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applestar
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Re: 2014 Spiral Garden Garlic Onion Pea Corn Squash Cuke Bee

(My) eye-level view of the corn -- :()
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Countryladiesgardens
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LOVE the corn! Looks great! Ours is still small..
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Cucumbers and Corn
Cucumbers and Corn

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Countryladiesgardens
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Your garden looks fantastic!! LOVE it! :-() :eek:

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applestar
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Winter Squash Parade (all about softball size except Guatemalan Blue, which I hand pollinated today)

Image Japanese Pie

Image Guatemalan Blue

ImageRed Kuri

ImageUncle David's Dessert

Image Kakai

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applestar
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So, on June 20 -- 2 weeks ago -- I posted that I essentially doubled the growing space for the watermelons....

Today --
At least 6 developing watermelons  -- 2 Sugar Baby, 2 Charleston <br />Gray, and 2 Yellow Moonbeam (I think?); and 2 Kakai, 3 Red Kuri, <br />1 or 2 Uncle David's Dessert squashes on the outside of the tunnel. <br />(If you zoom in, you can actually see the squashes in this picture....<br />...watermelons are of course hiding.)
At least 6 developing watermelons -- 2 Sugar Baby, 2 Charleston
Gray, and 2 Yellow Moonbeam (I think?); and 2 Kakai, 3 Red Kuri,
1 or 2 Uncle David's Dessert squashes on the outside of the tunnel.
(If you zoom in, you can actually see the squashes in this picture....
...watermelons are of course hiding.)
image.jpg (40.02 KiB) Viewed 2908 times
Image

Last year, potatoes and sweet potatoes did very poorly in these two areas where the watermelon and squash are flourishing. I left ALL the underdeveloped sweet potato tubers/roots and foliage in and on the ground over the winter to decompose. This is also where I built a pseudo hugelkultur with semi decomposed branches (rather than logs).

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Lindsaylew82
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This is pretty impressive!!!! Everything is looking SO great! You are soooo inventive!

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applestar
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I just can't get over the size of the corn plants! :shock:
(The arch trellis and the melon support bamboo stakes are about 6 feet high....)
image.jpg
...I'm also not used to the run-away cucumber leaves being so big. It finally occurred to me that I normally TRELLIS my cucumbers, but these vines are crawling along the ground and setting down roots. They are sucking up every bit of nutrients they can and are branching out new vines at every opportunity. I finally decided to put a stop to it and am turning back the vines and pruning off new shoots.
Etkezi Paprika is already surrounded.  If it shows <br />lack of growth or starts to decline, I'm pulling up <br />the cucumber vines back to the melon trellis <br />(where the pink balsam flowers are)  :x
Etkezi Paprika is already surrounded. If it shows
lack of growth or starts to decline, I'm pulling up
the cucumber vines back to the melon trellis
(where the pink balsam flowers are) :x

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applestar
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Watermelon Parade

Image
Image
Charleston Gray

Image Sugar Baby

Image One of each :D

Image
...this one looks different... Early Moonbeam? Strawberry? Crimson Sweet?

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applestar
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...Also... :()

I found a Tromboncino growing in the center compost pile from one of the discarded seeds. :-()
I wanted to be sure it set fruit so I hand pollinated it.
I wanted to be sure it set fruit so I hand pollinated it.
Since this is where the SVB resistant moschata and mixta/angiosperma are intentionally planted, the moschata Tromboncino may get bee-crossed with one of the other moschatas -- Thai Kang Kob is growing huge leaves but no blossoms so far. But I was expecting this one to be extra late maturing variety. I think there should be a Seminole here somewhere too. If I find the opportunity to make one or more intentional cross, I might try... But I'm finding it extremely difficult to trace the rampant vines back to the planting hole to ID which one is which, :roll:

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applestar
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OK, the game just switched up to the next level -- I saw my first SVB moth today. It was on one of the sprawling cucumber foliage in the Spiral Garden.

