Pepino, kiwano, melotria... No, this is not an abstract set of sounds! These are quite real vegetables that can be grown in your own garden. You may have already come across some of these crops in stores or during trips to other countries, but few people grow them in the country. Some people simply do not know about these vegetables, some believe that they are too capricious, some do not see the point.
But if you love new tastes and are open to experimentation, choose a couple of varieties and try to make them inhabitants of your beds. Surprise your neighbors is guaranteed, and maybe even a new green "favorite".
Artichoke
In Europe, artichoke is considered a delicacy, it is cultivated by many farmers, and you can buy seeds or the plants themselves almost everywhere. It is more difficult with us - inexperienced summer residents can easily confuse it with an overgrown thistle. However, those who have tried artichoke often try to grow this capricious and heat-loving crop.
How to grow artichoke
To grow an artichoke in the middle zone and get an acceptable harvest, you will have to try hard. Artichoke seeds are sown for seedlings 50-60 days before planting in the ground, that is, at the end of March. Before sowing, they are soaked in warm water overnight, then germinated in a warm place and put in the refrigerator for three weeks. Sprouted seeds are planted in separate containers with a mixture of sand, turf soil and humus in a ratio of 1:1:1.
The seedlings should be kept warm (20-25°C) and in the light until the first true leaf appears, and then placed in cooler conditions (12-15°C). The strengthened seedlings with 3-4 true leaves are planted in a permanent place in late May - early June, after the threat of recurrent frosts has passed.
The beds for artichokes are prepared in the fall, adding double superphosphate (50 g per 1 sq.m), ash (1 glass per 1 sq.m) and humus (2 buckets per 1 sq.m) to the soil. Plants are planted at a distance of 45 cm from each other and 80 cm between rows. The sunniest place, protected from the wind, is chosen.
From the moment of planting until the buds appear, artichokes need to be watered frequently and abundantly, then reduce watering. During the entire growing period, the row spacing should be loose and free of weeds. Twice a month, artichokes are watered with a 10% solution of mullein or nettle infusion. To ensure that the inflorescences are large, no more than 3-4 flower stalks are left per bush. Artichokes are not allowed to bloom, since after this their flowers become unsuitable for consumption.
The ovaries are collected when the upper scales begin to open. They are cut off together with part of the stem and stored in the refrigerator for no more than 3-4 weeks.
How to cook an artichoke
Artichokes eat unopened flowers, and the core and upper leaves are removed before use. Most often, they are boiled with lemon juice or baked with spices and olive oil.
Artichokes are rich in sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamins A, B1, B2, C, PP, so they will be an excellent addition to meat, salads and hot dishes. And the broth left after cooking them can be used as an addition to sauces or soups.
Okra
Okra came to Europe from Africa, where it was used in cooking and cosmetology for centuries. People value it for its unripe fruits, similar to small peppercorns. Okra is rich in folic acid, iron, calcium and vitamins. In addition, it contains a lot of fiber, and therefore is good for the gastrointestinal tract.
Its plants reach 2 m in height, so they simply will not fit in a greenhouse. However, if desired, you can experiment with okra in the middle zone.
How to grow okra
Seeds for seedlings are sown 45 days before planting in the ground, that is, in mid-April, and sent to a permanent place under a film shelter in late spring or early summer. Okra should be planted at a distance of 30-40 cm from each other and 60-70 cm between rows. Humus is added to the soil before planting (1 bucket per 1 sq.m).
The air temperature in the shelter for okra should be in the range from 20 to 30°C.
Plants need to be regularly watered and fed with complex mineral fertilizer, for example, nitrophoska (2 tablespoons per bucket of water every 2 weeks), and during the fruiting period also with potassium nitrate (in the same proportions).
Early varieties of okra bloom 2 months after the emergence of shoots, and after a few more days they produce their first fruits. Fruiting continues until frost, and adult bushes tolerate zero temperatures, only reducing the number of ovaries. Okra should be picked every 2-3 days, and in the south of the country daily, otherwise the fruits will overgrow and become inedible.
