Applestar's 2016 Garden

[applestar]

I'm making room for the 6 full sized squash maturing out there -- plus the 2 I hand pollinated have successfully set.
...and I have 5 or 6 full sized luffah as well as a number of intermediate size as well as immature fruits developing on the vines.


- Top left is a runty curved Tromboncino -- labeled 8/10 but (guess what ?) August of 2015. I wanted to try tasting one that was fully mature, but even fully cured, it wasn't sweet ...though it was flavorful in its own way. (I think I will just eat them as summer squash) These few were all the seeds in the tiny seed cavity.

...Unlike the Not Kakai which looked more like a straight necked yellow squash when immature. The seeds had hulls, and I saved a little bit but mostly baked them with the flesh. The resulting cooked squash was like spaghetti squash but not separating into strings. It wasn't exactly crunchy but stayed firm even after further cooking. I had to be creative to make it palatable -- used 1/2 in a Philippine style spicy vegetable and beef stew with okra, green and immature tomatoes, and immature runner beans (diced into the stew green pods and all -- yum! very "meaty") I tried to mash the other half of the baked squash by cooking with diced potatoes until the potatoes were cooked, but the squash remained firm and had to be cut up into chunks.

- Last of the three, fully matured Kakai that were harvested this summer was peeled, sliced, salted, then blotted to be put in the dehydrator, seeds and all. This is DH's favorate (and nearly only way he will eat squash).

[applestar]

Today's harvest --



Some of these went into the Sweet potato leaves sautéed in sunflower oil with minced garlic and myoga, diced okra, green and not quite ripe tomatoes, then added leftover chicken/noodle soup, diced nasturtium leaves, a seeded Hanoi market pepper. Lemon juice and tahini to finish.

[applestar]

Hoping this will work to extend season for this bed of Sweet Potatoes

[applestar]

- Trifoliate Orange "Flying Dragon" and Apple melon, one each Petite Nigra and Chicago Hardy figs
- cherry tomatoes and peppers (Jalapeño, Bulgarian Carrot, Hanoi Market g2, skinny Yatsufusa, hooked Takanotsume)
- heavily russeted runty Yellow Giant Bell (hoping for enough seeds to try growing again next year)
- very disappointing raspberry production this fall.



- one of the medium sized Luffah fruits had developed a damaged stem and started to russet and soften so I decided to harvest it -- hoping this one has sufficiently matured fibers to harvest a sponge...I'm giving it a few more days in the house to see if the skin will show signs of "slipping", Flying Dragon fruits (above) in the same bucket
- Apple melon (above) in the berry container FINALLY matured (it's been very cool/cold)
- Bulgarian Carrot on the plant before harvesting
- Wire basket: Stevia, Roselle leaves, Ao (green) Shiso, Aka (red) Shiso, Pickarow cucumbers struggling to mature fruits in the cold so these are bumpier and about 1/2 sized, Myoga, test picked Christmas Lima and Runner beans that are FINALLY setting pods including a couple of very long/huge ones that were hiding near the bottom of the vine. A little white onion.

[applestar]

SUCCESS!

[applestar]

I harvested one of the two most mature Thai Kang Kob cross squashes yesterday. It's the one with a depressed side that I asked about before. It had a more dried up stem of the two. I left the other one on the vine for now.

When I was looking at the photos, I realized that these two are NOT exactly the same -- the one I harvested has a narrow extra rib between each lobe as well as being slightly more flattened. I'm going to have to carefully trace back the vines and see if they are coming from completely different spots in the spiral which may mean seeds from different cross combos, or if they are one of 2-3 plants per "hill" and just different segregate of same cross.

[applestar]

[applestar]

- Do you recognize a pepper plant next to the green fence post in the foreground? That's the Brazilian Starfish pepper at the end of the '16 Cherry Lane cherry tomato row. They are still all green fruits and eye-ing the weather forecasts for pending frost, but you GOTTA grow this crazy pepper alongside your regular indeterminate cherry tomatoes. The growth-habit of this tall 'vine-like' plant fits right in, and you can't beat the fun shape of the fruits.
- scarlet runner beans on the arch trellis are producing like mad now -- definitely prefers cooler weather
- the other arched trellis of pole beans are the Christmas Limas -- lots of huge but still very green pods.


- the biggest bushy pepper plant in the left-side raised bed by the fence is a cluster of three Madame Jeanette pepper plants, late planted but way bigger than even Brazillian Starfish or Aji Pineapple which were planted at the same time, definitely bigger than Maui Purple or Czechoslovakian Black, also planted in the same bed. Fish pepper planted here didn't make it.


