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.