the first summer squash

So, I finally harvested our first summer squash. I know others have been harvesting for quite a while but because of our late start, yesterday was our first ripe squash. This year I'm growing a variety of called Costata Romanesco. A famous zucchini from Rome, Italy. It has green stripes and supposedly stays tender even when big (18"). This variety is thought to be the best tasting and best textured summer squash around. Sometimes it may be called cocozelle or ribbed zucchini. It is considered to be the "classic" zucchini. I slightly sauteed the zucchini and we ate it for dinner.  This morning I through some fresh slices in a salad. It was our first zucchini of the year and it tasted wonderful.

Great Resource for Costata Romanesco growing and cooking tips- 

http://www.harvestwizard.com/2008/09/costata_romanesca_squash.html

It's Hot!

Just thought I share some photos of the garden:

Kiwi, Fig, Blackberry, Blueberry

Corn (Black Aztec and Tricolor), Eggplant (Casper and Black Beauty), Wormwood, Zucchini, Tobacco, Echinacea, and others. Waiting for the beans to take off. I planted two varieties asparagus bean and Kentucky Wonder.

Comfrey

The Chicks

Pumpkins, Cosmos, Cucumbers, Onions, Cowpeas

Banana, Celery, Chard, Yarrow, Oregano, Basil,

Sweet Marjoram, Fig, Winter Squash, Onion(flowering)

Conserving Space in the Garden while Prolonging your Harvest

By installing a trellis behind your garden box you can conserve space in the garden while also providing squash months into the winter. The idea is to plant the winter squash behind your tomatoes, peppers, etc, allowing them to climb up and fall down the trellis. Winter squash use there long tendrils to climb, so they need some sort of support. I chose to use a trellis. 

The trellis can be any size but I would recommend at least making the trellis at least 2 feet above the garden box.  I used two 8 foot long slats of 1/2" by 1" wood. I originally had planned to put the vertical stakes into the ground but found out that I had made it too short. So, instead I used screws to attach it. Make sure you make the stakes long enough so that they can be securely in the ground and still provide you with the needed height. Although, I set this trellis up for growing winter squash, you can easily grow cucumbers, or make it taller to grow beans and peas.

Direct seed your favorite winter squash varieties after the last frost date in your area. This year I chose Pink  Banana, Acorn, Honey Boat Delicata, and Butternut. If your saving seeds and don't want squash to cross pollinate. Try choosing squash that don't belong to some same scientific name. 

Here is a partial list of winter squash and their species name:

Cucurbita ficifolia, Malabar Gourd (Chilacayote), Gourd

Cucurbita foetidissima, Calabazilla

Cucurbita maxima, squash ( banana, buttercup, hubbard, turban, yugoslavian pie pumpkin...)

Cucurbita mixta, squash (green striped cushaw, white cushaw, wild Seroria squashes, silver seeded gourds)

Cucurbita moshcata squash (butternut, cheese, golden cushaw)

Cucurbita pepo (acorn, crookneck, scallop, small striped and warted gourds, spaghetti, and zucchini)

If the variety your looking for isn't up there, give me an email and I'll be able to tell you.

Plants are growing!

Photo Credit: Samantha Hill

It has been a while since I last posted. I've been in the middle of moving to a new place and starting a new job. Thankfully, I found a job working in my field of study. Although, it's a lot of the same tasks as my last job like watering and fertilizing but it's at smaller level with an eco-concious attitude.

I now live in Santa Rosa (Zone 9), with a big front yard, larger than my last garden. I've already filled most of the space with veggies, beneficial  plants, a few natives, a citrus tree, succulents, and some ornamental plants here and there. Along with a chicken coop that has been pass down from my parents. 

In the next couple weeks I hope to start photographing more of the garden and sharing some advice as the garden grows through seed to harvest. I will be using only organic methods and mostly non-hybrid heirloom seeds except for a few exceptions. So, I hope you join me and share your thoughts. Your input encourages me to dedicate more time to this blog. It will be a learning experience for everyone including myself.

-Chris