I pulled out five summer squash plants today. The season is really ending on squash. These plants were done for.

Newyorkrita said:I pulled out five summer squash plants today. The season is really ending on squash. These plants were done for.

Thanks to the knowledge and implementation of the milk spray for mildew cure, my original heirloom plants are still producing, but the hybrids have been (pretty much) done for several weeks now.

Grasshoppers are munching heavily here and there, but I'm hoping that most of the damaged plants will recover once it rains.

Getting loads of peppers and tomatoes, so I should make up some salsa and can it this year. Not sure if time will allow it, but I haven't made up a fresh batch for a couple of years...

chelle, I am glad you had good luck with the milk spray. It has never worked for me.

My larger long cucumber trellis is all stripped and bare. The plastic netting held up well and it is still there in place so that cucumbers can grow up it next year also. I had thought that I would have to cut the netting to get those ratty vines down but no way. I got the ratty vines pulled off the netting. They were really ready to be pulled! Looked dead, dead, dead.

The Burpless cukes on the smaller section are still doing well, vines don't look too bad. So I am getting the veggie garden cleaned up for fall a little at a time.

Newyorkrita said:...So I am getting the veggie garden cleaned up for fall a little at a time.

That's the best way!


Not me. I'm too busy carrying water!


I went ahead and got a small electric tiller for maintenance in the horse stall, but I haven't decided yet if I'll use it in the garden. I've used small logs in the walkways to keep my ankles out of the spring muck and I'd hate to ruin equipment needed elsewhere. Still, it's tempting.

Cukes and squash did bad here this year. I have talked with relatives who have planted cukes and they were bad for them too. I had one zucchini starting but it rotted. Plants still have blossoms though so I am still hoping.

Cindy, so sorry for you bad season on the cukes and squash.

chelle, be sure and let us know what you think of the tiller once you have used it. The way my gardens are set up, I can't really have any use for one here.

Still have the beans and more of my squash to pull. Those beans on the bean towers are done producing and the leaves are actually turning yellow so you know they are telling me they are finished. Oddly enough the Black Seeded Blue Lake Pole beans I also have are still going strong.

And I planted a late planting of bush beans which are looking very good and flowering now. If we have nice weather thru September I should get a nice crop of beans from them. Never tried a fall planting of beans before so not sure about the cooler nights and the beans.

All my melon vines are now gone for the year. I got nothing from my Sweet Sakura melons. Not one melon! Not one. So now I just am not sure if I will try Sweet Sakura next year or not. But I should give it another try I think.

Newyorkrita said:

chelle, be sure and let us know what you think of the tiller once you have used it. The way my gardens are set up, I can't really have any use for one here.

I've used it in the barn. It's so lightweight and compact that it's actually fun! I can carry it around easily, so I haven't even used the wheels yet. 'Course, this is still a new thing...I'll probably feel differently when I'm bulked-up in several layers of clothing trying to operate it, while keeping track of the cord. It's certainly clean and super easy to start and run though, so I'm very happy with it.


on the fall beans! I hope you get a lot!

chelle. I am not sure how much of a bother a cord would be. I like the idea of electric so no having to deal with filling up a gas tank. Just not sure about the cord idea.

Hey, I found a Sweet Sakura melon that had fallen off the vines that I had cleaned up yesterday. I had not even noticed it. So I tried it and it was ripe and juicy. Green flesh with seeds in middle like other melons. It tasted like a cross between a cucumber and a cantaloupe to me. Hard to describe the taste but that is what comes to mind. If you could cross the taste of a cantaloupe and a cucumber that would be it. Now I will definatly try them again next year.

Newyorkrita said:chelle. I am not sure how much of a bother a cord would be. I like the idea of electric so no having to deal with filling up a gas tank. Just not sure about the cord idea.

I wondered the same thing. I'm glad I used it in the barn first because now I know what to do outdoors. In the barn I run the cord through the panels above the walls -so it's depending out at shoulder height. Perfect for control as I just drape it over my shoulder and it's still in my sight-line.
In the garden I could see that attaching a guiding ring to the top of a post would work fine. I'll probably just use the top "v" of my A-frames since there's already one at each end of the veggie patch.

Now I'm even entertaining the idea of an electric mower! Can you see it...?? With all of my island beds scattered all over everywhere!?!! Too funny!
I'm so tired of fighting with gas mowers though...


That's great news about the *found* melon! At least now you get to taste one!

The melon was good! I will be trying them for sure now next year.

As to electric mowers. I had a cordless electric mower for a while. I can say, not much power to those things. Forget it if you let your grass grow intended for a while and then try to mow. It simply could not handle it.

Sounds like one of the same issues that a reel mower has trouble with. Oh, what to do? Why can't all the bleed'n rabbits just cut the grass?!

If they were entertained by trying to keep up with that, I might even sneak more than a bean or two out of my garden each year!

chelle. You need goats!

No, I don't think so! I don't think they're much more trainable in their forage selections than the bunnies are!

They'd probably eat the flowers and veggies, and ignore the grass...just like the bunnies do. I'd just have bigger *bunnies* then! Come to think of it, some of those goat's ears do look kinda like rabbit's ears. Might be distant cousins. Very cute they are, but I don't think I'd care to have them in the gardens.

Arlene's goats are very cute! Do they help clean up the gardens at season's-end, Arlene?

I don't think so!!!! They are not the solution. Not sure what is? Maybe just plant a whole lawn of white clover? It doesn't get very tall, the bunnies should love it and maybe they would stau put of the peas?

Rita, GREAT news on the melon!!!! Did you start from seed? If so, maybe you could start a tad earlier. Use a wall of water maybe?

Yes, I had seeds that I bought at Baker Creek. Melons, as you know, are very easy from seed. It should have made melons, I just don't know what went wrong. But maybe better next year.

It tasted just like a sweet cucumber crossed with a melon. I have never eatten a sweet cucumber but that is what I think.

Hmm, not sure about that combination?

It was really good! I mean REALLY good!

I'll probably have more to share in my November gardens down here, but am watching and enjoying!