Mouse Melon or Mexican Sour Cucumber, Melothria scabra
Looking for something unusual for your vegetable garden? Mouse melon or Mexican sour cucumber is a vine that produces unique tiny fruits that resemble striped watermelons. Learn more here.
Vegetables
It’s easy to grow fresh, nutritious and tasty vegetables in your own yard, community garden plot, or even in containers on a deck or patio. The University of Wisconsin – Madison Division of Extension offers home vegetable gardeners a tremendous number of resources to learn how to grow vegetables, as well as how to prevent and control diseases and insects. Browsing our publications and fact sheets will help you be successful in achieving a bountiful harvest.
Featured Vegetable Articles
Supporting Native Bees: Our Essential Pollinators
This free publication describes the importance of bees in pollinating major food crops, how to attract and support native pollinators, and how to construct, place, and maintain nests.
Making and Using Compost in the Garden
Making your own compost is an easy, practical, and satisfying way to make use of yard waste and table scraps. With this publication, designed for the home gardener, you’ll be composting like a pro in no time!
If you’re unable to find the information you need, please submit your gardening question here:
Articles
Leeks
Leeks are an onion relative that is a very easy to grow cool season crop well suited to cultivation in Wisconsin. Learn more about this tasty vegetable by reading this article…
Using Wood Ash in the Home Garden
Wood ash can provide certain soil nutrients, and can be used to raise soil pH. However, if used incorrectly or excessively, problems can occur. Learn more in this factsheet.
Harvesting Vegetables from the Home Garden
Harvesting vegetables at the right stage of growth is essential. This 4-page publication briefly lists the characteristics to look for to know when it’s time to harvest.
Indian Corn
Indian or flint corn is one of many types of maize or corn with colored kernels, either of a single or multiple colors. To learn more about these types of corn that have attractively-colored kernels, read this article…
Squash Vine Borer, Melittia cucurbitae
The nemesis of almost everyone who tries to grow squash in the Midwest, squash vine borer is a difficult problem to control. The larvae of this day-flying moth tunnel in the stems of zucchini, winter squash and pumpkin, causing the plants to wilt and frequently die. To learn more about this native insect pest, read this article…
Sage, Salvia officinalis
Sage may be best known as a flavoring but there’s much more to this aromatic plant, including attractive foliage and interesting flowers. Learn more about this versatile plant in this article…
Swiss Chard
The leafy vegetable Swiss chard is an easy-to-grow plant that is the same species as beets, but is grown for the leaves and enlarged petioles instead of the root. Learn more about chard in this article…
Pineapple Mint, Mentha suaveolens ‘Variegata’
Pineapple mint is a fuzzy-leaved plant that can be used as an herb or included in the garden as an ornamental for its variegated foliage. To learn more, read this article…
Earwigs
Many people are repulsed by the sight of an earwig and its intimidating back end. But those pinchers are mostly just for show, and these insects won’t harm people. They are primarily scavengers feeding at night, but they will eat some living plants and may cause damage at times. To learn more about these “icky” insects, read this article…
Spinach, Spinacia oleracea
Spinach is a quick and easy crop perfect for the home garden, and there are many cultivars of this cool season plant. To learn more about growing this leafy green, read this article…
Rosemary, Rosemarinus officinalis
Rosemary is an aromatic plant with a long history of use as a culinary and medicinal herb. It is easily grown in containers that can be moved indoors for the winter. To learn more about rosemary, see this article…
