First Pumpkin Harvests

of 2013

While inspecting my large Rouge Vif D'etampes pumpkin, I noticed a few small gnaw marks on the bottom part of it.  Fearing that rats or some other critter might be starting to get interested in it, I decided to try to cover it with a fabric bag to protect it. While trying to move the pumpkin, I head a crack,  and snapped my stem off my pumpkin!  Thankfully, I think its mostly ripe now, so I think I will let it cure in the garage a few weeks, and then I will begin to make some pumpkin pies, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes!!

I weighed it, and its about 23lbs.  Many of the sugar pie pumpkins have also ripened.  Here are my three little "punkins" holding 2 Sugar Pie pumpkins, and the previous pumpkin. I've picked 4 Sugar Pie pumpkins already, and there are about 8 others on the vines.

Mid June Update

Its mid June already, and pretty hot and sticky out there.  It was extremely muggy today, almost felt like opening a dish washer and sticking your face in there.    My chicks are getting bigger, and are in that "teenage" stage where they have both down and feathers, and still have baby chick voices.   I try and take them out about an hour a day to forage around.  They love it, especially all the interesting bugs and worms they find to eat.

My garden is now mainly squash/pumpkin vines, and some pole beans, and sunflowers.. (they were all volunteers from last year).  The beans have gotten a very slow start, and have been kind of sickly.  But we've managed a few meals from them.

The blue Hubbard squash plants continue to grow huge, despite what I believe is some sort of mosaic virus infection.    They are about 25ft long and branching out a lot.   Fortunately one of the fruit has set and grown very well.

Here is my big one.  Its pretty big now, I would guess its about 15lbs.  

There are 3 other hubbards growing, but they are still around 5 inches in diameter, and I am not sure if they will make it or get aborted.

On the other side of the garden are the Sugar Pie pumpkins and the Rouge Vif d'Etampes.   The sugar pie vines have totally engulfed the area, and have kind of crowded out some of the space I was hoping the Rouge Vif d'Etampes would grow into.  But I am starting to get some nice pumpkins ripening.  Here are the first 2, and there are probably about 6 or 7 other green ones on the vines.  

Here is the Rouge Vif d'Etampes pumpkin.  Its stopped growing.  I would guess its about 20lbs or so right now. Its a beauty, and its color is starting to deepen.  Unfortunately the other pumpkin on the vine rotted away, but yesterday I notice a promising looking freshly set female flower starting to swell up.  

And here are more ball zucchini from our few plants I have.

Pest Status 

The most numerous pest this year is undoubtedly the cucumber beetle, both the spotted and striped ones.  There are hundreds of them around my cucurbit vines.  They are mostly found in the morning on the blossoms, feeding on the flowers and pollen.  I think their biggest damage is the disease transmitting they do. I am sure they are the reason so many of my vines have had mosaic virus infection.  

The aphids have not been a problem yet.  I think spider mites have attacked my pole beans. I always have that happen when it starts getting hot.

The SVBs (squash vine borers) have not been a problem yet. I have not seen any damage yet. I have seen eggs, and have picked a few off here and there, but the vines are so huge I have no chance of getting them all.  I have even killed 3 moths already.

 I think 2 things have helped.   I got a real early start this spring,  and the vines were huge before I ever saw a moth or saw any eggs.  Also I have diligently buried vines.  So most of my big vines are either dug under or heavily mulched so the moths cannot easily lay eggs on them.  Also I have sprayed neem oil on them too, and I think that has helped too.  

Sunflowers

Our sunflowers for some reason have escaped the squirrel onslaught that caused me so much grief last year.  They are all volunteers from last year's planting. Here is a Mammoth variety. The silly plant decided to face away from our yard, so the only way I can appreciate it is to go outside into the alley and look over our 8ft fence. At least the neighbors get to enjoy it!   I have a few of this growing, plus another variety which is also very tall but has many smaller flowers instead of the single big one. Its great for cut flowers.

Summer is Here!

We, not officially, but its early June, and the temps are starting to creep into the 90s.  Most of my cool-weather plants a gone now except for a few small cabbages that are still hanging on.  The warm season plants I have are doing pretty well.  Here are those "volunteer" sunflowers.  They are huge now.  Here is my daughter Elizabeth next to one.  The plant is probably at least 9 feet tall now, and the leaves are huge.  Right below it is my sugar pie pumpkin plants, which are also doing real well and have almost totally filled that part of the yard now.

There are about 4 pumpkins growing on those vines now, and some more on the way. Here is one of them

Its quite a jungle in that part of the yard.  Once again, I made the mistake of underestimating how far the plants would spread.  I can hardly walk among them anymore.  Its quite  a task to walk among them without stepping on any vines.

My Rouge Vif D'etampes plants are doing really well too, and I have a very nice pumpkin growing on it too. Here is the big one:

These pumpkins are a different species than the Sugar Pies... these are C. Maxima.  When immature they are yellow but then turn a deep orange/red later. 

Here is a smaller one that just  was pollinated, and is starting to grow now.

Below is a picture of one of my ball zucchini plants.  You can see one of the zucchinis in the bottom of the pic.  Its a real good looking plant!

The acorn squash are doing OK too. I was hoping to have a few more squash by now.  So far I have 2 that are almost ripe, and a couple more that are getting there. The plants seem fairly healthy, but the vines are rather thin and small.  Now sure what's up with them.

I think I have some sort of mosaic virus among my plants.  I have  a ton of cucumber beetles flying around.  And I read they are carriers of the virus.  My pole beans have not been doing very well.  Many of the leaves are blotchy looking, and are curled up. The bean pods are small too.

Unfortunately my Hubbard squash vines have been showing many of the symptoms...  Mottled looking green/yellow leaves, curled up leaves.... But the vine are still growing like gangbusters.  So I have not had to heart to rip them out, since the plant seems to be able to deal with it somewhat.  What's been real sad is that I have lost all my squash in progress.  They have all grown a little, then turned yellow, and started rotting.  What a bummer.  I hope the plant stops aborting them.  I wonder if its the virus having an effect on it.

The German Chamomille is doing great still. Tons of flowers now.  We have been picking lots of them to dry for future tea.  We have also made some tea from the fresh flowers.  They have a great apple-like smell.  No wonder they call it "Manzanilla" in Spanish, which sounds like "manzana" which means apple.