What did you do in the garden today?

[jerryse]

I think you guys are correct with the mixed they are like a spaghetti/ something mixed. I cooked too long so not stringy like spaghetti but the texture us in strings? If that makes sense Thanks my dogs and I love spaghetti squash and so do hens I think.Guess well find out

Most people are not aware of how to keep squash pure for seed saving .

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good morning all. I picked the last of the lima beans, peppers and lettuce this morning. The temps are supposed to be around 36F tomorrow morning. I'm hoping the frost kills off the bugs that have been eating my kale and rutabagas so they can continue to grow. No other plans for outside work today. I need to give my back and shoulders a day or two off from lifting and other strenuous activity. The basil I brought in yesterday afternoon is looking perky so fingers crossed it will flourish indoors. I totally agree @jerryse regarding the seed saving. I would really like to save seeds but I need to be more informed before doing it. One question I have today is finding out if anyone has used grocery store organic sweet potatoes as seed potatoes? I am not planting a whole lot of them if I decide to do that, but would rather not buy a bag of seed sweet potatoes. Way too many than I would need.

 

[Birdsonghill]

Hey all what kind of squash are these . I was gifted them they are golden in color some are ribbed but they are not spaghetti. Pix is washed in color.

Theu resemble some I once bought called ,I believe "Thelma Saunders Sweet potato squash" They lacked uniformity with some being more rounded than oblong and sizes ranged from tiny to large. They did taste OK. But I found other varieties I preferred, that performed better for me.

 

[Sueby]

Hey all. I need to catch up...

We were supposed to go camping/wheeling for the last time this year but the toterhome died on the way. So I wasn't supposed to be home but I got quite a bit done. I pulled the rest of the beans & took the trellises down. I picked up 3 bales of straw at $11.75 a bale. Get this, 3 bales of straw, 1 bag shavings & 2 bags of all flock cost me almost $90. That is insane!

I put a clump of dirt/grass in with the littles hoping to build up a tolerance to my coccidiosis before they go outside. Any ideas how long I should do that before I put let them out? I was thinking a week or 2 maybe?

 

[Birdsonghill]

Usually start sweet potato from "slips". I have produced my own slips from store bought potato. It is far easier to purchase them, if you can find a reasonable price. The cost is highly variable, with pricing ranging all over the place at major seed companies and are usually better priced found locally. You can find info about producing sweet potato slips from some state Ag agencies or other online sources. Locally, I bought slips for about 50 cents each last year. I did not plant any this year, regrettably. Online I have seen them well over a dollar each, plus shipping cost. Ouch!!! Just a dozen or two will make a lot of sweet potato. Pay attention to curing and storing them right or you may lose many before you can eat them. They used to be a cheap staple food here. Just a handful of years ago , in season, you could buy them as , you select, bakers for 10 cents each. Local roadside sellers sold 5 gallon buckets full of baker sized for $5 last year, in this area. Walmart wants 99 cents per pound in season, this year here in sweet potato country.

 

[jerryse]

Good morning all. I picked the last of the lima beans, peppers and lettuce this morning. The temps are supposed to be around 36F tomorrow morning. I'm hoping the frost kills off the bugs that have been eating my kale and rutabagas so they can continue to grow. No other plans for outside work today. I need to give my back and shoulders a day or two off from lifting and other strenuous activity. The basil I brought in yesterday afternoon is looking perky so fingers crossed it will flourish indoors. I totally agree @jerryse regarding the seed saving. I would really like to save seeds but I need to be more informed before doing it. One question I have today is finding out if anyone has used grocery store organic sweet potatoes as seed potatoes? I am not planting a whole lot of them if I decide to do that, but would rather not buy a bag of seed sweet potatoes. Way too many than I would need.

Squash have 4 common species and a fifth uncommon . Most of what people plant is in the C. Pepo group . So they cross readily . You can hand pollinate to save seed . Butternut is C. Moschata group and you are pretty safe there . Anything it can cross with Is going to give much the same flesh and flavor . C . Maxima is the big pumpkins and Hubbard types . C. Agrosperma is the Cushaw types . You could plant 1 of each group only and get pure seed . However your neighbor and the bees will likely mess up the C. Pepo group . You could plant Butternut , a Cushaw and a Hubbard and get pure seed . There is also the C . Mixta group but I can not remember any of the varaties .

 

[pennyJo1960]

My potato is still green so not digging those yet

 

[Happy hen lover]

Jerry

I use a drill with a bulb auger. It's SUPER easy!

Your soil is superb!

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Squash have 4 common species and a fifth uncommon . Most of what people plant is in the C. Pepo group . So they cross readily . You can hand pollinate to save seed . Butternut is C. Moschata group and you are pretty safe there . Anything it can cross with Is going to give much the same flesh and flavor . C . Maxima is the big pumpkins and Hubbard types . C. Agrosperma is the Cushaw types . You could plant 1 of each group only and get pure seed . However your neighbor and the bees will likely mess up the C. Pepo group . You could plant Butternut , a Cushaw and a Hubbard and get pure seed . There is also the C . Mixta group but I can not remember any of the varaties .

I only plant one variety of winter squash because of space restrictions. I have rarely purchased any sweet potatoes over the past 3 years because I harvested so many butternut squash. Because the squash bugs were so bad this summer I will be planting summer squash in feed bags with fresh dirt but no butternut squash. I thought I would give the sweet potatoes a try to replace the winter squash.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Hey all. I need to catch up...

We were supposed to go camping/wheeling for the last time this year but the toterhome died on the way. So I wasn't supposed to be home but I got quite a bit done. I pulled the rest of the beans & took the trellises down. I picked up 3 bales of straw at $11.75 a bale. Get this, 3 bales of straw, 1 bag shavings & 2 bags of all flock cost me almost $90. That is insane!

I put a clump of dirt/grass in with the littles hoping to build up a tolerance to my coccidiosis before they go outside. Any ideas how long I should do that before I put let them out? I was thinking a week or 2 maybe?

I got the sticker shock 2 months ago on the all flock feed. The shavings I buy at TSC went up about .50 cents a bale. Not too bad. I’m afraid to look at the mealworm prices. I use them in the winter to supplement the lack of bugs. Sorry your trip got cancelled.