Vegetables are known to various peoples from ancient times. For example, white cabbage has been cultivated since the third millennium BC. The production cycle was begun by the ancient Romans, through which this vegetable spread in Europe. Around the 9th century AD, he, along with the colonists, came to Kievan Rus and then began to be grown in more northern territories. Onions, radishes and garlic, so widespread today in Russia, first grew in Egypt a few thousand years before our era.
Vegetable crops gained a special heyday with the development of navigation, when tomatoes, beans, corn, zucchini and potatoes were brought from America. They have taken root perfectly in the new territories and today are the best, for example, tomato-based sauces are prepared in Italy. In addition, the “vegetable” exchange was promoted by ... war. It is believed that eggplant and spinach came to Europe during the 7th century war, when Muslim troops came to Spain from the east.
Maybe because different vegetables historically come from different parts of the world, they do not always get along in the garden. Experienced owners know that there is compatibility of vegetable crops, as well as a “bad neighborhood”. For example, cauliflower, the country of origin of which is considered to be China, seriously conflicts with the "Indian" tomatoes. Although, on the other hand, no less “Indian” potatoes or zucchini are not combined with tomatoes.
Vegetables occupy an important place in the diet of any person, and the total number of their species is such that today can not be counted. For example, only varieties of tomatoes and their hybrids in Russia five years ago, there were about 1200. The general classification divides vegetables into the following groups:
- green leafy (lettuce, watercress, cilantro, dill, etc.);
- perennial vegetable species (rhubarb, sorrel, asparagus, horseradish, onion, etc.);
- fruit, including the family of nightshade (tomato, eggplant, etc.), pumpkin (cucumber, zucchini, squash, etc.), legumes (peas, beans, beans, etc.), malva, bluegrass (sweet corn) ;
- onions (leeks, onions, garlic, etc.);
- cabbage (Savoy cabbage, Brussels sprouts, white cabbage, etc.);
- root vegetables (radish, beets, carrots, celery, parsley, etc.);
- tubers (sweet potato, Jerusalem artichoke, potatoes).
In order for vegetables to produce a good harvest, suitable weather conditions and agricultural practices, i.e. for each species, soil should be prepared, appropriate fertilizers applied, planting or sowing completed, weeding, watering and cleaning carried out in due time. Also, the crop must be properly stored. Otherwise, the economy is not minutes of vegetable disease. These include problems associated with bacteria, fungi, pests, damage, as well as excess or lack of moisture and heat. Today, specialists are aware of such lesions as:
- cancer, scab, rot (for potatoes);
- keel, bacteriosis, gray rot, jaundice (for cabbage);
- root eater, viral mosaic, cercosporosis (for beets);
- antacnosis, white rot (for cucumbers), etc.