Monday, June 23, 2008

Summer Squash Part Deaux

Well I went back to the drawing board with my Summer Squash and now I have some healthy looking plants in my other garden. Last Spring I had some really strange looking squash plants and being the persevering fool I am, I figured I could and should give it another try.

Initially the squash got to be about two weeks old and then the seedlings would whither and die. Well I finally took the advice posted on another website and started the seeds in a cup. Something about root development.

Anyway, now I'm off to the races for the second time this year. I know, I know, squash is a Summer crop and it should only be grown at certain times of the year. The thing is, Southern Kalifornia has Summer weather sometimes twelve months of the year. This year has been surprisingly warm so far. Now it's downright hot so my plants are prospering. Here's this morning's photograph of one of my latest squash plants.

After about a week of flowering I actually saw a female bud among what are all male buds (What A Slut!) this morning. When she blossoms she gets the Q-Tip treatment. I'm not taking any chances with the Bees around here not pollinating my flowers.

2 comments:

Burnt Toast said...

Good luck with the new squash. Maybe getting the plants established well in the cups will solve the issue.

My squash are in total overdrive. As soon as I turn my back I have to pick a few more. I've left one alone just to see how large it will become. I suspect it's about three pounds at the moment.

Greasywrench AKA rich b said...

Thanks Toast. I figure that between having two gardens I should get something right this time.

I'm also starting a couple more of the squash plants in my containers on my balcony. The seedlings just germinated in the last week and are looking pretty good too.

If you get a chance can you put up some pics of the squash you have growing. Your Tomatoes looked great.

I'm gonna take a shot at some Okra later this Summer. The last time I tried it all I got was a couple of pods and then my plants kind of fizzled. I actually got a little paranoid about the Okra because from a distance they looked like pot and I have some nosy neighbors who are the type to report the "druggie" growing weed on his balcony.

I did grow some cannabis (what can I say - I'm from the sixties) many years ago but all the plants were male and I didn't know what the hell I was doing. I used some blood meal to help fertilize them and I ended up with a house full of little black knats flying all around. That was a party getting rid of the little fuckers.