How does your garden grow????? Pictures please.

larrodarro

Dandelie wrote: »

larrodarro wrote: »

CyberTone wrote: »

larrodarro wrote: »

sault_girl wrote: »

As far as your acorn squash, have you started them in a flat before? I thought they don't transplant well.

I've heard the same thing about Acorn squash, but my wife is so amped up to get some going, I took a chance. I'll be planting seed in the ground soon, so these few are just an attempt at getting an early harvest.

For squash seeds, start the seeds in a labeled, folded paper towel; keep moist and put in an open plastic baggie. As soon as each seed sprouts, transfer to an individual seedling container that is lined with a sheet of newspaper and fill with soil. When ready to plant outside, the root ball will pop out easily without disturbing the roots. When planted, the newspaper will disintegrate and the roots should do just fine.

I'll go right into the ground with squash seeds shortly. These were just an "I can't wait until Spring" impulse planting. They will go into a kiddie pool, along with peppers, tomatoes and whatever else comes along before it get's too full. I'll break {or cut} the root mass into three pieces. About 3 vines to the hill.

Last year I did do a third crop of Acorn squash, part of which I started in Solo cups. They did about the same as the ones planted in the ground at the same time. Alright, but nothing special. But then it was pretty far into Fall by then.

What is the difference between other squashes and acorn? I enjoy butternut, pumpkin, and zucchini. I am about to try a spaghetti squash to see if I want to grow it. I like the look of the acorn, but what type of flesh does it have and how do you prepare it? I mean, I know you bake it probably, but I mean like what dishes?

The Acorn squash grow on a vine, not a bush like other squashes. They have fewer fruit and it takes longer for them to get ripe.

So far we have cooked them a couple three ways. It's a hard fleshed fruit, so you have to cook it a good while to soften it up. When I'm baking them with butter and brown sugar, {my favorite way to eat them} I cook them upside down in about 3/4" of water for 25 minutes. Then put them in a baking dish, right side up with the butter and brown sugar for another 15-20 minutes. {times are just a guess. I'll look at my recipe later and see how wrong I was}

You can slice it up and coat with oil and seasoning of your choice and bake, and there was another way my wife made that is slipping my mind at the moment. I'll ask her and get back on that one.

sault_girl

larrodarro wrote: »

Dandelie wrote: »

larrodarro wrote: »

CyberTone wrote: »

larrodarro wrote: »

sault_girl wrote: »

As far as your acorn squash, have you started them in a flat before? I thought they don't transplant well.

I've heard the same thing about Acorn squash, but my wife is so amped up to get some going, I took a chance. I'll be planting seed in the ground soon, so these few are just an attempt at getting an early harvest.

For squash seeds, start the seeds in a labeled, folded paper towel; keep moist and put in an open plastic baggie. As soon as each seed sprouts, transfer to an individual seedling container that is lined with a sheet of newspaper and fill with soil. When ready to plant outside, the root ball will pop out easily without disturbing the roots. When planted, the newspaper will disintegrate and the roots should do just fine.

I'll go right into the ground with squash seeds shortly. These were just an "I can't wait until Spring" impulse planting. They will go into a kiddie pool, along with peppers, tomatoes and whatever else comes along before it get's too full. I'll break {or cut} the root mass into three pieces. About 3 vines to the hill.

Last year I did do a third crop of Acorn squash, part of which I started in Solo cups. They did about the same as the ones planted in the ground at the same time. Alright, but nothing special. But then it was pretty far into Fall by then.

What is the difference between other squashes and acorn? I enjoy butternut, pumpkin, and zucchini. I am about to try a spaghetti squash to see if I want to grow it. I like the look of the acorn, but what type of flesh does it have and how do you prepare it? I mean, I know you bake it probably, but I mean like what dishes?

The Acorn squash grow on a vine, not a bush like other squashes. They have fewer fruit and it takes longer for them to get ripe.

So far we have cooked them a couple three ways. It's a hard fleshed fruit, so you have to cook it a good while to soften it up. When I'm baking them with butter and brown sugar, {my favorite way to eat them} I cook them upside down in about 3/4" of water for 25 minutes. Then put them in a baking dish, right side up with the butter and brown sugar for another 15-20 minutes. {times are just a guess. I'll look at my recipe later and see how wrong I was}

You can slice it up and coat with oil and seasoning of your choice and bake, and there was another way my wife made that is slipping my mind at the moment. I'll ask her and get back on that one.

