LADYBUG: GARDENING GROWS IN POPULARITY

When the Gallup people made a survey to learn how many families had vegetable gardens, they found nearly half of the families in the United States had vegetable gardens. Nearly four out of five families reported they were successful, and their gardens ranged from window-sill pots to truck farms.

A new survey by Organic Gardening magazine says 78 million adults participate in gardening, an increase of 30 percent since a similar study in 1992. Baby boomers, ages 35 to 54, make up the largest segment, with 58 percent falling in that age group.

"Gardening is the most popular leisure activity in the United States and the interest in gardening is growing as the baby boomers approach middle age," the magazine says.

July is the time to start seeds of the cole crops for a second season of vegetables. These include broccoli, cabbage, collards, cauliflower, kohlrabi, brussels sprouts and Chinese cabbage. These, along with some of the root crops, such as turnips and carrots are among some of the cold hardy crops.

Fast-maturing crops for July include snap beans, cucumber and some squash. These are plants that may be damaged by the first frost, but are well worth a try.

Tomatoes are American's most popular vegetable. More than 75 percent of Americans grow tomatoes, whether in a flower bed or in a garden plot. They are used to make soups, ketchup, sauces and paste. They come in a variety of colors -- red, yellow, striped and almost white. There are three basic ways to grow tomatoes -- pruned and staked, unpruned inside wire cages and sprawled on the ground.

Tomatoes are classified by their growth habits. Determinate indicates that the vines are short and bushy and grow only to a certain height. Indeterminate means that vines continue to grow indefinitely until frost or exhausted by age.

There are many, many varieties of tomatoes. Some have been with us quite some while, and others are newcomers. Some of the best are Beefsteak, Super Beefsteak, Big Boy, Big Girl, Better Boy, Early Girl, Roma, Golden Boy, Pixie and Tigerella, just to mention a few.

Garden beans represent a large family of plants, including snap beans, lima beans, broad beans, edible soy beans, cowpeas, mung beans and garbansos.

After tomatoes, snap beans are the most popular home garden vegetable. They are easier to grow than tomatoes and produce earlier in the season. Snap beans are either pole types, which require supports to climb, or bush beans which grow without training.

It is said that Turnip Day reminded early settlers that it was time to plant turnips as well as other seeds for fall gardening. As the saying goes, "On the 26th of July, plant turnips wet or dry." It is also said that former President Harry Truman, who was interested in folklore, called a special session of Congress on Turnip Day. He is also said to have liked turnips raw, but not cooked.

Turnips are grown for both greens and roots, and fall seems to be the better choice for root production. One of the best varieties recommended is Purple Top White Globe. Others recommended are White Lady and Tokyo Cross.

New potatoes are a special treat for gardeners and their friends. Even the best preservation techniques cannot capture the flavor of freshly dug potatoes, especially the very small ones. They have a mild flavor that is easily lost during the handling process. Some gardeners feel that fall planted potatoes, to be harvested in October, are not as productive or as flavorful as spring planted ones.

Is your mouth watering for sweet corn, that All-American favorite? It never tastes better than when prime ears are picked and popped into the kettle immediately. Remember in our youth, when it was said that mother put the kettle in when a member of the family had gone to the cornfield to pluck the ripe ears?

Corn likes the hot days of summer and will mature in 60 to 65 days. One corn plant generally produces only one to two ears. Because corn grows so tall, it is often planted on the north side of a garden, so it will not shade other plants.

There is a wide variety of sweet corn types available in addition to the standard yellow or white, such as bicolors and popcorn varieties. Children are fascinated by growing ornamental corn. The new varieties of sweet corn actually stay sweet, converting their sugar to starch much more slowly after harvest.

~Mary Blue is a resident of Cape Girardeau and an avid gardener.