Love those Texas Gardens

[fitz]

Our Meyer lemons didn't fare anywhere near as well as the others I've been reading about. It seemed fine pretty much up until it snowed, and then it dropped all its laves and never recovered.

[lovebenton0]

Our Meyer lemons didn't fare anywhere near as well as the others I've been reading about. It seemed fine pretty much up until it snowed, and then it dropped all its laves and never recovered.

My sympathies. Our little dwarf nectarine was just beginning to bud when it snowed and she has not recovered either. I'm sorry about your Meyer's lemon tree.

However, my crazy peach tree has given us about four dozen peaches after all. Even though that is 1/4 the amount that were just starting before it snowed we are glad to have any of the little juicy jewels and amazed any of them lived through the snow we had.

[lovebenton0]

Does anyone know of a place in Austin that has Asian veggie plants/seeds? Would really prefer seeds, but plants will do.

--actually, do you know if any Asian markets carry this stuff? Some do and some don't.

jschyun did you have any luck finding Asian veggies -- plants or seeds?

Thanks to the big weather controller in the sky -- we finally have some sun today! Although the last week of rain has been great on the H2O bill.

And the bamboo has been loving this rain.

How are all your gardens growing? Blooming? Fruiting?

I took a few shots the other day of the whole veg plot-- but the babies don't look very impressive at this stage.

[fifi]

Playing catch-up here.

I found this web site for Asian veggies lying around in my favorites list. I have never ordered anything from them but it might be helpful.

[robyn]

How are all your gardens growing? Blooming? Fruiting?

We had more peas than we thought we would have. But we ate the last of them tonight. The plants and peas were getting covered with something that looked like powdery mildew (don't have the slightest idea what it was - I just know that peas don't like 80+ degree weather - which is what we're having now).

Tomorrow I will pull out the peas and plant beans. It's probably a little late to plant anything - but I have the seeds - and no sense throwing them in the trash.

We've had probably 4-5 inches of rain since Thursday - after almost 60 days of almost no rain. Don't think we have to worry about drought for a while . Robyn

[jess mebane]

I have a Rutgers tom plant that is setting fruit along its waifiest of stem arms in the bambambam style of a cherry or patio tomato; is this typical? Surely the tags were switched at birth and this is indeed a cherry varietal. right?

[lovebenton0]

Playing catch-up here.

I found this web site for Asian veggies lying around in my favorites list. I have never ordered anything from them but it might be helpful.

Thanks for the great Asian veggie link, fifi! It may be too late this year for sowing seeds but I'll look forward to ordering for next year.

I've been gone for almost a week, returned last night; mr has been tending the green babies on his own, and doing a fine job.

I got out into the yard a bit today; crawled around the garden beds and yanked some baby weeds. Herbs and veggies are growing! It is great to see how much they have grown over the past week while I was out of town. I had to pinch some lemon basil and used it tonight for scallops sauteed with purple onion, matchstick carrots, and garlic tossed with cappellini pasta. Yum! The basil is young but flavorful already. Serranos are making peppers, one purple eggplant so far and the squashes have zoomed into multiple blossom production. (Keeping my fingers crossed with the squashes! Maybe the new dirt will help.) Several Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes are marble-size and the several Anaheims and sweet banana peppers are over two inches long. Two of the Tabasco plants came back to life and they are catching up to this year's new plants. The "puny" hot Thais that wintered over and are growing in the bed with the Tabascos are not so puny any more and are popping out peppers also. The fennel has tripled in size from last year and is about three feet in diameter, with lots of new bulbs all feathered out. Butterflies are beginning to appear. The mint is incredible -- what a change over the past week -- cuttings have really taken, are full of leaves now, and it smells minty great in that part of the yard. Far away enough from the heady honeysuckle for the mint perfume to drift up and hold its own.

My new try this year, the borage is coming. Although it appears that I'm not the only one who likes to nibble on the tender baby leaves. The stalks and leaves really do taste similar to a mild cucumber.

It is growing season here again for sure. The spring rains have been good to us.

And yes, the bamboo is still growing on rock.

[lovebenton0]

This is great, everyone must be enjoying and working in their gardens! Our TX weather has been mostly cooperative, except for the torrential rain a few days ago. Hope nobody suffered any losses through that.

Despite the deadline busy-ness with the Cooking for Disabilities course the gardens are still doing well. For the most part I can thank that great TX weather -- rain and sun -- and my mr for that. Although I have done my part crawling around the smaller beds for some therapeutic herb pinching and weeding.

