I just came from the garden and the ones I pollinated by hand are growing. They'll be ready to eat by Monday. I waited too late today because at 1pm the flowers were closed. I tore some open but the pollen was clumped and wouldn't do. So lack of pollinators is my problem and time is of the essence. Too early and the pollen is wet, too late and it's history. Good thing I'm not working a day job so I can babysit the squash.
squash problem.
LOL Twiggy! The timing is everything.
Here is one of my squash bed areas. As you can see they are one/sq ft. If the leaves get out of control I just cut them off - lol... They are full of blossoms and I have a few fruit growing - black beauty zukes, 8 ball zukes and yellow crooknecks. No others have set any fruit yet that I can tell...
If you save the pic to your computer and zoom it Carmen you will see my leaves look like your's, especially the older ones.
Yikesarama! Look at how big those squash leaves are!
Yup, they're giants - lol... And I've been cutting them back!
Wow Kelly great picture, your's look very healthy to me a few leaves here and there that look like mine, but you have given me an idea, I will trim the leaves that look poorly and hopefuly I will get new growth, we will see. I might also try to hand polinate a few and see if I see any difference.
Not everything is lost though I just picked my first few green beans today and I am very excited. First time ever for me growing beans.
Outstanding set-up Kelly.
Thanks John... That bed is 4' x 10'. There is a 2' x 10' behind it, not as deep. To the right are 3 4' x 4' beds of varying heights. I'll try to get some better pics tomorrow... I have a total of 108 sq ft in the beds right now.
Kelly the bed that you have there is very similar to mine in height, my question is how much dirt did you put on your tall raise beds?
A lot - lol... I honestly don't remember the amount. Those beds were a mix of compost, peat and vermiculite originally. I've added compost at every planting time and as the soil level drops...
I was examining my zukes and crooknecks a few moments ago and I am really excited. I think they are about to really take-off soon and start growing like weeds (err, you know what I mean.) It's funny because it just dawned on me that the zucchini female flowers were starting to appear. Being that this is my 1st time growing, I did not recognize them because the slender fruit sort of blends in with the stalk, LOL!
I have 1 zuke and 1 crookneck squash that are really doing well. Another zuke is struggling with mildew but may start growing vigorously soon enough, I haven't given up. I also have 2 other crookneck plants that are stuck in neutral and not developing very well...I have given up on these. To be safe, I have started several more zucchini and crookneck squash plants...they're warming up in the bullpen.
I'm worried because I see very few bees, so I will have to hand-pollenate unless the errant butterfly drops by.
O.K my squashes are doing horrible. Yesterday I pulled my last bushy squash out of my raise bed, the squash was just not healthy at all and was taking 1/2 the raise bed space, I decided to plant an eggplant in its place instead. I have been notocing the squash yellow bugs on my plants so I am sure these critters are the ones that are doing all the damage, any idea on what I can do to kill them, I have been killing them by hand but I guess they are getting out of controll, any ideas, preferably organic ones?
Long nosed bic lighter.
Lighter works wonders - lol... They're a little hard to catch by hand sometimes. Usually when I see one I have my hands full and have to drop whatever I have so as to not scare them off them gitem!
O.K you convince me I just have to get a big long lighter, mine just does not work well at all, it just turns off if there is a little bit of wind. I really have to save at least my cucumbers, I love cucumbers!
Kelly not to worry I will not give up squash, hopefully I can learn more from my mistakes and can start some again. I have an EB that is empty so I might give it a try again and see.
You can plant summer squash pretty much all summer where you are at Carmen, so go for it and keep on planting...
I have had some luck getting rid of Squash bugs (the gray ones) with a vacuum cleaner. It didn't work as well for flea beetles - they are small and quick. I haven't tried it on the yellow cucumber beetles.
This message was edited May 22, 2010 1:19 PM
A natural predator of the squash bug is the Tachinid fly. Which you can attract to your plot with (blooming) buckwheat. I tired that last season and was impressed- I saw the flies land on the bugs and leave an egg behind (their larva kill the bug when they hatch & start eating) and found empty squash bug shells later on. Not a cure all, but I'm sure that it had an impact.
