Cucurbit is the scientific name for a large family of vegetables within the gourd family. Included in this group of vegetables include watermelons, pumpkins, squash, and cucumber. Our articles below will teach you all you need to know about proper planting and care.
Watermelon grows best in sunny garden spots with well-draining sandy soil. They need plenty of nutrients throughout the growing season to feed the long vines, and like soil that is consistently moist. Plants need to be checked frequently for pests and disease problems.
It’s easy to grow any of the three types of cucumbers — slicing, pickling, and burpless — in your home garden. If you’re limited on space opt to grow bush types or install a trellis to grow plants vertically. They can even be grown in containers. You can expect to harvest 50 to 70 days after planting.
The right companion plants can increase the growth and yield of your cucumber plants, and decrease pest and disease problems. Tomatoes, beans, corn, cabbage, and sunflowers offer shade in the summer. Nasturtium, marigolds, radish repel harmful insects. They also grow well with summer squash and lettuce.
With many different varieties to choose from, cucumbers are grouped into three main types. Slicing cultivars include Straight Eight, Marketmore, Lemon, and Space Master. Pickling cultivars include Parisian Gherkin, Garden Bush Pickle, Picklebush, and Pick a Bushel. Burpless cultivars include Suyo Long, Summer Dance, and Early Spring, to name a few.
Cucumbers go through several stages before they are ready to harvest — germination, seedling growth, flowering, and then fruiting. Plants grow as vines or a bush, depending upon the variety grown. Most types are ready to harvest 50 to 70 days after germination.
Nothing screams fall like pumpkins growing from the vine. They not only add a wonderful color, but they also can be made into different pies. If you are wondering how to grow your very own, we will show you in this article!
Growing squash from the cucurbita family is not difficult! With the proper growing tips you will soon have an abundant harvest. Come learn our practical tricks to ensure success with your plants.
Zucchini is a green summer squash that you won’t want to miss out on raising and harvesting. You can even use their blossoms as delicious fried appetizers. Come learn everything you need to successfully raise them.
Watermelon is a flowering plant that is part of the Cucurbitaceae family, but most people know it as the sweet, refreshing melon with red flesh. For optimal growth, you will need the ideal nutrients.
Companion plants are important in gardens. To help ward off insect pests, plant onions, garlic, or chives near your watermelon plants. Aromatic flowers like lavender and marigolds also drive away pests. Flowering ornamentals will attract pollinators, dramatically improving pollination rates.
Watermelon plants grow in very distinct stages in the garden, each with unique characteristics and needs. Seeds germinate within about a week of planting, and sprouts push through the soil surface. Vegetative growth occurs to develop a main vine with several small vines sprouting from it. Male and female flowers appear on the vines, and then, if fertilized fruits develop. The whole process takes about three months.