What did you do in your garden today?

[flowerbug]

i know that feeling, i start the day with the intentions to do things on my list and then Mom says something and then i'm sidetracked and may never get anything at all done that i might have planned. i try not to get irked about it but other times when i do warn Mom that i do have plans and she forgets and then schedules something and then ... *wry grin*

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Whew, got that finished then created a spot to plant a new to me squash/pumpkin variety. It's called Seminole Pumpkin. I'm still not sure if it's actually a pumpkin or a squash. Whatever it is - I'm giving it a try.

The Incredible Seminole Pumpkin

Climbing through the canopies of my apple trees, clambering over the fences and trailing across the lawn, there is a “volunteer” pumpkin that reseeds itself year after year. Although other squash and pumpkins cross-pollinate readily when grown in close proximity—producing inferior and sometimes...

ediblecapecod.ediblecommunities.com

 

[flowerbug]

pumpkins are considered a winter squash, but to me they are just different forms of the same basic plant.

around here i planted only certain kinds of squash (buttercup not butternut as i don't really like butternut in comparison to buttercup) hoping they'd not cross, but someone else around here must have been growing pumpkins because within a few years i had orange variants that popped up in the buttercup plants and they weren't as good nor did they store as long.

 

[Rillowen]

ROFL. First, my system is a heart-attack inducing excuse for a freakout from both aquaponics and hydroponics purists. Both scream that 1) I'm doing it all wrong, 2) that it's neither hydroponics or aquaponics, and 3) that it will never work. So I call it hydroponics, blah, blah, blah...

My system is four linked ibc totes. A pump takes water from the lowest tank to the highest, everything else is gravity feed.

At the moment I have only minnows, since I do absolutely nothng with the system except add water and food. No temperature control, so most "food" fish are out. Mollies loved it but died at 55 degrees.
View attachment 27362View attachment 27364View attachment 27363
The minnows find it perfectly congenial and breed like crazy.

The duckweed is an additional protein source for my chickens, as are any extra minnows. There is no duckweed in the higher tanks because the fish eat it too fast for a population to get established.

The two additional tanks visible in the back are water catchment for the system.

Cool! I was thinking about setting up with bluefin carp. They are pretty temperature resistant, can even freeze and will just go dormant. They also eat absolutely anything. I was thinking of setting up some smaller drain-off tanks with grass shrimp, clean up the residue and food for carp and chickens both.

 

[Rillowen]

Whew, got that finished then created a spot to plant a new to me squash/pumpkin variety. It's called Seminole Pumpkin. I'm still not sure if it's actually a pumpkin or a squash. Whatever it is - I'm giving it a try.

The Incredible Seminole Pumpkin

Climbing through the canopies of my apple trees, clambering over the fences and trailing across the lawn, there is a “volunteer” pumpkin that reseeds itself year after year. Although other squash and pumpkins cross-pollinate readily when grown in close proximity—producing inferior and sometimes...

ediblecapecod.ediblecommunities.com

Since pumpkins are actually a species of squash it can indeed be both!

 

[Rillowen]

pumpkins are considered a winter squash, but to me they are just different forms of the same basic plant.

around here i planted only certain kinds of squash (buttercup not butternut as i don't really like butternut in comparison to buttercup) hoping they'd not cross, but someone else around here must have been growing pumpkins because within a few years i had orange variants that popped up in the buttercup plants and they weren't as good nor did they store as long.

That's sad, I adore butternut personally, the neighbors grow a hug3 field of pumpkins though so I have to bag blooms for my seeds saving or get new seeds yearly.

 

[Rillowen]

I'm right there with you. I have so many seeds that I need about 3 acres of land to get my seeds all planted.

You could donate them! ... like to me! between chickens and kids I think its impossible to plant enough corn! I planted everything I had... but it won't be enough. I'm thinking about making a trip to get more, or planting my popcorn for the chickens lol

 

[akroberts]

You could donate them! ... like to me! between chickens and kids I think its impossible to plant enough corn! I planted everything I had... but it won't be enough. I'm thinking about making a trip to get more, or planting my popcorn for the chickens lol

That's usually the best way to plant corn. When we lived in another town years ago I had eucalyptus trees so the corn crop was outrageous. It's pretty bad when your mom begs you not to give her anymore corn.

 

[Rillowen]

H

That's usually the best way to plant corn. When we lived in another town years ago I had eucalyptus trees so the corn crop was outrageous. It's pretty bad when your mom begs you not to give her anymore corn.

Huh, eucalyptus trees boost corn? Cool. Not that there are any anywhere near here, but still cool!
I planted 20 last year, thinking that was plenty, but we only got a crop from about 10, and that was no where near enough.
I planted 50 this year... but for some reason only 15 have come up! I wasnt sure if 50 would be enough anyway...

 

[akroberts]

H

Huh, eucalyptus trees boost corn? Cool. Not that there are any anywhere near here, but still cool!
I planted 20 last year, thinking that was plenty, but we only got a crop from about 10, and that was no where near enough.
I planted 50 this year... but for some reason only 15 have come up! I wasnt sure if 50 would be enough anyway...

If you can get a eucalyptus plant for indoors you should be able to use the stuff that the plants shed off and mix it in the soil with the corn