Watermelon harvest. I never planted them this year. I’ve never been in the garden all year due to work but the seeds of gardens past are still surviving on their own with zero input from me. Just pure neglect, rain, sun. Texas summer insects and heat.
A forest of basil, then some ground cherry and tomatoes unlike the basil not thriving but growing back in small numbers, Armenian cucumber, radishes, okra from my previous seed expansion projects, sunflower seem to be the noticable grow or die hold outs. Nothing from the grab bag seemed to stick around into the heat of summer though I remember some legume of some type was growing in the area in the spring.
The only selection being done with the establish is simple any that are found split get tossed into the garbage to remove their genetics from the property. The rest get picked or left to rot into the ground and return their seeds to the land.
On the flower side lots of large multi colored African Zinnias seem to be thriving and taking over.
I’ve been saving watermelon seeds. Plan to plant half of them in the late fall, zone 6a. See if they overwinter. Saving half to plant at the more traditional time.
Shoved melon seeds in the ground and walked away. The largest, healthiest and most productive plant started producing this week. I have harvested 2, another might be ready in the next few days, and there are at least 8 more developing.
Watermelons were sown in late winter (January?) and more in March. Uncertain which is which. They’re not ripening yet, but I believe these are all on one plant. There are at least six in the picture.
A friend was overflowing with squash, so I magnanimously took it off her hands. Processed the zucchini, cucumbers, scallop, and then got to something she called cucuzinni.
I was really looking forward to this one, because she said the squash bugs and vine borers completely ignored it. It’s a type of gourd, so it’s not used as a winter squash. It grew without help and took over everything.
My enthusiasm lasted until I cut one open. My hands were immediately coated with this glue-like latex sap–it would not peel off, it would not wash off. No wonder bugs won’t touch it.
The rest are still sitting on the counter, staring at me accusingly. Chickens don’t want it either. I haven’t tasted it yet because I’m still smelling that latex as I scrubbed my hands endlessly while scraping at that stuff.
Edible it might be, but I suspect that breeding against that latex might make it very attractive to insects.
I believe so. Maybe I just got a bad one. I’ve read reviews for standard zucchini (pepo) that they have a similar problem, but I’ve never experienced that with zucchini.
I finally have a day off work, so I just cut it open.
Ripe and juicy, not rotten. Really good for zero input grow or die, not even watering it.
Edit: My local temperatures in summer have been much cooler than last year, only 38 C with a feels like temperature if 42.5 C. Garden has not been touched since years back when it was deep wood chips layer from tree trimming service companies placed on top of clay soil.
Apparently cucuzzini is a cross between a snake gourd and a zucchini. Possibly this one inherited a latex problem via the zucchini parent. Sound horrible! But they might only do it inder certain environmental conditions.
I was wondering if it was a reaction to heavy pest pressure. She had it planted right next to her zucchini, which were decimated by squash bugs. Cause, or effect?
I don’t think those species even cross. I tried to find information about cucuzzini, but got zero on google. Only got cucuzza (or cucuza) which is another species. Maybe someone discribed it as cross rather than being an actual cross?
There were a couple of things came up when I did a Google search earlier that described it as a cross. But that doesn’t mean it’s actually a real cross. Possibly just a misunderstanding.
Yeah, AI told me it was a cross as well, so I went deeper. Lagenaria siceraria, an Italian gourd which was commonly used in the same way as zucchini before zucchini was imported to Italy.
took it off her hands. Processed the zucchini, cucumbers, scallop, and then got to something she called cucuzinni.
