Consumer Q&A: A Fruitful Search

Q: I am looking for a “yamper.” It was a small (about five pounds, I think) pumpkin we used to grow in Colquitt County. It was brownish orange to pinkish tan. It had a mild flavor and made pies that were not strong like a sweet potato or regular pumpkin pie. It was a flatter pumpkin than many I see today. Someone suggested it may be the ‘Tan Cheese’ variety of pumpkin. I am going to grow it to see if it may be the one, but does anyone there know anything as to the identity of this mystery pumpkin?  


A: We looked through seed catalogs and reference books and made calls to seed companies specializing in heirloom varieties but could not find any variety known as ‘Yamper.’

One plant may be known by many different names, and one variety of plant may be known by different names as well. Someone may misspell the name, add a word to it or never know the name in the first place and make up a name. It can sometimes turn a simple gardening question into an episode of “The History Detectives” on PBS.

We did find a reference from the 1800s to natives of Honduras growing “yampers” and numerous other crops including pumpkins. The text described yamper cultivation along with yams, eddoes and sweet potatoes, which makes us think the yamper the author was mentioning was also a root vegetable. Perhaps a similarity in taste or color between your mystery pumpkin and this root vegetable is how the pumpkin came to be called by that name.

We found a reference in Doniphan's Expedition and the Conquest of New Mexico and California to a flower known as a “prairie pink or yamper” with an edible bulb that probably also took its name from the tropical vegetable. We also found a community called Yamper Town in Alabama whose name is not connected to pumpkins or other vegetables.

‘Tan Cheese’ is a possible candidate for being your mystery pumpkin. It meets some of your descriptions and is a very old variety dating back before 1824.

If someone has information about the ‘Yamper’ pumpkin or any other vegetable known as a yamper, please contact Arty Schronce, Room 128, Georgia Department of Agriculture, 19 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Atlanta, GA 30334 or via email.

Q:  Is it true I can no longer purchase a ‘Bradford’ pear tree?  Someone told me this at a nursery.

A: You can still find ‘Bradford’ for sale as well as other varieties of Callery pear. However, there are problems with it and the other varieties, and Georgia nurseries have other trees that are beautiful without the headaches these pears cause.  

Here is some information to consider and to help you understand what someone may have told you: The 'Bradford' variety of Callery pear has been popular for many years. In fact, the name is so common that some people call all Callery pears "Bradford pears" whether they are the actual 'Bradford' variety or not.  Other varieties of Callery pear include 'Artistocrat,' 'Capitol,' 'Cleveland Select,' 'Holmford' (also sold under the name 'New Bradford') and 'Redspire.' All have the same white flowers that 'Bradford' is known for, but vary in height, width or fall color. Some are noted to be less likely to break apart in winds and ice storms than 'Bradford' is. That is a real drawback with 'Bradford.'

Perhaps these newer varieties were what the person was referring to when he told you 'Bradford' was no longer available -- that there are other varieties considered superior and his nursery is no longer carrying ‘Bradford.’ Even though they are popular, however, 'Bradford' and other Callery pears are not the best trees to plant.

As noted above, 'Bradford' is prone to break apart in storms. Even relatively young specimens can split in two.  Another problem that has become painfully apparent is that the trees are invasive and hard to get rid of. Although bred as sterile and thornless, people discovered the different varieties of Callery pear can produce fruit with viable seeds that sprout into dangerously thorny thickets of wild pear trees.  The thorns are long and sharp enough to put out an eye. If you have ever faced a patch of these trees or tried to remove them, it is a painful struggle. If you have the herculean task of removing wild pears, invest in goggles, leather gloves, long-handled loppers and antiseptic.

'Bradford' and other Callery pears can be beautiful in bloom, but there are alternatives that hold up better in the landscape and do not spread into areas where they are not wanted. Here are a few alternative white-flowering trees to consider: redbud or Judas tree (there is a white form as well as the more common reddish purple), Japanese flowering apricot (Prunus mume), sarvisberry or serviceberry, flowering dogwood, star magnolia, fringe tree or grancy graybeard, Carolina silverbell and blackhaw viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium). 

Q: I want to plant some pawpaw trees but am having trouble finding any for sale. Can you help me?   

