These behemoths are becoming a safety hazard for me rushing around the gardens. It’s like hitting your head on a metal bell! will be interesting to see how much they weigh this fall. I didn’t prune for a few days and the vines are insane, but at least they’re producing again.
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summer squash from my spring starts are in production mode
my trombos and crookneck are just starting to make fruit
winter squash are working, some are vining out, others have flowers, and a few have developing squashes. i think that the white round one might be sweet meat, I’ll have to check the labels another time. it has 2 big and one small. my candy roaster has made and thrown off 3 small squashes so far, none were fully pollinated i think.
triamble are coming up between the beds and filling the “paths”. no flowers yet on those
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For anyone interested- we all decided Cucuzza is inferior to tromboncino. It actually has less flavor cooked (roasted discs and sautéed zoodles) and we all preferred the texture of tromboncino for zoodles. And, I’m happy with that given that this vine is equally labor intensive (to tromboncino) to keep in check, but absolutely requires hand pollination during hours I can’t be outside, making it mostly a huge waste of space. The other squash on its panel were sowed late and are about 5-6’ and branching out, so I’m giving Cucuzza about 1-2 more weeks and then it’s gone.
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try some traditional lauki recipes like lauki kofta and bharawan while you still got it. thats how i am using it. I enjoy it but next year im trying tromboccino. my indian neighbors are happy to take my extras at least. it is blander but when i have to eat this quanitty that is a bit of a feature, not a bug, since it sucks up flavor of the dishes
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My shishigatani are starting to grow a bit.
For my first Goldini zucchinis.
I forgot to photograph the bigger one I harvested at the bottom of this picture.
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That’s interesting about bottle gourds and Indian food. Thank you
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My late planting of Longue de Nice, Tromboncino’s French cousin, is starting to make fruit.
It is outside the fence at my community garden so I’ll harvest it in a day or so before it gets taken.
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Goldini zucchini going fast now!
Made chocolate chip zucchini muffins last night and they are alright. Not my favorite with the spices used. (Cardamom, cinnamon, clove-I love all the spices but they just didn’t hit the spot.) I will try another recipie this evening. Anyone have a good one?
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Beautiful! Cardamom and clove are heavy hitters. Probably would be good if it was a banana zucchini bread. I have a great chocolate, chocolate chip recipe I developed, but it’s banana based not squash.
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I’d love to give it a shot if you are willing to share! My husband and my favorite cookie is Double Chocolate Dream! 
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One of my volunteers looks like a jack-o’-lantern, which is excellent for the kids. 2 others have shown themselves as gourds with one producing in a super inconvenient walkway spot in my veg gardens. But, again, kids are happy.
I’m really amazed at the strength of the tromboncino vine. The 5’ squash hanging from it are HEAVY. And these are not pretty angles.
It’s exciting times in the pumpkin patch. Lots of new pumpkins popping up and getting caged. It’s so much fun to walk around and find surprises.
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Anyone found a c.moschata that is a good carving pumpkin for kids? I just found 3 more f&)83!/(@“ SVB larva trying to kill my jack-o’-lantern, and I’m really, REALLY done with them. I check them every 1-2 days and maybe if my SVB followed the rules I could just cover the bottom foot of the plants but they lay eggs literally all over my plants. I’m so over it. (As I said last year…)
rant over. C Moschata for carving - suggestions please.
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Lodi squash seems like itd work open pollenated too so can save seeds
Have you grown and cut into this? Is it soft? The problem I’ve found is moschatas are substantially harder and denser than a standard jack-o’-lantern pumpkin, which is so easy my 5yo could carve it himself last year.
Ive done koginut and yeah theyre harder… I wasn’t thinking strength just shape. Maybe pick up a koginut which is pretty similar for testing from the grocery. Or Alternatively find the shortest season pepo pumpkin and plant in late July
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Interesting gourd volunteer. Ribbed and some of the coloring of the hooked neck ones of last year but shaped more like the white warty volunteers of ‘25. Killed a few SVB in it this morning and maybe 8 more in others. Really hope I’m nearing the end of that battle. I’m finding them 3’+ away from the base of one jack-o’-lantern!
On a positive note, I was so worried about my pumpkin patch (and melons) with the cold spring, but it’s doing great! A classic early summer perfectionist freak out for nothing. Seeing a few musquee de Provence, tons of Long Island cheese and Thai kang kobs, Chinese tropical pumpkin is finally starting to fruit, and a few jack-o’-lantern and gourds growing. Delicatas in there too with the mislabeled seeds and some homeynuts. I like honeynut, but find the small size highly annoying for processing. I planted some in small spaces, and I have to say, it fruits really fast. Pulled one acorn squash that I was just sick of digging svb out of, another didn’t seem infected, but killed 3 this morning.
Here’s the furthest along Musquee de Provence that is starting to turn, really pretty shape
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