This episode, originally aired as a Digging In With Master Gardeners radio show interview on WGXC 90.7FM, is a discussion about the many virtues of growing your own vegetables. Tim Kennelty interviews Teresa Golden and Jean Thomas about the multiple facets of home vegetable gardening. The first and most obvious benefits to gardening for your own pantry are that you have arguably the freshest possible vegetables, a wider assortment of varieties to choose from, and definitely the most

economical access to good food. Teresa advocates “listening to the plant,” explaining that being aware of the plant's silent signals can lead to optimal quality. She says that the color or strawberries 'say' when to pick them, but that tomatoes are more forgiving when picking them early to ripen off the vine.

Jean reminds the listener that there are three main groups of veggie families, the cucurbits, the cole crops, and the tomato/eggplant/pepper clan. The most valuable preparation, once the bed is ready to plant, is this: read the seed package because it conveys a wealth of information. The squash family (cucurbits) includes cucumbers as well as zucchini, yellow squash and the winter squashes. Once the summer squash begin to produce, they are persistent and must be harvested consistently. Winter squash have a much longer season and can be harvested when just about everything else is cleared away. Their hard shells make it possible to store in a cool, dry place well into the winter season. Brassicas are the cabbage family, including cauliflower, broccoli and brussels sprouts. Cabbage must be picked at just the right time, and requires good soil and plenty of water, Cauliflowers are ready when the heads are heavy with the florets not yet separating. Broccoli is prolific and easy, and Teresa offers tips on harvesting both broccoli and brussels sprouts. All the cabbages go well into the Fall, extending harvest season.

Jean, Teresa and Tim discuss the battle with cabbage worms. Tim wonders what about beans, and reminds Jean and Teresa about another large family full of great
nutritious food. They divide into two general types. The ones harvested in the “green” stage can be selected for “all at once” harvest of a plant or continuous daily harvest over several weeks. Planting new crops every two weeks insures a constant harvest season. Others, like limas, kidney and fava beans, are harvested when the seeds become mature on the vine. These are famously good for storage, whether dry or canned.Cucumbers get a separate discussion, They are a native of India, and love warm weather, You can grow bush or vine types. Frequent picking is best. If a cuke gets too big or starts to turn yellow, it's too late. Everybody has a favorite. Teresa likes Kirby, Jean likes Straight Eight, and Tim is a fan of Japanese long cucumbers.

Melons are the next logical crop that comes to mind. They can be tricky, with a need for adequate water at the right times, and soil temperature is critical. Smaller melons might be best as the region has a fairly short growing season. There are clues to ripeness, like skin color and texture and stem slippage. Storing them at 70 degrees F and chilling them prior to serving is best. Watermelons require 20 square foot per plant, and there are many tricks and challenges to growing them. Teresa says “heft” is important and Jean and Tim discuss checking the “bellybutton” for ripeness.

Root crops are discussed, as are the onion family, which includes garlic. The conversation circles back to tomatoes and their relatives, with tips galore about growing,
harvesting and storing. This episode is a cornucopia of information!

Host: Tim Kennelty
Guests: Teresa Golden and Jean Thomas
Photo by: Teresa Golden
Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Tim Kennelty, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski, Jean Thomas

Resources

Episode 193: Vegetable Harvesting Retrospective