A Growing Concern
After more than twenty years of growing squash here in Eugene Oregon, I never saw a squash bug (Anasa tristis) until two or three years ago. Since then they have become much more common and there have been reports from many local gardeners having to deal with them. I knew what they were, however, because [...]
The glorious spring weather propels the season forward and we struggle to keep up with nature's beck and call. This last week the bees have been sitting out on their porch like it was August. I can tell they are getting restless and want to expand their numbers. If you are a beekeeper you are supposed to do something [...]
This year the squash got the best sunny spot in my garden, at least some of them did. I like squash and they take space, so I tend to put hills wherever they might do well. Besides the sunny patch, I have a few hills in a shady spot and one hill in a raised bed. You [...]
Despite my patterned planting method to help identify the seedlings coming from seeds I plant, I still have trouble with confusing squash volunteers showing up in the hills. This year I clearly noticed the interlopers only after blossoms were starting to set fruit. However, I could have picked up the problems earlier if I had [...]
Now is the time to be eating all those winter squash harvested in the fall. For squash seed savers, this is the opportunity for quality control and seed selection. Easy control over the selection process is one reason squash seed saving is so much fun. Squash eaters know that there can be large differences in quality from [...]
The middle of April is the ideal time to plant squash, according to Nick's Spring Seeding Guide. Squash like warm weather and warm soil to sprout, so the middle of April can be a bit marginal around here. In my shady garden, any extra time for the winter squash is a benefit worth going for. If we [...]
Last week we cooked up one of the last big squashes that were still sitting on the kitchen table. This was a nice big pale green squash that looked a little like a sweet-meat / kabocha cross. It came from plants raised from seed I saved in 2005, from the original very tasty squash that [...]
(Written 9/08 - the first installment in a continuing series) I love my squash. The vigorous vines completely cover the garden area set aside for them, and then they embark on travels into the lawn, over the fence, and into the other vegetables. The fact that they are ready to occupy any bit of free [...]
Squash Practice 