| My stepmother in northern Michigan has had a problem with pale and tasteless carrots and acorn squash in her garden. What may be causing this? All her other vegetables are fine. |
| Several things may cause tasteless veggies from the garden. The first thing to consider is variety. You didn't indicate whether this was a variety she has always used with success, or whether this is the first time that particular variety was planted. Perhaps its just not a variety that suits her own tastes. Assuming that she is having trouble this year with a variety she has often grown successfully, it could be just the weather or soil conditions. For example with carrots, the right temperature and moisture affect how sweet the carrots are. Likewise with squash, which is especially affected by rainfall amounts. And then there is also the possibility that she is trying to grow something that just doesn't do well in certain regions. That's the fun of experimenting with different varieties of vegetables, finding just the right one to please you and that grows well in your own backyard! Always a challenge for the home vegetable gardener. |
