Garden 2021
Return to DiscussionsThe dry and heat have sure slowed things down this year.
Picking current berries before the birds get too many, like they did with the nanking cherries. Am getting some cucumbers and zucchini, tomatoes are setting but only 1 ripe enough to pick so far. And a few small sweet peppers turning orange.
There has probably been 5 feet of grass clipping, leaves and wood chips placed on this garden in the last 8 years. With as dry as it has been there is plenty of moisture about 4 inches down in the composted matter. But the sun, heat and wind seem to take the water out of the viney plants faster than the roots can bring it up.
The "Liquid Fence" deer and rabbit repellent is working. I have seen the does and fawns sniff the plants and turn away.
Google "Liquid Fence" they have a granular product that you sprinkle around the low plants, but that is only good for plants under 24 inches tall. Then you need their spray for the taller leaves. The "Table Ace" squash has taken off with leaves at 3 foot tall, some of them got eaten before I used the spray but not since.
As to the squash I have been letting mother nature take care of pollinating it. I have seen bees in some blossoms with their legs loaded with pollen, and other smaller wasp like bugs in them also. I have noticed a lot of blossoms on long vertical stocks, these just shrivel and fall off with no fruit forming. If this keeps up I may need to resort to hand pollinating with a feather or cotton swab.
As to the squash I have been letting mother nature take care of pollinating it. I have seen bees in some blossoms with their legs loaded with pollen, and other smaller wasp like bugs in them also. I have noticed a lot of blossoms on long vertical stocks, these just shrivel and fall off with no fruit forming. If this keeps up I may need to resort to hand pollinating with a feather or cotton swab.
The flowers on the long stems, I believe, are the male flowers. The flowers on a stubby miniature squash are the femaie flowers. I get a lot of maie but not many female flowers.
I knew some trees are M or F, but did not know this about the squash blossoms. Thank You. Here are a few pictures of the yellow zucchini and table squash to show this long stem and short stem with fruit to others. And a "Patty Pan" that is almost ready to be picked ;-)
The Yellow zucchini are out producing the green by 3-1. Cucumbers are doing well. But I am in the same boat as you guy's with most of my squash. The exceptions are the "Table Top" squash (looks like an Acorn squash) is fruiting nicely. Some of the squash plants slowly dieing or at a stand still, with no fruit. But one plant is healthy and huge, but again no fruit :-(
I am starting to get some "sweet 100" cherry tomatoes ripe enough to eat ;-) and have had 2 "Little Sisley" tomatoes ripen waiting on the rest ;-) And had a few young jalapenos and some ripe sweet peppers.
I was over to the neighbors last night, his squash is slowly dying also. But his pumpkins are basket ball sized. And over all his garden looks good, except for a massive invasion of "Purse Lane", it has a pink stem and loads of green leaves shaped like watermelon seeds. He asked how to get rid of them, I said eat lots of salad with them in it ;-) Once it goes to seed, the seed can lay dormant for up to 40 years until conditions are right for it to germinate :-(
Just wondering how you guy's squash is doing now ? I have a Butternut that is going crazy huge plant, but just started setting fruit this last week. The yellow zucchini is done though, the stock grew up at about 45* angle and snapped off :-(
Tomatoes, The Sweet 100 are ripening nicely, I have gotten a few ripe Sun Sugars, and some of the Little Sicilies. I am getting some huge Beefsteaks on the plants, but they are still green.