24,795 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

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tcstoehr(8b Canby, OR)

I can't say what's absolutely the best. But what I do is leave them all on the vine until harvest time. For me harvest time is when all leaves are dead, even the newest leaves on the outlying lengths of vines. And the stems are dead.

If I notice any that are too immature to ripen on time I cut those off and compost them. I'm always looking for those a month or two before anticipated harvest time.

I also don't cut the stem, but rather the vine on each side of the stem. So if I was harvesting some now and some later I might be cutting some critical vines. I have no idea if there is any benefit to this but it was recommended by Amy Goldman in her book "The Compleat Squash".

In my garden I'v stopped watering as there are so many fewer leaves and the days are shorter and cooler and vine growth has stopped. The remaining leaves do not wilt so I'm guessing water isn't an issue and I am more concerned with excess moisture in my winter squashes than not enough. And there is certainly some water down in the soil to draw upon.

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Peter (6b SE NY)

What kind of squash? Some squash like Acorn aren't good if over-mature. Others like Butternut need to ripen as long as possible, then cure.

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laceyvail(6A, WV)

Last year I grew both Happy Rich and Green Lance (and will do so again this year).. I direct sowed both in early April under a little hoop house I rigged up over the bed. Both did very well, were very easy to grow and were absolutely delicious. Much easier than broccoli, much more productive, and better tasting and more versatile as well. Great plants.

BTW, When I removed the plastic hoop house, I immediately put the plants under row covers.

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garystpaul(4)

Last night I ordered from Hirt's Gardens: "Aspabroc Baby Broccoli/Broccolini -- 20 seeds," this after seeing very high prices for seeds at Stokes and Jung.

Wish I'd found and read this informative article before proceeding, but I'm hoping for the best! Any further comments on the variety or Hirt's appreciated.

Gary

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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

Thomas, the Garden Web has separate forums for exchanges and round robins, and don't allow it in the discussion forums. HERE'S THE LINK to the Seed Exchange to get you started; you'll find the Round Robin forum from there.

Good luck to you!

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digdirt2(6b-7a No.Cent. AR HZ8 Sun-35)

Too small IMO. About the size of a 5 gallon bucket. Best you could do is plant maybe 3 potatoes in it and it would still be crowded.

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galinas(5B)

OK, you caught my attention on this one. I actually thought I would plant one per bag, 20 bags - I usually plant - 20 in-ground plants and it is enough for us for all summer long - we just finished our last potatoes 2 days ago. So do you think planting like 3-4 potatoes in a large bag is more productive than plant one in a smaller one? In the ground, I plant them 1 foot apart, but they have about 3 feet - my bed width - in other direction, and I pick some potatoes right at the edge of the bed... The problem is, I am not sure I can find 3 feet wide space for the large bags. If I have it, it would be already a bed, ha-ha). So in your opinion, what size of the bag and number of potatoes in it will give results closer to in-ground production keeping in mind size limitation of max 2 feet in width per bag?

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defrost49

Gorgeous! Wishing you continued success with your high tunnels and thank you for sharing your photos and experiences. I was most surprised that I can grow great tomatoes in my high tunnel with the sides rolled up in the summer while those planted outdoors get diseases. I started some lettuce seed in large plastic pots so I could transplant when space opened up in the high tunnel for fall crops. Got one variety transplanted but alas, the other is still in the pot. I bow to your diligence. I would fail as a market grower.

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jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)

Thanks defrost49,

I wish more people would embrace high tunnels and grow more food locally and for themselves and eat more seasonally.

It is hard to market garden, especially when you are a one man show and have a full time job and keeping up with the kids activities. Failure isn't a option. We are becoming more reliant on the market income and for our own food. Yes it is hard forcing yourself to transplant, seed, weed, and water. Staying up til 1, 2, or 3 in the morning prepping for market and then back up at 5:00 to load and leave my 6:15 to get to market on time. But there isn't another job I could have to give me the same kind of freedom and income. It is hard work, but enjoyable.