My hands were full as is usually the case in situations like this, so quickly drop everything, take aim... AND CLAP MY HANDS TOGETHER SANDWICHING THE CUCUMBER LEAF !!!

Somehow I missed because I saw it flutter or fall side ways, so now, I'm pushing cucumber leaves aside left and right searching for it on the ground. But it was on the underside of one of the leaves I pushed aside. It must have already been stunned because it fell on it's back on the ground by my feet -- STOMP AND GRIND INTO THE GROUND. :twisted:

...what? You wanted pictures? -- no time for that! :bouncey:

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Lindsaylew82
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They look so vicious! SVB moths! Something keeps eating them here. I think probably a bird. They keep leaving the bright orange abdomen and black wings behind. I need to encourage more birds!!!

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applestar
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Tromboncino "took" :()
image.jpg
...aaaand... We have melons! :clap:
image.jpg
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...yes and a cucumber. LOL
...yes and a cucumber. LOL

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Countryladiesgardens
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Nice to see your gardens progress! Looks like you will be having a great harvest! :-()

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Thank you! I hope so. :D

Today, I saw that one of the compost pile volunteer squash was looking suspiciously limp, so I cut it off at "soil" (actually compost pile) level and dissected it. Yuppers -- FOUR SVB grubs 1/2" to 3/4" long. :x

I posted about it elsewhere too, but I had to straighten up and splint one of the bloody butcher corn that kinked over due to whipping wind storm that blasted through last night:
I hope this will hold together if only until the tassles <br />supply pollen. <br />BB's are starting to tassle atop approx. 10ft talk stalks, <br />and silk at around 5-6 ft up the stalks...
I hope this will hold together if only until the tassles
supply pollen.
BB's are starting to tassle atop approx. 10ft talk stalks,
and silk at around 5-6 ft up the stalks...
I took some new photos of the squash and made a collage with it :()
image.jpg
I'm beginning to think that volunteer squash in the top left photo with a Charleston Gray watermelon is NOT a Red Kuri as I originally thought. But it has the same ruffled light yellow blossoms as Red Kuri and Uncle David's so I think it must be a C. maxima -- which *could* mean it might possibly be a Dill's Atlantic Giant... or it could just be an unknown Halloween pumpkin. Either way, it's kind of fun to think there's another variety. ...but SVB's are on the loose, so who knows what will happen to all these squashes outside of the protective tunnel.

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applestar
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See that picture on the top right of the collage? That's one of the squash vines escaping out between the picket fence. :o

...lucky for it, it managed to find it's way INSIDE the fenced enclosure for my Font Yard Edible Landscaping Fence Row:
Look! A Female blossom bud!
Look! A Female blossom bud!

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I put one of the hanging melons in a net bag today so it won't pull the vine down or fall off before it's ready to pick:
The knot in the bamboo stake shows how much <br />higher I pulled the fruit up to relieve the weight <br />pressure from the vine,  it's pretty heavy already.
The knot in the bamboo stake shows how much
higher I pulled the fruit up to relieve the weight
pressure from the vine, it's pretty heavy already.
Also harvested some of the onions:
image.jpg
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&quot;experimental hybrid corn&quot; turned out to be small <br />but very sweet. :)<br />Bloody Butcher is silking above my head  O.o
"experimental hybrid corn" turned out to be small
but very sweet. :)
Bloody Butcher is silking above my head O.o

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applestar
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I'm usually INSIDE the garden or just outside the fence tending the fence row bed, but I decided to walk out to the sidewalk and see if the passers by can see the 10-12 ft corn from out there and just how it looks right now. My front lawn is pretty deep -- maybe 60 feet from the sidewalk to the picket fence which is 5 ft high with 6 ft posts.
image.jpg
Hmmm.... I guess you can't get the sense of scale without the houses, so...
image.jpg
...next time, I'm definitely taking progress photos from out there. I just LOVE thinking that corn is a kind of grass and here I am, growing giant grass. So I like to grow at least one block of really tall corn variety. :> This is Bloody Butcher.

