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| Eggplant from plant #8 |
I don't think I got pictures of everything this week, just too darn busy with work and this week I only got off on Sat, I ended up having to go in on Sun. My boss hates to give me overtime, because I've been there so long I have the highest wages, but it looks like I'll have about 8 hours of OT this week.
In the meantime, eggplant #8 produced it's first fruit and it is more a pinky lavender than the dark purple of the others. I will probably also save seeds from this one, even though it is later getting going than the others.
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| Tromboncinno, on Wed. |
On Wednesday I bumped my head on this, the first Tromboncinno squash.
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| Same squash on Sat, 30" long |
By the time I picked it Saturday morning, it was 30 inches long and the skin was still so tender I could pierce it with my fingernail.
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| Tromboncinno |
I picked these two for the Farmer's Market. They were the only squash I sold, I think because there were so unusual. We had a glut of squash at the market this week.
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| Scallopini |
I picked the first Scallopini early in the week. It was nice, not as watery as the Rond de Nice or other zucchini.
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| Rond de Nice & Scallopini |
On Saturday I picked more Scallopini and a couple of Rond de Nice. I noticed on Sunday evening that there are several more Tromboncinno growing and there is a very large Rond de Nice which I will probably feed to the chickens. I don't know how I missed it!
Also this week I picked lots of small tomatoes and pulled some green onions. I didn't take a pick yet, but some of the red onions from unnamed sets had fallen over and the necks were drying up so I pulled them. They were the smallest in the bed. Looking at how things have grown there I think the problem might have been not enough sun as that bed is shaded during the cooler months and the size of the onions correspond with the sun pattern on the bed. That is, the biggest ones are at the front edge where they get the most sun and the smallest ones at the other end where they get the least sun. I will try onions again in a bed that gets more sun and see if that doesn't help. I'm just adding the onion weights as I use them, while waiting for them to finish curing.
This coming week there will probably be a lot of squash. I'm not that big on squash so will probably end up feeding a lot to the chickens, if I don't sell it. Egg production is still down, one hen is in a complete molt, but her new feathers are finally coming in and look very nice. Two of the other hens have slowed down in the heat, giving just one or two a day and some days none. And the other hen has been broody; her eggs hatched on Thurs, for pictures check out my Population Explosion post. That same post has pictures of the ducks and some of the other chickens also.
Very nice harvest! That long squash definitely looks very impressive. How is it on taste?
ReplyDeleteThank you; young & tend like a zuchinni. But I haven't tried it as a winter type yet
DeleteWhat a delicious looking harvest and the trombocino is amazing!
ReplyDeleteVery good and healthy!
ReplyDeleteAm having squash envy... need to find room to grow trombocino! How do they cook up?
ReplyDeleteso far like any other zuke.
DeleteImpressive squash harvest. Bet the trombocino generated quite a bit of conversations at the farmers market.
ReplyDeleteYes they did; one lady thought it was a giant cucumber
DeleteThose are very interesting squash! I didn't realize that you sell at a Farmer's Market...
ReplyDeleteOur Farmer's Market is very small and has what they call co-op tables, where gardeners with a glut can come and get half a table and sell their stuff. It's also a nice way to try it out to see if you want to do it bigger and have a whole booth
DeleteI have thought of trying Trombocino next year but if I do I guess I better give it lots of space. Are you planning to use all of them fresh or letting the skin harden for winter squash?
ReplyDeleteYes big space hog but great on a trellis or pergola. I'll try them out both ways.
DeleteThose squashes sure look nice! The trombocino look very interesting too.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteCouldn't think of a better way to relax after all your OT than under your giant Tromboncino with a cool drink. Looks fantastic.
ReplyDeletePlease tell us how it tasted.............
Love to grow one, first another Job for hubby to build some sort of frame for it to grow on( i can hear him sigh already, another gardening project!)
Built a trellis over your porch, deck or patio! Make it do double duty.
DeleteWow - that squash is amazing! I love your perfect eggplant too.
ReplyDeleteGreat harvest this week. What kind of eggplant is that?
ReplyDeleteThank you; the eggplant is part of my breeding experiment which you can read more here; http://edible-garden.blogspot.com/2012/07/eggplant-breeding-experiment.html
Deletevery interesting squash!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun summer squash to grow. I am already feeling a bit squash overwhelmed and my patty pan has not even begun to produce yet! LOL! Happens every year. Unfortunately, my hens don't like squash either so I have to find other creative uses for the surplus harvest.
ReplyDeleteMy hens eat almost anything, including squash, they especially like the older ones and go for the seeds first.
DeleteWhat wonderful harvests! I think you've sold me on the Tromboncinno squash...now if I could just figure out where to plant it! ;-)
ReplyDeleteJust need a trellis!
DeleteWnderful harvest! Wow! That is quite the squash! My eggplant is still living but don't think I will ever get anything from it! Nancy
ReplyDeleteWell, don't give up hope yet; maybe your eggplant will perk up with the monsoon.
DeleteThose are some fun looking squash. We are not huge squash fans around our place either. We found out last year that our chickens don't like summer squash either so we cut way back this year.
ReplyDeleteHow funny; my chickens eat anything I throw in there; but I do not keep a feeder full of commercial feed in their pen either. They get plenty to eat, but it's not in front of them all the time.
DeleteNow if I had more room I'd love to grow the Tromboncinno, looks fun! but in all honesty I probably don't enjoy eating it enough to justify the space. Maybe one time though just to look at...
ReplyDeleteWell if you have a trellis or fence or something for it to climb on then it really doesn't take up that much space.
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