What did you do in the garden today?

[pennyJo1960]

I also got a mixed package of gourd seeds from baker creek.

 

[TJAnonymous]

There must have been something in the air today. I had a terrible day. I cried twice. I'm generally pretty tough but I also came from an abusive family... Things were always my fault. I sometimes fall into that mindset when people are nasty to me because I try to be the nicest, most honest, respectful, empathetic person I can be. It catches me off guard when someone can be so terrible to me when I just try to be agreeable and understanding while also not getting walked all over. I'm nice, not an idiot.

Sending you virtual hugs and understanding nods.

Fall is hiding here.... I started all those seeds, let them harden off, then left them outside over the weekend and they almost got ruined. Highs in the low 100s while I was gone. I brought them back inside last night for this week. It's going to be 107+. I need to transplant things.... I wanted to get stuff in the garden before we leave for 11 days next week. My beets I direct sowed got fried out in the garden. There's only three left of the 50+ I planted. Even the squash is angry. I may risk planting this weekend, but it depends on the forecast once we get closer to next week.

View attachment 3935870

Today's harvest. The bloody butcher corn was a surprise stalk. It must have gotten mixed in the seed packet of the miniature blue popping corn.
View attachment 3935869

Sending you virtual hugs too because I know how it feels.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I once grew a jalapeño called "Fooled You" with zero heat and all the flavor.

So weird because this weekend DH picked up some jalapeños at the grocery store and made poppers. None of them had any heat to them either....

 

[DemeterAD9]

Picked the last of the sauce tomatoes, still need to pick the Super Steak hybrids which are throwing some 1lb+ monsters.

Picked a few winter squash, these are currently the biggest at exactly the same weight of 1lb 14.9oz. The delicata I grew is bigger and more yellow than the ones I saw at a farmer's market so I must of done something right.

The rest of the winter squash who are looking pretty sorry. Lots of mashed potatoe squash to harvest (the white ones).

And the mystery squash that was intended to be yellow zucchini. Any ideas what is actually is?

A pair of twin delicata who are oddly green rather than cream colored like the other plants. Starting to turn color I think

My late season peas are producing, will add some to a stirfry tomorrow.

Lettuce bowl sprouts, we'll see if they produce before the frost.

 

[jerryse]

Here is a tip on ant bait. Borax even small amounts is lethal to ants. I use powdered sugar with a pinch of Borax. Terro has Borax in it.

 

[cj2024]

Here is a tip on ant bait. Borax even small amounts is lethal to ants. I use powdered sugar with a pinch of Borax. Terro has Borax in it.

Do you add water? I notice that 4-part powder sugar to 1 part Borax and water turn hard after the water evaporates.

 

[PopoMyers]

we have a multitude of bugs

Oh, I hated the battle with squash bugs in Texas. We don't have them here in WA, yet. I found one in my bathroom yesterday, none in my zucchini plants.

 

[PopoMyers]

There are a lot of insects in the tropics that would probably die and become extinct if it snowed, so there are advantages and disadvantages. I can only grow a handful of things that the insects don't bother like ginger, basil, green onions, coriander, American parsley, Malabar spinach just to name a few. I need to spray an insecticide or soap on other vegetables like corn, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, okra, melons, etc. I also, got to contend with those annoying fruit flies........

Like I had to when I gardened in Hawaii. I understand your bug problems. Where in the tropics do you reside? You must have yummy tree fruit to eat. At least there are no real wild chicken predators to contend with, unless you're not in Hawaii.

 

[PopoMyers]

Picked the last of the sauce tomatoes, still need to pick the Super Steak hybrids which are throwing some 1lb+ monsters.
View attachment 3936187

Picked a few winter squash, these are currently the biggest at exactly the same weight of 1lb 14.9oz. The delicata I grew is bigger and more yellow than the ones I saw at a farmer's market so I must of done something right.
View attachment 3936186
The rest of the winter squash who are looking pretty sorry. Lots of mashed potatoe squash to harvest (the white ones).
View attachment 3936192
And the mystery squash that was intended to be yellow zucchini. Any ideas what is actually is?
View attachment 3936193

A pair of twin delicata who are oddly green rather than cream colored like the other plants. Starting to turn color I think
View attachment 3936191
My late season peas are producing, will add some to a stirfry tomorrow.
View attachment 3936188
Lettuce bowl sprouts, we'll see if they produce before the frost.
View attachment 3936195

My mouth is watering at your snow peas. Too late for us to plant for fall. We have issues with powdery mildew on the fall crop. Your squash looks like the child of an acorn crossed with a zucchini or other cucurbit. Crazy produce coming out of seed packets lately, according to many others.

If you intend on saving seed, you can plant three singular different species of squash, and they won't cross pollinate. I.e. Curcubit Pepo, includes most summer squash, Delicata, acorn, spaghetti, Sweet Mama, dumpling.

C. Moschata - butternut
and C. Maxima - the larger squashes like hubbard, pink banana, turks turban.

Pumpkins can be one of all three species. Google to find out which.

One year I planted butternut, and Kakai pumpkin and zucchini. One of each species. No problems with alien offspring the following season.

Of course, if a neighbor has a patch of squash that you don't, and the bees come over to your blossoms....that's another story.

 

[PopoMyers]

Are they? Hmmm
This is very informative:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/squash/storing-winter-squash.htm

https://today.oregonstate.edu/news/...d store most winter,straw helps keep them dry.

Here's more info. All I have is my experience. I usually give my cured squash a bleach water wiping before storing, or in my case, leaving them on the floor.
Granted, the seed end was a.little soft on one of them and had a little mold on the flower end, but the rest was just fine. Another one was perfectly OK. My Tromboncino mature squash was fine, too. They'd been on the floor since last October. That room stays in the 60's for the most part.