Introduction Of The Vegetable: Nature's Treasure Trove for Man's Wellbeing
Vegetables are important for our good health and sense of wellbeing. They are a natural source of carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. Doctors and nutritionists recommend an increased intake of vegetables in the daily diet to keep chronic illnesses like heart disease, cancer and diabetes at bay.

Definition and History of the Vegetable
Simply defined, any section of a plant that is edible is a vegetable. It is interesting to know that what we consider to be 'vegetables' are only different parts of a small group of plants. For instance, the broad bean is a seed, green beans are immature seedpods, the chayote is a fruit, lettuces are leaves, broccoli is a flower stem, and the globe artichoke is a flower.

When mankind started inhabiting temperate regions, there was a pressing need to cultivate crops and move away from the life of a hunter and gatherer, an occupation predominant of the tropics. The first signs of agriculture were in the Fertile Crescent (modern Iraq extending till the southern regions of Turkey), followed by India, China, Egypt, Peru and Mexico. Historical records reveal that most of the common vegetables that we have today were cultivated in the 1st century A.D. Europeans first came into contact with Central American and South American native vegetables in the 16th century. In the nineteenth century, botanists preoccupied themselves with crossing and hybridization, leading to kitchen gardens and large scale cultivation.

The French made vegetable growing literally an art form with their famous potager style of vegetable gardening. The best example of this is the decorative vegetable garden at the Chateau de Villandry. Since the last few decades of the 20th century, organically grown vegetables and genetically modified ones have been fast gaining popularity.

The main botanical families from which we grow vegetables are listed below with relevant examples for each of them.

The Chenpodiceae family has given us the beet, chard, spinach, American quinoa and the sugar beet. From the large family of the Compositae, we have the globe artichoke and the salad vegetables - chicory, dandelion, endive and lettuce. Sweet potatoes belong to the Convolvulus family. Broccoli, cabbages, cauliflowers, kales, mustard, radishes and watercress belong to the Cruciferae family. To the cucumber family Cucurbitaceae, belongs the melon, an amazing range of marrows, squashes and of course the cucumber. Asparagus, garlic, leek, onion, and shallots belong to the lily family. Alfalfa, broad beans, chick peas, fenugreek, kidney beans, mung beans hail from the vast Leguminosae family. Eggplants, peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes are from the Solanaceae family. From the tropics, we have the yam family and the mallow family of the okra.

What makes a vegetable worthwhile to cultivate revolves round a few factors like its desirable taste and flavor, its variability, its potential for improvement and hybridization, its acceptance outside its local region of popularity and how easy it is to harvest.

Most vegetables are annuals. Carrots, onions, celery, parsnips and cabbages are biennials. Perennials are very few: asparagus, globe artichoke and the seakale fall under this category.

Tips for Growing Vegetables

Most vegetables give good yields if the ground rules of planting namely, the location, soil preparation, and sowing or transplanting seedlings are observed carefully.

Location for Planting Vegetables

The planting site should enjoy a minimum of six hours of sun everyday. A fence should be erected to keep animals away and to lend support to climbing plants like peas, beans and tomatoes. Tall plants should be planted on the north side and shorter plants towards the front. Perennial vegetables should be planted to one side so that they are not disturbed when the beds are tilled to grow annuals.

Soil Considerations for Vegetables

Soil for planting vegetables should be moist, well-draining and free of big pebbles. It must be enriched with a lot of compost, organic manure or peat. The subsoil should not be too sandy, clayey or hard. Vegetables prefer a slightly acidic soil and should be tested for pH levels to be amended if necessary.

Planting Vegetables

When transplanting, seedlings have to be thinned to ensure healthy growth of strong plants. Row planting of seedlings is recommended for most vegetables. While some can be planted in square or rectangular spaces like the sweet corn, leafy vegetables are better sown in drills and then replanted. While sowing seeds, the planting depths and spacing requirements have to be carefully followed. During growing time, liquid fertilizers can be used. Mulching the site will help contain weeds. Adequate pest control measures against the flea beetle, flies, aphids, caterpillars and fungus pests should be taken. Rotation of crops is recommended every three years, if the same site is used over and over again to grow vegetables.

Propagating Vegetables

Seed propagation is suitable for most plants. For example, seeds collected from the dried pods of peas and beans and the clusters of onions and carrots.

All in all, it is a very rewarding pastime in spring and summer to grow one's own vegetables and preserve the fruits of that labor by canning and freezing the excess that nature blesses us with.

Also See our Growing Tomato Guide

If you like Vegetables....These pages might also interest you:

Allium Directory, Amaryllis Directory, Begonia Directory, Crocus Directory, Daffodils Directory, Dahlia Directory, Hyacinth Directory, Iris Directory, Lily Directory, Tulip Directory