- I slipped cut-off jammy leg over two large luffah on exposed side of the fence to keep them warm....
- there has been an increased digging activity everywhere, including the sweet potato bed under the slitted plastic cover intended to up the temperature inside where I found three holes. If these are moles hunting the plentiful earthworms, it should be OK, but if they are chipmunks, then my sweet tater harvest is doomed.
- I rummaged around and found one decent sized tuber and one small -maybe 1"diameter. All the rest I could find were marker to pencil thick and I left them in place and covered them back up again.
- BST Ladybug pepper plant staying warmer inside a re-purposed bird-feeder tube

[applestar]

Added comments to the photos I posted yesterday

[applestar]

Last time I was out harvesting and taking photos, etc. was Sunday. I've been under the weather fighting a cold, running an errand on Tues, ... life. Very aggravating when it's nearly end of the season and there are a lot to do in the garden.

So there was a lot to harvest today, including the massive flush of overgrown shiitake which was a completely unexpected surprise as well as the smaller Kikuza pumpkin. You know how all the developing squash photos I posted never showed this one? ...I didn't know it was there



Three big luffahs, some consolation raspberries, pea eggplants, edamame, runner beans....

[applestar]

More shiitake, edamame, and Donkey Ears sweet peppers that I stripped the three peppers from so I could repot/downsizing the pot to bring in for overwintering.

[applestar]

[applestar]

-- pulled the carrots to make room for planting garlic cloves. Got Elephant and Tzan Turban planted. Still need to plant Georgian Crystal and Russian Giant Marble Purple Striped.... so late! But I should be OK as long as I get them planted before the ground freezes.

... also planted about half of the 50 saffron crocus bulbs I bought to replace my little group of saffron that seems to have died. I need to figure out where I can plant the rest where there might be a little more protected micro-climate... maybe the Kitchen Garden by the brick patio.

... sowed Senposai, North Pole lettuce, Tokyo Bekana baby Chinese cabbage, and more WallaWalla onion seeds

The squash leaves were completely frosted, but the vines seem to be still alive so I'm leaving the squash unharvested until the last possible day. With the canopy of leaves gone, I discovered another little fruit that had been hiding

[applestar]

Some of my Elephant Garlic are refusing to split into cloves. These are what's left after planting the BIGGEST rounds. I might plant a few more or just give up on them and eat these....

[applestar]

... also planted about half of the 50 saffron crocus bulbs I bought to replace my little group of saffron that seems to have died. I need to figure out where I can plant the rest where there might be a little more protected micro-climate... maybe the Kitchen Garden by the brick patio.

It seems that I was a little premature in declaring them dead. Unbeknownst to me, they quietly started to bloom in the last few days...


...I finished planting the saffron in these three locations. It's hard to find locations that get some sun through late fall despite the lengthening shadows of surrounding houses and trees, with micro-climate that tend to stay warmer than the rest of the garden to ensure they survive the negative single digit winter temps of Zone 6, and that tend on the dry side during their summer dormancy.


Left -- probably the best spot in terms of growing conditions, but probability of predation by mice, chipmunks, and rabbits (until properly fenced) is highest
Top right -- I cobbled together some leftover pavers for the little Kitchen Garden bed to hopefully provide a modicum of thermal mass. I'll figure out a way to pretty it up later.
Bottom right -- a little iffy since it's on the Northeast side of the house, but it IS the highest end of the slightly inclined/sloped yard.

[applestar]

I left the cup in the kitchen to sort/separate out the red filaments, and the scent in the kitchen when I went bavk inside was intoxicating.

[applestar]

We've already had a couple of dips down to upper 20's but bounced back up above freezing and the ground hasn't frozen yet.

But with the arrival of the Junco's, I think truely freezing weather is imminent, and the consecutive forecast for 33° to 36°F -- which according to my new adjustment would mean 28° to 31°F actual -- has made me nervous enough to harvest these C.moschata winter squash even though they haven't started to change color. Hopefully they will turn buff color in the warmth of the house and cure properly.

I'm hoping they (well, at least the biggest three -- the two smallest are 2nd fruits of the same kind and I already harvested the 1st mature fruits) have matured enough to produce viable seeds since these are all my accidental/intentional crosses and I'm looking forward to carrying them forward.



...edit... 26°F this morning at 6:30am

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[applestar]

It looks like we are in for a solid freeze tonight. It's already hovering between 32 and 31°F. I wouldn't be surprised to see the temp go down to mid-20's by morning.

