Weekly Garden Thread - July 17-23, 2021 [Everything Zucchini Edition]

July 17, 2021 | Diana in Wisconsin/Greeneyes

[Diana in Wisconsin]

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[tubebender]

BEAUTIFUL !!!

[ApplegateRanch]

>>6-8 inch diameter by nearly 2 foot long monster. <<

That is a stuffer.

You slice in half longitudinally, scrape out the seeds, then fill it with your favorite meatloaf or sausage type stuffing, and bake, with a little water in the pan, until done. In the last part of baking, top with tomato sauce or pasta sauce, and cheese.

It’s usually best to par-cook the stuffing, so it fully cooks before the zucchini shell is overdone.

Don’t ask for time/temp: it’s a seat of the pants thing, though a 350 oven is a good starting point.

[ApplegateRanch]

Really not that far apart, if the map is small enough. LOL Zone 4; but use Zone 3 for most perennials.

My corn is ahead of yours, because I planted Early Sunglow: 65 day maturity; good to 95F, and frost resistant.

I’ve never been able to raid a vine for new potatoes without killing it, no matter how carefully & went in from the side of the hill by hand, so I don’t even try any more: I want storage. The deflowering just came to me, after beheading some onion & garlic scapes, so hit the Net to check it.

[Ladysforest]

I NEED ZUCCHINI !!! I will not have a harvest this year. In a way, it’s not a total bummer that I didn’t get my fence done in time, and didn’t get things planted in time because I-didn’t-get-my-fence-done in time - because the rain has been brutal! But I will not have any zucchini, and that means no Mr. LF zucchini bread. He makes a fantastic zuc bread. Sigh

[Qiviut]

I have beautiful zinnias this year. Last year, I made sure to pick blooms when they were past peak & let them dry, then harvested the seeds to plant this year. I made sure I got my favorite blooms to dry/harvest & this year, I am loving the variety.

Japanese beetles - UGH. Before the zinnias bloomed, I sprayed the foliage, but that is pretty much gone after the next rain. What I do, which seems to work very well, is use a Japanese Beetle spray - it contains pyrethrin .... this means you have to "spot spray" the beetles & absolutely do not get any on the blooms or it will kill the butterflies & bees.

I must say, it gives me IMMENSE pleasure to spray the Japs & watch them almost immediately start showing neurological symptoms ... some will fly off, others start crawling aimlessly around, others just fall off the plant.

Zinnias are fantastic - easy to grow, fairly hardy, beautiful blooms that make nice cut flowers, & the bees/butterflies love them. I like to plant a late crop, around now - August 1. By the time they come up/bloom, the earlier zinnias are about 'done' - the butterflies/bees seem to appreciate the blooms when flowers are becoming scarce in the fall and I love blooms late in the garden. I did find out that once the plants are frost-killed, it's not worth it to harvest the blooms for seeds.

I took these pics today - a little 'fuzzy' because the camera had been in AC & it was very hot/humid outside & the lens kept fogging!

Zinnia bed in foreground, looking at bed with morning glories (climbing, not blooming yet) & marigolds. Second zinnia bed in the background.

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Closer view of morning glories/marigolds, zinnias in background.

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Not zinnia related - my crazy cherry (Sungold) tomatoes. This is just two plants & they have gone wild - LOADED with blooms/tiny green tomatoes. Somewhere in the middle are some giant marigolds that have gotten overgrown by the tomatoes.

[Qiviut]

Some flower arrangements my mom made last year with my zinnias - gives you a good idea of the blooms ... great variety & so pretty!

[TheConservativeParty]

Yes they certainly do have a wide range of colors, flower forms, and heights. I have small Profusion series, mediums, and very tall. Quite fun to watch them all grow.

I wonder if saving mature seeds would result in the same flower next year. A few varieties cost more, so I might harvest seeds and give them a try next year. Zowie Flame and Uproar Rose are 2 like that.

[Qiviut]

For sure, harvest seeds this year & give them a try next year. :-)

[TheConservativeParty]

I think it is worth trying.
Sounds like you have good success with it.
🙂

[Bon of Babble]

I love those and wish they grew in my area - they are one of the only verities of eucalyptus we can’t grow (Southern California).

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"This is the first time I grew zinnias."

You'll always have them now! Here are some of my favorites to try in the future. Sizes vary:

Orange King Super Giant:

Sunburst Zahara:

Any color in the 'Magellan' Series:

Persian Carpet:

Will Rogers (A TRUE red, no pink undertones to it):

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Thanks for the idea. I have an Amazon Fire that I don’t use nearly enough.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Hopefully we can convert you back to liking Zucchini by the end of this thread! :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

You’ve had a rough growing season. Mine was 2020. Weather issues and stupidity on my part - trying lots of ‘new’ varieties when I SHOULD have stuck with my tried-n-true.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Thanks for the reminder. Haven't grown Cocozelle Zucchini in a long time. She's a looker!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Gorgeous Zinnia in and out of the garden! :)

[Pollard]

You can still keep books on it too.

The best thing about it imho is the size. We don’t have a lot of counter space.

[Augie]

We had a few days without rain here in Central Missouri last week, then came another 3” Thursday and Friday.

I got into the victory garden with the weed whacker and shredded all of the tall stuff, along with the rows of radish and green salad. Gave it a day for the shreds to dry, and raked up most of the mess. Got over the spot where the garlic was planted with the tiller, in preparation for sowing okra. Then the deluge came and shut me down.

It’s supposed to be dry this week, so I should be able to get the okra and a row or two of collards seeded.

I’m starting to get a few tomatoes, in spite of most of the plants being near dead.

Squash and cucumbers are doing well. Pole beans have started blooming. Peppers are suffering, but hanging in there.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Augie, sadly, every time it rains here (KC area) I look at the radar and its heading down your way. You have my sympathy!

Sometimes I wonder if the changes to global climate have a lot to do with China weather modification????

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/03/asia/china-weather-modification-cloud-seeding-intl-hnk/index.html

If you tinker with natural systems you sometimes do not get what you expected.

(Kudzu goddess directing her green army's march across the south?)

[daniel1212]

"You’ve had a rough growing season. Mine was 2020. Weather issues and stupidity on my part - trying lots of ‘new’ varieties when I SHOULD have stuck with my tried-n-true."

Yes, we’ve had rain 16 out of the 18 days this month and we’ve also had rain on the last two days in June, and with rain forecast for the next 4 out of 5, and with very rare sunny days, and so it is has fostered disease and hindered production. Not one ripe tom yet, in contrast to last year. But very little money spent, and the new grass is growing, so thank God.