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ORGANIC FIELD GUIDE ORGANIC FIELD GUIDE
COMMON EDIBLE PLANTS GROW IT EAT IT LOVE IT
Health Power
Cantaloupe is rich in vitamins A, C and beta-carotene. (More than 100
percent of RDA in one cup.) Vitamin A and beta-carotene essential to
maintain healthy vision. Vitamin C protects circulatory and immune systems
from cell-damaging free radicals and stimulates white blood cells to fight
infection. (Honeydew has much less of the vitamins but similar amounts of
the others.) Also contains folate, important in producing and maintaining
new cells, especially during pregnancy or when healing a severe wound.
Cantaloupe helps with energy by controlling metabolism of carbohydrates.
Vitamin and Mineral Content
Vitamins – A, B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), B9 (Folate),
B5 (Pantothenic Acid), B6 (Pyridoxine), C, E and K
Minerals – Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Calcium, Sodium, Iron,
Selenium, Manganese, Copper and Zinc
Disease Prevention
Helps reduce risk of cataracts, heart disease, stroke, many cancers and
promotes overall health with broad base of vitamins and minerals.
Vitamin A may help prevent emphysema in smokers and those exposed
to second-hand smoke.
How to Grow
First cultivated in southwestern Asia and the Nile Delta. Melons grow best
in hot, dry areas. Night temperatures should not go below 55˚F. Melons
need 3-4 months of warm weather. Do not plant until the soil has reached
65-75˚F. Require full sun, complete drainage and air circulation to prevent
fungal diseases. Mix in some broken-down compost to provide nutrients and
improve soil structure. Avoid water build up on the surface, since melons
rest on the ground during growth. A sprinkling of fish bone meal helps.
Best soil pH ranges from 6.5-7. In 2.5 to 3 months they yield ripe fruit. If
growing in a cooler area, start in a heated greenhouse until it gets warm
enough outside. Create a small soil hill and plant two transplants per hill.
If sowing seeds outdoors, plant 6-8 seeds in a 12-inch circle on each hill.
Space hills 5 to 10 feet apart, depending on projected size. Mulch after
onset of summer to prevent water stress if you live in very hot, dry area.
Keep soil watered regularly but keep surface relatively dry. Females have
swelling below the petal tube. As flowers begin to show, notice if females
are aborting. Means lack of pollinating bees. If so, pick the male flower and
pollinate the stigma of the female.
Insect Control
Canteloupe and honeydew susceptible to spider mites. (In some areas
the cucumber beetle, too.) Seaweed spray several times during growing
season helps maintain robust plant growth. If the infestation is severe,
use rotenone.
Tips
Very prone to mildew. Grow on mounds or raised beds to prevent water build
up. Cantaloupe is ripe when easy to detach from the vine. Another hint to
ripeness is sweet smell and softness on each end of fruit.
Health Power
Mustard greens are loaded with vitamin K, which increases bone formation
and decreases its breakdown (osteoclastic processes). Especially helpful for
postmenopausal women. Magnesium also an important cofactor for many
enzymes, some involved with bone and cartilage building. (Others keep smooth
muscles relaxed, which helps asthmatics.) With some calcium, mustard greens are
good for bones. Great source of vitamin A and a good source of vitamin C. Besides
being a protective antioxidant, vitamin A helps maintain healthy eyesight in low
light, embryonic development and immune system function by helping develop
and activate red and white blood cells. Vitamin A also helps increase blood vessel
dilation and decrease blood vessel spasms. Antioxidant vitamin C protects
water-soluble areas from cellular damage by free radicals. Also important in
synthesis of collagen (part of blood vessels), ligaments, tendons and bone
formation. (May also promote healthy immune system function, but more
research is needed.) Together, antioxidant vitamins A, C and E help blood vessels
relax and prevent plaque buildup. Folate is involved with DNA synthesis and
protein catabolism. Folate also regulates homocysteine in the blood. (At excess
levels, homocysteine is linked to hardening of blood vessels, which leads to
heart disease.) Folate is also essential to proper fetal development. Mustard
greens have many phytonutrients (e.g. glucosinolates) that get converted to
isothiocyanates. These are being researched for their ability to inhibit cancer cell
growth and stimulate production of detoxifying enzymes in the liver.
Vitamin and Mineral Content
Vitamins – K, A, C, E, B9 (Folate), B6 (Pyridoxine), B2 (Riboflavin), B1 (Thiamin)
and B3 (Niacin)
Minerals – Manganese, Calcium, Potassium, Copper, Phosphorus, Iron and
Magnesium
Disease Prevention
Mustard greens may help avoid cardiovascular disease, stroke,
osteoporosis, rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, asthma, cataracts and
cancers of the mouth, throat, vocal cords, esophagus, skin, lung, breast,
liver, stomach, colon and prostate.
How to Grow
Easy to grow and great in salads and sandwiches or as a garnish.
Can grow indoors in winter and/or outdoors in spring and fall. Grows
best in cool weather with full sun. Outdoors, grows best in sunny site
with moist, highly fertile soil. Indoors, it does well in shallow pans or
trays. For a winter sowing, place a bit of moist soil into a tray. Scatter the
seeds thickly on it. Cover the seeds with a piece of paper (newspaper,
magazine page, printer paper). When seeds germinate, remove paper
and set in direct sunlight. When they begin to grow, put them in fertile
soil. If sowing outdoors, sow in a container the same way or in the corner
of a bed. Sow every couple of weeks to get continual harvest. Greens are
ready for harvest in 10-20 days. Cut and enjoy, but remember to sow
another tray.
Insect Control
Mustard is largely trouble free, especially indoors. If you have a persistent
infestation, consult local nursery or agriculture extension office.
Tips
Mustard is a cool weather crop. Flowers want to develop during long,
warm, summer days. Remove and compost them when hot weather
arrives before flower stalks appear.
Melons Cantaloupe & Honeydew
INGREDIENTS
1 cantaloupe melon
1½ cups mozzarella balls
½ lb. prosciutto cut into small pieces
1 cup fresh basil leaves,
loosely packed
1½ tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
■ Remove skin, slice the melons in half, remove the seeds and cut into small
chunks. Place in a large mixing bowl. Add prosciutto, mozzarella and basil.
■ Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper in a small bowl
and drizzle on top of the salad.
■ Serve chilled.
Cantaloupe Salad
RECIPE CARD
Mustard