Fruits And Vegetables







All photographs are owned by the authors.







Cucumbers


Cucumber seeds come in a packet and there are a lot of them! However, planting them all might not be a good idea if you don't have a lot of space. They need space to "stretch" out. Happily, you can direct the plant as it spreads. All you really need is about three plants to give you a good yield for the summer and those three plants will take up some room! You will find you have cucumbers to share with neighbors and family! They like to be watered often and after the season is over, you can dig the dead plant in for compost.



Grapes


These grapes pictured are along the East side of Lorraine's garden. 1998 is the first year the vines had a bountiful yield. The area is well protected from wind and gets lots of sunshine. Grapes are really not as difficult to grow as most people think! They thrive and produce over a long season. However, there are requirements that must be adhered to in order to continue having successful yields.

Pruning is mandatory for grape vines. They need very specific care. Lorraine has experience in this as she consulted with an expert recently so if you have any questions or need advice, please drop us a line at our E-Mail addrerss (on the bottom of every page) and she'd be happy to help!



Kohlrabi


Kohlrabi is like a turnip growing on a cabbage root. The vegetable grows above ground and is best picked when 6cm (2 1/2 inches) across. It tastes like a very mild radish and can be eaten raw but can also be cooked. We slice them, put them on the dinner table and watch them disappear! :)

They need to be well watered and adequate nutrients added to the soil as well as good spacing in the garden. It is important not to disturb the roots while they're growing or they will not fully develope. We both suggest you try them out in your garden for something new and tasty. Kids love it too!


Peppers


Bell Peppers (pictured) are always nice in salads as they are naturally sweet. If you let them ripen all the way to a red color, they are much sweeter than the green you see here. Peppers need a sunny area in the garden with a good supply of water and compost nutrients for best growth. They are a warm weather crop that stops growing and drops flowers when temperatures dip below 55 degrees farenheit. Ideal growing temperature is 70 - 75 degrees F during the day and 60 - 70 degrees F during the night. A well fed and cared for pepper plant can yield up to twelve peppers. When the season is coming to an end, give the entire plant a little twist. This will encourage the ripening of the remaining peppers as the plant feels threatened.


Pumpkin


Most pumpkins start off green and turn orange as they mature. The one pictured is a different variety, having started yellow, but the end product is still the same. Pumpkins are very easy to grow but need a lot of space in the garden. They tend to stretch out ten to twenty feet so it is a good idea to grow them along the perimeter of the garden and can be maneuvered to grow in a certain direction if you wish. They are shade tolerant so they can be grown as a sort of ground cover amongst a corn crop. At the end of the corn season, knock down the stocks so the pumpkins can ripen to orange.



Tomatoes


Tomatoes are easy to grow. You can plant them in your garden or pot them and grow them on your deck or patio. The plant is sturdy and yields well. It is helpful to keep it pruned by cutting off the large stems of leafs that are not flowering. This forces the nutrients to feed the fruit, makes space for your tomatoes to grow and allows the sun to get at them to ripen. As the fruit grows, it becomes very top-heavy so a tomato cage is highly recommended. Place it firmly in the ground, as far as you can push it in and plant your tomato plant in it's center. It's not a good idea to put more than one plant inside a cage because even though they're small (if you buy them), they soon get very large.

The tomato's worst enemy is the Horn Worm. It starts off so small you can barely see it. But as it eats your plant and fruit, it becomes very large. Being the same green as the plant, it's hard to spot initially, but if you give the tomato plant a shake, you will hear it clicking or ticking at you. It does not like to be disturbed as it gorges on your plants. The only thing to do is to get it off of the plant as soon as you see it and kill it. We haven't figured out a good way to stop them from coming altogether, but if you have an idea, please share it with us!



Edible Pod Peas


What's a garden without peas? Peas come in a lot of different varieties, but our favorite is definitely the Edible Pod Pea. (Both of us: Our peas never make it to the kitchen. The kids love to go into the garden and eat them straight off the vine. They're also a good snack to munch on while you're working in the garden!) Pease like to stretch up in a vine so you need some support for them. Planted near a fence, they will climb up towards the sun. You should put a stake in for them to wrap around or create something for them. Around the end of July, the plant begins to die off. If you take this opportunity to plant more seeds, you will have fresh peas for Thanksgiving dinner! Peas like cool weather. They grow well and bear a good yield.




Green & Yellow Beans

Green Beans and Yellow Beans are immensely satisfying to grow in your garden. They have an excellent yeild and can grow in any type of soil. You start them from seed by just pushing one at a time about 1/2 inch into the dirt, water often, and watch them grow! Lorraine freezes hers for the winter by "blancing" them. There are a LOT of beans from the plants so that you can eat well while they're growing AND have enough to freeze! After the season is done, you can dig the plant into the ground for added compost quality.




NEILSON OF THE CORN!




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