Growing Your Own Vegetables: An Encyclopedia of Country Living Guide (16 page)

HARVESTING:
Winter squash and pumpkins that have cured for 10 to 14 days at 80 to 85°F after harvest will keep the best in storage. During this period the rind will harden and any surface cuts or imperfections will heal over. In many parts of the country this warm-curing period occurs naturally in the field after the vines have dried. In cooler regions, leave fruit on their vines until just after the first frost, but don’t let them freeze. Cut the stems about an inch from the fruit and bring them into the warmest room in your house for curing. Once the fruit has cured, store under cool, dry conditions.

HOW TO GROW MONOGRAMMED JACK-O’-LANTERNS

When pumpkins on the vine have begun to size up but are still green and thin-skinned, incise a child’s name or decoration into the skin with a sharp nail or a ballpoint pen. The shallow cuts heal into a raised scar as the skin hardens, and the result is a delight to young ones when they discover their own monogrammed pumpkins at harvest time.

Exotic squashes

Bitter melon
(
Momordica charantia
), also known as
foo gwa
, balsam pear,
kareli
, and bitter cucumber, is native to Asia and India. Perennial in the tropics, it can be grown annually in zones 5 to 10, where the vine will climb to 20 feet. The fruit resembles a very bumpy, ridged light green cucumber. It does indeed taste somewhat bitter due to its natural quinine content, and it is best harvested when young, as the fruits get more bitter as they get older.
Note: Do not eat the toxic seeds of a ripe bitter melon.

Calabaza
(
Cucurbita moschata
or
Cucurbita foetidissima
) is like a large pumpkin, also called Cuban squash,
calabazilla
, and green or Indian pumpkin where it is commonly grown in Central and South America. It keeps like a winter squash and thrives in hot climates like Florida’s. The large vines, to 60 feet long, produce prolifically.

Chayote
(
Sechium edule
) is shaped like an avocado and is green outside but white inside. Its many names include
brionne
,
christophine
,
chocho
, mango squash, mirliton, and vegetable pear. The large vines, 30 to 100 feet a year, are perennial in frost-free climates.

Fuzzy melon
Benincasa hispida
) is a Chinese member of the gourd family, also known as hairy melon. The many Asian varieties of this species come in various shapes. It’s most comparable to our summer squash, with individual 1- to 2-pound fruits that resemble a fat green cucumber with a fuzzy, kiwi-like skin.

Spaghetti squash
(
Cucurbita pepo
) is a thin-skinned fruit full of long strands of flesh instead of a solid mass like most squash. It’s also, and appropriately, called vegetable spaghetti. Plant and grow like other cucurbits, harvesting when the fruits are deep yellow.

Craft gourds

Craft gourds (
Lagenaria siceraria
) or hard-shell squashes provide the makings of an easy and fun garden craft. Although inedible, craft gourds are grown for their interesting shapes and colorful patterns; growing instructions are the same as for winter squash. They are best grown as climbers over a fence or trellis so that the developing fruits can hang freely. Gardeners in the hot, dry Southwest will have an easy success both growing and curing gourds.

HOW TO GROW A LOOFAH SPONGE

Loofahs (genus
Luffa
) are a squash not eaten but used as vegetable sponges—a bathing spa favorite as well as good multipurpose scrubbers around the house. Tropical in origin, they grow best in the Deep South or may be grown in a heated greenhouse in cooler climes.

With a long growing season, loofah squash are generally started indoors several weeks before the last frost date. Soak the hard seeds for at least 12 hours and plant 2 or 3 to a 4- to 6-inch container and keep in a warm, dark place; germination can take several weeks. Once sprouted, move the seedlings into good light. When seedlings are 2 inches tall, thin to the strongest plant; at 3 inches they are ready to be transplanted outdoors, provided the weather is warm and stable. The vigorous vines are attractive, with yellow flowers.

For the best sponges, leave gourds undisturbed on the vine to mature, ripen, and dry. In shorter-season climates, harvest the gourds and dry indoors until they turn brown, feel light, and rattle with loose seeds when shaken. Slice off the big end and shake to remove the seeds. Soak the dried gourd overnight or until the skin separates from the sponge. Remove any loose pulp from the netted interior and soak in a mild bleach solution. Dry thoroughly out of direct sunlight.

THE NIGHTSHADE FAMILY

T
he nightshade family (
Solanaceae
) includes eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes as well as husk tomatoes, ground cherries, and tomatillos. Okra, although not a
Solanum
, grows and bears fruit in a similar manner and so is included in this chapter. All are tropical perennials that are grown as annuals in temperate zones. They take a long time to bear fruit, so northern growers must start seed indoors or rely on nurseries to provide transplants at the correct planting time. All do best when soil and air temperatures stay very warm. Nightshades grow slowly in cool weather and may be badly stunted by exposure to temperatures below 45°F. Employing a cloche, greenhouse, or other means of protective covering to retain heat is well advised before the weather warms.

