Applestar's 2015 Garden

[applestar]

Looks like one last hurrah of broccoli before the heatwave arrives tomorrow.

Top-left -I'm pretty sure- is the central head of the only Purple Sprouting broccoli that germinated because it's the only one planted in a patio planter away from the others -- I hope I kept notes... Maybe I put a label stick in the planter... I should check..... Purple Peacock sprouting broccoli on the bottom-right (red flower is just Jacob Cline monarda that is growing through the foliage). Purple Peacock REALLY looks more like Red Russian KALE but does form heads that are closer to sprouting broccoli.

[Igotworms]

beautiful plants!

[lakngulf]

Looks like one last hurrah of broccoli before the heatwave arrives tomorrow.

Do you start broccoli from seed or buy plants? I have had little luck either way, maybe our humid area is just not right for it.

[applestar]

I start broccoli from seeds. I've been starting them earlier and earlier -- it looks like if I have the indoor space for the bigger plants, it's best to start them by mid-January -- I can usually start planting around 2nd week to mid-March.

This means you may be better off thinking of broccolis as fall started early spring harvest.

Rainbowgardener has been successful direct sowing them in fall -- I think about a month before first average frost? (Correct me if I'm wrong RBG) And generally her winters are mild enough that they survive. -- I've tried that but it gets too cold here, I think -- I'll keep experimenting to see if I can come up with a reasonable protection method.

[applestar]

Subject: 2014 pre-germinating/sprouting experiment Peas, Corn, Curcs

Last year, I found out that by pre-germinating and starting them inside for planting as early as possible, early maturing C.pepo variety and C.maxima, which are vulnerable to SVBs (squash vine borers) were able to mature fruits before SVBs took down the vines.

This year, I direct sowed the pre-germinated seeds in raised hills for warmed soil, etc. and it worked!

-- I harvested these Kakai hulless seed squash today (along with the one volunteer maxima) Almost all Kakai vines have collapsed due to SVB.

I only got two Guatemalan Blue fruits from two plants -- but par for the course since I had 6 Kakai plants -- but I believe they are also nearly ready to harvest -- there is corking starting in the fruit stems. Since the vines are not quite collapsed (supplied by secondary roots from nodes along the vines), even though they are infested by SVB's at the base, I'm going to give them another day or two before harvesting.

This is working out well since now, melon vines that are enjoying the hot weather can move into the space that had been occupied by Kakai, and I sowed pre-germinated edamame/soybean seeds in the Guatemalan Blue hill.

Update plan and photo:

[applestar]

Guatemalan Blue C.maxima squash -- one striped, one not. If they have equivalent flavor, I'm saving seeds from the striped one.

Big and little tomatoes, and lemon Dani basil, A couple of test edamame and yellow raspberries that keep coming in ones and twos (I guess I would get more once this new patch matures more)

...last dozen or so of the last to silk corn had trouble because all the tassles were done making pollen.
... First peaches -- when I went to check on them there was this most awful cluster of dozen or so Japanese beetles on one fruit. Look what they did! ...but once the damaged part was trimmed away, the peach tasted delicious!

[JayPoc]

What do those ginormous squash taste like? You're supposed to let them get that big? How do you prepare them? The SVB leave them alone?

Sorry for the barrage of questions....they just look nifty and have me intrigued....

[applestar]

Haven't tasted them yet -- they are actually winter squash and supposed to get to be 4-5 Lbs, but my bigger striped one was only 2 Lbs:

Guatemalan Blue (C.maxima)
The vines did go down to SVB so that may have affected their development. But I think/hope they had the chance to mature. I'll give them a little time to "cure" before cutting them open.

But I do have to keep a close eye on these early harvested C.pepo and C.maxima squash. SVBs gets into the fruit sometimes. Yesterday, I was rearranging and turning the harvested fruits in their web tray so they have good air circulation all over, and found one that -- originally seemed solid -- had a wet mushy spot on the bottom. When I took it to the sink to wash and examine, there was a pocket/airspace under the already hardened skin and there were channels in the flesh just below the skin ...and a 1" SVB fell out

This one apparently got in from the softer bottom of the fruit where it was on the ground. I sliced open the damaged part and kept cutting bits off until all signs of burrowing were removed -- only a section about 2" in diameter and 1" deep and not penetrated into the seed cavity, thank goodness. Wrapped the remaining fruit and put it in the fridge. I'll process it today and make sure there are no others (but I don't think so).

I did harvest the last Kakai yesterday, along with a couple of cucumbers that were hiding -- one of them had wedged itself in the wire fence and had to be extricated

image.jpg (51.28 KiB) Viewed 1058 times

[BU54]

Applestar you are a true expert!!!

[lexusnexus]

Sweet looking brassicas. Do you cover yours early in the growing season or use some type of insecticide?

[applestar]

Oops sorry for not realizing you had posted a question @lexusnexus.

I've tried covering with netting in the past with great success. This year, I'm trying NOT covering and see how far I get with just hand picking and protection by the Garden Patrol. The cold spring slowed down the cabbage white invasion which helped.

I haven't used ANY insecticide.

[applestar]

First group of GLASS GEM CORN

Still waiting for the MELONS

[Farseeker]

Gosh that gem corn looks fantastic. I think I'm going to have to try to source some seed in Australia and give it a go, if only to see the pretty!

[applestar]

Sorry it's GLASS Gem corn. I fixed the name in the previous post.

...

Here is a second Kikuza squash I harvested today. I've been letting it mature on the vine, and it's still a bit green, but I noticed it's starting to soak up moisture on the skin instead of repelling it, and was afraid of it going moldy.

As it turned out ...i realized there was this SVB trying to burrow into the stem even after I rinsed the squash.

Plucked it off and dropped into a bucket I keep near the patio faucet to pour used rinse water in, and the resident goldfish swam up from the bottom and promptly swallowed it

[applestar]

After trying several times, I finally have Armenian Cucumbers producing fruits.

I do believe the key was to remember that this is actually A MELON SPECIES and treat it as such. These are growing in this year's melon patch.