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applestar
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Pulled just about most of the rest of the onions today before watering... and found cucumbers hiding under the foliage in the process. I didn't harvest yesterday, but that can't explain these. :oops:
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(That's a personal size -- 8 cup -- colander)
(That's a personal size -- 8 cup -- colander)

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Subbed. This is very cool!

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applestar
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Thank you :D

Today, I saw that several squash plants that didn't get covered by the protective tunnel have collapsed. They were looking suspiciously languished already, but their condition was more obvious this morning.

Sure enough. SVB'S IN ALMOST EVERY LEAF NODE. :evil:
The two plants nearest were not Bush Delicata as I had guessed but
Uncle David's Dessert Squash. I thought there was one but actually discovered a second fruit. Both immature according to the thumbnail test. I'm hoping they will still be edible as "summer squash" or will be good for the Ma Ingall's Green Pumpkin Apple Pie recipe. 8)

On the far end of the Haybale Row, two affected vines were Red Kuri and Uncle David's, as well as two little volunteer plants that I didn't realize were there. Kakai may have been infiltrated but is not showing more than a suspicious hint. I may try injecting with Bt tomorrow.
:arrow: biology-and-management-of-squash-vine-borer-in-organic-farming-systems
That Red Kuri looks almost mature if judged by the color.  <br />I hope it'll finish maturing before I have to dispose of the <br />entire vine.
That Red Kuri looks almost mature if judged by the color.
I hope it'll finish maturing before I have to dispose of the
entire vine.
I didn't have time to open the tunnel today, but am planning to check on the occupants tomorrow.
...I decided it was too tedious to open the tunnel every day and hand pollinate. I'll try to make note of female blossoms that look like they will open the next day and TRY to get to it, but otherwise, it will be like a lottery -- some days, there will be blossoms to pollinate, and other days, I'll find closed females from previous day that I missed. Primarily, I need to get in and clean up/remove any leaves showing signs of fungal infection.

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Cucumbers are really producing!
I keep finding fruits I missed :roll:
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ReptileAddiction
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Wow that looks really good! I really need to find an in-ground place to grow cucumbers. They just do not work very well in containers.

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Image

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:D
Some of the developing squashes including <br />newly pollinated fruits inside the protective <br />tunnel and resistant C.moschata and <br />C.mixta/angiosperma
Some of the developing squashes including
newly pollinated fruits inside the protective
tunnel and resistant C.moschata and
C.mixta/angiosperma
:x
SVB's were infiltrating the unprotected Red <br />Kuri fruit
SVB's were infiltrating the unprotected Red
Kuri fruit
:(
Unprotected C. maximas and now C.pepos <br />have been infiltrated by SVB's
Unprotected C. maximas and now C.pepos
have been infiltrated by SVB's

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These are the squashes growing inside the protective tunnel.
I know there are at least one Red Kuri and one Guatemalan Blue in there, but so far no fruit. I've tried to hand pollinate Guatemalan Blue twice now but they weren't successful. :?
Looks like four Kakai and two Uncle David's <br />Dessert squashes.
Looks like four Kakai and two Uncle David's
Dessert squashes.

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applestar
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Hey, I haven't posted a view from my favorite window lately :()
image.jpg
The corn was starting to yellow from the bottom up. I'd read that this is a sign of nitrogen deficiency so I mixed alfalfa pellets and bran 1:1 and soaked in rainwater with a bit of molasses with a scoop of organic potting mix, dolomitic lime and home made compost to add some good microbes. Then diluted and soil drenched. I did this twice over the last week and I'm seeing the corn greening up darker now, though there are some yellowing Ieaves still. We finally had a good soaking rain too, breaking the drought so that must have helped, too.

