soaphouse's Blog
soaphouse's posts about: squash
Jun 20, 2008 | 6:17 AM PST
Tags: squash , tomato , beans , eggplant , companion planting , hot , weeds , birds , baby birds
Well, with record temps in the mid to high 90's for the last couple of weeks, the mid 80's feel cool! So, it has been a bit more enjoyable to get out into the garden lately. I am still just focusing on routine maintenance: weeding, pruning and mowing. I have decided not to do much planting this season...mostly b/c I did so much over the fall and winter and I think I should give it a bit of time to see how things fill in. Also, we haven't had much rain and I would really have to keep up on the water. Plus...time is limited with a toddler and an infant-HAH!
So,
I have enjoyed watching the results of my hard work over the fall and have been really enjoying to "fruits" of the companion plantings in the veggie beds!
The beans are producing daily and its fun to have to two different varieties. They taste about the same, but make a nice presentation on the plate :)
We have also had enough blackberries to get a bowlful daily and my daughter eats most of them before we even get inside the house!
We have already harvested 4 of the asain eggplants and there are a few more out there almost ready to go. The itialian eggplants are getting bigger every day:
We have a TON of little baby spaghetti squash on the vines - hooray!
And, here is a good shot of the companion system at work...
On another note, the crepe myrtles that were planted 4 years ago as a screen on our property line are really looking good this year and provide a great view from our sunroom and back porch:
And, our little birdie family in the dogwood is about to be all grown up...we have so enjoyed watching them! I will be sad to see them go:
This weekend, I plan to get the creek weedeated and do some more weeding and pruning. Hope you all have a great gardening weekend!
Jun 12, 2008 | 7:10 AM PST
Tags: great , gunnera , gunerra , companion planting , squash , beets , beans , bush beabs , pole beans , spinach
At the beginning of the season, I set out on my first companion planting vegetable garden. Well, some things are doing great and some aren't . So, I thought it about time for an update...
We had our first harvest of bush beans the other day. My girl helped me pick them :)
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The bed they are in is looking pretty good. The sugar snap peas that were supposed to grow up the teepee never quite made it (I think it got too hot too fast) So, I picked up some zucchinini seeds to try instead. I also have sweet potatoes, calendulas and radishes in this bed. The radishes are ready to be harvested, but I am still waiting on the other things.
The beet, carrot, okra, brussel sprout and broccoli bed is looking good. The marigolds in it are about to bloom. I picked up some spinach seeds to try to use to fill in the corners of this bed:
The Spaghetti Squash and Pole Bean bed is explosive. I think we may have squash growing all over the place - HAH!
No production yet, but lots of flowers! The corn is looking good too:
As far as the companion planting goes, most of the flower seeds that were intended to be the companions for pest control did not germinate, or if they did, they did too slowly so the veggies just crowded them out. However, so far not much is affected by pests. The most I have seen is ants and they never seem to do too much damage. I am missing the shot of color that I was hoping for with all the flowers though...maybe I should have bought more as plants.
The blackberries are starting to ripen and we enjoyed the first picking last night. Funny thing is that a thornless rasberry that I bought off the internet last year has fruit on it but it appears a though they are blackberries. HMMMM???
The grapevine that I planted last spring is growing nicely and I have high hopes for it!
I worked on some weeding back by the creek and did resort to using roundup of some of the privet and grapevines. Its proving to be a lot to keep up with back there and I can't let all of my hard work of clearing it out go to waste!
On another note, the Great Gunnera bulb that I purchased a few months back never grew, so the company sent a replacement and we got that replanted by the creek. This time, we planted it more in the water with a chicken wire cage around it for protection. Hope it works, I can't wait to watch this plant grow if it does.
Till next time...
Jul 31, 2007 | 3:57 PM PST
Tags: tomato , purple , okra , kohlrabi , spinach , tomatillo , eggplant , beet greens , patty pan , squash
We have been consistently enjoying harvests from our garden. Its so fun to go out before dinner and pick some yummies to come up with something with for dinner! Healthy, yummy and cheap! Gotta love it!
Beet Greens, Patty Pan Squash and Tomatillos:
The much anticipated giant Cherokee Purple Heirloom ready for eatin':
Okra, Kohlrabi, tomatoes, patty pan squash, eggplant, spinach and tomatillos!
More maters!
The joys of gardening!!!
Jul 22, 2007 | 2:56 PM PST
Tags: weekend , bed , compost , maple , red , creek , eggplant , kale , tomato , borer , squash , sunflower , veggie bed , back yard
I had a fairly productive weekend in the garden. Got more work done on my many ongoing projects. My hubby went to get me more compost for the new bed:
As you can see, Milo likes it :)
Just one more truckload and this bed will be ready to plant! I have a small red maple that will be the center. A pass along from my inlaws...
We also got some more work done on the creek clean out project. My husband cut down some of the BIG branches and trees. But, we had to stop when his saws all blade broke. But, it gave me plenty of stuff to work on getting to the curb for pickup!