How to cook okra
Unripe okra pods are eaten, and only those that are no more than 5 days old. A drink similar to coffee is prepared from ripe grains, but in the middle zone it is very difficult to achieve ripening.
Okra is boiled in salted water until soft, added to salads, soups, and sauces are prepared on its basis. Its young grains resemble green peas in taste and appearance and can replace them in salads.
Kiwano
Another African exotic, also known as horned melon, is a herbaceous vine of the Pumpkin family and a relative of the familiar cucumber. Kiwano is grown for its juicy orange fruits, which can be eaten both fresh and after heat treatment.
Kiwano, like most of the plants in our selection, does not tolerate cold weather. It can be grown in the middle zone in greenhouses or hotbeds, but keep in mind that the length of the liana reaches 3 m, so it needs to be tied to a support.
How to grow kiwano
Kiwano is sown for seedlings in the second half of April, after soaking for a day so that the seed skin becomes soft. After that, they are laid out in containers with a ready-made soil mixture, deepening by 3 cm, watered and covered with a lid, cling film or a bag. Open the containers immediately after the seeds sprout.
When the average daily temperature is set at 12-15 ° C, kiwano can be planted in the ground. A greenhouse or an open bed in a sunny and wind-protected area will suit it. It must be remembered that kiwano is a liana, and it needs a support around which the vine will curl.
In greenhouse conditions, about 40 cm should be left between plants and rows; in open ground, plants can be planted in 1 row, for example, along a fence, at a distance of 50-70 cm from each other. In order for the liana to form correctly, the plants must be tied to the support immediately.
Kiwano is watered with warm water 2-3 times a week, fed every 10 days, alternating organic matter (infusion of mullein, grass or chicken manure) with complex mineral fertilizers, for example, Kemira Universal at the rate of 50 g per 10 liters of water. If there are too many side shoots, they are pinched, and male flowers are simply removed. Ovaries should be collected from kiwano every 5-7 days so that new ones appear faster.
How to cook kiwano
Since the taste of kiwano is quite complex, it is used in both sweet and salty dishes. Young kiwano ovaries are pickled like gherkins, ripe fruits are added to salads, milk and fruit cocktails, compotes, jams.
Before eating the pulp, you need to cut the kiwano lengthwise and remove the seeds (they are inedible). The peel of the fruit contains a large amount of fiber, but has a strong sour smell and a sharp taste, so not everyone will like it.
Melothria
Melothria scabra is very similar to a cucumber in leaves, fruits, flowers, and even taste. Only a very tiny cucumber, whose ripe fruits reach only 2 cm in length. In addition, their skin is not an even green color, but marbled, in shades of watermelon rind.
Melothria is grown as a decorative fast-growing liana or for the sake of fruits that children like. The liana blooms and bears fruit from June until the frosts, so it will be an excellent option for vertical gardening.
How to grow Melothria
Melotria can be sown for seedlings in early April to be pricked out after the formation of the third true leaf, or you can sow it directly into the ground at the same time as cucumbers. Its seeds are very small, so they are not sprinkled with soil, but covered with film or glass from above until shoots appear. In mid-May, Melothria is sent to a permanent place of residence, keeping covering material ready in case of return frosts.
Melotria can be grown in boxes on the balcony.
Further care for melotria depends on what you want to achieve from the bush - lush greenery or abundant fruits. If the first, every 2-3 weeks feed the plant with an infusion of mullein or chicken manure, but if the second - give preference to phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. You need to water the melotria as the soil dries out, collect the fruits every 2-3 days. You will have to remove weeds from the bed only in the first few weeks, then it will successfully drown them out itself.
How to cook melotria
Melotria is eaten like a regular cucumber - fresh or pickled. Fresh fruits are cut into salads, and canned ones are canned both separately and in combination with other vegetables. Since the taste of melotria is slightly sourer than cucumber, this can be noticeable in preserves.
