Remember the Gilligan’s Island episode where the crate of radioactive seeds floated into the lagoon? When the castaways planted them they got beets the size of Mary Ann’s head and beans as long as Gilligan’s arm.
A perusal of seed catalogs I recently received convinced me that I can grow vegetables and flowers that huge, but without the dangers of radiation.
Everyone is looking for big tomatoes that taste good and the Mortgage Lifter fits the bill. These drought tolerant low-acid tomatoes can reach four pounds!
Another plant where gardeners go for the biggest they can find is pumpkins. Dill’s Atlantic Giant grows 200-300 pounds! What a jack-o-lantern that would make! If that’s a little too heavy for you, Big Max grows just 100 pounds.
Kohlrabi can actually grow to 10-inch diameter bulbs without cracking if you plant Kossak Hybrid seeds. The white flesh maintains its sweet delicate flavor without becoming woody well into the autumn.
If you like cabbage for coleslaw, sauerkraut or in your salad, try planting Show-Off Hybrid Cabbage. The dense, firm heads grow to 12-16 pounds. If you prefer red cabbage, Mammoth Red Rock cabbage produces tightly packed 8-pound heads that hold their high quality during storage. You won’t have to plant too many of either of these!
Hot pepper aficionados should try growing the Big Chili II Hybrid. They taste just like canned peppers for flavor, but grow up to 10 inches long and 2 ½ inches wide. They are ideal for roasting.
For sweet pepper lovers, the ultimate stuffer is Gurney’s Giant Hybrid, which grows up to eight inches long.
Cantaloupe growers may want to try Gurney Giant Hybrid Cantaloupe. Compact vines produce 18-pound fruits that ripen in early August. The deep orange flesh is extra sweet.
There are several ornamental plants that grow fast and huge. The castor bean produces beans, but most people grow them for foliage. They grow 10-12 feet tall with gigantic veined leaves and are a good choice for privacy screens. They grow best in full sun.
For shade, there are several types of caladiums. They grow 3-6 feet tall and the leaves grow 2-5 feet long depending on the variety. Leaves of the different varieties come in deep purple, bright green, or a mix of emerald green, crimson and white. Caladiums are a dramatic way to fill a large shady space. They grow best in cool, moist soil, from bulbs which must be lifted in the fall and replanted the following spring.
Cannas grow in full sun, also from bulbs. They have showy foliage plus stunning flower spikes from June through frost in a wide range of colors. They can grow five to eight feet tall.
Dinner Plate Dahlias and a wide variety of sunflowers are good choices for those who like to show off huge blooms.
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