|
Post by gulfcoastguy on Jul 4, 2011 19:47:48 GMT -5
Well I've been babying my punkins and squish this weekend. The champion of the bunch appears to be Tahitian Melon, 20 foot vines with several fruit set. Musquee de Provence has 15 foot vines but no fruit yet. Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck has no fruit and the leaves really wilt down in the heat. Illinois wishes it was back in Illinois but it hasn't died or been SVBed yet. I planted one hill of Butternut Violina and it is doing soso. Little Oliver my Green Cushaw hasn't croaked but he sure hasn't hit his growth spurt yet, we shall see I guess.
Allready got my secret seed for next year.
|
|
|
Post by bluelacedredhead on Jul 5, 2011 6:57:04 GMT -5
Makes sense to me that the Tahitian would do well at your place. The others weren't bred for that kind of heat, with the exception of Little Oliver.
HOpe now that you've had some rain that your patch will greatly improve.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Joined: January 1970
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2011 7:57:00 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by coppice on Jul 6, 2011 6:33:13 GMT -5
I'd like to see that. My atlantic dills just sprouted. They were about 3" the other day and now the leaves are bigger than my hand. I'm amazed how fast they grow. Dills Atlantic Giant, as sold by NC Weeks, isn't the very biggest of this monster squash. You'll have to buy some of the spendy seed from your local county fair winner, if a true record breaker is your goal. That said, I grew his seed a couple years. I planted proximate to a 4' x 8' (filled) compost bin, that I added on average 50 gallons of water to every day it did not rain. Three plants filled a 200' by 100' foot back yard. as in fence line to fence line. (I'm just sayin') The good news was: Those three vines, and some broadcast straw, and leaves as mulch turned a stripped (as in the previous owner sold the top soil from the back yard) into a lawn. The less good news was: NC Weeks version of Atlantic Giant, will grow a 400 pound+ punkin'. Just how many punkin' pies was you planning on baking???
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Joined: January 1970
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2011 9:23:37 GMT -5
I bought my seed at Lowe's. I'm just doing it for the heck of it. I've seen were some big pumpkins are donated to zoo's. I really have no idea what I'll do with mine if they get that big.
I wonder if the neighbors horses would eat them.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Joined: January 1970
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2011 9:29:27 GMT -5
Well I've been babying my punkins and squish this weekend. The champion of the bunch appears to be Tahitian Melon, 20 foot vines with several fruit set. Musquee de Provence has 15 foot vines but no fruit yet. Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck has no fruit and the leaves really wilt down in the heat. Illinois wishes it was back in Illinois but it hasn't died or been SVBed yet. I planted one hill of Butternut Violina and it is doing soso. Little Oliver my Green Cushaw hasn't croaked but he sure hasn't hit his growth spurt yet, we shall see I guess. Allready got my secret seed for next year. I had to look up images of the Tahitan and Musquee. Are the more edible or ornamental? I really like the looks of the Musquee.
|
|
|
Post by gulfcoastguy on Jul 6, 2011 16:21:08 GMT -5
The Musquee is both ornamental and edible. The Tahitian? Well you wouldn't use it for a Jack-o-Lantern but some people might put it out as a harvest display, it is meant to be eaten though. As a rule I don't plant anything that I can't eat which means I don't plant pumpkins that are meant to be carved.
|
|
|
Post by bluelacedredhead on Jul 6, 2011 20:29:13 GMT -5
I bought my seed at Lowe's. I'm just doing it for the heck of it. I've seen were some big pumpkins are donated to zoo's. I really have no idea what I'll do with mine if they get that big. I wonder if the neighbors horses would eat them. I couldn't get our horses to eat squash. Leaves off of corn stalks, but not squash/pumpkin. Know anyone with chickens or pigs? They would enjoy your extra harvest.
|
|
|
Post by gulfcoastguy on Jul 6, 2011 20:39:49 GMT -5
If you broke the pumpkins open horses might eat them. As expensive as horses are I'd only try it if the owners agree. I know sheep will eat pumpkins if they are broken open.
|
|
|
Post by gulfcoastguy on Jul 15, 2011 22:36:16 GMT -5
The Musquee de Provence have set 3 pumpkins, I hope. Dad say's they look like striped acorn squash but his eyesight isn't what it used to be. I'll know for sure in a week. The Illinois mixta type has set two squash. Pennsylvania Dutch Crooknecks, Butternut Violina, and Green Cushaw are Dead Men Walking at the moment. Their garden space will be replaced with watermelons next year. To late to replant with winter squash this year unless they were less than 90 days. The tahitian Melons seem to have earned a permanent spot so far. Musquees? We'll see. Same with Illinois.
|
|
|
Post by redneckplanter on Jul 16, 2011 9:31:01 GMT -5
nice thread gulfie.surprised at oliver.my plants doing ok here in texas.
|
|
|
Post by gulfcoastguy on Jul 21, 2011 11:02:37 GMT -5
Going to see the squish this weekend. Oliver had best have a squash showing. "knowing that you are going to be hanged on the morrow concentrates the mind wonderfully" as they say Ollie!