Oh no no no, acorn squash must be baked with butter and maple syrup

Dandelie

larrodarro wrote: »

Dandelie wrote: »

larrodarro wrote: »

CyberTone wrote: »

larrodarro wrote: »

sault_girl wrote: »

As far as your acorn squash, have you started them in a flat before? I thought they don't transplant well.

I've heard the same thing about Acorn squash, but my wife is so amped up to get some going, I took a chance. I'll be planting seed in the ground soon, so these few are just an attempt at getting an early harvest.

For squash seeds, start the seeds in a labeled, folded paper towel; keep moist and put in an open plastic baggie. As soon as each seed sprouts, transfer to an individual seedling container that is lined with a sheet of newspaper and fill with soil. When ready to plant outside, the root ball will pop out easily without disturbing the roots. When planted, the newspaper will disintegrate and the roots should do just fine.

I'll go right into the ground with squash seeds shortly. These were just an "I can't wait until Spring" impulse planting. They will go into a kiddie pool, along with peppers, tomatoes and whatever else comes along before it get's too full. I'll break {or cut} the root mass into three pieces. About 3 vines to the hill.

Last year I did do a third crop of Acorn squash, part of which I started in Solo cups. They did about the same as the ones planted in the ground at the same time. Alright, but nothing special. But then it was pretty far into Fall by then.

What is the difference between other squashes and acorn? I enjoy butternut, pumpkin, and zucchini. I am about to try a spaghetti squash to see if I want to grow it. I like the look of the acorn, but what type of flesh does it have and how do you prepare it? I mean, I know you bake it probably, but I mean like what dishes?

The Acorn squash grow on a vine, not a bush like other squashes. They have fewer fruit and it takes longer for them to get ripe.

So far we have cooked them a couple three ways. It's a hard fleshed fruit, so you have to cook it a good while to soften it up. When I'm baking them with butter and brown sugar, {my favorite way to eat them} I cook them upside down in about 3/4" of water for 25 minutes. Then put them in a baking dish, right side up with the butter and brown sugar for another 15-20 minutes. {times are just a guess. I'll look at my recipe later and see how wrong I was}

You can slice it up and coat with oil and seasoning of your choice and bake, and there was another way my wife made that is slipping my mind at the moment. I'll ask her and get back on that one.

That sounds yummy! We use to do that with butternut squash. Brown sugar and cinnamon. YUM!

larrodarro

Alright, I have some catching up to do. A few days ago I took one of each kind of pepper and tomato plants out to the hole in the ground. Then we had a surprise frost and I didn't have the hole covered. It touched them up a little, but I think they will be alright in the long run. It might slow them down some.

Yesterday I transplanted the Acorn squash and Cilantro into a swimming pool. Also put in four pepper plants. Two that I kept inside through the winter, and young ones of Jalapeno and Mini Sweet peppers. We had a good thunderstorm last night, but they seemed to be alright this morning. I did take pictures, but that camera is out in the truck. I'll try to grab it on the way to work tomorrow and post them then.

Last week I bought one of the little packages of Cherub tomatoes {for $3.00}. As I ate the tomatoes I squirted the seeds out, then planted them. Today they started coming up. I think I'll get my three dollars worth in plants. Also there are 8 of the 12 Yellow Hungarian Wax peppers up. {hard to see, but behind the tomatoes}



I know it's way too late, but I found carrot seeds and put some in soil last week. They started coming up today also.

Dandelie

I don't think it is too late for carrots. In zone 7, we have quite a while for carrot sowing.

larrodarro

Dandelie wrote: »

I don't think it is too late for carrots. In zone 7, we have quite a while for carrot sowing.

I've never grown them. How many weeks do they take to produce? Do they stand up to the heat pretty good? It gets hot down here in NW Florida in a hurry.

Edit: It looks like I'm in Zone 8b.

Edit {again}: Or Zone 9, according to where you look.

larrodarro

I spread a few bags of shredded paper in last year's corn patch and cut it in this morning. I'll be starting my outside planting in the morning.

tamhencam

I like this thread. Only thing I have going are strawberries.

larrodarro

Yesterday I planted seeds in the ground for the first time this year. It was Blue Lake Bush Beans, Golden Queen Sweet Corn, Soy Beans, Pink-eyed Purple Hull Peas and Field Corn. Also did Muncher and Armenian Cucumbers, Early Summer Crook Neck and Dark Green Zucchini Squash in trays. Transplanted Beef Steak tomatoes into bigger pots and put in the trench and pulled just about everything out of the hole in the ground into full sun.

And this morning I have sprouts from the onion seeds I planted a few days ago.

