I always love the new year. It's the time here in southern Oklahoma to start the garden. I start cabbages and other cole crops, onions, lettuce and greens, and a few really long season things the first part of January in the greenhouse. I like experimenting with new varieties, and grow exclusively open-pollinated seed. This year we've got lots of new trellis space, having mounted livestock panel trellises on both the east and west sides of the house, so I'll be trying many new vining plants. One that interested me was a plant called "Casssabanana" from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
This plant is from Guatamala and described in the catalog: "The fruit are brilliant, flaming red and are about 2' long, one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen! They have bright orange flesh that is sweet and is used in drinks, jellies and other desserts; it has a tropical fruit taste. The fruit are fragrant and keep for a long period, like squash. . . .Huge vines can grow to 50' and are quite ornamental. . . . .Here in southern Missouri the fruit almost ripened last year, so we think if the plants are started indoors, we could easily get ripe fruit here in zone 6. . . .This plant was first mentioned in Europe in 1658 as a popular plant in Peru."
Using plants from other areas of the world is a technique I use often to further our work towards self-sufficiency. I like to explore and experiment with edible and useful plants from areas with comparable climates, especiallyl Mexico, the Mediterranean, parts of the Orient and the Middle East in order to provide variety and good nutrition in the family's diet.
Information on the Cassabanana from the Center For New Plants and Plant Products at Perdue University
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