Veggie gardeners or agriculture majors! Help me avoid having to look this all up on a dozen different sites!?

Question

If the following are all planted AT THE SAME TIME, in what order do they ripen enough to be used?

Corn, cucumber, snap pea, peppers, squash, tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, zucchini, carrots celery, horseradish, leeks, onions, parsnip, potatoe, sweet potatoe, pineapple, fennel, coriander, dill, apple, orange, cherry, peach, pear, grapefruit, strawberry, raspberry, coconut, maple, cabbage, kale, dandelion, sunflower.

The climate is semi-tropical, warm, with daily rain, bright sun (little or no shade) the seeds are sprouted and the roots have started putting out filaments when they are transplanted. They are put in a mulch of seaweed (rinsed, no salt) with added plankton and dead fish as fertilizer. (quasi-hydroponic.)

Which ones would you expect would really not grow at all, or would do very poorly? Which ones would do well?

This is for a novel, so my characters are depending on this to save their lives! Please help! I want to have reasonable, realistic details. Thanks!

Answer 1

cdf-rom, I'm not going to attempt to answer all of your question, just point out a couple of things and give you a little advice. All of your vegetables should work pretty well, I'd put in a few more like different kinds of beans that could be eaten green and harvested dry for storage. Hungry people aren't going to be too interested in fennel, coriander, and dill. Pineapple would grow well but takes two years to make fruit if that makes a difference to you. I'm sure that you realize that apples, peaches, oranges, grapefruit, pear, cherry, coconut, and maple are trees. At least 7 years to fruit from seed, no immediate help for hungry people, but I don't know the context of your story. If they are there for the long haul most would work OK. I assume the maple would be for sugar and would grow in your climate but not be much good for sugar. You are in sugar cane country, try that. Now, the advice. I'm no expert here but I've done a little writing, I have one novel. I know enough to realize writing a novel is all about research. Don't do it right and your reasonable and realistic details will make you look stupid. So do the research on these crops yourself and don't depend on anyone else trying to save a little time. You will live to regret it. Best of luck on your book.

Answer 2

The following won't grow in semi tropical conds.
Apple, peach, parsnip, horseradish, cherry, maple and pear.

The following will grow poorly in such conds.
cabbage, leek, kale, coriander (cilantro), strawberry, raspberry, dandelion.

the order of usability

dandelion, dill, cucumber, snap pea, zucchini, strawberry, kale, cabbage, onions, potato, coriander (put after dandelion if using the herb and not the seed. Aka cilantro), carrots, tomatoes, peppers, fennel, raspberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, celery, leeks, squash, sweet potato, sunflower, parsnip, pineapple, maple, apple, cherry, pear, coconut

Answer 3

Let me add to the comments already expressed. First, if you are writing fantasy, you can make up your own world and name your own crops. If you have an actual setting in mind, say, Queensland, Australia, (or any real place), look up the kinds of vegetables and fruits that are actually grown there, and direct your questions to people who live in the place you are dealing with. That's the only sensible way to go about it. And anyone even a little bit familiar with warm and sunny climates is going to realize that snap peas, apples, peaches, raspberries, and white potatoes are adapted to growth in climates where there is freezing or frost. Whether or not your fictional setting is completely frost free will determine whether or not tropical fruits can be raised there.

Answer 4

I think you missed a few, bananas, eggplant, collered greens, radishes, squash and pumpkins, watermelons.