How's everyone growing out there? Any pics you want to share with us?

Edited May 20, 2004 by lovebenton0 (log)

[fifi]

I am still gardening vicariously. My sister has planted the herbs and they are doing well. She is worried that the chard is leggy. She did start some white four o'clocks that I found seeds for. I am sure hoping to get a start of those for the house.

Squash can be frustrating. I think there is some climatic thing about when they put on female blossoms. I remember one time I had trouble getting male blossoms at the same time the females opened. Then one morning there was a male blossom. I picked that sucker and went around pollinating the females. My sister accused me of interferring with the sex life of the squash.

[lovebenton0]

I am still gardening vicariously. My sister has planted the herbs and they are doing well. She is worried that the chard is leggy. She did start some white four o'clocks that I found seeds for. I am sure hoping to get a start of those for the house.

Squash can be frustrating. I think there is some climatic thing about when they put on female blossoms. I remember one time I had trouble getting male blossoms at the same time the females opened. Then one morning there was a male blossom. I picked that sucker and went around pollinating the females. My sister accused me of interferring with the sex life of the squash.

So my squash blossoms are dropping due to unrequited love?

Edited May 20, 2004 by lovebenton0 (log)

[fifi]

So my squash blossoms are dropping due to unrequited love?

 

Yep... I am afraid that is a universal problem in the vegetable as well as the animal kingdom.

[hillvalley]

Squash can be frustrating. I think there is some climatic thing about when they put on female blossoms. I remember one time I had trouble getting male blossoms at the same time the females opened. Then one morning there was a male blossom. I picked that sucker and went around pollinating the females. My sister accused me of interferring with the sex life of the squash.

Just spit wonton soup all over my keyboard. Still laughing. Out loud.

[lovebenton0]

So my squash blossoms are dropping due to unrequited love?

 

Yep... I am afraid that is a universal problem in the vegetable as well as the animal kingdom.

Yes! We have evidence of the successful love life of squash!

It was early in the evening but the shade from monster photemias make it look like it's dark out there. I couldn't manuever around to show the other 4 squash on the happy mama.

[jschyun]

Hey what kind of squash is that? The squash looks almost like the Korean squash I grew last year. My plant was a rambler however, which is typical of the Korean squashes. Yours is nice and bushy like a zucchini plant.

fifi, thanks for the Asian veggies link! Evergreen seeds rocks. I actually was asking for Asian veggie seeds or plants for someone in Austin. I had tried another forum, but figured you guys might know better since you guys would be more likely to have popped into an Asian market for food articles and seen some there. I think she did end up finding something.

If you start getting powdery mildew on your squash plant leaves, try spraying them with watered down milk. Will stop PM in its tracks. I read this hint in Organic Gardening some time ago.

[lovebenton0]

Just a nice bushy zucchini up there. Also have some little yellow crooknecks growing baby squashes but they were too difficult for me to get a shot at -- and not as impressive looking as they're still much smaller. I'd love to have some others but am restricted to what/when the mr can get out with me for transport to and from the nursery and new dirt was postponed this year so we just decided to go with what we found the couple of places we went.

No okra yet, Mayhawman That goes in for us later in the summer to take the spots of plants that go down in the heat. Louisiana Velvet is my favorite so far. I like them better than the Clemson Spineless for hot pickling and gumbo. What okra are you growing over there?

I want to put in pumpkins also this year, later on for a good fall harvest. I'd like to do some little babies that I can wrestle around. Anyone have any good suggestions for a smaller, pie pumpkin?

Thanks for the milk tip for powdery mildew, jschyun.

[jess mebane]

No okra yet, Mayhawman That goes in for us later in the summer to take the spots of plants that go down in the heat. Louisiana Velvet is my favorite so far. I like them better than the Clemson Spineless for hot pickling and gumbo. What okra are you growing over there?

Ok, so elaborate; why LA over Clem spineless, exactly?

[lovebenton0]

No okra yet, Mayhawman That goes in for us later in the summer to take the spots of plants that go down in the heat. Louisiana Velvet is my favorite so far. I like them better than the Clemson Spineless for hot pickling and gumbo. What okra are you growing over there?

Ok, so elaborate; why LA over Clem spineless, exactly?

Jess, the LA Velvet produces a long thin okra as opposed to the thicker Clem. They have been less seedy and will grow longer without toughening for us, a benefit I like for gumbo and my ability to get up there to pick them. Also do well in pickling when picked small; taste good and make pretty little hots.