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Joined: January 1970
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2011 12:32:16 GMT -5
Bring a camera.
|
|
|
Post by gulfcoastguy on Jul 21, 2011 14:25:24 GMT -5
Can't, the cell phone camera croaked this week. I tried to take some pictures for work and got nothing but black. I'm not due for another cellphone till January and funds are a little tight to buy a seperate camera at the time. August is an expensive month for me usually and AllStates 37% increase isn't helping.
|
|
|
Post by gulfcoastguy on Jul 23, 2011 20:32:19 GMT -5
Okay so far: two big musque de provence on the vines with a smaller one maybe set, two Illinois, one Butternut Violina, one Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck, a lot of Tahitian Melons by far the biggest yield though a bit smaller than I expected, 3 or 4 very small green cushaws. It looks like the Tahitian Melons will be repeating as they are the clear winner, Musquee de Provence will have to set and produce at least 1 maybe 2 more to be replanted, only one of the Illinois and Green Cushaws will be repeated and the winner is still undecided, Pennsylvania Dutch Crooknecks have lost to Tahitian Melon and Butternut Violina will have to produce better to repeat. Next year I'll try to restrict it to 3 winter squash and one will be the new Secret Squash. Got a couple of inches of rain but I also saw a SVB moth.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Joined: January 1970
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2011 21:22:41 GMT -5
How big of an area do you have these planted?
|
|
|
Post by gulfcoastguy on Jul 23, 2011 22:20:07 GMT -5
8 rows big enough to plant two hills each. The rows are about 7 or 8 feet long and are spaced about 8 feet apart with one row of five rows and one of 3 rows. They are located in a watering pond that has the dam broken. Essentially raised beds with out any sides. The soil is mostly composted horse manure and bedding with some leaves added under neath is mostly clay. 3 of the rows are "premium rows" with the other 5 of decreasing quality.
|
|
|
Post by gulfcoastguy on Jul 24, 2011 10:04:24 GMT -5
Bees are working like crazy pollinating the squash this morning. Hopefully i chased away that SVB moth before she did any damage. If so there should be a good harvest this year. Transplanted out a Armenian Melon plant this morning before the 80% chance of rain could roll in.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Joined: January 1970
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2011 15:04:04 GMT -5
I read recently that you can catch svb moths with a yellow bowl or pan with water. They are attracted to the yellow. They will land in it and drown. I was going to try it but Dollar General didn't have anything yellow.
|
|
|
Post by gulfcoastguy on Jul 24, 2011 21:52:39 GMT -5
I have made sticky traps by coating yellow plastic cups with a sticky glue that I bought from Gardens Alive (Tanglefoot?) but they would look a lot like the big yellow squash blossoms the bees were busy ferlizing this morning.
|
|
|
Post by gulfcoastguy on Jul 26, 2011 12:46:13 GMT -5
I bought a camera, maybe pictures by next week.
|
|
|
Post by txdirtdog on Jul 26, 2011 13:36:42 GMT -5
Looking forward to the pics!
|
|
|
Post by gulfcoastguy on Aug 1, 2011 16:55:31 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by gulfcoastguy on Aug 1, 2011 16:56:24 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by gulfcoastguy on Aug 1, 2011 16:57:19 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by gulfcoastguy on Aug 1, 2011 16:58:13 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by gulfcoastguy on Aug 1, 2011 16:59:41 GMT -5
And something else we found in the punkin patch.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Joined: January 1970
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2011 19:00:09 GMT -5
Very nice. I'd keep an eye out for whoever is throwing all those Coke cans in there.
|
|
|
Post by bluelacedredhead on Aug 2, 2011 8:44:00 GMT -5
Awwwwww, Hi Joshua! Welcome to the World of Gardening. Great Uncle Gulfie will teach you lots I'm sure! I'm working on something for you but it's not finished yet.
|
|
|
Post by gulfcoastguy on Aug 2, 2011 20:49:30 GMT -5
Fingers crossed, bad luck with the squash in august the last 3 years. Of course I wasted no space on maximas this year.
|
|