Squashes

 Since I did not know which squashes would do well, I planted multiple varieties.  Pumpkins are just orange round squashes. 

No use growing all one type when it's so easy to sample all sorts.

I did not know the summer would be so hot.  Expecting cool climate, I started the squash plants indoors, and planted when the soil was warm.  In order to keep the soil warm, I did not mulch.   I did not get them all into the ground as quickly as i wanted, and some were delayed.  But most did very well.

All can be cooked in similar ways.  We usually roast them.  Some can be baked to soften, then puree for pies.  My favorite last year was Waltham butternut squash, made into pie.  I do have one of those that is not yet ripe.

I like just looking at them.

The largest was Pink Banana Squash.  18 pounds.

Ning is holding a Pink Banana Squash, and a Long Island Cheese Pumpkin.  Expect some taste testing this winter.

No use saving seeds from these.   Most are cross pollinated, most by Zucchinis which had the most male flowers.  I might grow one or two for novelty but with the cross pollination, none are expected to be true next year.

Still, a squash is a squash.  So I would expect any to be edible, even if they look strange.

Sedum propagation. 10.4.15

Sedum propagation.  10.4.15

I'll add more photos from my home computer.  This one is at Battleground.

All of the large-plant sedum stem cuttings that I took 8.18.15 have taken root and grown.  So it's roughly 6 weeks.  They also have flower buds and growth of new stems from the base.  This is true for the green-leaf and red-leaf types.

Very cool.   For almost no effort, and from 2 original stems cut into shorter pieces,  I now have a half dozen new sedum plants.

Two of the leaf cuttings have grown roots.  It will take longer to see if they will grow.  most of the leaf cuttings died.

UPDATE:  These are the other sedum cuttings.  Again, these are large - type sedums.  Some are the type sold as "Autumn Joy".    For the smaller sedums, all that is needed is cut off a bunch of pieces with a pair of scissors, insert the cut end into some soft soil, and treat them like seedlings with a little water and weeding.  I've never had a sedum not-grow from that type of cutting.

More sedum cuttings.  10.6.15

 It's interesting to see that some of the cuttings produced more terminal stems, then flowers.  That is even though these are pieces that I cut from the original, long stem, and potted up each one.  And they all have little plants growing around the base of the cuttings.

The plan is that, once winter sets in, keep these in a sheltered place during the coldest weather, and plant in the bee border late Winter / early Spring.

Opuntia trial. 10.3.15

Opuntias for experiment.  10.4.15

These are the opuntias that I want to overwinter.  I hope they will produce fruits next year.

The larger one is from Raintree, sold as "Large fruit opuntia".  Image below links to their catalog URL.

Raintree Nursery Opuntia.

From Raintree catalog:  "(Opuntia engelmannii) Like the cycloides cactus, but with red/purple, flavorful fruit that is twice as large. Enjoy the pretty yellow flowers. It grows to 4' tall and has blonde colored spines.". 

Did I post the info on the smaller one?   That was from Shorty's nursery in Vancouver WA.  Just being local does not prove adapted to this area. I have seen lots of things that were not idea here.  But it was different, so there we are.  This one is "Baby Rita Prickly Pear".  There is a beautiful photo at this link.   On Dave's garden, the pads are purple.  On cactusjungle.com there is a beautiful photo of the pink flower, and this description:  "Prickly Pear season starts with Opuntia “Baby Rita”, a santa-rita hybrid with small and spiny pads. Small pads, will grow 3 feet tall. Very spiny pads turn purple in winter.  Hardy to 15F.  Monrovia - the brand for this plant, states this is Opuntia basilaris hybrid. "Exceptional dwarf hybrid with brilliant carmine colored flowers in a small padded, purple skinned prickly pear. Thrives from the coast to inland deserts, and even into high altitude mountain areas! Loaded with spring blooms, the purple foliage intensifies in winter, providing year-round interest." and gives hardiness range as 0 to 15F.

I was interested in opuntia in the past.   These photos were from my yard in 2007-2008.   I did not get ripe fruit from the opuntias, and they died after a hard freeze the next winter.  I enjoyed that the flowers changed color, so there were yellow and orange flowers on the same plants.  The freeze-kill might have been because I did not keep them sufficiently dry, or the variety might not have been as hardy as needed.

With summer 2015 hotter and drier than any on record, highly dry adapted plants like opuntias are worth another look for fruit, flowers, and vegetable - nopales.  Worth a try.

Opuntia in Bloom.  Vancouver WA 2008

Opuntia.  Vancouver WA 2007

Greens in Container Garden. 10.3.15

Cilantro.  10.3.15

Mixed Greens.  10.3.15

 Greens, planted late summer, now eating regularly.  Most are doing well.

Radishes look like they might be woody.

I should thin the turnips.

I'm not as crazy about eating the Swiss Chard, as I am about growing them.

Spring Scallions and Turnips.   10.3.15

Chinese Greens and Cilantro.  10.3.15

Daylily Seedlings. 10.3.15

Daylily Seedlings 1 week after moving to seed starting medium..  10.3.15

The first of the daylily seedlings are doing nicely.  These were from variety "Happy Returns", a repeat blooming, pale yellow, compact variety.   At the time they set seed, I did not have others blooming, and did not pollinate them.  They are most likely self pollinated, and expected to be compact yellow flowered plants as well.

Seeds were stratified for one month, damp paper towel in zipper bag in refrigerator.  Then set at room temp in same damp paper towel/zipper bag.  If mold starts to grow, I change the paper towel to a fresh one with fresh water.  Checking every few days.  They started germinating in 2 weeks.  I planted in seed starting medium.  They are under lights.  The plan is get a head start, see if they can bloom next year.

Today I noted the first of the pod-parent Chicago Apache germinated.  Most of those were pollinated with Fooled Me.  Both are tetraploid.  Depending on the genetics, they could be red, yellow, or other colors and probably have an eye zone.  I also tried pollinating some Chicago Apache with the either incorrectly labeled or mutated, lavender, labeled "Daring Deception".  I did not cover or emasculate them, so there is a random element as well.  The last ones may be with the unlabeled "Vigaro" which has an eye zone and brick-red, almost brown color.

I have lots more seeds stratifying in the refrigerator. 

Daylily seeds 5 days after removing from refrigerator.  9.26.15