A: Although native, pawpaws can be difficult to find for sale. To raise awareness of this native fruit tree and raise funds for future projects, the Bartow County Master Gardeners Association has grown pawpaws from locally collected seed and offers the young trees to appropriate organizations such as plant societies, 4-H clubs and groups doing landscape restoration projects.  

A couple commercial sources of pawpaws are Edible Landscaping and Stark Brothers. You may want to check the Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin. If you are a subscriber, you can place a free ad in the “Ag Seed/Plants Wanted” section. Also contact nurseries specializing in native plants. Gardens and plant societies that specialize in native plants may also offer pawpaws during their plant sales.

A couple of tips: Avoid purchasing bare-root pawpaw trees. It has been our experience that they are less likely to live than potted specimens. Don’t worry about buying small pawpaws. They will grow. Unlike apples and pears, pawpaws grown from seed are similar to their parents. If you find a fruiting pawpaw and you like the flavor, collect and sow the seeds. Note, however, that the seeds should not dry out, can be slow to germinate and require a period of moist chilling before they will sprout. 

For more information about pawpaws, visit the website of the Kentucky State University Pawpaw Program () or read “Put a Pawpaw in your Pocket.”

Georgia Grown Profile: Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association

Originally published in the March 19, 2014, issue

 

Group promotes networking, industry trends to membership

By Erica Lummus, spring intern

 

The Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association was established to help support Georgia’s produce industry and to increase the members that make up its network. By increasing the members who are involved, it will improve and increase the profitability of the industry. 

 

“We are an ally for the industry and have a seat at the table with decision makers in both state and federal governments,” said Director of Communications Samantha Kilgore.

 

The services that GFVGA offers are intended to grow productivities, provide educational opportunities to members, promote new markets in the industry and improve communications between GFVGA members and industry suppliers. The association makes it a priority to keep members as educated and fully informed of new information on new industry trends.

 

GFVGA provides services such as food safety consultations, legislative representation and educational workshops. It also coordinates and plans the annual Southeastern Regional Fruit & Vegetable Conference with the Georgia and South Carolina peach councils. 

 

Many of the members of GFVGA are also members of Georgia Grown and the association sees it as yet another chance for the state and the industry to work together as a team to support local, homegrown produce. The association is a proud supporter and promoter of the Georgia Grown program and is involved in many educational events and programs throughout the year at which it offers opportunities for Georgia Grown to be advertised.

 

The association is looking forward to continuing working with Georgia Grown to represent the state and hopes to continue educating people about the agriculture industry in Georgia and to help show how vital it is to the state economy’s success. 

Consumer Q&A: Exotic Plants

Q: I live in south Georgia, and we have quite a lot of palm trees in our landscapes. I have one that has ripe yellow fruits each year. It has fernlike fronds and is a full-grown tree. I really like it and want to treat it properly. My concern is what to do with the brown fronds that hang from the lower section. Do I cut these off?  If I do, at what length and at what time of year? Does it have any special fertilizer needs?

A: According to your description, your palm sounds like a jelly palm (Butia capitata). It is also called the wine palm and pindo palm.

The brown fronds on the lower section are dead and can be cut off at any time of year. You do not have to cut the dead fronds off, but you may want to do so to make the palm look neater. There is no rule about how far back to cut the dead fronds, just don't damage the trunk. Most people leave a few inches of stub and make all the "boots" uniform. Boots are the stubs of dead fronds that encircle the palm trunk. They create the cross-hatch pattern that is familiar on our native cabbage palmetto. The fronds are easy to cut off with a large pair of loppers. Leave the green fronds. They are manufacturing food for the tree. Be careful when you are on a ladder doing any kind of pruning!

Your jelly palm doesn't have any special nutrient or fertilizer needs. When it comes to fertilizer, too little is always better than too much especially with woody, mature plants. Jelly palms are naturally slow growing. You should not try to force a lot of growth with fertilizer, even when they are young. If you apply any fertilizer it should be in the late spring or early summer. Your tree probably doesn’t need any fertilizer at all.

Q: I saw a ‘Flying Dragon’ tree with lemon-like fruits in a catalog. Is it hardy in Georgia? Is the fruit edible?

A: ‘Flying Dragon’ is a variety of trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata), the most cold-hardy member of the citrus family. It will grow throughout Georgia and even farther north. Unlike the regular form of trifoliate orange, ‘Flying Dragon’ has spiraling stems and curved thorns that give the appearance of a Chinese dragon taking flight.

