I've picked about 6 tomatoes so far ... from our "Fourth of July" tomato plant that I bought from a store. Can't remember where. Delicious fresh and red all the way through. Yum.
We have 2 little yellow straightneck squashes that will be ready in another 3 or 4 days. And we have several 3-inch zucchini that still have another week or so.
The parsley (flat leafed and curly) is ever so tasty! I pick a stem or so every time I'm back there watering.
Last year we just through our corn cobs and garden trimmings refuse in a big compost heap, enclosed by three big boards. I had to cover over (to make it purty so we can sell this house!) but in the midst of the flowers that I planted to purti-fy-it, here a cluster of corn plants suddenly bursting out! I'm gonna leave them there just to see what happens. Kinda cool!
Anyway... that's a very quick garden update. Our house goes on the market tomorrow, but we're not ready yet. We have been working very hard, and have even more hard work ahead of us very early tomorrow morning. I'll get back to reading blogs and writing on our blogs as soon as I can breathe again. Bear with me!
Vikki
New posts at new blog...
Showing posts with label Squash. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Squash. Show all posts
Your Three Sisters Garden
After posting yesterday about the changes being "considered" for corn crops (vaccines in corn?), I started thinking about my future crops of corn. As you may be aware, we can't grow corn this year because we're putting the house up for sale in a few weeks. Last year, my first year of real gardening and of Three Sisters gardening, we planted a combination of crops in the corn patch.
(Pic to right was taken on July 7 2008 - looks busy doesn't it? Planted the beans too early and the corn too close together!)
- corn - Early and Often Sweet Corn, and a couple of Bloody Butcher and a couple of Blue Hopi - yes, they cross-pollinated and was quite interesting!
- beans - pole - Romano and KY Wonder - delicious
- squash - we planted too many summer squashes (which don't vine so that was way wrong), a few Mexican X-Top cushaw winter squashes, a Sugar Pie pumpkin, and a couple of spaghetti winter squashes. We didn't save seeds, and to this day, still have a couple of the X-Tops left in the basement.
- sunflowers - we grew mammoth and some were short and some were taller than 6 and 7 feet tall! The only thing is the beans didn't want to climb them, and I didn't give them enough space. They need more room than the corn stalks, because the stalks got huge, and the leaves pushed everything out of the way.
I'm buying the seed now for all of our future corn crops. Also gonna order the bean seed. Considering alternating one kind one year and another kind the next year, then change again.
- corn - Bloody Butcher switching to Black Aztec the next year - both can be eaten as corn on the cob but do better dried on the cob for corn meal. I understand the corn stalks can also be harvested before the first frost, completely uprooted, and dried upside down hanging from rafters and used as needed.
- bean - KY Wonder did great last year, but I can't find where it makes a good dried white bean. We did dry them but I'm kinda nervous about using. Anyone? Also, we want a second pole bean to alternate to the next year - considering Cherokee Trail of Tears which produces a shiny black bean that is good as a snap bean or dried.
- squash - we plan to alternate pumpkin (kind?) with Mexican X-Top cushaw (very long vines with lots of large fruit that stores well and seeds are great toasted) and possibly spaghetti or butternut.
- sunflowers - mammoth - only on the perimeter and spaced correctly!
We'll, of course, plant bush beans and summer squashes in other places. Can't imagine not growing soybeans! Plus we'll be planting gourds elsewhere, like bushel basket and birdhouse, for functional use later.
Anyway... ... I'm writing this because I'm curious - are YOU doing a Three Sisters garden this year? If so, what varieties are you growing? Are you concerned about my article yesterday about the GMO modification and vaccine-implanting of corn seed? Are you stocking up on seeds and learning about seed saving?
Hot Banana Pepper Planted
We read that the color yellow in the front yard gives a great sense of calmness to prospective buyers. Our front yard is weird shaped, being on a corner lot, and has three tiers of raised beds in front of the front porch. 
On the top row we HAD planted roses last year but my brown thumb killed them. So 2 weeks ago I planted yellow marigolds on the top tier. I'm hoping they will become bushy in the next few weeks - here's hoping!
The middle tier is a little tricky. Sometimes I need to walk on it to get to the top tier. Right now, it has crocuses, tulips and 5-o'clocks growing (from previous owners). They'll be dead/gone soon. So when that happens, probably in a couple of weeks, I'll sow the middle tier with some kind of vining yellow winter squash, like maybe spaghetti or butternut squash. That will make it green there and provide a few dots of yellow color.
