A comparison. Finally!

Well, I should have yet another picture to show you to add to these comparison shots, but it decided to actually storm last night so I was unable to get the picture for you. I suppose that is all fine and dandy as the look won't change much from now until harvest as the coloration is pretty well set now.

These are the Lakota squash from 3 weeks ago. I had 6 set on the vine...

 

 

I take that back. Apparently I had five! My guess is that the sixth squash either showed signs of not taking or had already begun to wither and abort when I took the first set of pictures.


These initial pictures were taken somewhere around May 13th - 18th.

The second set of pictures were taken June 3rd. So just shy of 3 weeks later....


Unfortunately most of the fruit has aborted, but the 2 remaining fruit are both already larger than 'maturity size' that is listed at 5lbs max size on the label for this variety. Of course i've done research since they have set and found that most people say they reach larger proportions that use good gardening techniques. The smaller size is generally a 3 sisters planting in an undressed field. Poor little squashes. Nobody loves them.

Anywho.... here are the 2 remaining squash as of last week....

Now the trick will be to outsmart the pickleworm (and other assorted blasted creepy crawlies) until I can bring these beauties in!

Any helpful hints, anyone? My goal is for these to be for my fall decorations. They are the perfect size - just like bowling balls and the orange has really come through now with the yellow fading back. I'm so excited - it's like... like.... the GREAT PUMPKIN CHARLIE BROWN!

Seriously. I've grown pumpkins before. Grew them last year. We made pies and cakes and breads from them, but these... these are cool. They are different and even though they may not be as good of eating as my Jarrahdales of past. The kids are really getting a kick out of them and I love that they are unique for my fall display. I believe they are a medium hardshell squash like a butternut or acorn so I have hope that they will store well into fall. After all I should be posting next week about using my last fall pumpkin from last year. :-D Just in time to make room for these in a few more weeks.

OKAY- so I am completely willing to go NON organic to keep these pumpkin/squash beautiful and wormie/hole/pest free. Give it to me. What is the best defense? All around I mean? Protect the plant and the fruit as well. I mean, we won't be eating the skin so I don't feel too bad using a pesticide - plus it will be four months and at least 3 of those months will be spent sitting inside pestiside free. :-D After being washed outside with a bleach solution of course.

Stay tuned for a bloom post. Coming soon!

'Till next time!

Barbie~

From Butt prints to....

To ICED HOUSES!!!! That is a BROWN roof people! This is NOT supposed to happen in December in these parts. Grrr.....

And a completely iced over yard....

Please - OH PLEASE bring me back the wonderful beach days of just this weekend....



Look, I even went so far as to take a picture of myself enjoying the beach just so I could remember on these cold days. :-( And, those that know me KNOW I'm the picture taker, not the subject!

Needless to say that I have harvested the last of the tomatoes, peppers, okra, pumpkin, beans... I'm just beside myself. This was a shock to my system. I expect this in mid January and even February here and there but not quite so soon. I had so many little baby tomatoes that are now destined for the compost.

My beans were flowering profusely again. Now they are something akin to melted plastic. 

I suppose there is always a bright side to everything. A lot of the plants (not the tomatoes mind you) were spent. Those poor okra plants have produced and produced. It was time for them and some of the others. There is of course plenty to do.  I need to raise the beds another 4 inches this year. And possibly another 4 again next year. There are seed catalogs who's beckoning call is growing louder, like a siren's song to a sailor. It's truly an addiction.

Besides, with Birthday's, Christmas and New Years and people to see, places to visit - it's an amazingly busy time of year. I'll miss my plant friends but I know they will be back again. Rest now my little garden. Keep your cabbages and peas growing slow for now you deserve the rest. I'll be back soon!



Harvest Monday! 10/4/10

It's that time again! Harvest Monday. Thanks Daphne for hosting Harvest Monday's. Link up so everyone can see what is ready for harvest where you live!
This weeks harvest is just that. Quite week. I didn't take many pictures. I'm missing a colander and a handful of okra that look just like the one posted. A handful of green beans and an extra large cucumber that tasted delightful! I was quite shocked. Hubby got ahold of it and had eaten half before I could even snap a picture. He's the cucumber guy. He loves all things cukey. :-) Found a beetle on my beans yesterday so that is not good. It could be in he that hurt my beans as a juvie...to bad there is no JDC for those things. LOL. Anway... here you go!

Don't mind the puny radish. It was a test. It was H~O~T, too! Rich enjoyed it, and Troy complained that it was too small. LOL. It's a French Breakfast so I'm quite sure he'll have his fill sooner or later.

The okra is still hanging in there. Not doing well at all plant wise but still producing! The main plants have quit entirely and shed all their leaves. I'm going to cut the centers out so they can continue a few more weeks. The weather is much cooler and dryer and oddly enough they are the only thing in the garden not appreciative of that!

The tabascos are ready for a few weeks of big harvests again. I can't say enough about this 'little' plant. It's made it through the spring, ans summer and still producing more than we can eat. At 4' tall it's about maxed out in height, and everyone comments on it's beauty. It's been such an easy plant that I think next spring I will have to start 3 and put them in the front garden bed. All of my other peppers that pettered out over summer are just begining to fruit again. I got one baby bell that i accidently knocked off the plant this week, and there is one more on still. The jalepenos, serranos, hungarians, all of them are flowering beautifully, but the fruit is very slow to set.

I may or may not have my first pumpkin on. I know I've said that before a dozen times but so far it looks good. Time will tell. In 3 days I'll have something growing larger each day or something stunted. I'm trying to reroot near the pumpkin so I can cut back the main vine. It may be a disaster waiting to happen, and I may lose the one pumpkin that I manage to get set but i have to try. The plant is very diseased now. It's outrunning it, but if I cut back the leaf skelatons that are left it will leave the vine too vunerable to the sun, and pests. So this is my experiment I suppose. I'm going to tie some ribbons on the vine and trace it back trying to cut out only the other vines but I've done that before and cut the wrong one at the last minute. My spring crop suffered horribly for this. I nearly cried myself to sleep as I had 3 beautiful Jarrahdales that has sized up nicely on. I'll keep you all posted as to how this turns out. Not only to share the info, but for future reference for myself as well. I like being able to look back and see what worked and didn't.

'Til next time!

Barbie~