Happy July garden lovers! We just got back from an awesome weekend away, so it was fun to get back to the garden to see how things were looking in our absence. It's amazing how much things can change in just a few days. Especially now that summer has well and truly hit here, with the heat, humidity and daily storms keeping things growing like a jungle!
Mother Nature seems to be taking care of things on her own these days, though I'm not above taking some credit. ;)
We'll give this guy (@dksart) some credit, too. Though the Candy Roasters seem to be doing just fine on their own. Before leaving town, I picked 17 pounds, including two monsters weighing in at 5.5 pounds each. A lot of people recommend leaving the squash on the vine until it dies off, but I like to pull them off early so that the plant has more nutrients for more squash to grow further down the vine.
I'll let these guys mature for a few weeks, and they'll develop a slightly darker orange tone and dry out a bit so they can last for months (if they last that long). When we got back I was excited to find one more beast grew and was even bigger--almost 8 pounds! Looking forward to having plenty to share and enjoy.
Continuing on the squash front, we're still getting more of our early producers--the patty pan and golden zucchini squash. Neither have been ridiculously prolific, but they keep giving a nice little harvest.
We're also finally getting some of the Zucchini Rampicante off the vine! I shared the first one with a client since we didn't have a chance to cook it before heading out of town, but I have one for us this week. These are too fun not to utilize in some garden selfies.
The cucumbers are also coming along nicely. I came home to find our first Lemon Cukes were ready to come off the vine. These are always fun to grow, and tend to be very prolific.
The plant is spreading out like crazy with plenty more cukes on the way. All this rain is definitely helping keep them happy.
The other cucumbers are also looking good. They're climbing along the trellis we had used for the snow peas. I'm seeing some blossoms, so hoping for some pickling cucumbers soon, too!
I'll finish out with a little tomato update. We found six of those pesky hornworms right before leaving, so I was afraid we'd come back to decimation. Luckily it seems like we must have gotten them all because I haven't been able to find any others since coming back. I'm sure there will be more lurking around, but it was nice to still see plenty of fruit waiting to ripen without any nibbles.
Lots of varieties between the cherry tomatoes and bigger ones. Still curious to see what all we have since so many came from volunteers!
Always fun to see how things continue to progress as the season passes day by day. I'm sure there will be some more bumps in the road by way of pests or climate, but hopefully plenty more to enjoy. Thanks as always to @riverflows and the @gardenhive crew for keeping the fun going. Looks like @owasco has the fun and also challenging job of pulling together all the great posts this month! Can't wait to see what everyone else has growing right now!
Thanks @qurator!
Wow, those are some impressive squash! Sadly, the cool damp climate of the Pacific Northwest doesn't work for these, but I remember them well from my years living in Texas.
Happy gardening!
These bad boys definitely seem to love the heat and humidity down here in Georgia! I always joke around that I can always grow squash, though I don't think it has anything to do with my gardening skills but more with the climate, haha.
I, however, would love some of that cooler PNW climate right now! The heat is brutal down here, but I suppose I shouldn't complain when the garden is thriving so. ;)
I am impressed with your crop, everything looks, not just big, it looks beautiful, I love to see the tomatoes coming up, I have read that they are delicate because of worms and other pests that plague them a lot, congratulations on your achievements!
Thank you @actioncats! Yes, the tomatoes really are susceptible to such pest pressure. I keep a close eye on them daily to pluck off any that I can see. Lots of green ones still, but hoping they'll start turning ripe soon!
Wow, those are some big squash! It's too funny the Zucchini Rampicante, hehe. And the tomato crop looks good.
Happy harvest :)
The Zucchino's really are fun to grow. They make even curlier shapes when grown on the ground, but we found they didn't do as well like that last year and opted for the trellis this year for a better harvest. They are delicious no matter what the shape!
Hi @plantstoplanks you have a good harvest, it's amazing how big the zucchini are.
Thank you @alborhada! It is a wonderful time of year here with a nice little harvest coming out of the garden. Those squash are definitely the highlight of the moment!
Very beautiful and enchanting view, your smile tells how happy you are with the garden update.
Thank you @diyhub! Yes, we are quite pleased at the moment. Lots of work to get it all here, but now nature is mostly doing her thing with little interference from us!
Your deck is unsafe. That's deck, with an E.
What, this deck that is older than I am that was probably built before modern code enforcement? I'll just use my squash to prop it up. ;)
Aaahhh, soooo beautiful, @plantstoplanks ! I adore growing all kinds of zucchini, cucurbits and pumpkins, and love the gorgeous variety in your post... Your microclimate looks wonderfully lush and green - even cool: yum!
I'd say that both you and Mother Nature are right on top of our game.
I'm always looking for some new veggies to try growing and eliminating the ones that I've tried for a few years but with no luck.
The Candy Roasters will be an addition, I only hope to get them to grow to the size of your monsters, unbelievable. The two @dksart are holding could be used as dumbbells.
Now for the Zucchini Rampicante, that's worth growing just for the selfie alone. If I can grow one of them next year, you'll see me and my Rampicante striking a few poses for sure. 😁
The tomatoes look like they may be in a salad soon.
I love the trellis you folk made from branches, for the cucumbers. If I recall you didn't have much luck with them last year, or am I mistaken? This year's plants look nice and healthy.
Keep bringing in the goods girl.
Good morning Katie, love your selfie, adorable.
The squash is huge, good eating there, glad you took care of the pests before you left.
Wonderful to hear you got away, as hard as you work you deserve a break. Work hard, play harder 😛
Enjoy your garden
Happy harvest
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