In the bottom bed, I planted a hot banana pepper plant. I don't really care for peppers of any kind, and can't stand the heat of hot peppers, but I'm hoping the beautiful colors of the yellow banana peppers will help us sell the house. If no one comes before the peppers are ready, I guess I'm giving them away! Next week, in this tier, I'll also be planting some yellow crookneck (or straightneck?) summer squash to also provide more yellow and to give us yummy squash to eat!
Now if the weather will just cooperate!
Oh, and my Hubby needs to fix our outdoor water faucet since the workmen at a new neighbor's house killed it during the winter. Money money money!
Growing Pumpkins for Food and Fun
Pumpkins are just a winter squash, best known for providing food to early Pilgrim settlers, for pumpkin pies at Thanksgiving, as a carriage for beloved Cinderella, and for making Jack-o-Lanterns for Halloween. 
Pumpkins will cross-pollinate with other winter squashes. You may get a weird product the first year, but, if you're saving the seeds, you have will definitely have an unpredictable result next year. Better to plant only one type of winter squash, and perhaps a neighbor down the block another and so on - then share the results! If you don't care about cross-pollination, buy new seeds every year and grow as much of everything that you want.
Ask yourself what you want out of the pumpkin:
Pumpkins will cross-pollinate with other winter squashes. You may get a weird product the first year, but, if you're saving the seeds, you have will definitely have an unpredictable result next year. Better to plant only one type of winter squash, and perhaps a neighbor down the block another and so on - then share the results! If you don't care about cross-pollination, buy new seeds every year and grow as much of everything that you want.
Ask yourself what you want out of the pumpkin:
- food (pumpkin pies and turnovers, etc, plus nutritious seeds for roasting)
- ground cover for your corn patch
- fun (jack-o-lanterns for Halloween or huge pumpkins to win contests)
Then take a look at the many kinds available. Choose one (or two) to satisfy your most urgent needs then figure out if it will work where you live. They are a long season crop, but with a little help, can do ok in Zones 3 or 4 and above.
- Sugar Pie Pumpkins: Among the best for baking due to their high sugar content and smooth, even textured flesh. Not a lot of seeds.
- Connecticut Field pumpkin is known as being best for Jack O'Lanterns. They have a classic shape and are usually what we find in the store. Grow between 10 and 20 pounds each (sometimes larger) with a bright orange color. Kinda plain tasting or sweet, and too watery for a pie. Good for seeds.
- For looks and fun, check out the Baby Boo (white), Munchkin, Spooktacular, Big Max (giant), Cinderella, Lumina, Atlantic Giant (giant), and many others. Ranges from size to color to taste.
Pumpkins needs lots of room to sprawl and crawl along, with about 6 hours of sunlight a day. If your growing season is less than 150 frost-free days, start the seeds indoors in transplantable peat pots, then transfer into garden when weather warms. Or seeds can be sown directly into the garden when Spring rains have tapered off and days reach into low 70's regularly. Most pumpkins need at least 110 to 140 frost-free days. It depends on variety, daylight hours and climate.
If planting as part of the "Three Sisters", plant one pumpkin for every few corn seedlings. This will provide ground cover, keeping moisture in the dirt while the prickly leaves and stems hinder critters like raccoons from stealing the corn.
Otherwise, plant 4-5 seeds, 6-8 inches apart, in a circle on a small hill (about 2-3 feet diameter), surrounded by a little moat to soak in the water, but prevents the seeds from getting water-logged. Cover the seeds with about an inch of soil to prevent the birds from finding them. Water enough to get dirt like a soaked sponge. Be gentle to avoid washing away the seed, or disturbing the little root hairs as they grow. Sprouts will appear 7-14 days. After another week, thin to 2-3 healthy plants per hill (use scissors so that pulling a seedling won't disturb the others' roots).
These are vigorous growers, with vines sometimes 30+ feet long, and several offshoots. When growing giants, pick the biggest couple of fruits, and clip off the rest. For others, allow them to grow as they will. Don't baby them though (moving too much - better to prune to gently guide them where you'd prefer they grow).
Pumpkins are heavy feeders, and would prefer a rich soil to start. Add compost or natural fertilizer at least once through the growing season. You could also use your fish-tank water (without chemicals) to water the pumpkin roots - perfect! GENTLY water the root area only, avoiding getting the leaves wet (to prevent powdery mildew). Turn off the water when it puddles for longer than 3 seconds.
