Baymule’s 2020 Garden

[baymule]

That squash will need to be watched. It may keep for awhile, but the wound will likely cause it to spoil early.

Yeah, I figured that, but how long does it need to cure? Doesn't the flavor improve with letting the squash cure for awhile?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I think flavor does improve as it cures, at least some. But don't let the pursuit of perfection rob you of a squash that still tastes pretty darn good.

 

[flowerbug]

when we harvest and cure the squash we normally do triage where any that are blemished or showing some signs of fungi will get cut apart and baked, then eaten or baked and then scooped out and frozen. letting them go longer just invites more damage and loss for those that are already injured.

since we don't have magic eyes that can see what is going on inside we can't always tell if a squash is ready, spoiling or not fully developed until we actually cut it open. if the squash has been out in the sun for a while and the stem is dry then it's done well enough for eating. after a few more weeks they might improve, by mid-winter it can be chancy but when you get a good one they're very appreciated.

the one year we had five wheelbarrows of squash to cope with i froze gallon bags with them flattened so they would stack in the freezer and we sure enjoyed them for the next year or so, but it was a lot of work in the early fall to get all those squash that needed to be dealt with right away taken care of when i was needing to do other things.

i'm hoping the next few days we can get the squash harvested here too, they'll need to be hosed off from all the mud/sand splashed on them but they look ok at the first glance now.

it rained enough here last night that all the gardens are wet and muddy so i'll let them be for the day of sunshine and breezes to dry out and then take stock tomorrow. i got piles of beans that need shelling.

 

[Zeedman]

Yeah, I figured that, but how long does it need to cure? Doesn't the flavor improve with letting the squash cure for awhile?

Whether the flavor improves in storage is, I suppose, a question of taste. The squash will become sweeter & softer as it ages. While I do store winter squash, I personally find them to be firmer & more richly flavored for the first several weeks after harvest - during the curing period. Their starch has not yet been completely converted to sugar at that point, and for drier squashes like Buttercup & kabocha, the cooked squash is more potato-like in texture. If I am dehydrating squash, I try to do so in that stage.

 

[Ladyreneer]

That doesn't mean that they will all come up! I planted the whole packet.
I have goji seeds I need to plant too. There is supposed to be 50 in each packet, I got red ones and black ones. I like goji berries.

How are those Goji berries doing? Did they do well for you?

 

[baymule]

How are those Goji berries doing? Did they do well for you?

Some came up, were looking good, then I killed them all. I like Goji berries, I will have to try again. If I can ever get them started, they are supposed to be pretty hardy. I had some things do outstanding, some just so-so and some dismal failures. This year, even my zucchini and yellow squash died! Who kills squash? Do you grow goji berries?

 

[baymule]

Whether the flavor improves in storage is, I suppose, a question of taste. The squash will become sweeter & softer as it ages. While I do store winter squash, I personally find them to be firmer & more richly flavored for the first several weeks after harvest - during the curing period. Their starch has not yet been completely converted to sugar at that point, and for drier squashes like Buttercup & kabocha, the cooked squash is more potato-like in texture. If I am dehydrating squash, I try to do so in that stage.

You have inspired me to go chop into that big one with the hole in it. Hope it is not rotten all the way through. Maybe I'll chop into the other one too. I can freeze them. There is one more out there, it came on real late, but is growing fast, maybe it will make it to maturity. I want to plant these again!

 

[baymule]

I waded through the weeds to check on the last survivors in the garden today. I specifically wanted to check on the sweet corn, it is almost ready! I found two worms, pulled them off and squished them. Not on my corn! Predators were on duty, I saw a grand daddy longlegs spider and an assassin bug.

I found a few cucumbers and a few more Diamond eggplant. The purple hull peas are blooming again but I don’t have much hope for them.

 

[Ladyreneer]

Some came up, were looking good, then I killed them all. I like Goji berries, I will have to try again. If I can ever get them started, they are supposed to be pretty hardy. I had some things do outstanding, some just so-so and some dismal failures. This year, even my zucchini and yellow squash died! Who kills squash? Do you grow goji berries?

Uhh, I do! I kill squash. I fought off the squash vine borers this year but had very poor pollination so I've purchased some zucchini, crookneck squash, and cucumber seeds that don't require pollination from insects. I'm really wanting to try these soon!
I really would like to grow Goji Berries and I do have the room. I need to get some seeds, probably red & black both. I also have some Moringa seeds that I planted to check germination & they did well. It was too late in the season to get started BUT they germinated. Next year I'll start inside
earlier.

 

[Carol Dee]

I waded through the weeds to check on the last survivors in the garden today. I specifically wanted to check on the sweet corn, it is almost ready! I found two worms, pulled them off and squished them. Not on my corn! Predators were on duty, I saw a grand daddy longlegs spider and an assassin bug.

View attachment 37019

View attachment 37020

I found a few cucumbers and a few more Diamond eggplant. The purple hull peas are blooming again but I don’t have much hope for them.

WHAT ? Your sweet corn is just now ready? Iowa's sweet corn crop is long DONE.