23,948 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
gymgirl2(9a)

My Gretel eggplants from last summer went gangbusters on me this summer! I refreshed the potting mix, feed them regularly, and pick the fruits very often. The sooner you pick them fruits, the sooner it throws off new blooms.

Also, my "Pot Black" eggplants (perfect for containers) continue to produce. I pulled what I thought was my last harvest this past weekend, and today, the plants are full of blooms again!

Linda.

    Bookmark     September 10, 2013 at 10:52AM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
daninthedirt(Cent TX; HZ10, Sunset z30, USDA z8a)

That's actually an important point, that for eggplants, you need to pick them to start more fruit. With a small plant, trying to grow a fruit, the plant won't increase in size, nor will it generally flower again, until you pick that fruit. Then, BLAM! the plant starts growing fast, and lots of flowers appear.

    Bookmark     September 10, 2013 at 10:59AM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
nc_crn

Good call...I'm only familiar with broad mite damage on ornamentals.

Evidently it's a bigger issue on fruits outside of where I'm at.

    Bookmark     September 9, 2013 at 12:13AM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
Kedaeus(9)

Thanks Jean, That's precisely what it is!

    Bookmark     September 10, 2013 at 9:04AM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
ishuku(6)

Just wondering, did you ever eat this squash? How'd it taste? I just harvested a volunteer squash that looks EXACTLY like this one, but haven't cooked it up yet.

    Bookmark     September 9, 2013 at 10:43PM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
ange2006

This particular one I harvested early (when it's still green) and cooked it like a zucchini - thin slices, sauteed. I like it better than zucchini because it's sweeter. I have also harvested one that had just started to turn tan. It's more like a butternut and at that time the seeds and skin were still edible. I just cook another one that the stem has started to turn brown. I guess it's a butternut squash after all. I saved the seeds. Can't wait to see what comes out next year because it's being grown with another type of squash next to it.

I found out one thing: the stem that holds the squash is SO strong. I tried to pull it off the vine and broke the vine instead. (I let it climb the chain link fence.) I could barely cut it off with my shears.

    Bookmark     September 10, 2013 at 1:10AM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
daninthedirt(Cent TX; HZ10, Sunset z30, USDA z8a)

Just a quick follow-up report. A month ago I took the tulle netting off to see what would happen. Today I just harvested two normal-looking, full-sized butternut squashes that got started after the tulle came off. So I think the lesson here is that for this particular variety at least, if you allow normal fertilization, you'll get normal fruit. If you don't, the plant will go parthenocarpahtic, and try its best to do something, fruit-wise.

I have not yet cut open the new squash, but I suspect they'll be full of seeds.

    Bookmark     August 18, 2013 at 10:50AM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
daninthedirt(Cent TX; HZ10, Sunset z30, USDA z8a)

OK, here's closure. We ate the normally pollinated squash (actually a week ago, but I just got around to this post today), and the squash were PERFECTLY normal butternuts. Large size, and full of seeds. See photo.

So the same butternut squash plants that will go parthenocarpathic, if you keep the pollinators off (small size, no seeds), are quite happy to produce normally (large zie, lots of seeds) if you let the pollinators back in.

Pretty neat. Let that be a lesson to those using row covers, without pollinating manually.

    Bookmark     September 9, 2013 at 8:34PM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
Mark(Oregon, Zone 8)

I agree about too much water, but am not sure they need high nitrogen fertilizer. Too much Nitrogen now will just put on rampant top growth and it's really too late for another fruit set anyway. I'd recommend some well balanced fish emulsion on a light dosage (I prefer organic fertilizer). And let the soil dry out just a little between each watering.

Go ahead and pick the peppers that are fully orange, that's what you are going for. All peppers ripen from green to red/yellow/orange sooner or later. Thats when they are the sweetest and the best to eat. Once you pick some peppers the plants will likely grow a bit more.

As far as the ones that are rotting, you can cut them off and eat any salvageable pepper from them. It's common to lose some peppers from blossom end rot.

Good luck,
-Mark

    Bookmark     September 9, 2013 at 11:11AM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
seysonn(8a WA/HZ 1)

About picking, agree with Mark. The yellow ones are not going to get any bigger. So there no point keeping thenm on the bush., Unless you except and want then to turn red !

    Bookmark     September 9, 2013 at 7:30PM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
Mark(Oregon, Zone 8)

Pritavit is sold by Osborne seed co., and probably others too. It's an F1 hybrid so I can't save seeds unfortunately.

    Bookmark     September 9, 2013 at 1:14AM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
zzackey(8b GA)

Thanks! I'll check them out.

    Bookmark     September 9, 2013 at 4:10PM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
captaininsano (9b/13) Peoria, AZ.

I will try the hot pepper approach what dilution would work best.