Leave the blossoms alone. Remember, if you pick them for fried/battered squash blossoms (yes, good eating), then you won't get any pumpkins. Bees will pollinate the flowers, or you can use the q-tip method. A fruit will begin to form and grow. Your harvest will depend on temperature, watering, nutrition and quality of seed.
When the fruit is well established, gently move the pumpkin so that the blossom end (opposite of stem end) rests on the ground (you may have to clip some tendrils or get help to avoid breaking the vine or stem). Rearranging the pumpkin will encourage the usual pumpkin shape we're used to. While you're moving it, slip a board underneath it. This will prevent a soggy (then rotting) bottom when you get a hard rain.
Pumpkins will love your lasagna garden (more on that later!), but don't do well in a square foot gardening scenario. They need a lot of room to sprawl and ramble. We once heard of someone who ignored a jack-b-little pumpkin plant, and it ended up crawling across the lawn and up a tree, dangling little bitty pumpkins by early September. Can you imagine the surprise to see the "pumpkin tree"? We've also heard of pumpkins crawling up over sheds and porch railings. Support any heavy fruits with pantyhose.
By late August (in the northern Hemisphere), the days will start to get shorter and the nights colder. Pumpkins will start to change to their ripe color. The vine will start to look aged, with withering vines and rotting leaves. (This is the worst time for a gardener who revels in the glorious green of her garden.) 
They are ready to harvest when the color has deepened - orange will look like a typical grocery store pumpkin, like a sunset. Use garden shears, cutting the stem at the vine, to leave as much of the stem intact as possible (minimum 3 inches). Let them cure in the sun for 10 days or so. Cover them at night if there's a danger of frost. Store in a dry cool place (basement, root cellar).
Pumpkins store well for a few months in a cool environment, sometimes until the next Spring. If you don't have access to somewhere cool, you can preserve them by:
- making pumpkin puree, canning or freezing
- dehydrating pumpkin slices
Butternut squash tastes a lot like pumpkin. It makes a delicious "pumpkin pie", and the shape of the squash could encourage creativity for jack-o-lantern faces.
Growing pumpkins this year? Let us know.
Planting the Three Sisters Way
This first pic is the northside of our Three Sisters patch (2008). Very close to the house. You can see the sunflowers in the back and the corn in the front.
Have you heard of the Three Sisters?
From (http://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/3sisters.html): The Iroquois believe corn, beans and squash are precious gifts from the Great Spirit, each watched over by one of three sisters spirits, called the De-o-ha-ko, or “Our Sustainers". The planting season is marked by ceremonies to honor them, and a festival commemorates the first harvest of “green” corn on the cob.
Native American People used corn as the staple in their diet. Parched corn plus prevented starvation for many days. Corn was boiled, roasted and also ground and used as flour for many dishes. Corn was easy to store by braiding the leaves and hanging upside down from rafters. Husks for used as dolls, masks and mats. Corn stalks could be used as fuel. Keep a watch on the corn, and soon after you see the silks and pollen (which gets everywhere!), watch for the cobs. After a while you'll get the hang of seeing the brown silk tassles, and the feel of the cobs, you'll know when to harvest.
Pumpkins (or other winter squash) provide the ground cover. The pumpkins from even a couple of centuries ago weren't our jack-o-lantern but more of a crookneck. Pumpkins could be stewed or dried to use during the coming winter. Not sure if the seeds were roasted, or just kept for planting the next year.
Fresh young beans were cooked in stews, while the dried beans provided meals later - rehydrated for soups and stews, or ground into flour. Great source of protein when meat was scarced. The vines were braided together and also hung from the rafters. Pole beans, chosen appropriately, will use the corn stalks as a trellis without strangling the stalk. Planting the corn with plenty of room in between will help you find the beans. Once they start flowers, keep careful watch. They will quickly become edible size and ready for eating as cooked "green beans". If you plan to dry the beans, leave them alone until harvesting the corn, to dry on the vine. Still, keep a watch on them so that predators don't steal them or they don't split once they've dried.
Sunflowers have recently been found to do excellently in this arena. They break down the earth with their strong roots, and stretch out to provide a living trellis for the beans. The sunflowers are harvested when the back of the heads turn brown and bend from the weight of the seeds. Cut the stalk near the ground, hang upside down, with paper bags around the head to catch the seeds as they dry. Good for snacks, but also good for grinding into flour, and making sunflower seed oil.
