What are you trying that is new to you this year in the garden?

[Emerald]

On the vertical gardening thread the OP asked what different things are people trying this year and I thought it was a good enuf question to merit it's own thread. They don't have to be exotic just something that you have decided to try and is completely different than what you normally do.
I'm planning on trying the Litchi tomato that a friend sent me seed for and I have the time this year to try(I always have the space )
and Evergreen bunching onions as my son and both grandchildren love green onions and my patch of walking onions needs a break.
Daikon radish is also going on the list. I've had them at Asian restaurants for years and years and often buy them(and in fact the Asian market that I found has them for .79cents a lb where all the other local stores they are $2.79 a lb! OH MY and they are grown in USA) I love the flavor and that it is big enuf to share and I just quick pickled a jar in the fridge to put in Kimbap and they turned out so well I'll be doing more jars. I also noticed that some of the fields that they are allowing to go fallow this last year had a weird plant come up and the more I watched those fields the more I recognized that plant. and talking to one of the farmers who used the mix he told me that it was daikon radish that had been mixed in by mistake at the place he gets pasture mix at. of course I didn't find this out till it was frozen out and I told him it is a good thing I didn't know as I probably would have gone out and dug a few for dinner! he laughed and said that he didn't think it was such a bad idea as the roots on those things go down for ever and he's hoping it will break up the deadpan layer on some of his fields. I figured it those things go so huge and nice looking just planted in the field I should be able to get a few nice ones in the garden.
Raddichio- I love those little round heads and so I have the seeds all bought and just waiting for spring.. I'm a bit confused about some of the instructions on how to force it to make heads but that is the fun of trying new things.
I have also picked up two different types of baby boc choi. one that is white stemmed and deep green leaves and one that is light green stemmed and light green leaves. I've cooked with both of these and can't wait to grow them..
and last Mache-I'm going to try the four season harvest this fall and Mache is supposed to be super cold hardy.

There are some on my wish list but I think I want to try them before growing them. I love some greens and absolutely detest others so buying them first may be the best. any thoughts on Mizuna and other Asian greens. I have those weird taste buds that hate cilantro and arugula and even fresh basil(dried basil is wonderful but fresh. ick) I have found a type of cilantro that i can eat but it is hard to find.. Vietnamese cilantro is the same flavor(sans soapy kerosine taste) but totally different plant.
so.. what are your "new to you" picks this year?

 

[Wannabefree]

We're doing radishes and kale for the first time this year. I've had kale before but it was a looooooooong time ago, radishes...I hate with a fiery purple passion, but I like greens, so hoping they'd be good to mix in with my lettuce. The pigs can have the dang radishes for all I care.

 

[moolie]

Too lazy to go look in my seed box at the moment, but we're trying a couple of new tomato varieties (one that ORChick sent me last year!), playing around with our companion planting a bit (beets didn't like their location last year), and adding more vertical supports. I'm sure there's more, but my brain is fried from a long day at work...

 

[Corn Woman]

I am trying Bordeaux spinach which has a beautiful red vein, Toy Choy bok choy should be ready in 30 to 35 days, amaranth, sorrel, italian red bunching onion, and 2 types of mustard ruby streaks and mizuna. I also got bread seed poppy and will have the beautiful blue flowers plus the seeds to use in baking.

 

[Denim Deb]

For me, just getting a good garden in will be different! My life has been so messed up over the last few years that I never really got a garden in and if I did get a garden in, I didn't really do much w/it. :/

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I'm trying several different tomato varieties - mostly different colored ones, like an orange tomato and one called Carbon. And, I'm going to try rutabagas. We loooooooooove rutabagas, so I'm really excited! Root crops grow pretty well for me, with the exception of carrots. Several years ago I grew sweet potatoes. I was sooo excited when I dug them up - they were beautiful! Except they had some kind of tiny, thin wire wormy looking thing in Every Single Potato. I baked 'em up for the chickens - at least they enjoyed them. So, I'm not sure how rutabagas will do...

This past fall I tried Napa cabbage for the first time. We loooooooooooove it! I've used it in stir fry's and this past weekend I made an awesome and delicous batch of kimchi. Yummy!

I'm also trying some different kinds of beans - like Rattlsnake beans. Hurry up warmer weather!

 

[Emerald]

For me, just getting a good garden in will be different! My life has been so messed up over the last few years that I never really got a garden in and if I did get a garden in, I didn't really do much w/it. :/

I didn't do much last summer and still feel like a cripple due to the knee surgery so I totally know how you feel! and the black raspberry canes are taking over half the yard cuz I just didn't feel like tackling them last year! (the leaves I dried last spring did make a tasty tea tho so I know where some of it is going this coming year )
so here is a big just for ya!
at least I did get about 50feet of tomatoes and pole beans in and about 25 feet of cherry tomatoes and cucumbers(not many cherrys only about 5 types and 3 to 6 of each type planted) lucky for me tho a good friend of hubbies invited us to come to his farm for a pig roast and to show off his gardens and he also shared the harvest once he and his wife got tired of canning and freezing and eating! I ended up with over a bushel of jalapenos red and green and I smoked and dried the red ones and grind them when I need them and I sent some back to them. and they sent over at least a bushel of tomatoes so with what I grew and theirs and the ones I went and got from the PickURown place near me I did well.
on a good note-the knee is strong enuf to catch me in this nasty slushy slippery snow we have had and while it is strong the arthritis still hurts.. darn getting old anyhoo!

 

[Emerald]

I'm trying several different tomato varieties - mostly different colored ones, like an orange tomato and one called Carbon. And, I'm going to try rutabagas. We loooooooooove rutabagas, so I'm really excited! Root crops grow pretty well for me, with the exception of carrots. Several years ago I grew sweet potatoes. I was sooo excited when I dug them up - they were beautiful! Except they had some kind of tiny, thin wire wormy looking thing in Every Single Potato. I baked 'em up for the chickens - at least they enjoyed them. So, I'm not sure how rutabagas will do...

This past fall I tried Napa cabbage for the first time. We loooooooooooove it! I've used it in stir fry's and this past weekend I made an awesome and delicous batch of kimchi. Yummy!

I'm also trying some different kinds of beans - like Rattlsnake beans. Hurry up warmer weather!

Oh man I want to try sweet potatoes this year to.. just a few hills as hubby and son and I love them baked or french fried and it sounds like you might have had nematodes! naughty things( try this plant as thick as you can old fashioned marigolds in the spot that you want sweet potatoes next year and in the fall chop them and till them in, then plant your sweet potatoes there the following year they have had good luck with getting rid of nemotodes in florida with them)
I love napa cabbage too! may have to check out the seed rack again this weekend! I did buy the diakon radish seeds today.
and if you are growing the polebean Rattlesnake you are so gonna love them! it has edged out my other favorite (Cherokee Trail of Tears) for best bean in the garden. they are like green candy to eat off the vines! and when you get tired of picking and canning or freezing them they make a very tasty pinto type bean for soups!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Thanks so much for the info! I forgot to add that I'm planning on planting marigolds too. I sure hope it works!

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Potatoes, corn, cow peas, limas, blue squash, cantalope and about 20 or so various new herbs.
Not sure if I will actually be able to pull all that off though, but I'll sure try.