Momordica
All parts of this liana, which has many names (crocodile cucumber, mad melon, Indian pomegranate, etc.) are edible. It grows on a balcony, in a greenhouse, in open ground or in tall containers and can become both a decorative and edible feature of the site. Momordica is very rich in vitamins E and F, used in dietary nutrition.
How to grow momordica
Momordica prefers sunny areas, as well as loose, organic-rich soil. It is better to prepare a bed for it in the fall, seasoning the soil with humus and ash. In the middle zone, momordica is grown through seedlings, like other pumpkins, and planted in the ground in mid-May. Like other vines, momordica needs support and tying. At the same time, it does not grow to the sides, so there is no need to pinch it or limit the roots.
Momordica is watered abundantly, 2-3 times a week, fed with herbal infusion or mullein solution every 14-16 days. Although momordica does not suffer from pests and most diseases, it is still advisable to weed out the weeds near it and loosen the soil between the rows.
Momordica dies at zero temperatures, and at 15 ° C it slows down in growth and reduces fruiting, so you should be prepared for the sudden death of the plant.
How to cook momordica
Momordica can be eaten both fresh and heat-treated. When ripe, it resembles both a watermelon and a persimmon, and the closer to the core, the sweeter and more aromatic the pulp. But green fruits are best cooked, for example, stewed or baked, like zucchini and pumpkin.
By the way, young shoots and leaves of momordica are also edible - they can be added to salads or soups.
Pumpkin Cucumber-Melon
Vegetable or fruit - with cucumber-melon it is not so easy to figure out right away. It is grown like a melon, but in the process the fruits are too reminiscent of cucumbers, and they are similar in care. This crop is grown not only for the sake of exoticism, but also for the high level of vitamins and microelements.
How to grow cucumber-melon
The beds for cucumber-melon are prepared in the fall, adding 25 g of superphosphate, 12 g of potassium sulfate, 15 g of ammonium nitrate and half a bucket of humus per 1 sq.m. Choose a sunny place for it, protected from the wind. The main advantage of cucumber-melon is that it will grow both in a greenhouse and in open ground, although in the second case the harvest will be smaller.
Seeds are sown in open ground at the end of May, and for seedlings they are sown a month earlier. The first couple of weeks, young plants need to be covered with agrofibre at night, and then keep it on hand in case of sudden cold snaps. Cucumber-melon can be grown both spread out on the ground and on a trellis, but as it fills, its fruits become heavy and require supports.
I form a cucumber-melon like this: pinch the central shoot after the fifth leaf, the side shoots after the eighth. Leave 2-3 fruits on each vine, otherwise you will have a lot of small and unripe cucumber melons.
Water the cucumber-melon once a week with warm water, but you need to loosen and weed it very carefully, since the roots are located right at the surface. Once every 2 weeks, the cucumber melons are fed with a 10% solution of mullein, and after flowering, they are covered with a net from birds.
How to cook a cucumber-melon
Cooking a cucumber-melon depends on the stage of maturity of the fruit. Green, that is, unripe, but having gained size, cucumber-melons are eaten like ordinary cucumbers, that is, they are eaten fresh, salted, marinated. But ripe yellowed cucumbers magically turn into a sweet and aromatic fruit and can then be eaten fresh or used for compotes, jams, preserves and pie fillings.
Pepino
Although pepino is often called a melon pear, it has nothing to do with real melons, but belongs to the nightshade family, that is, it is a relative of tomatoes. In its homeland, pepino is a perennial, but in our conditions it has to be grown anew every year. However, the mother plants are kept in the basement or in the apartment, and in the spring they can go back into the ground and give a second harvest or become the basis for cuttings.
How to grow pepino
Pepino can be propagated by seeds and cuttings. The seeds are sown at the end of January in a loose soil mixture and covered with glass. After a week, shoots appear, and after the formation of 3 true leaves, pepino can be pricked out. Pepino is planted in the ground in early or mid-May, after adding 5-7 kg of compost and 2 cups of ash per 1 sq.m to the bed and loosening the soil. You need to leave a distance of 40-50 cm between the seedlings, immediately after planting, water them abundantly and mulch, and then water every 3 days. Over the bed with pepino, you need to stretch agrofibre or film on arcs to protect them from frost.
