Muskmelons, cantaloupes, winter melons, and watermelons: they all thrive under the same cultural conditions and they all share similar growing problems. •Cantaloupes are muskmelons: these melons have pumpkin-like ribbing, a skin covered with a netting of shallow veins, and most varieties have a musk smell. •Winter melons (which are a type of muskmelon) ripen at […] More
The cantaloupe or muskmelon is a tender, warm-weather plant. Cantaloupes grow best in very warm to hot weather. The tan, netted melon commonly referred to as cantaloupe is actually a muskmelon. A true cantaloupe has a rough warty rind. Summer Melons and Winter Melons Muskmelons along with watermelons are termed summer melons because they come […] More
The watermelon is a tender, warm-weather annual. Watermelons along with muskmelons and cantaloupes are sometimes called summer melons. Grow watermelons in the warmest, frost-free time of the year. Watermelon Quick Growing Tips Sow watermelon seeds in the garden or set out transplants 3 to 4 weeks after the last average frost date in spring. Start […] More
Eggplant is a very tender perennial grown as an annual. Grow eggplant in the warmest, frost-free time of the year. The edible fruit can be long and slender or round or egg-shaped fruit. The fruit is creamy-white, yellow, brown, purple, or sometimes almost black. Eggplant is a small- to a medium-size bush vegetable that produces […] More
Okra is a tender, heat-loving annual that grows 4 to 7 feet (1.2-2.1m) tall and produces a green and sometimes red seedpod which is harvested when 3 to 5 inches (7-12cm) long and sometimes longer. Okra has prickly stems and large maple-like leaves and large, yellow, hibiscus-like flowers with red or purplish centers. Mature the […] More
Clean the garden of plant debris and decaying vegetable matter at the end of the season to be sure insect pests and plant diseases do not overwinter in your garden. At the end of harvest or after the first hard frost, clean the garden and compost plant refuse or dispose of debris that is diseased […] More
Stephen Albert