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daninthedirt(Cent TX; HZ10, Sunset z30, USDA z8a)

Keeled treehopper, I think. And yes, they are damaging to tomatoes at least.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/2164113/keeled-treehoppers-antianthe-expansa-need-a-plan

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ZachS. z5 Littleton, CO

If you are looking for specific varieties, try Potato Garden. You can tell them when you would like your seed shipped to you. If you are not looking for anything particular, I would save the (expensive) shipping costs of ordering seed potatoes and just buy the ones offered in your local farm and garden stores.

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defrost49

Although I'm in NH and order from Moose's Tubers/Fedco, their website says they ship early orders in early March. People in New England with high tunnels start their potatoes early. I have enjoyed getting their samplers so I can try a variety of potatoes. But, warning, the varieties that go into their sampler packs change every year. I did Classic Keepers two years in a row and got different varieties. http://www.fedcoseeds.com/moose/ And, yes, they carry organic potatoes.

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illiveggies

We spent a winter in Ecuador (Quito and surroundings), and absolutely loved it! From what we saw, they grow really interesting potatoes (and make awesome locro with it), and corn. Their corn grows differently at different altitudes, so there is so much variety! Of course, you can start growing cuy, instead of veggies, and do as the incas did :)

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ZachS. z5 Littleton, CO

My wife's family is from Leadville, Colorado (at 10,200'). Folks up there I think have been known to grow (and harvest) green beans and cucumbers, though in places with a chance of zero frost free days a year, your not guaranteed anything. Folks in the mountains here do well growing root crops, and one lady, we called her Mountain Jeanie, would truck all her carrots and radishes and turnips and potatoes down here to Littleton and sell them.

Potato foliage is frost sensitive though so if you are getting <32° at night those will need to be covered.

There is also a variety of corn that was developed for growing in the mountains, and there are a group of folks in Montana that absolutely swear by it. Its called painted Mountain, and its a field corn.

If you are in a valley, your options are more limited since the temps will be lower than up on the ridge.

Starrbitz, we have a "Rocky Mountain Gardening" forum here and every once in a while we get folks from up in the high country posting, or at least someone who has experience with gardening way up there, probably could give you a lot of pertinent info as well.

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farmerdill

Not so. Sugarloaf and Honey Boat are both C. pepo. Just other varieties like Delicata. They don't cross with butternuts which are C. moschata. Unlike the C. moschatas C.pepos are quite susceptible to SVB. Pinholes in the fruit sound like our southern nemesis the pickle worm. But hopefully it has not migrated that far north.

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tcstoehr(8b Canby, OR)

Yeah... no butternuts involved here. They are quite delicious varieties however and have some decent storage potential for which it is generally underrated. They do have quite solid stems. Those stems go through my compost bin and are still hard as rocks when they come out.

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Stu Zone 7a

Appreciate the advice all! I got the soil, compost, peat and perlite all mixed in today!

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Peter (6b SE NY)

In the Spring working the soil too soon can make it get very hard as well... so another vote for now.

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digdirt2(6b-7a No.Cent. AR HZ8 Sun-35)

It's a little deep but the odds are they will make it up. I normally trench mine in 8" deep but only cover them with a couple of inches of soil and then build it up as they come up through. Main thing is don't over-crowd the containers. So depend ing on how many you added you may want to remove a few of them if you can get to them easily.

Dave

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lenarufus

Yes I think I'll take them out again and replant in separate bags, they may be a bit crowded now. Thanks

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digdirt2(6b-7a No.Cent. AR HZ8 Sun-35)

<Any other thoughts on whether the taste would be good enough to justify the effort in cutting up one?>

Not sure what else can be said. It is a personal taste thing. Calling something 'edible' only means it won't hurt you, that it can be eaten if necessary not that it should be eaten at that stage.

Most people prefer the flavor of ripe fruit over the flavor of green fruit regardless of the fruit in question. That's why we look for the ripe ones in the grocery store, right? And as several have said, the longer you can wait for them to ripen the better the quality.

