Next topic is the veggie category typically found in a home garden. The first one is the Fruit category.
The following breaks down the Fruit category by plant family.
Nightshade Family:Â Eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, tomatillos and ground cherries.
Even though I included ground cherries in the fruit category, not the veggie category, under the Nightshade family, I had to include them here because there are in my veggie garden each year.
Basically, I included the veggie members of the nightshade family except for potatoes. You will soon see why!
Cucurbit Family:Â Cucumbers, melons, and winter and summer squash, loofah, pumpkin, gourds and zuchetta.
Even though I included melons in the fruit category, not the veggie category, under the Cucurbit Family, I had to include melons here because they are so common in the home garden. Don’t forget melons include watermelons, cantaloupe, honeydews, etc.
Similarities:
The edible part of the Fruit category is the fruit that is produced. The fruit category shines in the heat of summer. These plants like phosphorus and potassium.
Differences:
As far as long term storage, tomatillos in the nightshade family and winter squash in the cucurbit family are the winners. You need to eat the rest of the members sooner rather than later or have a plan for storing. As for melons, enjoy them when you pick them for the best flavor! Tomatoes can grow in a pole or bush format, cucumbers, melons and winter squash will grow in a vine/pole format, and eggplants, peppers, tomatillos and summer squash grow in a bush format.