After 2-3 weeks, the seedlings will get stronger, the cover can be removed and it will be time to install trellises about a meter high. Pepino must be tied up, otherwise the plants will fall over and will not bear fruit. In addition, like tomatoes, they need to be formed, preferably in 2-3 stems, and all the side shoots must be ruthlessly removed, and this must be done every week.
Pepino care is the same as for tomatoes. It comes down to watering, loosening the row spacing, weeding and fertilizing. This crop prefers organic matter, and needs it twice a season (after the seedlings have rooted and at the time of fruit setting). Prepare a solution of mullein (1:10) or bird droppings (1:20) for pepino, and water immediately after applying fertilizer.
Pepino has the same pests and diseases as tomatoes, so you need to fight them with the same methods and preparations.
How to cook pepino
Ripe pepino is eaten fresh, cut in half. Their delicate juicy taste combines melon, pear and banana, and the skin is slightly bitter. Pepino is added to fruit salads and cocktails, used to make candied fruit. Unripe pepino can be baked or fried, but in this form they are less interesting and look more like a zucchini.
Tladiantha
Tladiantha dubious, better known among the people as a red cucumber, is both a valuable acquisition and a malicious weed. This vine grows at an incredible speed, throwing out lashes up to 5 m long per season. In addition, it actively grows underground tubers, which can be up to 2 m from the mother plant and fill the entire area. Its fruits do not have much nutritional value, but the plant itself is often used as a decorative or exotic plant. The main advantage of tladianta is that it winters well in the middle zone and requires almost no care.
How to grow tladianta
Tladianta is absolutely unpretentious, and even the most inexperienced summer resident can grow it. You can sow seeds for seedlings in April in separate cups, and at the end of May plant them in a permanent place, watering them abundantly. Or you can plant tladianta tubers at the same time as potatoes.
It grows in any soil and the only thing it needs is watering during drought and removing dead vines in the fall. You do not need to feed tladianta, but you will have to limit it. Since this plant is a known aggressor, dig slate or iron sheets into the ground around the planting to a depth of 50-60 cm.
How to cook tladianta
Tladianta is eaten both fresh and canned. While its fruits are green, they look like cucumbers and are used in salads and preserves. When tladianta ripens and turns red, its taste acquires sweet fruity notes. Then the fruits are eaten like regular fruit or added to jams, preserves, compotes.
By the way, tladianta is a medicinal plant. Its flowers are brewed for colds, tubers are used as a choleretic agent, and ripe fruits are used to normalize blood pressure.
Fennel
Although fennel is very similar to dill, these crops should not be confused. Fennel forms thick heads at the base, which are used as food. In addition, it is an excellent honey plant and a medicinal plant.
How to grow fennel
Sow the seeds in a nutritious soil mixture at the end of April, thin out the shoots, and a week later pick them into peat pots. Fennel seedlings are sent to a permanent place no earlier than the beginning of June, placing them at a distance of 20 cm between plants and 50 cm between rows.
Immediately after planting, and then every 2-3 days, fennel is watered abundantly with warm water. Drying out of the soil stimulates the plants to release flower stalks, which will make them unsuitable for food. Every 2-3 weeks, the heads are hilled or mulched so that they become whiter. They are harvested after 2.5 months, when the diameter of the edible part becomes 8-10 cm. You can store fennel in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, but it is advisable to wrap it in a bag or cling film.
How to cook fennel
Literally everything about fennel is eaten - both the seeds, rich in essential oils, and the heads, and the leaves. Fennel greens are valued for their spicy taste and are added to salads and hot dishes. The heads are eaten both fresh and stewed, or as an addition to soups and stews.
It is no coincidence that fennel is often called pharmaceutical dill; lactogenic teas, a remedy for colic in infants, and antispasmodic decoctions are prepared on its basis.
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