I was scrambling to bring in everything that had been left to bring in until the last minute (including taking the pumps and fountains out of the pond). Practically last to come inside were avo#1 and avo#2 -- biggest two of my seed grown avocado trees.

I sprayed all the plants in all the areas with ladybug food nectar and released a whole bunch of ladybugs. Then went around looking to see how they are settling in -- well not exactly "settling in" because that sounds like they are relaxing -- what they ARE doing is busily marching around and around the rim of the containers and all over the plants.

It was so funny to see a (not) pair of them hurrying along a rim of a clay pot in opposite directions, then when they met, one instantly turned around and climbed on the other's back... but the second one, without pausing, immediately starting rolling from side-to-side until it got off, then what was even funnier was that they resumed their original, opposite direction jog around the claypot rim...THEN halfway around, the one that successfully rejected the other's advances seemed to realize that it was unwise to continue on this path, AND TURNED AROUND. Now the 2nd one was chasing the 1st one.... THEN the 1st one had the initiative to get off of the pot rim and cut across the surface of the potting mix, THEN CLIMB the pepper plant... all while that 2nd one continued to hurry along the rim of the container, now with no hope of making another encounter....

...while peering up at all of the avocados, I spotted a rather large sac spider ... almost 2 inches from tips of forward stretched legs to tips of backward stretched legs. OH NO. My DD's will have a panic attack if they knew. Since it was conveniently "hiding" inside a large curled up avo leaf, it was simplest to carefully snip off the leaf and send it out -- well actually I sent it out to guard the plants in the garage.

As usual, now that it's too late to do anything about it unless it is absolutely critical, I'm sitting here wondering if I forgot anything.... (I did remember that I forgot to harvest the burdock roots -- hopefully the raised bed won't freeze yet)

[applestar]

I'm pretty sure these three *C.moschata* winter squashes all grew from seeds marked "TKK #2 on Bucket 2015 SFH" -- so the seeds inside should be {Thai Kang Kob x Seminole #2.F3}. I originally thought the one on the right is a TKKxTromboncino, but when I reviewed my planting map, it is marked as a "TKK#2 on the Bucket," same as the other onion/Seminole-shaped ones. I tried to adjust the collage so they represent the relative sizes of the fruits.

The fully mature one was harvested on 10/25. The 2nd immature one and the large pumpkin-shaped surprise had to be harvested before the stems hardened due to imminent freeze. Hopefully there will be some mature seeds in the big one because it's the biggest pumpkin I've ever grown (15 lbs.), but I won't cut these open until after waiting for a couple of months to see if they change color and cure in storage.



Both Thai Kang Kob and Seminole are rather late maturing in my location. Usually I can only get one fully mature fruit and maybe a 2nd one that doesn't have time before hard freeze to mature per TKK vine. Seminole is said to be productive, and I can get at least 4 fruits per vine in various stages to grow, so I'm looking for better production in this cross.

Being *C.moschatas*, they are resistant to SVB's -- none got into these, though I have had them infest Tromboncino in the past -- along the thinner, more tender vines rather than at the base of the plant. Squash bugs do lay eggs on them, but only the individual leaf on which the nymphs hatched and started feeding on seem to (no more than) yellow -- at which point, you can find them and squish them if you are checking for them fairly frequently.

They seem to be pretty resistant to powdery mildew as well, though I do have summer drought so not as well tested under frequent rain conditions (I do irrigate via overhead sprinklers and up-spraying flat hose so the foliage gets wet).

Their TKK-shaped (warty, ribbed, flatted) mother fruit was the one that was cut open this May after full 6 month winter "storage" and had wonderfully tasty flesh.*




-edit- *...hmmm... looking at these photos, I'm wondering the May fruit was the hanging one -- sorry... I am not sure anymore.

(BTW -- Even though the shape of the fruit is consistent, my original Thai Kang Kob which I got from Baker Creek -- and subsequent offspring generation fruits -- have tended to have spots on them that reminds me of their Thai Rai Kaw Tok. Don't know what to think about that.)

[applestar]

We've had temps down to low-20's so garden is mostly done and I've been procrastinating on the remaining fall cleanup.

I hadn't been out since before last weekend, and look what the late-planted saffron decided to do in my absence



Clipped everything from the opened and flattened by two-day rain blossoms to the handful of unopened buds, quick rinse and float in cold water to shake and sink the rain-spattered dirt, then leisurely plucking of the red stigmas yielded this much.

