Vegetables – SS2 Horticulture and Crop Production Lesson Note (Third Term)

Vegetables are plants, or parts of plants, eaten mainly for their vitamins and minerals.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. state why vegetables are important in our food;
2. classify vegetables by the part of the plant that is eaten;
3. say which vegetables need a nursery and which are planted directly;
4. describe how to plant, space and harvest tomato, okra, pepper and spinach;
5. list four general care practices for a vegetable garden.

Why are vegetables important in our food?

Vegetables protect the body from illness because they supply vitamins, minerals and fibre.

• Protection: vitamins and minerals help the body fight sickness. Grains such as maize mainly give energy.
• Fibre: helps food move through the gut and prevents constipation.
• Flavour: tomato and pepper give taste to stews and soups.
• Income: vegetables grow fast, so farmers earn money in a short time.

What are the types of vegetables by the part eaten?

Vegetables are grouped by the part of the plant that we eat: leaf, fruit, root, bulb and flower.

What is the difference between a nursery and direct sowing?

A nursery is a small bed or tray where seeds are grown into seedlings before they are moved to the main field.

Direct sowing is planting seeds straight into the main field where the crop will grow and mature.

How are common vegetables grown?

How is tomato grown?

Tomato is a fruit vegetable used in almost every Nigerian stew and soup.

1. Nursery: do not plant the seeds directly in the main farm. Start them in a nursery tray or a small seedbed.
2. Transplanting: move seedlings to the main field when they are about 10 cm to 15 cm tall, usually after 3 to 4 weeks.
3. Timing: transplant in the evening, when the sun is down, so the seedlings do not wilt.
4. Staking: tie the weak plants to a wooden stick (stake). The heavy fruits then stay off the ground and do not rot.
5. Harvesting: pick the fruits when they turn pinkish-red. Fruits left until too soft burst before reaching the market.

How is okra (lady’s finger) grown?

Okra is a hardy fruit vegetable that is easy to grow and gives pods for a long time.

1. Planting: plant okra directly in the soil. It does not need a nursery.
2. Soaking: soak the seeds in water for 24 hours before planting to help them germinate faster.
3. Spacing: leave 60 cm between rows and 30 cm between plants.
4. Harvesting: pick pods while they are young and snap easily. Old pods become woody and hard and cannot be eaten.

How are peppers (chilli and bell) grown?

Pepper is a fruit vegetable that gives flavour to food, such as the hot “ata rodo” and the large “tatase”.

1. Nursery: raise pepper in a nursery, as with tomato. The young plants are delicate.
2. Transplanting: set the seedlings 50 cm apart in the main field.
3. Watering: peppers need water but not flooding. In waterlogged soil the leaves turn yellow and fall off.
4. Harvesting: pick the fruits green, or wait until they turn bright red for a sweeter taste.

How is spinach (green leafy vegetable) grown?

Spinach and similar leaf vegetables, such as amaranth (efo tete), are among the fastest crops on the farm.

1. Planting: the seeds are very tiny. Mix them with dry sand and scatter them (broadcasting) so they do not crowd in one spot.
2. Thinning: where plants are crowded, pull some out and eat them. The remaining plants then have room to grow big leaves.
3. First harvest: start thinning and eating after about 3 weeks.
4. Full harvest: cut the plant near the ground. It often grows back.

What is the summary of the four common vegetables?

How do we care for a vegetable garden?

A vegetable garden needs fencing, mulching, manure, pest control, watering and weeding.

• Fencing: goats and chickens eat vegetables, so build a small fence around the garden.
• Mulching: vegetables have soft stems and dry out fast. Cover the soil with dry grass to keep it cool and moist.
• Fertiliser: use poultry droppings or well-rotted manure. Vegetables do well with organic manure.
• Pest control: look for caterpillars when leaves have holes. Pick the worms off by hand or spray neem water.
• Watering: water regularly in the dry season, but avoid waterlogging.
• Weeding: remove weeds early so they do not compete with the crop for water and nutrients.

Classroom discussion

Ask the students: “If you have a very small balcony, which of the four vegetables would be easiest to grow in a plastic bucket?”

• Pepper: a compact plant that fits well in a container.
• Tomato: also grows in a bucket if the plant is staked.

Evaluation

1. Why do we eat vegetables?
2. Which of the four vegetables need a nursery, and which are planted directly?
3. State the spacing for okra.
4. Why do farmers mix spinach seeds with dry sand before broadcasting?
5. Name four general care practices for a vegetable garden.

Assignment

Write short notes on how to grow and harvest tomato. Cover the nursery, transplanting, staking and harvesting.