Greener fruit has a sharp bite, an acidic bite you don't find in ripe fruit. Greener, unripened fruit are notably less sweet and harder textured. They have a very different mouth feel as well. Whether that will appeal to you or not only you can know. So if you are desperate to eat one, go for it. They are your pumpkins. :-)

Dave

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A J(9A)

Learn patience. On the vine or off the vine, the time you should wait will be the same. Is it edible right now? Sure. Would I eat it? Not until I was sure it wasn't going to ripen anymore. You're growing pumpkins for pies--let the flavor develop fully. Grow smaller or ones that ripen quicker next year.

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slobeachguy

I'm so sorry it's taken me weeks to respond. We had a couple of family emergencies that had to be resolved.

The soil mix was (approximately) 50% plain Uni Gro potting mix, 10% horticultural sand, 10%-15% vermiculite and perlite, 10% cocoblend by Black Gold, and 15% Fox Farm premium potting mix. I added a touch of acidifier in slow release form, some Dr. Earth veg food, some Dr. Earth acid lovers food, and some Dr. Earth root starter food (the total combined foods equaled about 1 cup for the 20 gallon pot) to start the lower layer.

We laid in 3-4 inches of soil mix (without the Fox Farm, which went into the upper layer mixes) and covered the seeds with another 2 inches or so. Firmed lightly and then watered them in. The first 2 weeks were beautiful. At about 6 inches, we did the first hilling with the same soil mix, except including some Fox Farm. Last year, we had no wilting at all using pretty much the same mix and method.

It was very cool to cold this April and May, while 2014 had frequent hot spells of 85 to nearly 100 degrees for 3 or 4 days at a time. We had some wilting last year, but only because I wasn't watering enough at first in the extreme heat. I know that heat slowed down production at a crucial time, but we got about 6 lb per pot that summer. I went ahead and harvested what we had this year in mid-August. Where we had potatoes, they were mostly small with a few good sized ones on the few healthy plants with only a couple on each of the "regrowth" ones. The Russian fingerlings had about 4 lb total; the Cherry Red about 3 lb; the others had maybe 2 lb each. So maybe 10-11 lb total for four 20 gallon pots. Obviously, whatever happened stopped or slowed production on even the plants that seemed unaffected because those plants had beautiful potatoes, just very few of them. Oh, only the one plant ever flowered and it had 6 or 7 pretty darn nice ones. The potatoes we got were very flavorful and in good condition, except for a couple with split skins.

Everything is cleaned and prepped for the next planting. I'm going to try a couple of pots for the winter because our climate is so mild. On a side note, I took the healthiest soil and set it to start solarizing for use as part of the mix in pea pots this winter. A few days ago, I noticed the inevitable tiny potato plant coming from the itty bitty potato I missed harvesting. Question: When I load the soil into the shallow boxes (with tight lids or 2 layers of heavy plastic covering the top) to fully solarize, will that kill/stop any remaining tiny "seeds"?

I think I need more sand to further lighten the soil for this winter planting, but how do I keep it moist as well? The fabric pots, which I love for healthy roots, dry out faster. I thought maybe some Soil Moist worked into the mix for slow release moisture? The other problem is finding any appropriate sand here. Our native sand compacts into little brick-like clumps, so that's out. Any ideas?

Thank you so much for responding. I truly did not mean to neglect this and appreciate any help or suggestions you can give me.

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wayne_5 zone 6a Central Indiana

It seems to me that fungal wilts and diseases tend to be worse when the soil is regularily too moist.

If you still have a lot of growing season left, I think I would let them keep on growing.

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marketgardener

Jrslick, where do you buy your ladybugs from? Have you had decent success with them?

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jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)

High Sierra ladybugs, http://www.highsierraladybugs.com, I have an order coming tomorrow. Not a minute too soon. I started harvesting kale today and found I have more aphids than I thought. I hope the bugs can wage an aphid genocide! I have always released 5,000-10,000 ladybugs every winter growing season, even if I can't find aphids. It is the cheapest and most effective aphid control I know of. There are other bugs you can release too, but I stick with ladybugs.

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