Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
2
THE CHINESE CUCURBITS
Often called cucurbits,
the Cucumber family (
Cucurbitaceae
) is a large group that in-
cludes all melons, all gourds, pumpkins, cucumbers, and squashes. These plants tend to
take up a great deal of room in the garden; the majority are vines. All are subject to
the same pests and diseases, and most like the same growing conditions. A few cucur-
bit plants will attract many pollinating bees, which feed heavily on the mostly orange or
yellow blossoms.
In this chapter you'll find many unusual, fun things to grow that are also good eating.
Even the Asian cucumbers are very different from our own — especially their extraordin-
ary shapes. The serpent cucumber, for instance, can curl around in a circle with its “head”
raised as if to see what you're up to.
Even if you're told that melons “don't do well” in your area, try them: I was warned
off cantaloupes in Connecticut, but when I finally planted some anyhow, I had a huge
crop of cantaloupes that spoiled store-bought ones for me forever. Conditions in garden
sites vary so much that you may have luck with a vegetable your neighbor can't grow at
all. The only way to tell is to try for a couple of seasons.
Winter Melon
D
ONG
G
UA
, T
UNG
K
WA
Benincasa hispida
(color photo, page x)
Search WWH ::
Custom Search