Vegetable gardeners looking for better plants can find them at the CSU Extension Plant-A-Palooza plant sale May 14. The sale features tomato plants from around the world and better chiles for chile lovers.
Tomatoes available include Azoychka, a Russian heirloom that produces yellow, 3-inch tomatoes in 70 days. It has a good acid content to balance its sweet, citrusy flavor. Zhefan Short is from the Zhengjiang province of China. This 68 day tomato produces pink 3 inch fruits with good sweet/acid balance in the juice. Stupice from Czechoslovakia is a prolific, early bearing red type with great taste. Other heirlooms will be available too.
The chiles featured are grown from seed acquired from the New Mexico Chile Pepper Institute. The Institute returned fifty year old seed lines to what they used to be before they wandered off-type in the last few decades. The bonus for gardeners is traditional heritage chiles that yield 10 percent more and have 20 percent more flavor.
Two chile types will be sold. ‘Nu-Mex Heritage 6-4’ provides consistent medium heat with good yield. ‘New Mex Big Jim’ produces a high heat level for those who like their chiles hot.
The Plant-A-Palooza plant sale fundraiser has long been known for heritage tomato transplants in addition to modern tomatoes, peppers, basil, perennials and annuals. The sale takes place on Saturday, May 14 from 8 am to 3 pm or sold out in Denver’s Harvard Gulch Park, 888 E. Iliff Avenue (at Emerson Street). More information at 720-913-5270.
Photo credit: Tomato transplants, Carl Wilson
looking forward to this sale. just wondering if the tomatoes been hardened?
ReplyDeleteTransplants sold at this sale are grown in a greenhouse. Harden them on your porch or some protected spot before planting out as you need to do with most plants you purchase.
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