Sweet success
With that image I have now had the most successful harvest ever of squash.
Two.
But hey, it is a small victory and with the way things are going this year I am going to be that coworker unloading bags of it on everyone.
The bugs that have always decimated the plants are nowhere to be seen. Every day I check every plant, but no visitors yet. I think it may help that I turn the leaves while watering which may be knocking off any egg clusters before they are big enough to see. I also planted late again this year which may have helped. Anyway if they show, then they will go to the pest cemetery.
The tomatoes are still producing well, but the high heat came early this year (as I suspected). Even with watering in the morning and evening, there will probably only be one more good harvest before they die off. Still the crop has been a big one this year and the new heirlooms did well enough to justify a planting next year.
The romas sure like the heat
We seem to be rubbish at growing anything in the squash family. Everyone else can grow a glut of zucchinis, but we only managed about half a dozen – and that was from three or four plants! Your tomatoes are looking wonderful!
Those Romas look wonderful. I have to say that I only like small, young zucchini/courgettes, but yours certainly look like country show prize winners:)
Well, congratulations are definitely in order. When most, myself included, would have given up, you kept trying. That plant and squash look mighty healthy; your hard work has finally paid off. I hope the rest of your garden does as well.
Awesome.
Mandy
Bravo!!! The squash and tomatoes look wonderful!!!
Wow, lovely harvest. It’s great that the bugs are holding off too. It’s been hot and dry here too, but we don’t water twice a day.
pretty looking squash too, not tempted to use the flowers?
With the luck I’ve had getting them to produce, I’m leaving the flowers be…. for now.
WOW! Congrats for them… Thank you dear Rufus, love, nia
YAY! Greg vs. the Squash Bugs – decision, GREG!
)
(Only a few volunteers on Mt. Squashmore this year…haven’t got their picture yet
That squash looks lovely. How did you prepare it?
I haven’t yet! Will keep you posted.
Everything looks so beautiful and vibrant! You are a couple of weeks ahead of us on the garden; I can’t wait for our zukes and tomatoes to start looking like that!!!!
Beautiful colors. I admire such productive gardens as yours. When you plant, please tell us when, how and what you’re planting. I would love to learn more about the planting.
I need to update my categories, but I do have a garden one and I post when I plant. Here’s one on planting the squash: http://rufusguide.wordpress.com/2012/06/04/let-the-bug-inspections-begin/
Thank you. I missed it when I took time away in June.
celebrations all round !
I just love your garden. Garden envy.
Looks wonderful. We are swamped in zucchini here and if you take a couple of yellow and a couple of zukes all chopped then sautéed in olive oil with onion and garlic – throw in Hot pepper flakes and salt and a splash of pasta water mash all with a potato masher and throw in eggy pasta strands and toss.
I’m going to share that leaf turning tip with my mom for her newbie garden!
Nice work. When I loved in Atlanta, my biggest vegetable problem was with critters digging up and eating the plants as they started to come out of the ground
Wahoo! Fantastic…how do you intend to celebrate? (And I’m figuring you’re going to let us know what becomes of that beautiful squash.)
We installed a shade over our gardens last month. The plants seem to be slowly chugging along. But I found a baby eggplant this morning. I am quite excited. Everything seems to be maturing when the fruit is too small. Maybe still the heat. We are going to stick it out and see how it goes.
Looking good – our tomatoes are only just startng to turn red
I fell your tomato pain… mine are nearly gone too! So soon…
Congrats on breaking your record! I think ours is five… crossing my fingers for more this year.
Back in the days when I still tried to plant stuff, I managed to get a zucchini plant that threatened to invade our home – it had ONE zucchini.
we ate it, and as Phil said, it was probably the most expensive zucchini ever cooked in our home!
The dreaded squash bugs are one the reasons I quit gardening. Fingers crossed for you though!
oh yeah! congrats on the veggies.mine are not coming so good- not sure what the problem is. It couldn;t possibly be my 3 yr old who tries to pull them out way too early or loves to water and water and drown them! it couldn;t be his fault?
They would be the tastiest vegetables EVER because you grew them from scratch – I’m sure you would stretch each of those squash a loooong way to savour them.
I’m happy for your squash success! Bugs be damned!
So happy to hear that you are having good luck in your garden…especially with all the heat and lack of rain in your area.
Beautiful veggies! Are you having any trouble with grasshoppers? We are overrun this year – probably because we had such a mild winter. I hate them as much as I hate chiggers but they are doing their best to eat every plant I own! Spraying again today with that mix of dish soap, oil, etc…wish me luck. I have had a good harvest of tomatoes but haven’t bothered to photograph them, silly me.
I’m playing catch up. Both squash and tomatoes look lovely. I just planted some zucchini seed…I know it’s late, but it doesn’t matter much in my shaded yard. I have one baby tomato in a pot and will be satisfied if I get it to fruition…sad, but true. May your squash be prolific and prosper!
Glad your squash are doing well this year! Since I don’t have a garden this summer, I’m hoping my coworkers will bring in their excess squash to work!