    Bookmark     September 9, 2013 at 2:33PM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
daninthedirt(Cent TX; HZ10, Sunset z30, USDA z8a)

Has anyone used the scarecrow sprinklers against squirrels? I can see frightening a deer, raccoon, possum, or cat with one. But squirrels are pretty resilient to water. In their tree-top nests, they get rained on all the time. So I have to wonder if they'd just laugh off a scarecrow sprinkler. Bath time!

    Bookmark     September 9, 2013 at 2:39PM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
Mark(Oregon, Zone 8)

I'm not sure, but in the linked article it sounds like they are talking about "flower sprouts", the somewhat new veg that Johnnys seed company is pushing.

The only reason why you would cut the tops off regular brussels sprouts is to promote even sizing of the sprouts for full stem harvest.

Of course, you can eat some leaves if you want but I personally think kale is much tastier....

-Mark

    Bookmark     September 9, 2013 at 10:57AM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
florauk(8/9)

No, Mark, I assure you they talking about Brussels Sprouts. They are so ubiquitous here that you only need to say 'sprouts' and everyone knows you mean Brussels Sprouts. The tops are cut off after the sprouts have been harvested. As I said, they are sold as a separate green vegetable in their own right here in the UK. There is no tradition here of cutting off the tops to promote growth, only to harvest them as greens.

Until you have tried sprout tops I would not dismiss them. We eat them a lot in winter - they are tender and delicious, not tough like the lower leaves, which we do not eat. If you Google 'Sprout tops' you will get a lot of hits for recipes.

Here is a link that might be useful: More on sprout tops

    Bookmark     September 9, 2013 at 2:02PM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
gardenlen(s/e qld aust)

we leave all roots in especially legumes, it all adds and all helps.

len

Here is a link that might be useful: lens garden page

    Bookmark     September 8, 2013 at 4:02PM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
wayne_5 zone 6a Central Indiana

I chop up all the residue...tops and bottoms and mix them into the soil a bit along with any amendments....and perhaps plant a cover crop if growing time permits. Things are really nice by spring planting time.

    Bookmark     September 8, 2013 at 10:24PM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
yukkuri_kame(Sunset 19 / USDA 9)

same plant

    Bookmark     September 8, 2013 at 3:33AM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
yukkuri_kame(Sunset 19 / USDA 9)

last photo

    Bookmark     September 8, 2013 at 3:34AM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
theforgottenone1013(MI zone 5b/6a)

Well like I said, I haven't tried using tulle. I was just giving a suggestion based on old posts.

disappointed in row covers/will netting work for cabbage moths?
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/cornucop/msg0422501923825.html

French Tulle Netting
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/cornucop/msg0505305828412.html

Help me kill the Flea Beetles eating my Eggplants!
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/cornucop/msg0620524021153.html

The last two links say that using tulle keeps out flea beetles.

Rodney

    Bookmark     September 7, 2013 at 8:48AM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
seysonn(8a WA/HZ 1)

French or Nylon tulle comes in many shades of color and tightness.Tighter ones can keep all insects out, even mosquitoes. So you wouldn't want to cover cucurbita with it because you need pollinators.

    Bookmark     September 8, 2013 at 2:08AM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
Tex_86

Thank you guys so much! I can deal with ugly potatoes! :)

    Bookmark     September 7, 2013 at 11:39AM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
nc_crn

Next season try (or tell the dudes planting to try) scab resistant varieties...especially if lowering the pH isn't an option.

It won't 100% wipe out the issue, but it helps moderately to greatly lessen scab depending upon variety selection.

    Bookmark     September 7, 2013 at 6:25PM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
theforgottenone1013(MI zone 5b/6a)

It's probably due to inconsistent watering or too much rain. Lots of veggies/fruits can have this problem.

Rodney

    Bookmark     September 7, 2013 at 12:16PM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
Dommt(Montana)

We have had a dry summer, but I do have a sprinkler system that waters daily for 10 minutes or so. I just picked about a dozen this am and only 1 was cracked. We'll see.

    Bookmark     September 7, 2013 at 12:43PM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
ltilton

You use those same planters for lots of crops, don't you?

Did you make them yourself?

    Bookmark     September 6, 2013 at 2:06PM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
edweather(Zone 5a/b Central NY)

I've used them for potatoes, beans, peas, and cukes. They came with the house. Just cleaned them up a bit and painted them. They're pretty old and made of pressure treated wood. Very heavy, not sure I'd recommend them.

    Bookmark     September 7, 2013 at 9:35AM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)

Tokyo Bekana?

    Bookmark     September 6, 2013 at 11:23PM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
ceth_k(11)

@ jrslick : That is absolutely right! I eat this veggie all my life and still don't know it has a japanese name. Thank you very much jrslick!

    Bookmark     September 7, 2013 at 8:32AM
Sign Up to comment
© 2015 Houzz Inc. Houzz® The new way to design your home™