So between the buckwheat, egg destruction & catching the adults using hemostats (and burying them so their stink doesn't attract more) I managed them pretty well last season.
Last year too, after harvest, I left a few small butternuts behind and a few buckets of water next to them. Every day I would go out and dip the squash bug covered butternut into the bucket.
End of season clean up is key with them too, as the adults overwinter in debris.
Uh,
Just for the record, I hail from the great state of New Orleans, Louisiana...
And, while nutria rats, alligators, squirrels, possum, and snakes can be an endangered species in some sections of the state, I refuse to even consider putting a Stinkbug anywhere other than out of my misery!
I'll eat the snails, first...
Well just came back from a trip, have been gone for about a week and none of my squashes made it, I really think that they were too damaged when I left them in the care of my neighbors. I am thinking of planting some watermelon or melons instead and see how they do.
Hope your trip went well Carmen. Sorry about the squashes though. You still have plenty of time to plant more squash or melons or pumpkins;o)
I'm with locakelly. You have plenty of time to re-plant, unless you would prefer to try something else. I'm thinking af planting more, but I'm afraid I would be buried in squash. Some I have work as both summer amd winter, so the will work okay when I get tired of harvesting....
Well i've decided to try my melon and watermelon seeds this time, I will also try to plant some more climbing squashes so they don't take over all my space. My bush beans are almost done producing so I will try to plant some peppers in that bed to replace those. Acording to my notes I can plant some winter squash august 1st, I have some butternut squash seeds so I might try these and hopefully the squah bug wont be as bad.
Right now the only squah type plant I have in my garden is a climbing one called tromboncino squash and it is doing really good, I already have 2 big fruits on the vine.
You can plant winter squash earlier, if you like. They will set and ripen over the summer and into the fall. Earlier planting means an earlier and longer harvest.
Plant some Butternuts - the squash vine borers don't bother them!
Anyone want some squash? Send me your addy - got it coming out my ears right now - lol...
Tromboncino is my favorite squash :). It starts out (as a blossom) much larger than any other plants I've seen, and can be used as both summer and winter squash. Maybe the best part is that all the seeds are in the bulb, like a butternut. The Plant Files has lots of good comments from people who have grown it.
Thanks Kelly maybe I will, I do love butternuts. I am so gealous kelly, I wish I had your problem. Have your ever tried to make squah pickles before? if not I will post the recipe so you can try it with your squash, that was my plan if I had lots of squash as well.
Catmad so far I only have 2 big ones in one vine, I think I am going to let them ripe to eat them as winter squash, this ones were the only ones that survived the squash bugs plus they climb so they don't take as much space, I can't wait to try them.
Never tried those pickles C - they sound good! Please post the recipe when you get a chance.
O.K Kelly here's the recipe. I found it on the Dervaes Website and they said it was one of their favorites, please let me know how you like it.
Pickled Squash.
10 cups sliced squash, such as zucchini and yellow squash.
2 cups sliced onions
Kosher salt, for sprinkling on vegetables
2 cups white vinegar
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 TB pickling spice
1/2 ts crished red pepper. optional
Directions
In a large pot or bowl, layer sliced squash and sliced onions, and sprinkle each layer generously with kosher salt and let sit for 1 hour. Drain well.
In a large non-reactive pot, combine vinegar, sugar, pickling spice, and crushed red pepper and bring to a boil. Add squash and onions and return to a boil.
Divide vegetables between sterilized jars and laddle enough pickling liquid over vegetables to come within 1/2 inch from top of jar. Wipe rims of jars clean, cover with lids and screw tops in place. Process jars in a hot water bath for 10 min. Remove jars from water bath and cool. Jars should be seal as they cool. Any jars that do not seal should be refrigerated and consumed within 2 weeks.
Thanks for the recipe C!