Cucumber

Cucumber is a tender, warm-season vegetable that produces well when given proper care and protection. Cucumbers are difficult to grow, this is mainly because a constant high temperature is required throughout the growing season and it takes a lot of effort to grow these vegetables.

Soil Preparation. Cucumbers are best grown in pots and grow bags inside the greenhouse. It is recommended to use quite large pots (ten inch pots). That’s all the soil preparation that cucumbers need really as they are not generally grown in boarder soil or outdoors. If they are grown outdoors, they generally grow with little success.

Sowing and Planting. Seeds should be sown indoors in late February or early March. Seeds should be sown on their sides in 3 inch pots at a depth of about half an inch. Seeds should be watered and left to germinate.

Looking After the Plants. Keep the plants well watered but making sure the compost is never waterlogged. You should remove male flowers from most cucumber varieties. The female flowers should have a small cucumber growing behind the flower while male flowers just have a thin stalk inside the flower.

Harvesting. You can begin harvesting cucumbers once the cucumbers have reached a reasonable size. Cucumbers usually are eaten when immature. The best size depends upon the use and variety. A cucumber is of the highest quality when it is uniformly green, firm and crisp. The cucumber fruit grows rapidly to harvest size and should be picked at least every other day. The most common problem is that people harvest cucumbers too late after they mature therefore stopping other cucumbers being produced on the plant. You should remove cucumbers from the plant using a sharp knife.

Soil Preparation. Radishes love rich, fertile soil which is well draining. However most people tend to consider radishes a vegetable that are just grown in the spare spaces between other plants, therefore don’t consider soil preparation.

Sowing and Planting. Radishes are only small so seeds can be sown very close, try and sow a seed every inch in rows that are around 6 inches apart. Simply cover with soil and water lightly.

Looking After the Plants. Keep the area weed free at all times, this is best done by hoeing between the rows of seedlings, you can also hand weed the area if you have planted the seedlings a little to close.

Harvesting. You can begin pulling the first radishes while they are still small, harvesting when the radishes are the size of your thumb is the best time to pick them.

Soil Preparation. Beet prefer to be grown on a soil which is deep, sandy and fertile. The land should be dug in winter adding some well rotted compost. Beet grows well in areas which have sun throughout the day but need soil that will hold enough water to keep. Roots that haven’t been watered will become woody.

Sowing and Planting. You can begin sowing beet in April with the last sowing in late June, this will ensure you have a continuous crop throughout the summer season.

Looking After the Plants. Once the seedlings are large enough to handle you can begin thinning them. This is done by removing the weakest seedling from each station. This will leave one seedling every four inches.

Harvesting. Once the first roots reach the size of a small golf ball you should harvest every second plant in the row. These can be used for cooking immediately.

Nutritional Value and Health Benefits. Beets are rich in folic acid that aids in the fight against heart disease and anemia. Beets also high in fiber which helps to keep your blood sugar and blood cholesterol level on track. (1500)

Words to the text:

well rotted compost – перегнивший компост

thinning - прореживание

seedling – рассада, саженцы

to mature - созревать

folic acid – фолиевая кислота

fiber – клетчатка

7.1 Answer the questions:

1) Are red beet tops edible?

2) What kind of soils does beet grow?

3) Must the plants be kept well watered?

4) What is the nutritional value of beet?

Beans

Beans are actually one of the oldest vegetables grown by humans, however up until recently beans were not grown as a vegetable but as a cattle food. Beans are such a fantastic tasting vegetable yet they are so incredibly easy to grow.

The seeds are large, they germinate fast, no special care or attention is required, they are quickly ready for harvesting and are generally a very easy vegetable to grow.

Soil Preparation. You should dig the spot where you plan to grow beans incorporating well rotted manure while digging. The spot should be in a sunny location in soil.

Sowing and Planting. Sowings can begin in February, you can sow seeds under cloches at this point, this will provide an extremely early crop. Main sowings should be planted in March and April.

Sow seeds 8 inches apart in rows that are twelve inches apart. You may wish to sow some extra seeds in a seedbed or containers indoors to fill the gaps where the seeds do not germinate successfully.

Looking After the Plants. Support for the plants will be necessary as beans can grow quite tall. A wood and string framework works well to support the plants.

Harvesting. You can begin picking beans while they are still small. You should pick beans while they are three inches long, cooking them and eating them whole.

Nutritional Value and Health Benefits. Green beans are a good source of carbohydrates. They are a moderate source of protein, dietary fiber, vitamin C and beta carotene. The beta carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body. Green beans also contain small amounts of calcium and other trace nutrients.

(1750)

Words to the text:

germinate - прорастать

well rotted manure - перегной

under cloches – под укрытием

pinch out - прищипывать

blackfly – тля черная

8.1 Say if the sentences are true or false:

1) Beans are actually one of the oldest vegetables grown by humans.

2) Main sowings should be planted in September and October.

3) You should pick beans while they are three inches long.

4) Beans are not a very good source of nutrients.