Summer Squash/Zucchini

[Nan_PA_6b]

Al, bush beans are not vining. But your point about vines is still valid.

Nan

[Al@NC]

Thanks Nan, I've never grown beans before! I started with tomatoes, squash and okra. I read bush beans and honestly thought of peas

Al

[Nan_PA_6b]

Al, you're in for a treat. One plants bush beans after last frost, and nearly every seed comes up! They grow well, nourish the soil, and produce like gangbusters. My fave are the broad yellow Roma beans, but the purple podded beans are also good; you don't have to hunt for the beans because of their color (the purples turn green when cooked). Very rewarding, easy, and tasty crop.

Nan

[Al@NC]

Similar to this one Nan?

http://www.stokeseeds.com/product.aspx?ProductID=40092&CategoryID=1

Al

[Nan_PA_6b]

Yes, just like that!

Nan

[Al@NC]

I dropped by the local university today, I was recently told that they have a seed bank/library. Well there were some varieties there and I happened to get seeds for the Pollock tomato along with Brilliant Pink. I also grabbed some Mini Orange Marigolds, Cherokee Trail of Tears Beans, Brett's Yellow Bush/Snap Bean.

I'm not seeing any info on line about there being a "Brett's Yellow Bush/Snap Bean so it probably something that was picked up at a farmer's market or who knows. Needless to say they aren't the same as a Gold Romano Bean but I may grow a couple this year and see how they turn out.

I'm trying to be really good (it's hard!) now since I've spent too much money on seeds this year.

I recently ordered the Mikado tomato seeds from Hudson Valley Seed co. along with a family heirloom named Aubrey's special pinks tomato. I'm also waiting on Megabite F1 seeds from Park Seed that I ordered.

I'm anxious to get everything planted out and get this season rolling...

Al

[Nan_PA_6b]

Originally Posted by Al@NC

...I happened to get seeds for... Brett's Yellow Bush/Snap Bean...
... I may grow a couple this year and see how they turn out.

Gotcha!

Nan

[GoDawgs]

Last spring I planted summer squash in the middle of a 4' wide bed where there were carrots growing down the sides. But the carrots were sown Feb 14 and the squash weren't sown until early April. Unusually early for me to plant squash but it was an unusually warm winter and spring so I took a chance. By the time the squash were big enough to bother the carrots I was pulling carrots.

I just planted summer squash in a bed that has young scallions down one side and fall planted scallions going to seed (for collection) on the other side. I don't think there will be any conflict there.

Summer Squash in tomato cages.... now that's an interesting thought! Thanks for posting that. I might have to try that with one of them.

[Al@NC]

Last spring I planted summer squash in the middle of a 4' wide bed where there were carrots growing down the sides. But the carrots were sown Feb 14 and the squash weren't sown until early April. Unusually early for me to plant squash but it was an unusually warm winter and spring so I took a chance. By the time the squash were big enough to bother the carrots I was pulling carrots.

I just planted summer squash in a bed that has young scallions down one side and fall planted scallions going to seed (for collection) on the other side. I don't think there will be any conflict there.

Thanks! That's good to know...

Summer Squash in tomato cages.... now that's an interesting thought! Thanks for posting that. I might have to try that with one of them.

I'm just trying to think outside the box, and then when I googled it there were already others doing it. I'm going to grow 2 Summer and 2 Zuc's this year this way and see how it works out...

Al

[GoDawgs]

Originally Posted by Al@NC

I'm just trying to think outside the box, and then when I googled it there were already others doing it. I'm going to grow 2 Summer and 2 Zuc's this year this way and see how it works out...

Oops! I erred in my planting scheme description. The squash were planted in a bed where there are turnips planted down both sides! Again the theory is that the turnips will be gone before being covered by squash leaves.

It's cucumbers that are planted down the middle of the scallion bed. Hmmmm, we'll see how THAT works out!
While I was puttering in the radishes yesterday, I wondered if you could put those in with the squash. They mature quickly and later sowings might just enjoy a bit of shade from big squash leaves. Just a thought.

[Al@NC]

I'm going to grow cuc's on trellises this year (as I always have) but I'm thinking I will plant a ton of peas around the outside of the tomato cage roughly 1" from the cages. I don't know how many pea plants I can get around the cages without them affecting the amount of sun the squash get but we'll see ... The super snappy peas are only suppose to grow to 28-32 inches tall.

I feel like I'm a little late with the peas but our temps here are just now getting to 45f at night so I'm not so late.

I'm thinking you can grow radishes!

I'm curious what affect growing the squash in cages will have on powdery mildew if any....

Al

[GoDawgs]

I'm pretty much done with radishes here as far as planting any more. It's going to get too hot pretty soon and make the radishes too spicy. There are some almost-ready daikon still in the ground and they'll be the last until fall.

[Al@NC]

Originally Posted by GoDawgs

I'm pretty much done with radishes here as far as planting any more. It's going to get too hot pretty soon and make the radishes too spicy. There are some almost-ready daikon still in the ground and they'll be the last until fall.

I miss living in the south as far as gardening is concerned (I used to live in Western North Carolina). I am just now planting out this week for the first time this season!

Al

[Gardeneer]

Done with the radish. Squash are growing buds. They are bush type. Cukes are about to vine melons and watermelons are a bit behind. But with the weather warming up, actually getting hot, cucurbits are growing faster now. I like cukes and zukes as you don,t have to waitfor them to ripen up.pick and eat them tender and young.

[GoDawgs]

I saw somewhere in a catalog some kind of shiny ground cover cloth. It's supposed to "repel" squash bugs as the shiny surface reflects the sunlight and confuses the vine borer moth. Supposedly. When I mentioned it, my sister wondered if one of those $1 space blankets would work. Ah ha!

So that will be one of the experiments in the never ending quest to defeat vine borers. Put a slit in the space blanket to slide it around the stem (the plants are already coming up) and pin it to the soil.

Last year a light row cover worked pretty well on one zucchini until it got way too big and pushed its way out of the cover. That's when the first borer damage showed up. At least I got a few zukes!