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Countryladiesgardens
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Applestar your garden is fantastic! Love looking at updates along the way! Our corn is doing great too! It's really starting to take off now, was thinking about planting in between the corn stocks. Love your cucs! They look fat and healthy! :-()

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Thank you! I'm really enjoying growing different varieties of cucumbers. Had old seeds so I pre-germinated them all mixed together -- I was going to grow what germinated. I'm seeing now that I probably have at least 4 varieties going but I can only recognize them by type -- regular American type and pickling type (I think I had two of each of these) and a Japanese variety that I can never remember the name of but probably mentioned earlier and Lemon.

I'm casting around now for ways to preserve them. Just came across a mayonnaise company website that mentioned you can slice, salt, drain water that comes out, then freeze with all the air squeezed out. Thaw in the fridge and use in dressed salads of creamy or mayonnaise type (with tomatoes... with chicken, cold pork roast, ham or tuna... mix in potato and egg salads, etc.) I think I'll freeze a test batch and try these. 8)

Some of the SVB resistant C. moschatas and C. mixtas/angiospermas I'm growing at the base of the corn are later maturing. Thai Kang Kob FINALLY opened a female blossom. I hand pollinated to ensure fruit set even though the bumblebees are all over the blossoms.
TKK is growing!
TKK is growing!
I took what I thought was a funny video of the bees. I'll post it if I can figure out how.

The vines of the SVB infested Uncle David's Dakota Dessert Squash dried up so
I harvested the only fruit. The skin was hard but gave a little to thumbnail pressure, but there was a hole in the stem :x

Afraid of repeat of the Red Kuri, I cut it up. But this time the fruit was intact and mature. :D
1/2 of the squash cut up into a Pyrex bowl
1/2 of the squash cut up into a Pyrex bowl
Unfortunately, that means I missed my chance to cure it for a month to sweeten, but it was very good nevertheless, roasted in 1/2" of water and butter and served with a drizzle of maple syrup. :> ...and
I saved some of the mature seeds. It'll be a mystery/possible cross next year since Red Kuri and the volunteer pumpkin are both also C. maxima. 8)

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I noticed something with some of the larger zucchini, that I picked after my vacation, in relation to SVB. Keep in mind this is completely random in relation to my garden.
I threw out A LOT if squash and zucchini to the compost pile. It got me so mad that I went and got a knife and started cutting up every fruit that had a hole...... Most had NO WORMS! Here, they seem to just eat a little, realize it's not the vine, then leave the fruit.

MOST of my larger zucchini (arm size) had obvious scars on them, but when I cut them open, they had little to no real damage to the inner flesh. The external damage was healed up and scarred.

My hypothesis here is that the older fruits that are less tender can maybe handle a little SVB damage. I wonder if they can handle winter storage with minimal damage. Maybe I'm not giving my plants the chance they deserve to reproduce....... I think they can handle a little more than I'm willing to allow.

Maybe a silver lining?

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applestar
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Hey that's good to know. :D
So like I think with many insect eaten vegs and fruits, the key to salvaging them is to get in there and find out the extent of the damage. You won't necessarily have to throw the whole thing away. 8)

Another exciting day in the garden today --

When I checked the watermelons, two of them had dried up tendrils indicating they should be ripe :-()
One of the Kakai hulless seed squash was ready.<br />Charleston Gray and Sugar Baby watermelons showing <br />their cream and yellow bellies.
One of the Kakai hulless seed squash was ready.
Charleston Gray and Sugar Baby watermelons showing
their cream and yellow bellies.
They are small watermelons -- just 6.5 Lbs CG and 5.75 Lbs SB, but that's pretty big for my garden. I would say these are the best looking watermelons I've been able to grow to date. :()
...does a watermelon floating in a bucket of water mean anything?

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We had nearly 1" of rain the night before last, and the Japanese Pie squash stem had become water soaked and just broke right off yesterday. I'm guessing it was already dried out.
It's SO green I don't know if it is really mature, but I put it out in the sun yesterday, brought it inside last night to keep it dry and warm, and will put it out in the sun again today to be sure, then store it and see what happens. I believe with these they turn tan in storage, but I'd better do more research to be sure. It's a C. mixta or C. angiosperma like Cushaw.

