If you are looking for some inspiration or ideas for some crops to grow this year, then look no further! I have a list of 10 unusual crops to grow on your allotment plot this year.
Growing the same crops over and over again can sometimes feel a little dull. Of course, I love a good tomato or row of carrots to pull up every year, but it’s always nice to try something new. If you’ve been growing for many years, stepping out of your comfort zone and growing something you’ve never thought to grow before could spark a new love of gardening and take you back to that time when you were a beginner and learning for the first time.
So here they are:
1. Cucuamelons
Why not try Cucamelons? Neither a melon nor a cucumber, these taste like a sour cucumber with a lime twist and originate from Central America. They need heat to grow and so in Northern hemispheres their growing season is short, but not impossible. They are also very expensive to buy from farmers markets, so you are better off growing your own!
2. Rainbow Carrots
Did you know that carrots were actually naturally purple and slightly bitter until sometime in the 16th century when the Dutch cultivated the orange, plump, sweet ones we are used to today. So why not grow yourself a variety of rainbow carrots and explore the history behind this popular veg!
3. Okra
Okra is also known as ladies fingers and originate from Africa. They are great alongside a curry and can be roasted, fried and even dried. They require a warm growing season so perhaps you could try them in a greenhouse or polytunnel.
4. Jack be littles
Why not try this smaller pumpkin variety instead of giant halloween ones? These can be easily trained up trellis or over an archway. They are edible and are delicious served with some brown sugar, or even stuffed with wild rice!
5. Pineberry
Pineberry’s are a type of strawberry. They look fantastic and exciting and will impress any berry fan! They are just a cross-bred variety of strawberry and are grown the same way with the same taste!
6. Romanesco Broccoli
I can confirm from personal experience that Romanesco broccoli is absolutely delicious and so easy to grow. Not only that, I found I had less pigeon damage as they don’t seem to like the tougher florets. This is grown the same way as traditional broccoli and by that I mean fairly easily.
7. Kalettes
Kalettes are exactly as they sound. Little balls of kale grow from the stem in the same way as sprouts do. That means you can pick them as and when you want. Kalettes taste the same as the more traditional kale and make an exciting and unusual addition to the veg garden!
8. Rainbow Chard
Chard is a common veg to find in any UK allotment garden. The rainbow variety adds such fun and vibrant colour to your veg patch the whole year round. Not only is it perennial, meaning you can continue picking it year after year, it’s also delicious!
9. Mizuna
Mizuna is a delicious salad leaf to grow as an alternative to rocket thanks to it’s similar spicy taste. It can be grown in colder conditions too, making it a great crop to try in Northern Hemispheres. Personally I find Mizuna super easy to grow from seed in a pot right outside my kitchen door!
10. Rainbow Beetroot
Beetroot is one of my favourite vegetables! It reminds me of my nan who would always buy us some beetroot from Marks and Spencers on her way home! Rainbow beetroot is so much fun to grow and looks so pretty in a summer salad or made into a hummus.
I hope these crops have given you some inspiration. Why not grow something a little unusual in 2023 and challenge yourself. It’s great to go back to feeling like a beginner and getting that amazed feeling when you harvest something for the first time again!
Let me know if you do try any of them and happy gardening!
