Gourds: Snake, ash, bitter, bottle, ivy
Planning your crops is one way to maximise the space in your kitchen garden — whether it is on a tiny terrace, or a large backyard. By using the space above ground to grow produce, you can create more growing space.
There is a wide range of vining plants of the family cucurbitaceae that can be trained up and over trellises to produce healthy produce.
These can be combined with other climbers like beans, to give you a wider range of vegetables.
Vining or climbing plants are also ideal for small spaces, as a large variety of plants can be grown together in containers on terraces or in the ground. The plants benefit from direct sunlight, which allows the crop to ripen evenly. As the plant foliage is lifted off the ground and spread upwards on the support system, pest attacks are considerably reduced.
It also clears up ground space, and provides shade for plants that do not thrive in harsh sunlight. Many climbers have beautiful edible flowers that are an attractive feature in any garden space, and need not be confined to the backyard garden.
Soil:
Choose a sunny location with well-drained soil to grow all types of gourds. The soil must be crumbly and rich in organic matter for best results. Drench the soil with a neem solution a week before planting. Instead of preparing the entire space, you can add organic matter and manure to the precise area or container you are planting, to give the plant a well-nourished base.
Moon Phase:
The best time to plant cucurbits is after the second quarter, when the moonlight increases and the gravitational pull decreases.
Companion Plants:
Beans, peas, corn, nasturtium
Sow:
Cucurbits can be planted directly in the soil — in containers or in prepared beds. If you are sowing in the ground, make mounds of soil about 8-10 inches high. The mounds should be about 4 feet apart, with four seeds planted in each heap. For containers, use large deep troughs with at least 1.5 feet depth and sow three seeds in each.
Care:
Once the seeds have sprouted, restrict weed growth around the seedlings with an organic mulch of leaves, grass cuttings or hay. Remove weak seedlings at this stage. Cucurbits tend to have deep roots, so a slow deep drenching once a week is sufficient to keep the soil and plant moist — drip irrigation is ideal for this. Protect against aphids, ants and other pests by spraying with diluted germicidal soap or neem solution; however, squash bugs must be removed manually. The plants will thrive with a nourishing compost tea when the first flowers appear, and once a week thereafter.
Note:
Cucurbits produce male and female flowers on the same plant and they are naturally pollinated by insects. However, poor pollination results in stunted or malformed fruits. To ensure the plants are well-pollinated, you can do this manually: rub the male flower over the female flower to transfer pollen. This will increase your chances of healthy well-proportioned vegetables.
Support:
All vining plants need some form of support. The most favoured system for climbers is the trellis which can be freestanding, or propped up against a wall or roof. This can range from elaborate pergolas, which are attractive garden features, to a basic lattice of ropes or wires. Old fishing nets are also a practical option, as they give good support to heavier fruits. Trellises and netting can even be fixed diagonally against a wall or wrapped around a tree. Heavier gourds must be supported individually with net bags. For pots and troughs — make a basic lattice or use supporting poles with stripped bamboo to encourage upward growth.
Harvest:
Most cucurbits can be harvested after 45 days. With proper care, harvesting can go on for up to a year.
Seeds:
Remember to save seeds from the best of the crop for the next season. Let 1 or 2 of the gourds ripen on the vine; when the fruit is soft and wizened, remove the seeds and leave to dry completely in direct sun. Once dry, mix with ash and store in an airtight container.
This is part one of a series on climbers and vines
