Posts Tagged ‘vegetables’
Onion
Allium cepa One of the oldest crops in human history, gardeners grow these members of the lily family for the immature green bunching onions, often called scallions, or for the mature dry bulbs. Onions seem to have originated in the...
Okra
Abelmoschus esculentus Okra is a relative of hollyhock and hibiscus that hails from the hottest parts of Africa. Gardeners grow the tall, leafy plants for their immature fruit pods or seed pods that they use to thicken soups and stews...
Endive – Escarole
Chicorium endivia If you’ve ever had a salad that tasted quite bitter, it probably had one or both of these leafy greens mixed in. • This information can be found in The Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Book by Walter Reeves...
Malabar Spinach
Basella rubra Also known as “climbing spinach,” this ornamental summer vine, from the tropics of India, is not a true spinach but its thick, fleshy, slightly-crinkled, heart-shaped leaves and tender young shoot tips can be harvested as they grow and...
New Zealand Spinach
Tetragonia tetragonioides There are few leafy greens that do well in the South in our summer heat; like Malabar spinach, New Zealand spinach is not a true spinach, but fills the bill neatly. Its leaves and shoot tips taste like...
Cucumber
Cucumis sativus Cucumbers are vine crops that are closely related to squashes, pumpkins, and melons. They are warm-season plants known for their refreshingly mild fruits. Many kinds of cucumbers have been developed to satisfy the demands of different cuisines. Some...
Corn, Sweet
Zea mays var. rugosa Who can resist a steaming hot ear of fresh-grown corn on the cob? Being a native crop, it is more American as apple pie. Sweet corn was developed from common field corn. Field corn is harvested...
Swiss Chard
Beta vulgaris var. cicla Chard, more commonly called Swiss chard, is actually a beet that has been bred for leaves at the expense of the bulbous roots. Grown as a summer green, it is prepared like spinach. • More detailed...
Jerusalem Artichoke (sunchoke)
Helianthus tuberosus This tall, fall-flowering perennial sunflower is native to the United States, and was used by native Americans used it as a staple food. It grows into a somewhat invasive mass of stalks up to ten feet tall, with...
Sweet Potato
Sweet Potato Ipomoea batatas Because of their need for long, warm growing conditions, sweet potatoes are often thought of as an exclusive Southern crop – in fact, most of the tropical world depends heavily on the sugary, easy-to-grow member of...
Tomato Viruses
Virus Diseases of Tomato Cornell: Important New York Vegetable DiseasesPhoto Gallery of Tomato Diseases Kansas State: Virus Diseases of Tomato Texas AMU: Photo Gallery of Tomato DiseasesTomato Mosaic VirusCucumber Mosaic...
Collards
Brassica oleracea var. acephala Collards are a mainstay of Southern vegetable gardens. The cool-season leafy vegetable is a super cold-hardy member of the cabbage family. Collards tolerate both warm and cold temperatures better than cabbage – in fact, collards are...
Cauliflower
Brassica oleracea var. botrytis A member of the mustard family, cauliflower and its close relatives are different varieties of Brassica oleracea, commonly called the cole crops. • More detailed information can be found in The Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Book...
Beet
Beta vulgaris Garden beets are closely related to sugar beets and to Swiss chard. All are the same species and are members of the goosefoot family. Beets originated in the maritime regions of Europe, and gardeners hybridized them in Germany...
Shallot
Allium cepa var. aggregatum Shallots are related to onions, but have a milder, more delicate flavor. In some parts of the country people call any green onion a shallot. The difference is that onion bulbs develop only 1 sprout per...
Vegetables – Pollination
One of the most delightfully informative garden books I’ve ever read is “Sex in Your Garden” by Angela Overy (Fulcrum Publishing, $19.95). Ms. Overy (yup, that’s her real name!) describes how plants use false advertisements, bribes, perfume and sometimes pseudo-copulation...
Oddly Shaped Vegetables
Hometown newspapers once featured large or oddly shaped vegetables every summer. From my own childhood, I remember a squash shaped like a duck and a tomato that resembled Richard Nixon. Do you have vegetables that veer into weird shapes? Check...
Vegetables – When to Harvest
For a blueberry, it’s easy to tell when it’s ripe: deep blue means it’s time to harvest. But for corn or Irish potatoes or watermelons, it’s not that easy. Fortunately, horticulturists Willie Chance and Darbie Granberry have authored a very...