Has anyone grown a Cushaw squash before? Is it a storage squash or should it be eaten/processed right away?
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You can see the bottom it had turned yellow....
You can see the bottom it had turned yellow....

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Bloody Butcher corn are ready to harvest! With some of these, I have to reach up to pull the first ear of corn. 2nd ear is completely out of reach :roll:
image.jpg
image.jpg
Bloody Butcher, as might be expected is not sweet corn unless picked at young and immature kernel stage. But *if* I catch them at just the right milky stage, they are VERY good with just the right combination of tender, sweet, and full CORN flavor. The older fully developed ears are chewy to hard but have been pronounced -- "WOW just like the ones from the store -- HUGE!" and "Starchy, yet oddly satisfying... Like eating corn chips... hm...not quite... I KNOW! LIKE POPCORN!" :()

But the compost pile in the middle for constant supply of good nutrients plus the swale to hold rain and irrigation water for thorough watering I think are the two techniques that will help me grow good corn from now on. :-()

I will probably continue to pre-germinate, start seeds in deep containers, then selectively plant even sized seedlings for best chance of catching all the plants at the same pollination stage in my small garden. Circular double-row planting pattern definitely works -- I didn't/couldn't hand pollinate the Bloody Botcher and they all have full ears -- but It wont be possible to implement in all of my garden beds that get full sun.

Four of the okra seeds I sowed along the BACK of the watermelon patch have struggled up from between and under the vines to grow along what is now the MIDDLE of the watermelon patch. :lol: Maybe they will produce some before the frost 8)
I see some flower buds!
I see some flower buds!

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From the unprotected section of the Haybale Squash Row, I harvested the unknown volunteer pumpkin you see in the corner of the okra photo. As I feared, there are signs of SVB activity :x
Volunteer C. maxima pumpkin/squash
Volunteer C. maxima pumpkin/squash
I'll cut this open tomorrow just in case.

Both the unprotected Kakai Hulless seed squash had ONE squash vine borer in each fruit. But cutting them open soon after harvesting made it possible to save nearly all of the seeds.
Kakai hulless seed squash
Kakai hulless seed squash
I dried the seeds from the first one and lightly toasted the seeds from the second one. My family is sold! With three more developing fruits under the protective tunnel and having hand pollinated another female blossom today, hopefully we will continue to enjoy these delicious pepitos. So far, each fruit has yielded barely enough seeds for everyone to enjoy.

There are also three developing Uncle David's Dessert Dakota squash fruits and one Red Kuri under the tunnel. I have also been harvesting Sayamusume edamame from under there, though they are not growing as vigorously as they should. We are going to compare Sayamusume with Shirofumi edamame and decide which we like better for next year.

In the Spiral Garden, there are two Thai Kang Kob (maybe Seminole) and one volunteered in the compost pile Tromboncino fruits growing at the moment.
*NOT *Thai Kang Kob (maybe Seminole?) and the long Tromboncino
*NOT *Thai Kang Kob (maybe Seminole?) and the long Tromboncino
I already harvested a Japanese Pie Squash and there is also a small (about softball size) red pumpkin like squash that also grew in the compost pile. I can't get to it so I'm leaving it there hoping for the best.

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Lindsaylew82
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The tromboncino are SVB resistant?

You use them like a summer squash or let them get big and tough skinned?

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applestar
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Yep. Tromboncino is a C. moschata with solid stems.
Last time I grew them, they did get SVB's further along side shoots later in the season and plus the the *mature* ones were were barely mature at frost and I wasn't impressed with them as *mature* squash, but then they *may not have been fully mature*

I REALLY liked them harvested immature as summer squash. Nuttier flavor and less spongy in texture than zukes since the ENTIRE long neck is solid with seed cavity in the bulb.

This time, I need to replenish my seed supply, so I'm letting this one mature fully and not thinking about harvesting any immature squash... Ordinarily you would want to harvest them immature if you want to keep them producing. I hope to be able to evaluate the mature flavor of this squash without question this time.