Why companions? The squash/pumpkin provides ground cover to keep moisture in, and the prickles of the leaves and vines prevent predators (like raccoons) from getting to the corn. The corn provides stalks for the beans to climb. The beans fix nitrogen into the soil, which the corn needs. Together, this is companion planting at it's best. PLUS, when you mix corn, squash and beans in your diet, they make a complete protein. Also called succotash, which we don't like, but we do make our own various recipes even tastier!
For our 2008 Three Sisters Patch, here's what we did...
CORN: We started the seeds indoors about 2 weeks before we planned to plant them. We used jiffy pellets then placed them inside jiffy pots so that there would be no problem with transplanting (corn doesn't like transplanting). The corn is planted first, giving it time to grow. Space it out well so that they don't crowd each other. Be sure to pick a corn that has hearty stems that will be needed to support the beans. Plant only one corn to avoid cross-pollination (unless that's what you're going for).
MAMMOTH SUNFLOWERS: We sowed these seeds directly into the ground, about a week after the corn. Be sure to get them at the North side of the corn patch because they will get taller than the corn (depending on the variety you choose). Give them a little more room than the corn.
SQUASH: The winter squash comes next. Don't plant summer squash as they don't vine out. These benefit from starting indoors. Choose something leafy and vining, and something that you like to eat. Pumpkins, Mexican X-Top (cushaw), butternut, spaghetti - they all seem to do well. EXCEPT: choose only one to avoid cross pollination (we planted a lot of different kinds last year and goodness... what a mess). Sow one seed per 4 corn seeds. Be careful not to step on the squash vines because they will get on your paths. The light spiney-ness will help keep critters like raccoons off of your corn. They will NOT keep the birds out!
BEANS: Then comes the beans. Choose a good climbing bean that you like to eat, and hopefully one you can harvest, dry and put up for the Winter. Sow directly into the ground, as these seeds sprout pretty quickly. These beans will wind up the cornstalk. Sometimes they are a little hard to see when harvesting but you just have to be patient and diligent.
Pictures:
This picture (from our Three Sisters garden in 2008) is the corn bed I started inside in flats on Memorial Day - "Early and Often" sweet corn, with string beans and various gourds and squashes.
We planted them outside in these two raised beds (2'x4') on June 08 2008 - plus extra seeds. Covered them with yellow tulle fabric we had bought at a yard sale last year - a whole bolt for $5. The fabric was to make sure no birds stole our seeds. It was very successful.
The next pic is the corn bed about one week later (Jun 17 2008) - unbelievable! Look at the growth!
We added several more Three Sisters raised beds within the next couple of weeks.
Please note that we did sooo many things wrong in 2008. We planted them too close together. We planted them all at the same time. The corn ended up a little stunted because the beans started creeping up before it got established. And we planted too many kinds of squashes. The summer (zucchini and crookneck) rose straight up and pushed away the nearby cornstalks. We got mutants from crossbreeding. It was a mess. But... the corn was sweet and tasty, eaten right there and then, raw. The beans grew fat and strong.
But ... we also didn't protect from weeds enough. While we did get a great harvest from everything, we would have had much more had the bindweed not strangled everything.
We can't raise corn this year (2009) because it can't be moved to our next house, the when we can, we'll make sure to lay down lots of newspaper instead of just one layer. And we'll keep up with the weeding more. Plus we'll space the boxes apart a bit more so that it's not quite a chore to bend over and weed - it's not fun bending over and getting poked in the hind-end with a corn stalk!
Have you heard of the Three Sisters?
From (http://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/3sisters.html): The Iroquois believe corn, beans and squash are precious gifts from the Great Spirit, each watched over by one of three sisters spirits, called the De-o-ha-ko, or “Our Sustainers". The planting season is marked by ceremonies to honor them, and a festival commemorates the first harvest of “green” corn on the cob.
Native American People used corn as the staple in their diet. Parched corn plus prevented starvation for many days. Corn was boiled, roasted and also ground and used as flour for many dishes. Corn was easy to store by braiding the leaves and hanging upside down from rafters. Husks for used as dolls, masks and mats. Corn stalks could be used as fuel. Keep a watch on the corn, and soon after you see the silks and pollen (which gets everywhere!), watch for the cobs. After a while you'll get the hang of seeing the brown silk tassles, and the feel of the cobs, you'll know when to harvest.
Pumpkins (or other winter squash) provide the ground cover. The pumpkins from even a couple of centuries ago weren't our jack-o-lantern but more of a crookneck. Pumpkins could be stewed or dried to use during the coming winter. Not sure if the seeds were roasted, or just kept for planting the next year.
