2015 Grow-Along Challenge: Squash Wars - Roll Call!

Not sure how oversized the zuck is. I've had the challenge of cooking with a zuck about 18-20 inches long, not a problem - just not the quality. What I did was peel it and take out the seeds, then use it from there. I feel like the nutrition is in the smaller zucks, probably because we use the undeveloped seeds and the green peeling. Hope that's helpful.

Thanks Brendak, that sounds like a helpful tip to use a large size zuke. I suspect most of the "goodies" maybe found in the young skin and seeds when we cook them. In order to get all the nutrients, perhaps that is why MaypopLaurel suggested that we make Fritters? Although, I'm not familiar with the dish. :)

Here goes; at dusk this evening I was out in the garden watering the containers for it has been so hot all day, I couldn't tolerate the heat, anyhow, this is what my Calabash vines are doing. The vines begun to put out male flowers, typical of such vines, just like Pumpkin vines. Male flowers first before females.

On the other side of the garden, where the 'Casper' pumpkin vine reigns, there is another calabash and a Luffa that share the pot. Neither of the Luffa, nor the Calabash on this arbor is putting out flower that I can find. The Luffa vine is very dainty looking vine, very slender, and the leaves are much smaller compared to that of others.

My first pumpkin is showing its pale skin (not green) and continues to look pretty.

Oh wait, wait. On the 3rd picture (above), one can see the Luffa's leave (directly below the pumpkin young fruit). And on the 4th picture, those probably Calabash's male and female flowers!

Love that waterfront garden. Now tell me are you giving Casper the Cactus Miracle Grow? HUM!! Casper seems to be doing really well.

Not exactly the same formula, but I did boost the veggies vines with a high phosphate feeding beside the regular every - other week, a weak solution all purpose fertilizer.

I'm glad you enjoy the view. Maybe someday you get to come and visit? I'm beat after a long day, will call it off now. Happy gardening everyone.

Wooohooo, I just now discovered a Luffa's female flower! Happy gardening-dance!

1. Tiny Luffa's female flower; I am uncertain whether it's fixing to open, or it's closing. I will have to find out if it's a day-bloomers, or night-bloomers?

2. 'Casper' pumpkin day #4 after pollination, and a new day- blooming male flower.

This message was edited Jun 15, 2015 6:57 AM

Oh, directly beneath the pumpkin fruit, one can see the Luffa's slender vine and smaller leave (photo above). Have a good day gardening everyone.

Oh, just a note on National Pollinators Recognition Days; those valuable pollinators work hard in nature. I am an advocate of these tiny little workers. By doing so, I tried to avoid the over-use of chemical in the garden when I can. And I practice hand pollination when I don't see those bees/moths and sometime ants frequenting my flowers.

*Did you know, night pollinators pollinate these fragrant flowers? BT, surely rid off the moths/larvae of this particular, specialized pollinators for night blooming flowers such as these angel trumpets.

1. A cultivar angel trumpet; its fragrant emits during the night/early morning hours to attract pollinators.
2. A home-grown hybrid that I have hand-pollinated several years ago. This is one of my daughters' favorite flowers (I think). I don't have a name for it yet.

The newly planted seedlings of Ridged Skin Luffa also known as Chinese Okra Luffa (front), and the seedling of another 'Casper' pumpkin vine.

I replanted all my squash this week. Gonna do better this time! Darn bugs! :(

Amanda, plants are looking good! Lily, yours are doing great. :)

What are you going to do about the bugs?

What bugs? SVB or pickle worms? Just as I decided that 'Pineless beauty' Zuke were resistance to the bugs. Then I discovered that one of the 2 vines I planted was totally decimated by SVB, just as I saw the stem being chewed out by SVB, then I found the pickle worms in the fruits also!

How discouraging, Lily Love. Is there a time when these bugs become dormant? Flea beetles around here can make hash of leaves on lots of things, but they become dormant after June has passed. Just wondering.....
We will soon be having Speedy Silver Zucchini for dinner. Our first squash of the year.

That question was meant for froggie. I don't like using pesticides either but I cant grow veggies just to feed the bugs. I don't know of any insect that becomes dormant here until it freezes.

beebonnet - What a crop!

Yes, nice crop there Bee'
@1lisac, I will use measures to control the bugs. It doesn't make good sense to grow crops purely just for the bugs -- I agreed. I read, try to learn proper use of Thuricide, but it seems no chemical is meant for "preventive" measure? Most of what I looked at, including Sevin dust says use when there is present of caterpillars. By that time, it's really is too late. I figured I may as well rid of the affected plants and re-sow new seeds like Julie does, since our growing season is longer than gardening friends up North?

Here goes, my first Calabash female flower finally unfurled this evening. I am so impatient thinking that it may not be pollinated by moths during the night? So I went ahead and hand pollinated my first flower. Picture is to follow.

1. Male flower. 2. Female flowers after pollination.

That blossom is gorgeous. I'll bet it just shines out in the night like a beacon. Does it only bloom at night?

Bugs? Gonna do a homemade mix of soapy water! And my fish fertilizer is ready! :)

@Froggie just don't use them when poliiinators are active, or in the heat of the day. : )

Thanks 1lisac for the tips. Bee' apparently the white Calabash 's flowers begun to open early in evening. After dinner time, after 7pm central time I noticed them nearly in full glory.

