HobbyFarms.com
Livestocks and pets Crops and Gardening Tools & Equipment Food & Kitchen Home & Barn Marketing & Mgmt Crafts & Nature



Printer Friendly Bookmark and Share

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Pumpkins, Peppers, Basil and Beans

Jessica Walliser
Hobby Farms Contributor

Finding room for all the vegetables

Yellow squash (this is a photo of last year's bumpy yellow version) is a staple in Jessica's garden. This year, she's planning to find room for pumpkins, too.

The peppers, tomatoes, basil, beans and cukes are all settled into the garden at long last.

I’ve really been enjoying this year’s lettuce and radish crops and can’t wait for the broccoli and peas to arrive. 

I have not grown pumpkins in many years but decided to give them a try again this year so my son can have a hand in growing his own Jack o’ Lantern.  I have no idea how they will do, but I’m going to give it a try.

I only planted 3 pumpkin seeds since I know how quickly they can gobble up the entire garden. They’ll have to fight it out with the cucumbers for space and sun, but my guess is that, if the squash bugs don’t get ‘em, the pumpkins will win the battle. 

We shall see.

I had such trouble with squash bugs last year on the zucchini that I almost didn’t plant any this year. 

They do take up a lot of room and there always seems to be a plethora of them available at our farmer’s market. 

I mostly use them for casseroles and zucchini bread so I don’t use a ton, but I do like to have them around. I only planted four seeds which should be more than enough for my needs.

I may plant some scalloped ones in the next week or two just because they’re so good on the grill with some good olive oil and herbs from the garden.   

« More Dirt on Gardening »

 Give us your opinion on
Pumpkins, Peppers, Basil and Beans
Submit a Comment
Reader Comments
Nice food
Julie, Orlando, FL
Posted: 8/29/2009 9:39:58 AM
Thanks for the great cookin' ideas everyone! I also love zucchini cake with lemon sorbet on the side - its one of my favorite summer desserts. As for those squash bugs and cucumber beetles, use floating row cover to shield your plants while they are young and remove it for pollination when the plants come into flower. It's too late for this season, but try it out next year. It really does make a difference. Also, you might be interested in picking up a little book called Good Bug, Bad Bug (by this friendly Hobby Farms blog poster!) for some more ideas on dealing with the buggers in your veggie patch.
Thanks for reading y'all!
Jessica
Jessica, Sewickley, PA
Posted: 6/29/2009 7:00:01 AM
I'm having trouble with striped cucumber beetles this year. My zucchini plants have gotten big enough to withstand them, but my little cucumber seedlings are really struggling. I'm thinking of starting some cucumber seeds indoors and then transplanting them into my garden when they're a bit stronger.
D'Mae, Jersey City, NJ
Posted: 6/27/2009 2:22:13 PM
I too am looking forward to my zucchini this year. I have a wonderful recipe for zucchini relish that is sooo good in everything. Of course zucchini bread is a must!
Jane, Hillsdale, MI
Posted: 6/20/2009 11:19:19 PM
View Current Comments
Hobby Farm Rewards 
Member Login »


Visit HorseChannel.com - click here