Fresh young beans were cooked in stews, while the dried beans provided meals later - rehydrated for soups and stews, or ground into flour. Great source of protein when meat was scarced. The vines were braided together and also hung from the rafters. Pole beans, chosen appropriately, will use the corn stalks as a trellis without strangling the stalk. Planting the corn with plenty of room in between will help you find the beans. Once they start flowers, keep careful watch. They will quickly become edible size and ready for eating as cooked "green beans". If you plan to dry the beans, leave them alone until harvesting the corn, to dry on the vine. Still, keep a watch on them so that predators don't steal them or they don't split once they've dried.
Sunflowers have recently been found to do excellently in this arena. They break down the earth with their strong roots, and stretch out to provide a living trellis for the beans. The sunflowers are harvested when the back of the heads turn brown and bend from the weight of the seeds. Cut the stalk near the ground, hang upside down, with paper bags around the head to catch the seeds as they dry. Good for snacks, but also good for grinding into flour, and making sunflower seed oil.
Why companions? The squash/pumpkin provides ground cover to keep moisture in, and the prickles of the leaves and vines prevent predators (like raccoons) from getting to the corn. The corn provides stalks for the beans to climb. The beans fix nitrogen into the soil, which the corn needs. Together, this is companion planting at it's best. PLUS, when you mix corn, squash and beans in your diet, they make a complete protein. Also called succotash, which we don't like, but we do make our own various recipes even tastier!
For our 2008 Three Sisters Patch, here's what we did...
CORN: We started the seeds indoors about 2 weeks before we planned to plant them. We used jiffy pellets then placed them inside jiffy pots so that there would be no problem with transplanting (corn doesn't like transplanting). The corn is planted first, giving it time to grow. Space it out well so that they don't crowd each other. Be sure to pick a corn that has hearty stems that will be needed to support the beans. Plant only one corn to avoid cross-pollination (unless that's what you're going for).
MAMMOTH SUNFLOWERS: We sowed these seeds directly into the ground, about a week after the corn. Be sure to get them at the North side of the corn patch because they will get taller than the corn (depending on the variety you choose). Give them a little more room than the corn.
SQUASH: The winter squash comes next. Don't plant summer squash as they don't vine out. These benefit from starting indoors. Choose something leafy and vining, and something that you like to eat. Pumpkins, Mexican X-Top (cushaw), butternut, spaghetti - they all seem to do well. EXCEPT: choose only one to avoid cross pollination (we planted a lot of different kinds last year and goodness... what a mess). Sow one seed per 4 corn seeds. Be careful not to step on the squash vines because they will get on your paths. The light spiney-ness will help keep critters like raccoons off of your corn. They will NOT keep the birds out!
BEANS: Then comes the beans. Choose a good climbing bean that you like to eat, and hopefully one you can harvest, dry and put up for the Winter. Sow directly into the ground, as these seeds sprout pretty quickly. These beans will wind up the cornstalk. Sometimes they are a little hard to see when harvesting but you just have to be patient and diligent.
Pictures:
This picture (from our Three Sisters garden in 2008) is the corn bed I started inside in flats on Memorial Day - "Early and Often" sweet corn, with string beans and various gourds and squashes.
We planted them outside in these two raised beds (2'x4') on June 08 2008 - plus extra seeds. Covered them with yellow tulle fabric we had bought at a yard sale last year - a whole bolt for $5. The fabric was to make sure no birds stole our seeds. It was very successful.
The next pic is the corn bed about one week later (Jun 17 2008) - unbelievable! Look at the growth!
We added several more Three Sisters raised beds within the next couple of weeks.
Please note that we did sooo many things wrong in 2008. We planted them too close together. We planted them all at the same time. The corn ended up a little stunted because the beans started creeping up before it got established. And we planted too many kinds of squashes. The summer (zucchini and crookneck) rose straight up and pushed away the nearby cornstalks. We got mutants from crossbreeding. It was a mess. But... the corn was sweet and tasty, eaten right there and then, raw. The beans grew fat and strong.
But ... we also didn't protect from weeds enough. While we did get a great harvest from everything, we would have had much more had the bindweed not strangled everything.
We can't raise corn this year (2009) because it can't be moved to our next house, the when we can, we'll make sure to lay down lots of newspaper instead of just one layer. And we'll keep up with the weeding more. Plus we'll space the boxes apart a bit more so that it's not quite a chore to bend over and weed - it's not fun bending over and getting poked in the hind-end with a corn stalk!
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