August update!

Well…. I picked my first PEACH from my tree!  Been eating a few blueberries and raspberries but no blackberries so far.   There are only a few strawberries but at least the plants now have a home and I look forward to more. There are bunches and bunches of grapes.   Have picked 5 or 6 eggplant and a few more cucumbers.  A billion tomatoes will ripen real soon... probably during this next heat spell.  I've had a few peppers and 2 carrots are growing (the tomatoes pushed them out..  have to find another place for them). The squash, melons and watermelons have suffered because I'm a procrastinator but there is still hope. Most of the apples are rotting on the tree (gotta figure that out) but the pear tree is amazing  I'm looking forward to rhubarb next year and will figure out a way to get to the cherries before the birds do!  Pretty darn cool, huh?

Lesson’s learned…

Start sooner…. This straw bale gardening is going to work..  it’s a wonder these plants are even alive!

What’s below was unplanned.  There were yet more tomato plants without homes so I thought “why not”….
The plan is to cover this area to extend the season and for next year to start it earlier. we’ll see!

I’m confident…

there will be tomatoes, peppers and lettuce and hopeful there will be squash, cucumbers, pumpkins, eggplants and watermelons!

                         

The straw bale project…

…at least the plants are there now instead of in my driveway!!  Now to plant them in the straw…  and add a few more piles with the ones in the first photo for the melon plants (watermelon and muskmelon aka cantaloupe where I come from!).

…squash, eggplant and cucumbers are here:

  

Winter Squash

Very nutritious -Mostly carbs, with some protein, they are very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. They are also a good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium and Magnesium, and a VERY good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium and Manganese. They also contain some Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids.

Stores REALLY well - Winter squashes have a hard rind on them that really helps them keep their shelf quality.  Some actually improve in flavor after curing and storing. The Banana types and the Hubbards are huge and can feed quite a crowd from a single squash.  Most will tolerate chunks being cut out of them over a few days without any noticeable loss in flavor or taste.

• Table Queen (acorn type) 1 to 2 months
• Butternut 2 to 3 months
• Hubbard types 3 to 6 months
• Banana 3 to 6 months
• Buttercup (turban type) 3 to 6 months
• Sweet Meat 4 to 6 months

Easy to grow - because of how fast they sprout and how quickly the long vines grow.  You do need some room for them to roam though. 

Easy to harvest – Harvest all types of squash and pumpkin before frost begins. Squash are ready for harvest when the rind is hard enough to resist fingernail scratches. Cut the stem 2 to 4 inches from the fruit. Pumpkins without stems do not store well. Hubbard-type squash stores best with the stems completely removed. Handle fruit carefully to keep them in good condition.

Cure for best storage. Nearly all mature squash, except acorn types, will benefit from a short period of curing. Curing is holding squash and pumpkin at a temperature favorable for healing cuts and scratches and for forming a protective corky layer over injuries and cut surfaces of the stem. Cure squash and pumpkin for 10 days at temperatures of 80 to 85°F.

Storing your bounty – Squash and pumpkin deteriorate rapidly if stored at temperatures below 50°F. The best storage temperature is between 50 and 55°F.  Fruit that has been exposed to freezing before harvest also will deteriorate rapidly.

TASTE DELICIOUS?! Roasted, pureed and in soups!

The one and only squash….

the size of my fist…

Clearly growing!!

The mystery plant growing in the seldom used driveway south of the house!