Dandelie

What zone do you live in @larrodarro? I live in Zone 7. Our average last frost free day is May 15. I got some seedlings going though. 6 peach trees and 4 apple trees. 4 coffee trees (inside except for summer). Asparagus. And trying to germinate some strawberry seeds. They still haven't come up.

I spent some time outside this morning planting some Alaska peas (yum!) and red/white onion sets. I also noticed that my blueberry bush is starting to leaf out. It is a pink blueberry fruit. It didn't flower last year (bought it last year), so I am looking forward to getting some fruit off it this year. I bought some blueberry seeds to create more bushes, but they are stratifying right now.

I love that it is exercise with the deliciousness of food after all the hard work!

18pancakes

We have a small garden in our backyard. The fence is approx. 8 feet high to keep out the many, many deer in our area. We haven't planted anything yet. I was thinking about filling it with perennials - asparagus or berry bushes maybe.

Dandelie

Oh that is a pretty space. I would love that. I am just starting. We rent, so it can't be too permanent. What did you use on top? Deer netting?

larrodarro

Dandelie wrote: »

What zone do you live in @larrodarro? I live in Zone 7. Our average last frost free day is May 15. I got some seedlings going though. 6 peach trees and 4 apple trees. 4 coffee trees (inside except for summer). Asparagus. And trying to germinate some strawberry seeds. They still haven't come up.

I spent some time outside this morning planting some Alaska peas (yum!) and red/white onion sets. I also noticed that my blueberry bush is starting to leaf out. It is a pink blueberry fruit. It didn't flower last year (bought it last year), so I am looking forward to getting some fruit off it this year. I bought some blueberry seeds to create more bushes, but they are stratifying right now.

I love that it is exercise with the deliciousness of food after all the hard work!

I'm in Zone 8B, about equal distance between Panama City Florida, Tallahassee Florida and Dothan Alabama. Average last frost for Tally is from 3-22 to 4-5 on different sites. I'm betting we had our last one a couple of weeks ago. {I put a lot of seed in the ground yesterday, so I had better be right}

larrodarro

18pancakes wrote: »

We have a small garden in our backyard. The fence is approx. 8 feet high to keep out the many, many deer in our area. We haven't planted anything yet. I was thinking about filling it with perennials - asparagus or berry bushes maybe.

Very nice. After 3 or 4 years of staying out, the deer found out they could jump my fence last fall. I'm going to put up a 2nd fence about 3 feet outside my existing fence. I'm leaning toward electric fencing, with lots of ribbons tied on.

larrodarro

I planted {Armenian, pickling and Marketmore} cucumbers, {Charleston Grey and Crimson Sweet} melons, {zukes, crook neck, straight neck and acorn} squash and banana cantaloupe yesterday. Also put some more Pruden's Purple tomato seeds in peat moss pucks, and planted 48 Chinese orange seed as well as 24 sweet kumquat seeds. Up-potted some tomatoes and put more in cups.

kshama2001

larrodarro

I haven't checked on this thread for a while. I've got little beef steak tomatoes, acorn squash and crookneck squash. The two pepper plants I over-wintered are making pepper.




The Jalapeno Early {from this spring] has little peppers on it too.

Here is one of the Pruden's Purple tomatoes in my Red Neck Rain Gutter Grow System.



I can't remember what I've posted on here, so if I repeat myself, sorry.

I've got collards, kale, Swiss chard, spinach, five or six kinds of peppers, green beans, two kinds of onions, two kinds of sweet corn, soybeans, field corn {with Filipino pole beans planted with it}, carrots, Armenian cucumbers, acorn squash, banana cantaloupe, two kinds of melons {with sprouts of another kind I have to find space for}, two kinds of cucumbers, straight neck, crook neck and zucchini squash, and three kinds of sweet pumpkin growing in the ground. Still in trays, but needs planting is two kinds of cantaloupe, okra, and a bunch more kinds of peppers.

I'm sure I'm forgetting some of it.

RebeccaLansdown

Nice garden! I do straw bale gardening combined with some containers. This year I have sixteen new bales and a pile of last year's bales that runs down the middle of my garden. The old stuff has sage, onions, potatoes and lemon balm growing in it. So far this year I have red kale, peppermint, spearmint, Cherokee purple tomatoes, curry, lavender, crystal Apple cucumbers, lemon thyme, strawberries, and asparagus growing. I had two flats of seedlings growing inside but the cats are some of them and laid on the rest. Here is a photo of last year's garden followed by some from this year.





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This year's set up.

larrodarro

Looking good Rebecca. I have done a little straw bale research, but haven't got past that stage.