I FELL FOR THE HYPE... 7 Crops I Would NEVER Plant Again

The Gardening Channel With James Prigioni

9 chapters8 takeaways10 key terms5 questions

Overview

This video explores seven specific crops that the presenter, James Prigioni, would not plant again due to issues like excessive spikiness, inedible or difficult-to-process fruit, invasive growth, or simply not being worth the effort compared to more common alternatives. He emphasizes the importance of maximizing limited garden space and time by choosing productive and enjoyable plants, cautioning against falling for the hype of rare or unusual crops that ultimately disappoint. The video contrasts these disappointing choices with a few recommended uncommon but rewarding alternatives.

How was this?

Save this permanently with flashcards, quizzes, and AI chat

Chapters

Gardeners have limited space and time, which should not be wasted on unproductive or problematic crops.
The presenter will share seven specific crops he regrets planting.
The goal is to help viewers avoid similar mistakes and make better planting choices.

Understanding the value of garden resources like space and time is crucial for efficient and rewarding gardening, preventing frustration from poor crop selection.

The Flying Dragon Hardy Orange, while a citrus that can survive in colder climates, is covered in dangerous spikes.
The fruit is inedible raw, requiring significant processing like making marmalade.
It's a trifoliate orange, often used as rootstock, not for its fruit, making it a poor choice for a backyard food forest.

This example highlights how a plant's appearance and initial promise can be deceiving, and its true utility (or lack thereof) for a gardener's specific needs is paramount.

The large, dangerous spikes on the Flying Dragon Hardy Orange tree that can cause injury.

Jujube trees grow large, are difficult to manage due to spreading branches and spikes, and can encroach on neighboring areas.
The fruit has a taste similar to an apple but is generally considered inferior, though it can be dried to resemble a date.
Root suckers are a significant problem, requiring constant removal and adding to the plant's maintenance burden.
Jujube trees are often more expensive than common fruit trees like apples, offering less value for the cost.

This case demonstrates that even crops with edible fruit can be problematic if they are difficult to manage, invasive, or don't offer a superior taste experience compared to readily available alternatives.

The presenter getting spiked by thorns while trying to harvest jujube fruit and having to dig up root suckers that pop up from the ground.

The African Horned Melon plant grows vigorously but takes a long time (100 days) to produce fruit.
The fruit itself is covered in spikes and requires ripening to a specific color for best flavor.
The taste is described as sour and generally disliked, even by pets, making it a poor culinary choice.
Vigorous growth can lead to the plant taking over garden space, further compounding the disappointment.

This illustrates that a plant's vigorous growth can be a disadvantage if the resulting fruit is unappealing, slow to mature, and difficult to handle.

Giving a taste of the African Horned Melon to a dog named Tuck, who immediately rejected it.

Autumn Olive is a fast-growing nitrogen-fixing plant that can become invasive and difficult to control.
Its fruit is tart and generally unpalatable when eaten fresh, and not particularly desirable even in jams or jellies.
While beneficial for birds, its aggressive growth and poor fruit quality make it unsuitable for most backyard gardens.
Its nitrogen-fixing ability might make it useful in specific, challenging soil conditions, but not for general cultivation.

This highlights the danger of plants that fix nitrogen, as their rapid growth can lead to invasiveness, overshadowing any benefits from their fruit or other properties.

The Autumn Olive plants having taken over a back corner of the garden, requiring significant effort to manage.

Aronia berries are known as chokeberries due to their extreme astringency when eaten fresh.
They require processing (jams, jellies) to be palatable.
While a beautiful plant, it doesn't offer significant advantages over blueberries, which are also attractive and edible fresh.
It's considered the 'best of the worst' among the discussed crops, potentially viable only for those with abundant space or specific needs like hiding edibles.

This comparison emphasizes that even aesthetically pleasing plants with edible fruit should be evaluated against common alternatives like blueberries, which offer similar benefits with greater ease of consumption.

The dry, unpleasant mouthfeel caused by the astringency of raw Aronia berries.

The Japanese Raisin Tree grows very quickly and becomes massive, taking up excessive garden space.
Despite growing it for eight years, the presenter has never seen it produce fruit.
The edible part is the fruit stalk, not the fruit itself, making its lack of fruiting a major issue.
Its rapid, non-tree-like growth habit makes it a poor long-term choice for a backyard setting.

This underscores the risk of investing years in a perennial crop that fails to produce, leading to a significant waste of time and space with no reward.

Growing the Japanese Raisin Tree for 8 years without ever seeing it produce fruit.

Goji berries are often touted as a superfood but are disliked by the presenter for their taste, described as similar to a bad tomato, even when dried.
The plant is extremely invasive, growing like a bush, then sprawling, re-rooting, and sending out suckers.
It is very difficult to eradicate, with the presenter still battling it years after planting.
If one insists on growing them, planting in a pot is strongly recommended to prevent them from taking over the garden.

This serves as a strong warning against planting highly invasive species, especially those whose purported health benefits are overshadowed by a poor taste and aggressive growth habit.

The presenter's ongoing struggle to remove goji berry plants from his garden years after the initial planting, with them continually re-rooting and spreading.

Many uncommon or rare crops are not worth growing due to taste, difficulty, or invasiveness.
Perennial crops that take years to mature and then disappoint are a significant waste of time.
Common fruits like strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are often more rewarding choices.
Some uncommon crops, like persimmons, gooseberries, ground cherries, and pawpaws, are genuinely good and worth trying.
The goal is to plant crops that bring joy and satisfaction, not frustration.

This final section encourages gardeners to prioritize enjoyment and productivity, suggesting that while rare crops can be interesting, reliable and delicious staples or well-chosen unique varieties offer a better return on investment.

Recommending persimmons, gooseberries, ground cherries, and pawpaws as examples of uncommon but rewarding crops.

Key takeaways

1Prioritize garden space and time by selecting crops that are productive, easy to manage, and enjoyable to eat.
2Be wary of 'hype' crops, especially rare or unusual ones, as they may have significant drawbacks not immediately apparent.
3Spiky plants, while potentially useful for barriers, are often impractical and dangerous for food forests or small gardens.
4Vigorous growth can be a negative trait if the plant becomes invasive or its fruit is unpalatable or difficult to harvest.
5Consider the processing required for a fruit; if it needs extensive work to be edible, it may not be worth the effort compared to fruits that can be eaten fresh.
6Even 'superfoods' or plants with high antioxidant content are not worth growing if they are difficult to manage, taste bad, or are invasive.
7Common, reliable fruits like strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries often provide more consistent satisfaction than many exotic alternatives.
8When exploring uncommon crops, research their growth habits, taste, and potential issues thoroughly before planting.

Key terms

Flying Dragon Hardy OrangeJujubeAfrican Horned MelonAutumn OliveAronia Berry (Chokeberry)Japanese Raisin TreeGoji BerryNitrogen FixerRoot SuckersAstringent

Test your understanding

1What are the primary reasons the presenter advises against planting the Flying Dragon Hardy Orange?
2How does the invasive nature of the Jujube tree, specifically its root suckers and spreading branches, make it a poor choice for a backyard garden?
3Why is the African Horned Melon considered a waste of time and space, despite its vigorous growth?
4What makes the Autumn Olive a problematic plant for most gardeners, even though it's a nitrogen fixer?
5How can a plant like the Goji Berry, despite its purported health benefits, become a gardener's worst nightmare?