Organic Hobby Farming by Andy Tomolonis

Author:Andy Tomolonis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lumina Media
Published: 2014-09-12T04:00:00+00:00

Whether you grow spiny picklers or long, sleek slicers, cucumbers are a midsummer treat. Beat pests naturally by growing parthenocarpic varieties, which don’t require pollination to produce fruit. You can keep them covered with insect-proof floating row covers from seed to harvest. Parthenocarpic choices include Diva for slicers and Little Leaf for picklers.

Easy Does It!

When growing slicing cucumbers on a trellis, the vines will be more productive if they are pruned. At each fruiting node, you will see a leaf, a flower (with a tiny cuke attached if it’s a female flower), and a young branch. Prune off the branch, leaving the leaf and the flower.

Eggplant Solanum melongena

Basics: Eggplants have become a healthy alternative to starchy side dishes, and as such they are gaining new appreciation from chefs at restaurants and in homes. In the field, they are an undeniable cash crop, producing strong harvests with limited space. Starting eggplants, however, takes some effort, and they are not immune from diseases or insect pests. As with so many other farm-fresh vegetables, local growers will benefit from trying something new. There are heirlooms and hybrids in multiple shapes and sizes in purple, orange-green, and rose—all of which contrast nicely with the traditional pear-shaped black-skinned varieties we’ve grown accustomed to.

Details: Rich and friable soil, with ample phosphorus and a pH of 5.5–6.5. Heat-loving eggplants perform best when daytime temperatures are above 80°F (27°C). Seeds are viable for up to 5 years.

Ease of Growing: Easy.

Varieties: Rosa Bianca (75 days) has oval-shaped fruit in pastel purple, streaked with white. Kermit (60 days) is a hybrid with small, round fruit that is frog green, streaked with white. Raveena (70 days) is a banana-shaped eggplant with jade-green fruit. Fairy Tale (63 days), one of my favorite new hybrids, is a diminutive pear-shaped eggplant with medium purple skin and longitudinal streaks of white; it’s pretty, tasty, and prolific. For something completely different, try Turkish Orange (80 days), a tomato-shaped eggplant that’s pumpkin orange with blackish green streaks.

Companions: Pole and bush beans and garlic. But don’t let pole beans shade heat-loving eggplants.

How to Grow: Start seeds indoors about 6 weeks before the last frost. Most varieties germinate in about 10 days, and they grow slowly—about the same speed as peppers. Harden the seedlings, then set them outdoors once the daytime temperature is consistently above 70°F (21°C). Sturdy plants won’t need trellising but might benefit from a dark-colored perforated mulch in northern climates.

Pests: Watch for Colorado potato beetles and their eggs. Pick off the clumsy striped bugs and smash their orange eggs before the larvae hatch. Once at work, they can quickly defoliate plants, which have a hard time leafing out again. Spray with Bt for potato beetles.

Diseases: Several fungal and wilt diseases affect eggplants, but most can be prevented with good crop rotation and planting in soil that drains easily.

Challenges: The growing season is long for some older varieties. Cool, damp weather can make the growing time even slower.

Harvesting: Pick black varieties when the skin develops a satiny shine; otherwise, squeeze the fruit.

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