[applestar]

How the squash are looking now. (Yes they are dusty -- get over it )



If you look at the group of 5 in the photo collage posted on Nov. 12, we ate the smallest dark green one which was too immature to cure properly, and the seeds inside were immature.

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Rendered with brushstroke app just for fun

[applestar]

The variety I have been growing is Thai King Kob or that's what the package from Baker Creek said, but looking at the photos at their site, the fruits can look some what like the other Thai Rai something variety they sell (originally from the year there were some mispacksging complaints too so who knows). But these are yellowish when still green or mottled tan and somewhat ...I don't know... spicy? After they have fully cured outside and indoors -- I've never eaten them earlier than about 4 months after harvesting -- they turn completely buff-colored with full waxy coating on the outside and dark orange inside, and sweet.

My line has crossed with Florida Seminole pumpkins, which is another good one from all the reviews, and more productive according to many. So I'm hopeful that the cross will amount to something interesting. Some of these are producing the fig/chestnut-shaped Seminole-looking fruits rather than the flattened ribbed and mottled TKK shape. I have saved seeds if you are willing to gamble on these and give them some of your space.

I'm waiting on a late to grow and mature (aaaargh it's going to freeze!) harvested one of these to hopefully mature.cure some more in storage -- it is actual, field pumpkin-sized -- 2.5 times the normal TKK height. (Good doorstep jack-O-lantern size and shape) It is still solid/mottled dark green when looked at from the top, but bottom has turned yellow/tan. Maybe some of the seeds will be/become viable? ...but I won't try to open it until the very last minute before spring planting season (maybe late March or April) unless it starts to show signs of deterioration.

At some point, I want to try the Greek Red moschata type from Baker Creek. Another one I have my eye on is Georgia Candy Roaster but that one's a ...maxima (svb vulnerable). I hear the big Hubbard (another maxima) takes up a lot of space, but have heard really good things about it. I wish I dared to try growing them.

I'm going to try REBA Acorn squash this year, and Sibley Banana is on the bench -- I might but I have limited squash space this year. Others like Burgess Buttercup, etc. that were recommended in Subject: Winter squash for smaller gardens? are under consideration while I armchair garden and noodle about what to plant where....

[applestar]

BTW -- That bright yellow is a mature Shintokiwa cucumber and the green and white one is a H-19 Littleleaf. I wasn't sure about the Littleleaf, but the fact that they are both still OK after all this time on the counter probably means they are both fully mature with viable seeds to process and collect for planting.

[Lindsaylew82]

Oh I've enjoyed catching up on your thread! Glad to see such successes!

[applestar]

Thanks, lindsay!

[applestar]

I cracked open the 2nd to greenest squash (greenest is the pumpkin-shaped big one). I was happy to see what looks like mature seeds inside. I cooked about 1/3 of it in a curry spice seasoned coconut milk lamb and potato stew -- tasted great! Also sliced 2 trays worth thinly and dehydrated into chips.

Thai Kang Kob (x Seminole?) (x Tromboncino?) from SFH 2016 <-- should actually read 2015
Grown in Spiral Garden 2016

[Scrappy Coco]

Your garden looks great, always excited to see some harvest!

[applestar]

TKK #2 on the Bucket F3 fruit from Spiral Garden 2016 harvested green on 10/25/16. Grow out of suspected Thai Kang Kob x Seminole. Seeds from this will be F4. Such gorgeous dark orange flesh. Fully ripened and great shelf life. It fell off the counter and the stem was broken off (no damage to the squash) so I had it in the meatbin of the fridge for about a week -- figured I'd better cook it up and make room.

Cut in half, seeds saved, salted and cut surface rubbed with sunflower oil and roasted cut-side down 400°F for 1 hour in 1/2" of water. SWEET, some strings but not enough to be bothersome, though I would strain if I was making pie. Flavor enhanced with a bit more salt and just a little bit of maple syrup.

The flesh also has what I identify as "spicy" lingering flavor on the tongue which is the dominant flavor when Thai Kang Kob is eaten before fully mature.

[applestar]

Guess what? I FINALLY cut open that 15 lb. pumpkin-shaped surprise segregate from my Thai Kang Kob cross. Yes, it's the one I harvested last fall on November 12, 2016.



This squash has been sitting around the house, at first in the corner of the family room on the floor, then on a chair, then the WWL after most of the plants went outside. I've had to scrub it 3 times, 4 if you count today, first time for just being dusty and then because -- and I didn't know this can happen -- it was infested by SCALE INSECTS. They were sucking on the squash and the squash was oozing amber colored sticky liquid. Last two times, there were ants all over them, too.

