Onions

Scientific NameAllium cepa; Allium fistulosum
Growing Days100-120
Varieties We GrowRed Burgundy; Texas Early Grande; Bunching
Growing NotesGrow onions from seed (takes a long time!) to get the biggest results; starting from “sets” is easier though. “Sets” are small onion bulbs that are already one year old.
Battle of the BugsOnions do pretty well in the battle of the bugs. Apparently, the bugs don’t like the smell!
Fun FactThere are “short day,” “intermediate,” and “long day” onions. The northern latitudes get to grow the long day onions since they need 14-16 hours of daylight to form bulbs.
Don’t Waste It!Depending on the variety, eat them raw, steamed, roasted, or cooked just about any way.

Okra

Scientific NameAbelmoschus esculentus
Growing Days60
Varieties We GrowEmerald
Growing Notes Okra likes it hot! By the end of summer, it can get 10+ feet tall!
Battle of the BugsA few of the regulars will go after okra leaves, but it’s overall pretty resilient.
Fun FactOkra is in the hibiscus family…the flower gives it away.
Don’t Waste It!Enjoy okra roasted, sauteed, or in the southern tradition of breaded and deep-fried.

Melons — Watermelon

Scientific NameCitrullus lanatus
Growing Days70-100
Varieties We GrowSugar Baby
Growing NotesOne of the trickiest times is figuring out when to harvest a watermelon. We use the tendril method…when the tendril immediately above the fruit is browned, it’s time to pick that fruit and hope it’s ripe, but not overripe!
Battle of the BugsCucumber beetles and squash vine borers will go after watermelon vines. They are the worst pests!
Fun FactWatermelons are 90% water so they are aptly named!
Don’t Waste It!Duh…these are way too delicious to waste!

Melons — Cantaloupe

Scientific NameCucumis melo
Growing Days80-90
Varieties We GrowHale’s Best
Growing NotesCantaloupes grow well if you trellis them. The vines will climb. It also helps to keep some of the fruit off of the ground out of easy reach of the resident critters.
Battle of the BugsEverything that gets the cucumber plant goes after the cantaloupes too (and groundhogs love them). Sigh…
Fun FactDid you know that the cantaloupe we think of is not actually a true cantaloupe? Apparently our “cantaloupes” are actually a type of muskmelon (real cantaloupe has a rough, warty rind and isn’t really available in the U.S.). Who knew?
Don’t Waste It!Cantaloupe has a pretty narrow window of peak ripeness (just a couple days). Don’t let a ripe one sit on the counter too long!

Malabar Spinach

Scientific NameBasella alba
Growing Days70-85
Varieties We GrowThis is the green leaved variety.
Growing Notes Malabar spinach loves it HOT! Give it enough water and it will produce edible leaves the entire summer. Soak the seeds before planting to give them a better chance of sprouting.
Battle of the BugsNothing has touched these vines so far.
Fun FactMalabar spinach isn’t really a spinach. It is a leafy green though. Bonus fun fact…the plant produces purple berries (not edible) that will stain your hands bright purple (ask me how I know) 🙂
Don’t Waste It!Eat it raw, or cook it just like you would spinach.

Luffa

Scientific NameLuffa aegyptiaca
Growing Days150-200 to get a fully dried luffa sponge…that’s a long time!
Varieties We GrowThere’s just luffa…
Growing NotesLuffa plants produce the prettiest, long-living yellow flowers well into late summer. The native bees love them! Even if we didn’t harvest luffas, it would be worth it to grow just to keep the bees happy.
Battle of the BugsSo far, the luffa plants haven’t had much trouble with bugs…hopefully it will stay that way 🙂
Fun FactWhich is it…”loofah,” “loofa,” or “luffa”? Who knows! They all seem right, though the luffa plant’s scientific name spelling is “luffa” so that’s what we stick with.
Don’t Waste It!The young luffa fruits are actually edible (up to about 6″ long) (peel them then treat them like zucchini). It’s way more fun to let them dry, peel them, remove the seeds, and use them as luffa sponges.

Lettuce

Scientific NameLactuca sativa
Growing Days65-70
Varieties We GrowRed Romaine, Gourmet Leaf, Black Seeded Simpson, Newham, Red Speckled
Growing NotesLettuce bolts quickly even with just a few warm days.
Battle of the BugsLettuce does pretty well; it gets munched on by slugs and aphids but is generally hardy.
Fun FactLettuce and sunflowers are relatives…they both belong to the Asteraceae (“daisy”) family.
Don’t Waste It!Lettuce is great raw. If it gets a bit wilted, put it in a bowl of cold water and it might perk up. Eat it up before it gets all wet and yucky 🙂

Leeks

Scientific NameAllium ampeloprasum
Growing Days120-150…that’s 4-5 months!
Varieties We GrowAmerican Flag
Growing Notes Leeks take a long time to grow; the seeds are super tiny so they are tricky to germinate outside without getting washed away. Be patient with leeks!
Battle of the BugsThere’s a leek moth, but I’ve not seen one yet (maybe because our leeks have failed miserably so far).
Fun FactIf you cut a leek and leave the roots/stem, plant it and it might re-grow for you!
Don’t Waste It!Enjoy leeks as you would the other alliums.

Kohlrabi

Scientific NameBrassica oleracea
Growing Days55-60
Varieties We GrowEarly White Vienna
Growing NotesKohlrabi grows similar to the rest of the brassicas. It likes cool weather!
Battle of the BugsAll the usual brassica suspects show up…cabbage loopers/worms/slugs/aphids.
Fun FactKohlrabi is named from German Kohl (“cabbage”) and RĂĽbe (“turnip”). 
Don’t Waste It!Peel the outer skin then enjoy it raw (or only slightly cooked).

Kale

Scientific NameBrassica oleracea
Growing Days50-65
Varieties We GrowRed Russian, Siberian, Lacinato
Growing Notes Kale is a hardy plant and if you keep cutting it, it will keep growing!
Battle of the BugsCabbage loopers/moths/worms are terribly destructive. We check the leaves daily and try to remove any of the buggers as soon as we see them. Miss a day and you’ll lose those great leaves…even checking we still do.
Fun FactKale can survive temperatures well below freezing and it gets sweeter from a frost or two (it gets bitter in hot temps), so it’s a great winter veggie!
Don’t Waste It!Steam, roast, bake, stir-fry…it’s all delicious!