Its amazing what we are uncovering back there...it makes all the work fun!
I really spent most of the weekend in the backyard and mostly did routine work in the front. I finally got around to weedeating with my new blade attachment and it is the best thing since sliced bread! no more string nonsense! Here are some picts I took along the way of the backyard and its progress:
Sunflowers
blooming among the veggies:
Inside the world of a tomatillo husk:
The first signs of a ripening tomato:
Baby eggplant! YEAH!!!
Kale seedlings coming up:
My attempt at a squash vine borer remedy... I slit the vine and covered the wound with compost...I do not have high hopes for this:
The veggie beds as of today:
The backyard as of today:
Hope you all had a great gardening weekend!
Jul 20, 2007 | 3:46 PM PST
Tags: squash , vine , borer , eight ball , companion planting , patty pan
Well, I am bummed! Its official, my eight ball zuchinni and patty pan squash have the borer :(
This is the first time I have ever tried to grow plants from this family...They are still producing, but I am not sure for how much longer. I have now researched some organic methods of control, but I am afraid it may be too late. I have been reading a book about companion planting and I hope that implementing this next year will sugnifigantly help this issue.
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ICK!
Jul 13, 2007 | 7:13 PM PST
Tags: edible , vegetable , squash , zucchini , tomato , Cherry Tomato , okra , kohlrabi , blackberries , Sunflowers , Eggplant , Bell Peppers , succession planting , success , failure , notes , season , companion planting , Growing Season , cardoon
Now that I am well into the summer here in my garden, I am starting to take note as to the successes and failures in my garden. There are, of course, many of both and most of them involve my edibles.
I grew all of my veggies from seed directly into the vegetable beds. I was kind of nervous about this as so many things suggest starting indoors before spring. But, every time I do that everything dies, so I took my chances and selected a lot of fast maturing varieties...to my suprise, that worked very well! I am finding great joy and satisfaction in producing food for my family. We are also enjoying a nice financial savings as well. I spent about $50 on all my seed varieties and I would say that I have dropped our grocery bill by about $20 a week if not more....I would say that was worth the investment!
Successes:
- Tomatoes: I am growing a purple heirloom and a hybrid red...all plants are bursting with green fruits now :)
- Tomatillos: Plants are enormous and husks are forming
- Sugar Snap Peas: One of my daughter's favorites so none have made it to the table...she just eats em off the vine
- Beets: Have done several succession planting and have had many harvests of both roots and greens. Hubby like greens better than root
- Eight Ball Zucchini: Very vigorous and enormous in size...has provided many, many dinners
- Patty Pan Squash: Also doing well and just so cute
- Sunflowers: First year that I have grown sunflowers and it is proving to be very fun. King Kong variety that is about to open
- Blackberries: Planted 3 years ago from root...this is first year that we had a very steady harvest.
- Okra: Plants forming very nice large pods and the flowers are beautiful!
Failures:
- Broccoli: UGH!
Things that have yet to succeed or fail:
- Eggplant: Just started flowering, I am growing a white and a purple variety
- Peppers: Also just started flowering
- Carrots: First crop got infested with something icky, second crop looking better
- Kale: Just put those seeds in 2 days ago
- Kholrabi: Not yet big enough to harvest, but looking good
Things I wish I had planted:
- Cherry Tomatoes: a no brainer, don't know why I didn't do these :(
- Potatoes: To provide our carbohydrate need and to have some for winter storage
- Lots of different kinds of beans: have really enjoyed the sugar snaps, wish I had done more
- Winter Squash Varieties: to have something else to store for winter
- Marigolds: For pest control and to add color to the veggie beds
- Egyptian Walking Onions: just so cool and great pest control
- Garlic: also good pest control
- Asparagus: needs time to get established, wish I had started that this year
- Artichokes: love em!
- Cardoon: not even really sure what this is, but I have seen it on some gardening shows and it looks super cool
I just got a companion planting book and am looking forward to incorporating more of that in my garden!
Its so helpful to think all this through and get in all on "paper"...will help a great deal with garden planning.
Other things I have learned this season:
- Annual Potato Vines really do need full sun
-
Mexican Heather always does well, I should just buy it each year and have a guaranteed success
- Petunias need to be bought larger than the little 6 pack size to really do well
- Lobelia likes partial shade
- Impatients didn't do diddly squat...must mulch and fertilize!
- If i see something in early spring that i want...buy it, they are all sold out now!
Jul 12, 2007 | 2:49 PM PST
Tags: patty pan , squash , yellow squash , children , dinner , heirloom , eggplants , vegetable gardening , harvest
Its working! Its working! I invested $ on seeds and raised beds and I am just getting to the point in the season where I can consistently pick something to have that very evening for dinner! What fun!!! Tonight, its patty pan squash!
The Tootle Bug likes it too :)
Funny, she will hardly eat anything we put on her plate, but if she picks it off a plant, she's game
Its so rewarding to see the "fruits" (and veggies) of your efforts!
Gettin geared up for heirloom tomatoes and eggplants too!