Trifoliate orange is almost exclusively grown as ornamental for its dark green thorny branches, white flowers and attractive fruits.

Although the fruit is fragrant and citrusy, the pulp is extremely sour and chock full of seeds. We have heard of people using the fruit to make marmalade, but have never tried it ourselves.

The thorns of trifoliate orange are formidable. Back in the 1980s Fort Bragg was planting them as a barrier. We haven’t heard how successful the effort was, but a hedge of trifoliate orange is a lot more difficult to get through than barbed wire and would give even Brer Rabbit pause. Removing a thicket of trifoliate orange would be like going into battle against a syringe-laden army of octopuses. ‘Flying Dragon’ would be less dangerous since the thorns do not stick straight out, but it still needs careful handling.

Trifoliate orange is listed as an invasive species in some areas – a scary thought if you’ve ever accidentally bumped into one. For more information, see the Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States.

On a lighter note, branches of standard form of trifoliate orange are used in Christmas decorating to make gumdrop trees. The decorator removes the needle-like tips and sticks gumdrops on the thorns. The branches of the standard form and the contorted ‘Flying Dragon’ may also be used (with care, of course) in Good Friday and Easter floral arrangements to signify the suffering of Jesus.

Q: Can we grow ‘Fuyugaki’ and other oriental persimmons in Atlanta?

A: Yes. ‘Fuyugaki’ (sometimes simply called ‘Fuyu’) and most other oriental persimmon varieties will do well in all of Georgia, except perhaps the mountains. ‘Sheng’ is one of the most cold-hardy varieties and it would be a good choice for someone in the mountains who wants to give oriental persimmons a try. ‘Maekawa Jiro’ is also listed as a very cold-hardy variety that might work in the mountains.

‘Fuyugaki’ is the most popular variety of oriental persimmon. Other varieties you may want to consider include ‘Wase Fuyu’ (sometimes listed as ‘Matsumoto’), ‘Gwang Yang,’ ‘Hana Gosho,’ ‘Jiro,’ ‘Eureka,’ ‘Tanenashi,’ ‘Ichi Ki Kei Jiro,’ ‘Saijo,’ ‘Great Wall’ and ‘Kyungsun Ban-Si.’

Many oriental persimmons are sold bare-root although some nurseries do sell them in containers. The bare-root ones are shipped in late winter while the trees are still dormant. Get your order in soon.

Q: What is the “goya melon” I see on television infomercials that people on Okinawa eat? Can we grow it in Georgia? If so, where can I find seeds?

A: The “goya melon” you see on infomercials is Momordica charantia, more commonly known in this country as “balsam pear.”  It also goes by the names “bitter melon” and “bitter gourd.”

Balsam pear/goya melon is a tropical vine that likes full sun and fertile soil. It is easy to grow. If you can grow cucumbers or gourds, you can grow it. It has long been grown in America as an ornamental novelty. Thomas Jefferson grew it at Monticello.

The fruit is a bumpy curiosity that turns golden orange when ripe and splits open to reveal seeds covered with bright red pulp like a screaming Technicolor cucumber. The fruits are edible when green but supposedly toxic when ripe. The red pulp is edible, but the seeds are also supposed to be toxic. There is a similar species, Momordica balsamina, known as “balsam apple” that is less frequently grown and generally considered less ornamental.

Arty's Garden: Try Edible Landscaping for Beauty and Bounty

Originally published in the Dec. 25, 2013, issue

 

Sometimes we put plants in rigid categories. We fail to look at the beauty of fruit, vegetable and herb plants and think of flowering plants as strictly ornamental. For example, blueberries are perfect for cereal or pancakes, but we do not always notice that blueberry shrubs have attractive white flowers in spring and foliage that blazes crimson and scarlet in fall. Eggplant is versatile in the kitchen, but its lavender flowers are pretty and its fruits shine like Christmas ornaments. Yuccas have bold foliage and flowers, but their white petals taste like mild cabbage.

Oriental persimmons have glossy leaves all
summer and attractive, tasty fruit in fall.

More than ever, categories are breaking down and boundaries are being crossed. Gardeners who do not have room for an orchard or a separate herb or vegetable garden are incorporating food plants into their overall landscape designs. The concept of using food plants throughout the landscape is referred to as “edible landscaping.” Ideally, plants in the edible landscape are esthetically pleasing as well as productive. 

