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POTATO: MOST USEFUL OF VEGETABLES The Potato is widely cultivated in temperate regions, and its stem tubers, which grow underground, are a popular food. The plant comes from South America where it was highly valued by the Indians. Its botanical name is Solanum tuberosum; it belongs to the family Solanaceae. Potatoes can be cultivated in many different kinds of soil, […]
Timely harvest of vegetables sown or planted outside early in the growing season, and ones that generally mature rapidly or during cooler temperatures results in the best flavor and longest harvest period. Many of these also make good fall crops, started later in the season. Snap asparagus spears off at ground level when they are six to ten inches tall. […]
Knowing when to harvest vegetables is just as important as knowing how to grow them. Some have a long time over which you can harvest, others must be harvested at just the proper stage of ripening. Harvest at the wrong time, and your vegetables may not ripen properly if too young, or be tough and bitter if too old. You […]
One of the activities that you have most to gain from is growing your own vegetables, but for first-timers, the complex procedure of planning and organizing the veggie garden can feel like an impossible task. What’s even more stressful is that a single mistake can cost you everything as you won’t have what to harvest, all of your work being […]
Vegetable Problems Home garden asparagus can be damaged by the asparagus beetle in some areas. If you observe insects feeding on asparagus, contact your local county Extension agent for identification and control recommendations. Diseases Asparagus is troubled by some diseases. If plants have rust-colored spots on the stems or branches, ask your county Extension agent what to use. Harvesting Harvest […]
The modern beet as such was not apparently known in ancient times. There is a story that when the Greeks paid homage to Apollo they served him beetroots on a silver platter, but the first recorded specific reference to beets is in the third century in Rome. They were mentioned in 1390 in some old English cooking recipes. Beets are […]
Many people start their gardening hobby by just growing a few plants here and there, maybe some tomatoes, herbs, and other “easy” plants. More often than not, this small part-time hobby grows into something that becomes an entire lifestyle. Making the transition from a very small garden to one that’s considerably larger requires a lot of planning. Maybe you want […]
How to grow Broccoli Introduction It is believed that broccoli was known to the Romans at the time of Pliny, but references to this vegetable group it with cauliflower. The first notice of broccoli as such was made in 1724 by an English writer who called it “sprout colliclower or Italian asparagus.” In 1729 another English gardener reported that there […]
Growing your own fruit and vegetables is a fun and rewarding thing to do. These days we are all looking for healthier options and by growing your own produce, you can guarantee that it is totally organic. Chemicals and pesticides can cause all kinds of health problems so knowing exactly what is in your food can reassure you that it […]
Growing Carrots Carrots are generally bright orange-red in color, and there are a number of different types and shapes. New varieties have been introduced over recent years to remove the woody yellow cores from carrot roots and this explains the terms ‘red cored’ and ‘red cored improved’ attached to some varietal names. About this Plant… Family: -Umbelliferae Genus, species: -Daucus carota […]