Most nightshades, especially peppers and eggplant, should be hardened off; that is, slowly acclimated to outside conditions over the course of a week to 10 days before transplanting from house to garden. Each day move the seedlings in their pots to a sheltered location out of direct sun and bring them in each night. Leave them out overnight the last 2 or 3 days, provided nighttime temperatures are above 50°F. Transplant into the garden and provide a wind screen or cloche to ensure that the young plants are not further shocked by cold.

Keep plants well watered their first few days in the garden to help their transition. Once the soil has thoroughly warmed, mulch to preserve moisture; do not apply mulch prematurely, as it will actually delay warming the soil—and postpone your subsequent harvest.

Eggplant

Eggplant (
Solanum melongena
) is a tropical perennial grown for thousands of years in China and India and since the sixteenth century in Europe. Eggplant is the most temperature-sensitive
Solanum
and botanically a “berry” (so is a pumpkin!). With a long growing season and relatively low yield per plant, eggplants may not be the most practical choice for small gardens. However, the attractive stout bushes with their lush foliage, starry purple flowers, and glossy deep purple, maroon striped, or white fruit contribute greatly to the overall beauty of the garden.

The familiar big, oval, purple variety is also called aubergine (especially outside the United States). Individual plants will yield 2 to 6 fruits, each weighing 1 to 5 pounds depending on climate and care. 80 to 100 days to maturity.

Oriental eggplants—which include Thai, Japanese, Chinese, and Indian varieties—are hardier than the aubergine, and they produce twice as many smaller fruits in a much shorter season, making them a good choice for short- and cool-season growers.

PLANTING:
Eggplants thrive in well-drained, sandy, very rich soil amended with copious amounts of manure. To lessen the risk of bacterial wilt, do not plant eggplant where you have previously grown peppers or tomatoes. Start seed indoors in March or April at 75 to 90°F. Transplant into the garden 6 to 8 weeks later, well past the last frost date, and provide a plastic tunnel or cloche for additional heat and shelter from cold winds.

Space plants 18 to 30 inches apart in rows 2 to 3 feet apart. Regions with a longer and hotter growing season will produce bigger plants; provide greater spacing to accommodate. Eggplants are fairly drought tolerant. Irrigate regularly but modestly, no more than once a week, as too much water will produce watery, bland-tasting fruit. Additional feeding midseason will boost production.

HARVESTING:
Aubergines typically bloom in early July but don’t mature fruit until the end of August or even early September; Orientals bear earlier. Fruit that is at least as big as a large egg and has a glossy skin may be harvested or allowed to continue growing to reach full size according to the variety. Picking early also allows the plants to continue to produce. Young eggplant are more tender, with smaller seeds and no bitterness. Cut the tough stems with a sharp blade to avoid damaging the plant.

Okra

Okra (
Abelmoschus esculentus
or
Hibiscus esculentus
) is related to cotton, hibiscus, and hollyhocks. It is a beautiful plant and a favorite in the Deep South, where many gardeners plant it among their flowers rather than in the vegetable garden. It’s possible to grow okra outside the South, but you must have a hot summer growing season.

Okra is a large plant, 2 to 9 feet tall, with luscious leaves that can grow to a foot wide and lovely mallow-type flowers, pure yellow or yellow with a dark eye. A particularly beautiful variety has yellow and red blooms, red stems, and red pods.

PLANTING:
Okra is very cold-sensitive. It will grow anywhere as long as the soil temperature is at least 60°F, although the yield will be better in a fertile soil. In a northern garden, provide as much wind shelter as you can in an area of full sun. Plant seed directly in the garden ½ to 1 inch deep, 3 inches apart in rows 30 inches apart; dwarf varieties may be placed closer together. If you live where summers are hot but the growing season is short, sow seed indoors a month before transplanting, starting plants in a peat or paper pot that can be set directly into the garden soil to avoid disturbing the rootball. Set out plants or sow seed about the same time you would watermelon or squash, when the soil has thoroughly warmed. Thin seedlings or space transplants 12 to 20 inches apart. Whether planting indoors or out, soak seeds overnight before sowing to improve the germination rate. Keep weeds down for better production. 50 to 60 days to maturity.

HARVESTING:
Severely hot, dry weather, a harsh change in temperature, or poor drainage can cause bud drop. But under the correct conditions, a few days after flowering, edible seed pods begin to form. Pick the young, green seed pods when they are 2 to 3½ inches long. Bigger pods become bitter and tough. To avoid the almost invisible spines on the plant, which cause a burning irritation, wear gloves and long sleeves, and don’t pick unless the plants are completely dry.