allow the tubers to grow too large otherwise they dry out. Best to harvest when they reach approx. 6 cm. Gently pull them out from the soil and trim the leaves.

Blacktail Mountain Melon prefers warm, well drained, humus rich soil in full sun, with shelter from winds. This variety produces fruits, each weighing up to 5kgs with dark green skins, juicy, crunchy scarlet flesh. When growing watermelons outdoors cover the soil 3-4 weeks before planting with plastic mulch. Plant in single rows at a distance of 1m (39") apart, leaving 2m (6') between rows. Pull a little soil around each plant to keep it from touching the plastic mulch. Water well after planting until melons are fully established.

Watermelon is ripe when they produce a hollow sound when tapped. The tendril closest to the fruit usually shrivels up and turns brown. The spot where the melon was resting on the ground will be whitish or yellow and the stripes will fade. You can harvest just before ripe and melons will finish off in storage. Keeps for up to two months.

Plant watermelon in full sun, in loose, well-drained, but moisture-retentive soil rich in organic matter. Add aged compost to the planting bed before planting.  If you plant directly, sow seeds 1 inch deep. Sow 4 to 6 melon seeds in mounds or inverted hills 24 inches across; thin to the 2 or 3 strongest seedlings in each hill when seedlings have developed three or four true leaves. If you start indoors, start seedlings 3 to 4 weeks after the last average frost date in spring. Start seed indoors in 4-inch or larger biodegradable peat or paper pots that can be set wholly into the garden so as not to disturb the roots.  Provide mulch and keep the plants weeded. Freshly pick fruits can be eaten straight from harvesting.

Harvest fruits when they are ripe with a sharp knife. Cut the stalk from the stem and handle carefully not to drop the fruits when carrying it. It's easy to know when fruits are ready for harvest, the rind turns a lovely golden yellow and it has a low sounds when you tap it.

To grow sweet tasting watermelon, the plants must have plenty of sun, warm temperatures, lots of nutrients, room to grow and a good supply of water. Sow seeds 1/2 inch deep outdoors after last frost and soil is warm. Plant 8-12-inches apart, in rows 6-feet apart. Can also be started indoors, but no more than 2 to 3 weeks prior to transplant date. Moon and stars red  melon have a sweet, juicy, red flesh and a delicious taste that makes it best to eat and produces sweet drinks.

Watermelon is ripe and ready for harvest when the light patch on the underside has changed to pale yellow, stripes will fade, and the tendril immediately opposite the stem from the fruit is withered. It usually takes about 14 weeks. Harvested fruits can be stored in a fridge for a couple of weeks, but their flavor will slowly deteriorate.

Mountain Sweet yellow melon is heat-loving but not drought-tolerant. It grows best in warm, fertile soil and in full sun.  When the soil has warmed in the spring, make small mounds about six feet apart. Plant seeds ½-1" deep in the mounds, with 6 seeds about 5" apart. Lay down black plastic mulch or straw mulch to maintain soil temperature and moisture, and to reduce weed growth. Thin each mound leaving the 3-4 strongest seedlings.  You can also start seeds indoors, grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks after the danger of the last frost and make sure you won't disturb the roots. Harvested fruits can be cut up and eat in slices or use to make fruit drinks and can be added to fruit salads.

A ripe watermelon usually has a yellowish ground-spot and brown, dry tendrils near its stem and its skin will become dull and rough to the touch. Harvest when the part in contact with the ground is turning yellow and the fruit sounds hollow when tapped.

Plant tubers direct in garden where they are to grow. Ocas are basically grown like potatoes, although they are more shade tolerant, and in fact, will do better in partial shade. Plant them out after the last frost, at 30 - 40 cm spacing and at a depth of 4-5cm, and wait. Tubers start forming 4 months after planting and production peaks at 6 months. Yam- Oca produces fresh lemony flavor. It can be eaten raw or add into salads or can be boiled, baked or fried.

Harvest in 15-20 weeks. Leave in the ground until foliage has completely died down so tubers reach maximum size. You can pull them out out, or dig around the roots to remove them from the soil. You can pluck a few leaves throughout the summer to add to your green salads.

This vigorous and easy to grow plant is heat and cold resistant and can be grown year round. To be able to produce a thick, dark green, shiny, spoon-shaped leaves, you must prepare fertile, well-drained soil and space 12-18" apart. It grows upright on pale green petioles. Keep soil moist and fertilize as needed. Harvest young baby leaves for salad mix as it has a mild flavor when harvested young. Delicious steamed or stir-fried. Yukina can also be grown in pots or containers.

Yukina Savoy is ready for harvest in about 25-45 days. The beautiful, full-sized bunches can be cut at ground level or at the base for a one-time harvest when the rosettes are about 25cm tall. Alternatively, the leaves can be cut a few centimeters above the ground and harvested several times under a cut-and-come-again system.

Zucchini Black Beauty produces glossy black-green zucchini with creamy, white flesh. Plant seeds directly in very sunny spot, in soil enriched with plenty of aged manure and well drained soil. Seeds need to be planted about 2cm deep, space them 70cm apart and laid flat. Sow three or four seeds in a small mound of soil, and after they sprout and get growing, they then get rid of the weakest seedlings and allow the strongest one to grow on. You can allow them to climb on the fences or walls. Mulch around plants to a depth of about 3-4cm, to preserve soil moisture and suppress weeds and keep plants well-watered. Give them monthly liquid feeds as well to keep plants growing rapidly. You can also raise seed in pots then transplant them when they are 4-8 inches tall without disturbing the roots. Use them in soups, salads, casseroles, thin for dips, battered and fried.

Harvest starts in 9 weeks after planting. Pick flowers for stuffing or leave fruit until it is 6 to 8" long. Harvest while skins are still tender; The older and bigger zucchini get the tougher and less flavorsome they will be. Remove the zucchini by cutting them from the vine with a sharp knife. They have very thin skins and bruise easily, so handle them gently. Wearing gloves is advisable, as the stalks may scratch or irritate your hands. Continue harvesting as long as the plant continues to produce fruit.

Zucchini Blanco is very easy to grow and it produces pale green and glossy fruit. It is best grown in fertile, organically rich, medium moisture, well-drained loams in full sun. Plant seeds after last spring frost through summer. Seeds can be started indoors and transplanted when it is 6-12 inches. Do not disturb the roots when transplanting. If direct planting, place 3 seeds 2cm in deep together 3-4 apart in rows, 8' apart. Thin later to 1 or 2 plants per hole, leave only the strongest seedling in each group. Fertilize well, as plants can be heavy producers. Fruits resting on mulch, straw or boards resist rot. Plants will continue to produce until the first frost if all fruits are picked prior to maturity.

Harvest Zucchini Blanco when young before flesh gets woody and seeds harden. Cut fruits when about 10-15cm (4-6in) long. Avoid bruising or skinning them. Regular harvesting prolongs the cropping season.