These are growing like triffids. Perhaps not as big as plants this time last year; but still have some time yet. I am aiming to have them planted out at the bank holiday weekend. Suggesting that they will need to be hardened off soon.
Tag Archives: patty pan
Squash re-sown
I’ve been looking at these for a few days; wondering why they weren’t growing. So I had a check today. Turns out, it’s all a bit cold and damp. The one thing that has germinated is the crimson sweet watermelon. Have rummaged in the seed box and resown. Only one or two were summer squashes. Rest were winter squashes.
On the other hand:
These are the first cohort. We has assorted squashes and cukes in there.
Squashes and cukes 2014
Potted up some of the cukes and squashes. This only half the cohort; there are still 15 or so yog pots that have yet to germinate. Seem to be taking their time.
There is another 5-6 weeks before these can be safely planted out without the risk of frost.
Squashes 2014
The sun is out, the the wendy and poly are steaming warm, and I am still sore from planting potatoes. With today being the first of April, I thought I could rest a little and sow squashes and cucumbers. We have a frost until the end of may, that leaves approximately eight weeks during which these seeds will hopefully germinate and are likely to become triffids.
For the moment I have now sown a ghostrider, I fancied something of a break. A few additional varieties of winter squash have been sown instead. No small pumpkins either, I wasn’t particularly enamoured by sweet dumpling. That’s not to say mama H won’t encourage me to sow one. Many of these are sprawling varieties. Last year, there was success with the Cobnut butternut squash being grown up bamboo canes, rather than out across the ground.
The runners and riders:
- soleil
- astia
- patty pan
- yellow scallop
- cobnut
- winter butternut
- crown prince
- gourd small
- cornells bush delecta
- white serpent
- striato di naploli
- tondo di picanza
- little gem
- bush baby marrow
- crystal lemon
- marketmore
- fem spot
There are quite a few varieties, but I do have a tendency to sow a large number. Besides, not all of these may actually germinate. Half of these are to be observed on a warmish window sill, the others will be in a unheated prop in the four tier blowaway. The 4TB does actually get quite warm now that it is warming up a little. I take solace in the fact that the celeary and the carrots sown in there are just starting germinate. The hollow crown parsnips have yet to make an appearance.
Alas, poor Yorick
One that was hidden away under foliage and hanging over a bed.
Space Invaders
Is it a plane, is it a bird, no it’s a funny shaped courgette!
To most people, a courgette is a courgette. A nondescript vegetable, shiny, straight and available from your local supermarket. Alas, they have clearly never grown their own veg. I must admit, that I too started off with a straight, relatively typical courgette. The courgette Astia, simple, straight forward and green. Then, I moved onto yellow ones, rounds ones, stripy ones, as you are aware of. Only recently, was I aware of another creature. Yellow Scallop and patty pan. You can argue that these are the one and the same. They may well be, I’m covering my bases here, with synonyms and semantics.
There have been daily explorations of the Esther Bucklee bed. Trying to find down these curiously shaped creatures. These are housed, between the Incredible Sweetcorn, all eight plants of them. I have three of these, I think, and a sweet dumpling, in the confines of a raised bed. This bed is one metre squared, and foray into two out of three sisters. The bed is heaving, you’d think I was growing triffids. This is exactly, what it looks like. A mass of green leaves, the size of dinner plates. Vines making an escaping, with eight long, willow corn plants, standing above a parapet. When the wind blows, the bed appears to be dancing and shaking it’s thing.
As you can see, the courgette is tiny. I almost missed it, but espied the small alien saucer like shape; and had to inspect it further. Not quite sure what I will do with them. As it stands, there are two courgettes in the kitchen. Despite having chutneyed two yesterday.
In other news, have harvested some curly kale and nero di toscano for dinner.
Yours in anticipation,
Horticultural Hobbit
horticultural 'obbit 