All paronomasia aside , the cucumber syndicate – Cucurbitaceae in Botanical Latin ) , dominates the tardy summer vegetable garden . Given the familiarity and diverseness of the countless of varieties of Cucurbits in our diets and decor ( recollect : squash , cucumbers , pumpkins , melons and gourds ) one might assume that there are century and century of species given the variety , but do n’t permit that orgy of coloring material , grain , nip and utility mislead you – although taxonomist argue as to precisely how may species there really are , what I found most interesting , was what I did n’t know about Cucurbitaceae .
I hump much already – that cucumber are associate to watermelons , and that all include squash racquets and Cucurbita pepo are considered cucurbit , but I obtain the fact that not all partake the same genus and mintage , more than a piffling interesting . Even more curious , was that I often confused the detail , as the genus of some , sounded similar , so here is a fuze to the kinsfolk Cucurbitaceae ( do n’t worry , not too geeky , just a few facts to make you sound smaht . ) .
Not all Curcurbita are the same . Sure , they are related , but when one begin to attend at the actual Romance name calling of familiar 1 ( like Luffa Squash , and cucumbers which I had already assumed were from a dissimilar genus , but I never knew that Cucurbita was not only Latin for ‘ gourd ’ and a terminus used to group all those within the flora Family Cucurbitaceae , but that it is also a Genus itself , and one which should never be confused with the genus Cucumis , the genus which include Muskmelons ( Cucumis melo ) – which , are grouped along with cucumbers ( Cucumis sativis ) , while Watermelons are a completely different genus whole ( although , one may opine that they were closer to cucumbers than muskmelon are . ) .
Without geeking out too much , see if you understand this :
Cucurbita pepo – You know these : Pumpkins , summer squashes and zucchiniCurcurbita maxima – The unvoiced , wintertime squash like Blue Hubbard , pillbox . Cucurbita moscata – Thin - skinned Winter Squashes like Butternut and acorn type .
And then , there are also , these ‘ C ’ genus label within the family .
genus Citrullus lanatus var . citroides – all of the scrumptious Citrullus vulgaris
Cucumis melo – cantaloupe , honeydew , muskmelon and other webbed - skin melonsCucumis sativus – unwashed cucumbers , let in pickles .
The plant family goes on with many more , most are not that well known , while others had various utility tribally or with native masses , especially to those in the West Indies , Africa and Central America . Others deserving noting here which you are familiar with in one means or another are :
Luffa species – Yes , ‘ Luffa ’ is the genus , these’Towel Gourds ’ are also a intellectual nourishment source in Asia . Sechium edule - the Chayote or Christophine ( Apple Pear ) . Maybe it was obvious to some of you , but I was surprised to know that this was actually in the same family . Lagenaria siceraria – the Pre - Columbian bottle gourds or White - bloom Gourds
When we conceive of the domesticated , comestible marketplace - fare within Curcurbita , things get a little more organized as specific mintage are placed into group . apart from providing captivating cocktail party talk of the town ( if one is attending a cocktail party with taxonomists exchanging phylogeny fact ) , one can simple assume that all gourds , melon , cucumber , squashes and pumpkin are somehow related in one big happy family .
It ’s not hard to see why . instruct your tike that the jam they are eating on their ground beef related to a slice of watermelon vine might be a great berth to start them explore why . I sleep with to jell open questions into the minds of children – peculiarly those who claim to be fussy eater .
Joe ’s nephew Curtis ’ nipper often drop the weekend here , and we will usually get the “ I do n’t eat cucumbers , ( or tomatoes ) . ” statement . That is , until they go out into the garden to break up them , themselves . Now , it ’s the first place they want to run to when they arrive . set about ta get laid that .
Which brings up a few questions at the dinner table . The first one is often ‘ Are tomatoes or cucumbers a yield or veggie ? ” We all know the answer to that one , but the second one is sometimes puzzling to us all – “ How does someone maturate a seedless watermelon if they are seedless ? ” The effective answer I be intimate of is explained in Joseph Tychonievich ’s bookPlant procreation for the Home Gardener(Timber Press , 2013 ) , in which Joseph explains exactly how they do this , ( hint : They are a loanblend ) . I do n’t want to give the answer forth , because Joseph is staying with us as a house client later on this calendar month , and he ’ll kill me !
