Shishigatani are starting to run now. Gonna put panel trellis behind when I get off work.
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After a rough season last year, this year my garden is absolutely being wrecked in a good way by squash. I thought I could contain some of it, but it’s spilling off raised beds and off of cattle panels - I’ve never had such vigorous growth and fruit set. Hoping to get my pumpkin patch set up next season.
Block Party (butternut hybrid - holy smokes is this thing setting an immense amount of fruit and trying to take over every available square inch)
Buttercup, Red Warty Thing, Atlantic Giant, Blue Hubbard, Autumn Frost, Starry Night, Musquee de Provence, Marina di Chioggia, Mashed Potatoes, Seminole, North Georgia Candy Roaster
These were half greenhouse started half direct sow. I’m not sure how I managed to get all this done with a newborn, but I’m hoping baby will get to have some of this squash as early first foods.
I did have some mouse damage from some of the butternut that were lying in the aisles, but they seem to have ceased activities.
I’m really bad at deciding when to pick winter squash so that’s my only (future) concern.
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Wow good job doing all of that with a newborn! How fun for a baby to see and feel all those different squash textures while they’re growing.
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Here’s how the fruit’s looking now. The original fruit aborted but the vine grew and is making more. It’s a very small, compact vine, I was concerned it would get swamped out by all the super vigorous ones nearby.
Presumed Tetsukabuto x Honeypatch 898 Cross (Tetsu is the seed parent)
Honeypatch 898 for comparison. As you can see the neck is fatter.
Honeynut for comparison also.
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There’s a range but I try to go on the longer side.
I always pick squash when the stem has dried out some and the tendril is brown.
I also pick when the squash has hit its finished color. Butternuts, for example, get to a warm, more orangey shade of brown and often get a wax bloom. When they still look like they have a greenish or yellowish cast they aren’t ready yet. A green pumpkin like Tetsukabuto will have an orange spot where it has been lying on the ground, like a watermelon. So knowing the finished color is important.
If you pick a little bit early, say before a frost or by mistake, you can let it sit longer and it will still ripen (just not as good as fully vine ripe).
Butternut Example
Not ready
Ready (the one on the left is the same variety)
Another example, wish I had the same lighting
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North Georgia Candy Roaster
These are doing very well for me. I think it’s this one. They’re massive and fruiting quickly, rivaling my Tetsukabuto. I have one climbing a mulberry tree and setting fruit at eye level and another two all over the ground. Not really being bothered by borers, but this is a lower pressure year than last year.
Honeynut
I planted from saved seed and the plants are much bigger this year. Lots of fruit set. One is already 12’ end to end. Really surprised by this.
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Since we didn’t start a thread just for these lovelies I’ll put this here … bitter melon fresh from the garden.
I eat them raw, nibbling off the outside like I’m eating corn on the cob. Juicy and refreshing. I can practically feel my blood sugar lowering.
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ivce heard the seed once they burst are good… i gotta try these since i found out i cant taste bitter lol
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Well I can confirm that @zendog warning that if you go away for a week tromboncino will eat your house- is accurate. I seriously pruned that thing in the week up to leaving and it still ate most of my vegetable gardens. Filled a huge trash can frantically hacking at it today. A bunch of squash grew too fast while gone (they’re already 4+’ and thick) and so now there’s even more going to winter. We all love the summer squash, but man this vine is intense.
Here’s a wacky gourd volunteer. The largest and weirdest of the gourd crosses that have popped up.
There’s another making all white ribbed ones that have a nicer shape, 1 gourd cross hasn’t revealed itself yet, and then here is the one that’s making the nicest looking gourds
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Some validation - today someone here told me her zucchinis have been duds this year too
Been boom and bust. We won’t finish all the squash I picked and cooked this week and next week we’ll probably get 1 zuke