  Hey what kind of squash is that? The squash looks almost like the Korean squash I grew last year. My plant was a rambler however, which is typical of the Korean squashes. Yours is nice and bushy like a zucchini plant.

Well, jschyun, I really do think it is something different! Although the tags said zucchini and the plant is nice and bushy this not like any zucchini I've ever grown before! They are shaped more like a spaghetti squash, and about 1/2 the size of a typical spagetti squash, but with very smooth green and white speckled skin. Delicious! We grilled some the last couple of days and they are wonderful!

Anyone have thoughts on this? I plan to try to save some seed for next season.

[jschyun]

hmm,

Magda?

--never mind, not stripey enough, however, I would still guess that you have one of the Middle Eastern types

Edited June 1, 2004 by jschyun (log)

[fifi]

That squash looks sort of like a "Mexican" squash that I have seen at HEB and Fiesta. But I will be damned if I can remember the name they used. They looked like what your picture shows but were maybe a little rounder.

[memesuze]

fifi, you thinking of tatuma?

[jschyun]

Tatuma (aka Tatume) squash looks like the pic, but this variety is vining, not bushy. Wow, talk about mystery squash!

[fifi]

fifi, you thinking of tatuma?

Actually, my mind is a complete blank so I wasn't thinking of anything, much less tatuma.

No, what I saw was not tatuma. What I am thinking of is probably smaller, lighter green and with no neck.

Damn... I can't think of it. The first time I ever saw these was from a volunteer vine in my mother's compost heap several years ago. Where the "mystery squash" had come from, we didn't have a clue. I later figured out that mother's memory was starting to fail and she must have bought some out of curiosity, never got to cook them and threw them out. Or... a birdie could have dropped it. Anyway, the mystery squash was just that when, low and behold, a few years later, they showed up at Fiesta.

*Back to googling because this is driving me nuts.*

edit to add: This is close but think a little rounder.

Edited June 1, 2004 by fifi (log)

[memesuze]

the tatumas at Central Market here in Austin are somewhat dark, rather than light, but they are definitely roundish - not too terribly elongated - no neck to speak of - just the perfect date!

Edited June 2, 2004 by memesuze (log)

[lovebenton0]

Great ideas. OK, I've cooked with tatuma squash and this is also a no-neck, but elongated (not your perfect date, memesuze ). Thinner- shelled than tatuma I've had, it is also a darker green but with almost white speckles, and there is a slight but distinct stripey pattern to the coloration. It is very creamy, and actually a bit nutty in flavor (wasn't sure if the grilling was bringing that out or if it was the squash itself). So maybe mid-eastern is the key. Whatever it is we're loving it.

Thanks everyone! I'll keep looking too and let me know if you google up anything else, fifi, and all the other garden detectives out there.

Jess, how are your pink Brandywines doing? My orange Bs are acting like they want to bloom, but not accomplishing anything yet. Great leaves -- if I were growing them for foliage I'd be happy.

The super fantastics are producing, not in mass quantity yet but about 20 tomatoes growing on the four plants, and lots of healthy looking blooms. The Beefeaters are acting kinda puny, like they don't know their job yet, but as they are later 'maters I'm willing to be patient.

[GG Mora]

This may or may not explain lovebenton0's and Fifi's mystery squash. Cucurbits are notoriously promiscuous and subject to enthusiastic cross-pollination between species. Most winter squash, summer squash, gourds and pumpkins can cross-pollinate with each other, though not with melons or cucumbers. When cross-pollinated, the plant will produce fruit with seed that is not true-to-type. A zucchini cross-pollinated by a delicata, for example, will produce fruit that is true-to-type, but the seed of that fruit may produce plants whose fruit have characteristics of both the zucchini and the delicata. When squash are grown for seed, the recommended isolation between species, to prevent cross-pollination, is half a mile.

So, lovebenton0, if your squash can't be identified as one distinct variety, and you grew it from purchased, labeled seed, it's possible that the seed grower wasn't aciduous about isolating their plants. And Fifi, the squash in your mother's compost probably grew from the seed of a fruit from a cross-pollinated plant (which could have happened anywhere – your garden, her garden, the field at any farm...). I've had all kinds of crazy vines grow out of my compost pile. I just use the fruit as decorative gourds, since there's no telling what they might taste like.

There's your botany lesson for the day.

Edit:

Lovebenton0, I just went back and read that your mystery squash came from a plant labeled zucchini. Possibly the grower was doing their own seed-saving and didn't have the isolation quite right?

Edited June 3, 2004 by GG Mora (log)