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Wow, that is a fantastic amount of production from the spiral garden. I did not get around to building my own spiral garden, but I went to the Halawa Xeriscape plant sale today and I was inspired a miniature version of a spiral garden. It is only a little over 3 ft in diameter and it is designed so that the center is higher than t he rest of the garden. The garden is watered from the top and the water trickles down. The plants that need more water at at the bottom of the spiral.

This is probably something I can fit in my smaller space. I may even incorporate some keyhole garden concepts to make watering more efficient. I think this will work for herbs or strawberries. Now, I just have to find the time to actually do it.

I tried to upload a photo, but it said the file was too big.

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Ooh! I've seen examples of those kinds of spiral herb garden. That would look nice!

To post a smaller file size photo, one suggestion I've seen made is to mail it to yourself. Usually the cellphone mail app will ask if you want to reduce the image file size. I use an app on the iPad and iPhone and can post the AppStore link if needed.


I cut up the volunteer maxima pumpkin and the Japanese Pie squash.
image.jpg
It turned out that the pumpkin was intact -- there was a chewed hole in the stem but it looks like the shell had hardened enough that the SVB couldn't get in past the stem scar. (Did I mention I injected the hole with Bt?) I baked half and froze the other half. The pumpkin was fully mature and delicious -- my DD's loved it :D I also toasted most of the seeds after saving some to plant, and DH ate the majority. :lol:

Japanese Pie squash started to spoil in the narrow neck so I opted to cut it open. It was still green outside and I do believe it was immature, though I saved the seeds. After baking, the squash had the texture of a zucchini, though nutty and tasty nevertheless. :D I even had the leftovers cold this morning with mayo and couldn't help eating the second, last slice though I refrained from also eating the leftover pumpkin slices and saved them for the kids :wink:

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Yesterday's and today's harvest.<br />Uncle David's Dakota Dessert squash <br />Smutty corn
Yesterday's and today's harvest.
Uncle David's Dakota Dessert squash
Smutty corn
The squash was harvested by my parents. I took some of the started plants and prepped and planted a garden for them earlier this season in spring. They said the squash vine had crawled up the garden fence and ranged around, and this squash (about 8" in diameter) was hanging on the fence. They weren't sure if it was mature, but were sure if they left it on the fence, some animal -- they get deer and groundHOGs traipsing through -- would eat it, so they harvested it. (I think it's was the right choice. Thumbnail leaves very slightly marks....
(Update -- just now talked to them and they said it was slightly immature with many seeds that hadn't plumped up yet, but steamed and served with slaw dressing, it is/was delicious :() )

I found a smutty corn! It's so WEIRD looking. I recognized it for what it was right away though I never had one like it before. Not sure what to do with it.... (I cut the affected area off and froze it while deciding :lol: )

We ate the Sugar Baby watermelon
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Sugar Baby watermelon was delicious
Sugar Baby watermelon was delicious

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applestar
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I've been reviewing the winter squash varieties, and I don't think what I have growing in the Spiral Garden are Thai Kang Kob. They should be wartier, ribbed, and flatter. I'm a bit bummed, because I really wanted to grow this variety.

But if you remember, I combined my seeds in the sprouter to pre-germinate, and I thought. I could tell the difference, but once they swelled with water, the seeds started to look different than before and similar to each other. :oops: Considering the other varieties, I think these are likely to be Seminole, the Florida Heirloom C. moschata. I guess I'll have to try growing TKK again next year. :-()

I edited the recent post to reflect my observation.

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applestar
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Hot and mild peppers in the Spiral Garden
Hot and mild peppers in the Spiral Garden
TOP ROW
Etkezi Hot Paprika (maybe Etkezesi) - Hot Lemon (Drop) - Fish

BOTTOM ROW
4 yr old Jalapeño (something/hornworm nibbled it) - Corno di Toro - Peppadew

All of these except I think Corno di Toro were overwintered.



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