OK , here is a rather sport ( ok , boring ) fact . I was also surprised to learn that although it is satisfactory to refer to the yield of all Curcurbita as in reality being forebode ‘ fruit ’ , a botanist may cringe , for they separate the ‘ fruits ’ as a ‘ pepo ’ – a unequaled case of capsule or ovary with seeded player impound to the cutis , which in a way , is closer to being a berry than anything else .
If there is one thing that we can all consort upon , about Cucurbits , is that they are abundant ! This , along with the fact that the big seeded player are well-off to sow , make them idealistic for children ( my first harvest every grow as a 4 year old were ornamental gourd . ) . Curcurbits are simply rewarding , and few would ever be able to use an total craw themselves , without sharing them with neighbors and Friend . They are the ‘ societal mass medium ’ of the garden as no one is avaricious when it comes to Zucchini !
My memories of my parent hauling in bushel of pickling cakes ( usually again , like chain beans , on the red-hot day of the year ) but generally just as August was ending , remind me that we should all plan on setting out a second crop in July , as these second or third crop seem to produce an teemingness of fruit ( um … pepos ) , which rarely rival those harvests from cum set out in the cooler soil , in June . Clarence Day duration , is again , key here . One should sow the last crop of cucumber and zucchini by eight to ten weeks before ones first frost solar day . For us here in primal Massachusetts , that would be the first calendar week of August . Anything afterwards may not mature in time , and the shorter daylight length will slow down the growth .
A few week ago , Joe and I were visiting garden of Amy Goldman - Fowler in Rhinebeck , New York just 70 land mile or so north of New York City on the east side of the Hudson River . Amy is not only a talented grower , she is a consummate researcher and has commit much of her resourcefulness and living to various efforts around seeded player saving , and the saving of outmoded or heirloom variety , species and cultivar . You may have intercourse about her books however , which are beautifully design , snap and written – not to mention well research . They are muddle pack with facts which are useful to any level nurseryman , as well as pragmatic cultural information .
I must admit , that at first , I resisted buying her books because they were so well designed and presented ( ridiculous , right ? ) because I often discovered after that such ledger were more fluff than factual , but Amy ’s account book are unique , as she consciously curates each constituent from sourcing the cum , to raise the actual property or yield used in the image , to directing the photography style , or at least , in orchestrating a squad , everyone from the aim business firm prefer to set and plan the book , to the photographer who has the talent and patience , as well as the passion to devote five years of summers out in a field of operations or in a barn , photograph something as mundane as a squash or melon vine .
In most of Amy Goldman ’s books , she has collaborate withVictor Schrager – a very gifted photographer ( perhaps well known to you by some of his early piece of work in Martha Stewart Living magazine ) , but perhaps moreso with his impressive portrait of fruits and veg in Amy ’s many Holy Scripture . I was so thankful to be able-bodied to have had dinner party with him a duet of weeks ago where he shared some sport stories , but where we also gossip endlessly about how picture taking has changed and evolved over the years , as well as his influences .
I ’ve write about this exceptional collaboration between Amy Goldman and Victor Schrager in preceding Post , butI wanted to confabulate the topic again , after have this fortune to visit her garden . As the many cucurbits in all of our gardens arrive , it ’s helpful to visit book like hers to both make lists of things to develop next year , or to sum to ones knowledge bank while go through something like a yellowed watermelon or an heirloom squash . I find such discoveries as what heirloom mixture are considered synonymous with the many plebeian names out there in the many seed catalogue helpful , as well as the interesting floor behind the form .
I cite frequently – The Complet Squash – A Passionate Grower ’s Guide to Pumpkins , Squash , and Gourds ( 2004 ) by Amy Goldman andMelons for the Passionate Grower ( 2002)by Amy Goldman ( both publish by Artisan ) . A caboodle of passion break on there in those rubric , but it should come as not surprise to anyone who has been captivated by these luscious , and the often passionate narration behind some of these sonsie -fruit .
There seems to be no conclusion for those of us who are curious , and whom have an insatiable appetency for historical vegetable and fruit .
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