Squash b' gosh!

[jinman]

Just exactly 30 days ago I planted three hills of yellow crookneck squash and two hills of butternut squash. On July 5th, I took the picture below of the yellow squash seedlings. I've never seen anything pop out of the ground so fast.

 

[jinman]

This morning I took these pictures of the squash plants. In only 30 days, the yellow squash already have female and male blooms. I'll have squash by the first of August. I also took a picture of my butternut squash plants. They are very healthy and beginning to develop runners. I've never seen anything grow this fast. Wow!:thumbsup:

I also don't see any bugs. I carefully mixed a systemic insecticide (Bayer brand) and applied it when the plants were established. The instructions said I couldn't harvest fruit for 21 days. I can't pick and eat until August 7th. I may end up throwing some squash away if it gets too big.

I know, I know. . . I need to hoe my weeds.

 

[jinman]

I took some more garden photos too. The first picture is my cherry tomato plants I set out at the same time as I planted the squash. I lost one of the six plants I set out probably from overwatering and the heavy rains we had around July 4th.

The 2nd couple of pictures are my blackeyed peas in production. They are always covered in bumble bees and honeybees in the morning when I pick. So far, neither type of bee or the wasps have shown any aggression.:thumbsup:

The final picture is my okra. It's chest high and producing so much okra that we absolutely have to pick every 2nd day or it gets big and tough. My wife picks okra and I pick the peas.

 

[dcyrilc]

Weeds???

You don't have weeds. This is having weeds.:laughing:


The strawberries are doing well though.

 

[Duffster]

You didn't have to plant your own squash, I would have given you some of mine. :laughing: I picked 15 this morning and about as many zukes as well as two 5 gallon pails of cukes. :confused2:

Garden is a bit muddy, we have had 10" of rain in the last 48 hrs.

 

[jinman]

Cyril: I'll admit, you do have me beat on those weeds. I'm down to weeding every couple of weeks and it seems to be holding pretty well. You'll be eating fresh strawberries soon.:licking:

Duffster: I also have plenty of squash. I planted these because my others have the wilting virus and will soon expire. When they do, these will pick right up where they left off. My wife planted three hills of cucumbers for a fall crop a couple of weeks ago and we only have one seedling on one hill coming up. I think the seeds were some old ones from a couple of years ago and they will no longer germinate. I told her we should toss our seed box and start over fresh next year.

 

[jimmyj]

Duffster,
10 inches. Holy smokes. Did you have wash outs?

Jinman,
Nice garden. We're just starting to get beans and 'maters, yum yum :licking:

Cyril,
You still trying to get a leg up in the messy yard contest brother!!!! :thumbsup:

 

[Duffster]

Duffster,
10 inches. Holy smokes. Did you have wash outs?

No, not really.

Had to fix the floodgates 2 days in a row.

 

[jinman]

Tonight I sliced squash lengthwise about 1/2" thick and coated it in olive oil and garlic powder mixed. I grilled it alongside two ribeye steaks. It was terrific! My wife says it's her favorite way to eat squash. It's definitely one of my top two favorite ways to eat it too. The other is stir-fryed with onions and sweet peppers.:licking:

 

[Bird]

We've never cooked any squash on the grill; have to try that sometime. Of course, we like it fried, steamed, stewed, stir fry, raw in salads, and just about any way.:laughing: Our old neighbors down in Navarro County were like us; liked squash just about any way, but had some grandkids who wouldn't eat it. So she came up with a recipe to cook, mash, and combine the squash with stove top stuffing and cheese for a casserole that the grandkids were very fond of. And my wife still makes that since we're rather fond of it, too.