Thanks for the tip, 1lisac! Looking forward to pretty plants and lots to harvest this time! I'm starting one more crop in July for fall harvest! :)

Update;
I'll post pictures afterward. My PC malfunctioned, and refuse to recognize my USB cable, so I am unable to down load pics. into the PC. :((

Since I last posted, the diseases, and bugs infestation was about the same. I don't see any improvement, nor any worse for the wear. My container growing Calabash continue to thrive, so is the pumpkin vines, my Luffa vine may have been dug up by squirrel or something, no evidence of disease, bugs, but the vine is wilting big time.

1. Today yield a single edible 'Horn of Plenty' squash. 2. 'Spineless Beauty' Zucchini. 3. Wilted Luffa vine : it's not going to survive. It's a good thing I have sown a replacement vine for this variety. 4.'Casper' pumpkin fruit day #9 after hand pollination. 5. This maybe a newly natural pollinated pumpkin.

Bummer I didn't find you guys sooner! I am growing Heirloom Candy Roaster Squash from Sustainable Mountain Agriculture (1st pic), Heirloom Organic Zucchini (2nd), and Organic Butternut Squash (3rd) from seed. They are going crazy and vining already.

emcars, those look so healthy! I will be sure to grow some Butternut squash in the near future. My daughter prepared some home made dish with Butternut the other day, and it was delicious.

Here is my harvest thus far. I've eaten quite a few of the 'Horn of Plenty' squash, and 'Spineless Beauty' zuke. They're all tender and with good flavor.

Lily_love, they look great! I can't wait for my zucchini harvest. Going to try and pickle some this year (I've heard they're generally pretty prolific). Butternut squash is fairly easy to grow. It also keeps for months in the right conditions and freezes great! Last year my squash got so out of control that it climbed a tree into my neighbor's yard :)

Lily_love you are the "Squashes queen/king"

Zucchini relish is good too. I like it better than cucumber relish.

Your harvest looks great, LilyLove

Thank you everyone for the vote of confidence. :))

Oohh, Bee', Zucchini relish? I need to try them. @emcars, I'll do some research on storing the Butternut squash. I went to the grocery this morning and bought me one butternut squash -- will be experimenting with cooking new dishes. :))

1. My replacement of the squash vines that were lost. These were transplanted 6/13th.
2. Calabash fruit day #5 after hand pollination. (Oh, this variety is NOT one of my chosen 5 varieties -- please pardon).
3. The sole survivor of 'Casper' pumpkin on the first round of planting back in March. Day #10 after hand pollination.
4. Natural pollinated baby Calabash squash.
5. The Calabash vines climbing up the arbor. (This container shows one of the Calabash that I didn't chose to enter in the contest -- I lost tract of my different calabash that I'm growing for this season -- sorry).

This message was edited Jun 25, 2015 5:18 PM

Butternut + butter = awesome...just mashed.
Makes great soup too though this isn't the season for soup.
So easy to cook, cut in half long way, scoop out seeds, either bake or microwave.

Love the other winter squash too but some are so hard it takes a saw to cut open.

Winter squashes make good summer soups with cream or unsweetened coconut milk, not butter. Bake or microwave the squash and puree. Add cream and fresh herbs. We like it with coconut milk and curry, a drizzle of sesame oil and chopped cilantro on top. It's also good with cream and sage, then topped with fresh nutmeg. One more way is smoked hot or sweet paprika and cream, swirl with sour cream and top with fresh basil and garlic croutons. I reduce much of our winter squash to use as fillings for ravioli which are pre-made and frozen for winter use.

Every winter squash has a trick that makes dealing with the outer skin an easy task. I found my tricks on YouTube, chuckl, admittedly those tricks can make you feel challenged for not thinking of them, but the rewards! Yummmm! Even Butternut, sphaghetti squash...skin soft as the fruit with those tips!

Nope didn't say butter for soup. Just when eating mashed butternut squash.

Got it Karen. Just saying these recipes, though far from fat free, do not require butter. Butter is a good thing. Right?

Emcars, I wasn't aware there was a deadline to enter. There is a deadline to post final photos and a limit of three people per squash variety. Maybe Admin will speak up if you are interested in joining in. Being a Georgian, I really want to grow Candy Roaster so am interested in your outcome.

Are we going for a break the bank, Guinness record on thread length? This is looong. I'd love to hear and see some of the other participant's progress.

Yes, I too would like to hear/see other participants' progress as well. :)

Just checked on my Tromboncino this morn with the camera and I am happy to say I have a picture of very tiny tromboncino squash (picture #3 & #4).

Also a picture of Cinderella Pumpkin plant which was planted from seed in the ground 6/8/15.
Cinderella plant is presently in the mud, but holding her own. (picture #1 Cinderella seed packet, picture #2 Cinderella seedlings.

brendak, do you see bees and butterflies in the garden? Those "tiny tromboncino squash" are female flowers that have not been pollinated as evidence by the flower petals are still closed tightly and not fully developed yet IMHO.

I wouldn't mind a recap of the rules and exactly who is in the contest. Plus, what we should do from here on. I am not even sure I made it in the contest, but I think I did. So, admin....could you do that please??