I don't know if the scales infested the squash on their own or the ants put them up to it.

I was hoping the shoulders will turn buff-colored, but they never did. However, the seed cavity and the seeds look fully matured.

The flesh is crisp and not stringy at all. The stem-end section between the stem and the seed cavity is spongy and lacks flavor but is soft and easy to eat raw, the rest of the squash is hard and crunchy. There is slight sweetness, not a whole lot, a bit watery flavor that reminds me of mature Tronboncino -- I really think despite my labels and notes, there is some Tronboncino in this cross -- it would make sense and that might be where the giant fruit size originated. I was chewing on the raw pieces, thinking there doesn't seem to be any of the spicy aftertaste of TKK... then after I had swallowed and was switching to thinking about something else, it hit me with the spiciness which lingered for a bit.

I put the piece I cut off in a stew with pork, daikon, Korean glutinous corn off the cob, immature apples, and mushrooms, onions, elephant garlic, and aji pineapple peppers (Rosemary, bayleaf, sea salt) in home made chicken stock. I'm also roasting a 1/4 piece so I can taste it by itself. But the stew tastes wonderful -- so rich and full of flavor.

It's a keeper ...or it would be if it wasn't still segregating. I'm hoping to find the big pumpkin-shaped segregate next time around too. But I'm going to need some help. I've saved all the seeds so if anyone is interested in helping out by growing some seeds next year and sending me back a dozen seeds if yours grow 15+Lbs pumpkin-sized fruits. PM me.

[applestar]

Following up on the above post -- the roasted squash showed that it is definitely not the dry-fleshed kind like kabocha and other C.maxima, but moist to watery-fleshed consistent with C.moschata's I know like the regular Thai Kang Kob and Tronboncino. I'm trying to remember if butternut is also moist-fleshed? These are kinds that I tend to drain over a colander, reserving the extremely flavorful liquid for other uses, including just drinking it as the chef's reward.

I tasted it unembellished -- stem-end section flakes apart but not so well defined strands as spaghetti squash and more tender, too. The rest is more solid and smooth. Absolutely no strings except from the smallish seed cavity. Mildly sweet savory, moist to wet..

I had my portion with a big pat of butter, a good drizzle of honey, sea salt, and a dash of pumpkin seasoning. Not too sweet, just to enhance the natural sweetness. The flesh mashed together easily with a spoon. Very yummy. Great for puréed squash/pumpkin soup, I expect.

The interior layer of the skin was really tasty -- enough that I wanted to scrape what I could get. But the exterior layer had developed the waxy seal necessary for long storage, and while paper thin, was tough enough for me not to want to chew it. Or eat it. I suspect the rind is soft and good to eat when not so long in storage.

[applestar]

Subject: what are you eating from your garden today 2017
Mon Nov 06, 2017 4:36 pm

This is the last of the 2016 squashes. ...that’s funny Applestar made a typo and wrote 2016... Nope. This was harvested Oct 21 2016. One of Thai Kang Kob crosses.

I lost another one that was fully ripe and completely buff colored last week. It had turned to mush INSIDE the rind, which was intact and let me pick up the squash-turned-water balloon without mishap, and put it in the compost. That one was over one year old from harvest.

...just tacking this on here for future reference

[Gary350]

Subject: what are you eating from your garden today 2017
Mon Nov 06, 2017 4:36 pm

This is the last of the 2016 squashes. ...that’s funny Applestar made a typo and wrote 2016... Nope. This was harvested Oct 21 2016. One of Thai Kang Kob crosses.

I lost another one that was fully ripe and completely buff colored last week. It had turned to mush INSIDE the rind, which was intact and let me pick up the squash-turned-water balloon without mishap, and put it in the compost. That one was over one year old from harvest.

...just tacking this on here for future reference

I never ate a squash like that how is it cooked?

[applestar]

I cook it the same way as others — half or quarter, remove seeds or not depending on whether I want to eat them or save them for seeds or for wildlife, salt and put in shallow casserole flesh side down with 1/4” - 1/2” or water and pats of butter, and bake 375-400 (depends on how big.thick) for 1 - 1-1/2 hours.

This one was savory (watery, pumpkin fragrance and flavor, spicy end note — not sweet), so I added some of the cooked flesh to curry sauce — blended right in and thickened the sauce ...good way to get my DH to eat squash — and some to soup. Savory squash could also be filled with meat filling and twice baked, added to not sweet bread dough or pasta dough, mashed with turnips and potatoes, etc.