Examples include planting basil among flowers, rosemary as a foundation shrub, muscadines to cover an arbor or blueberries as an informal hedge. Oriental persimmon, American persimmon, feijoa, fig, sarvisberry, peach, plum and bunch grape are a few fruiting trees, shrubs and vines that may be liberated from the orchard and vineyard and utilized in the home landscape. Texas tarragon, bay, anise hyssop, thyme, oregano, basil, rosemary, chives, parsley, red mustard, kale, Swiss chard, garlic, eggplant, hot peppers and okra are a few herbs and vegetables that have ornamental qualities. Edible flowers include pansies, violas, nasturtiums, roses and yuccas. 

Even an apartment-dweller can plant herbs or leaf lettuce in bushel baskets on a sunny balcony. Homeowners with a swimming pool taking up most of the backyard can replace a lounge chair with a half-barrel containing a miniature peach. Those with sunny patios or decks can set aside space for pots of calamondin, lemon or lime. Although these citrus trees are not winter-hardy in Georgia, they are easily overwintered indoors.

Consider making your landscape an edible one. Besides having the freshest herbs, fruits and vegetables possible, you’ll have the pride that comes from growing them yourself and an increasing appreciation of the beauty that lies in all things.

                                                                                            

Arty Schronce is the Department’s resident gardening expert. He’s a lifelong gardener and a horticulture graduate of North Carolina State University who encourages everyone to discover the pleasures of plants and gardening. 

Recall: Stone Fruits Pulled for Possible Listeria Contamination

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary W. Black is alerting Georgians to the recall of certain lots of whole  white and yellow peaches, white and yellow nectarines, plums and pluots packed by Wawona Packing Company of Cutler, Calif.

Internal company testing led to the discovery of the potential contamination of Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria is an organism that can cause foodborne illness in a person that eats an item contaminated with it. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches and gastrointestinal issues such as nausea and diarrhea. The illness primarily affects pregnant women and adults with weakened immune systems. Most healthy adults and children rarely become seriously ill.

The affected lots can be viewed on this document.

The recalled fruits were shipped directly to retailers and wholesalers. A nationwide recall was initiated as the company does not know the locations of businesses that purchased products from its direct customers. The produce was packed between June 1 and July 12, 2014. No illnesses have been reported to date.

Georgia Department of Agriculture inspectors will be checking to make sure the recalled products are removed from sale. Consumers who purchased the recalled products should not consume them and should discard them.

Questions about this recall?

Consumers who purchased this product can contact Wawona Packing at 1-888-232-9912 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST Monday through Friday.

 

 

 

 

To view a comprehensive list of food and feed recalls affecting Georgia, visit our Food Safety Division recall website. If this recall expands or additional details become available in the future, the website will provide the most up-to-date information. 

Recall: Freeze-Dried Fruit Recalled; Could Contain Salmonella

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary W. Black is alerting Georgians to the recall of 59,780 cases of freeze-dried fruit produced by Oregon Freeze Dry, Inc., of Albany, Ore.

The company issued the recall after determining the product could be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella is a bacterium known to cause salmonellosis in humans and animals. Symptoms of salmonellosis include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms. In some cases, they are known to be severe enough to require hospitalization and can cause serious complications or death in young children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.

The product was sold exclusively at Costco Wholesale Stores across the US. No other products made by Oregon Freeze Dry, Inc., are affected by the recall, and lots of the product remaining on the shelf have been rigorously tested and determined to be safe for consumption.


The affected products are Kirkland Signature Real Sliced Fruit, sold in a red and white case that contains 20 pouches of the snacks. The affected lots have best before dates of Feb. 14, 2015, to March 11, 2015.

No confirmed cases of Salmonella poisoning related to this product have been reported at this time. Georgia Department of Agriculture inspectors will be checking to make sure the recalled products are removed from sale. Consumers are encouraged to dispose of the product or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Questions about this recall?
Consumers who purchased this product can contact Oregon Freeze Dry, Inc., at recall@ofd.com or call 1-888-641-2933 during business hours in Pacific Daylight Time.

To view a comprehensive list of food and feed recalls affecting Georgia, visit our Food Safety Division recall website. If this recall expands or additional details become available in the future, the website will provide the most up-to-date information.