A Spacing Issue

So the instructions for the summer squash seeds I purchased said "Sow 3 seeds every 12" (thin to 1 plant), 1/2-1" deep, in rows 5-6' apart." Sounds good. Because I have quite a bit of space, I gave them a generous two or more feet between each plant in the row. Well... you can see below, not all squashes are created equal.

Here we have two enormous plants flanking a much smaller one. The big ones are my patty pans (Sunburst) while the one in the middle is a straight-neck yellow squash (Slick Pik). The poor straight-neck is barely hanging on in the shade from those big bullies! Clearly it was unwise to alternate varieties along the row, but still... imagine the tangle of squash I would have if I had multiple patty pans spaced only a foot apart! Next year I'm definitely growing patty pans again, but they'll be given plenty of room to do their thing without crowding the rest of the residents.

Baby Pumpkins

Pumpkins! These guys have it easy. I planted the seeds in low hills and laid landscaping fabric over the ground. No competition for water or space, and they are doing fantastic. First is a mini pumpkin... actually a gourd. They reach their mature size fast, which is no surprise because they are palm-sized. It will take a while for their rind to harden; they will also turn a deeper gold/orange color.

This little champ is of the Hercules variety. I plan for him to be huge and require more than one candle to light up the inside. 

The Big Picture

This is the most prolific part of the garden. The picture is a little embarrassing, due to the weeds that are, well, everywhere. But all the plants seem to be getting plenty of water, thriving actually, and I don't have 8 hours a day to spend on the garden, so there you have it. In the foreground are the summer squashes (zucchini in the lower left). Behind that is a row of cucumbers, but you can't see them. Behind that you can see bell peppers, and behind those are the tomatoes. I've used a modified version of the Florida weave to trellis them. Look it up! It works very well.

The first row of tomatoes has determinate varieties (meaning they have a pre-determined size they will grow, i.e. they will stay short). They are trellised using shorter wooden stakes (I think they are 4' stakes stuck about a foot into the ground). The two rows behind are indeterminate, meaning they will climb up to the sky if you give them enough time and a tall trellis. Those are staked with 6' metal rods, the kind that you can get at the garden store and are coated in green plastic. I also have metal T-posts at the ends of each row for reinforcement, so the whole thing doesn't fall over.

More Than a Handful

Veggies! I Instagram'd it.

That's a patty pan squash, two bell peppers, a cucumber, a zucchini, and two hot peppers.

How Doth My Garden Grow?

Everything is getting big, and a few things are ripe enough to pick. All the hard work is paying off! First we have some tomatoes.

Aji Cristal peppers, they should be harvested when they are nice and yellow like this (they do eventually turn red but the flavor is not as good). They are hot peppers, not sweet, so don't mistake them for banana peppers.

Mini bell peppers... "Cupid" is the name of this particular variety. They should turn red in another month.

Ugh... this guy has built his luxury condo right among all the Pink Brandywine tomatoes. I'll let the squatter stay, since presumably he's catching bugs.

Dear lusciously plump tomato, please turn red soon. Thanks.

Patty pan squash (also called scallop squash, UFO squash, or pâtisson for the Francophiles out there).

Gherkins! These will be slicing cucumbers but they look so cute when they're the size of my pinky.

I Got a Turnip

I pulled up a turnip. Yep. There it is. I am proud.

Projected Pepper Overload

A couple weeks ago I realized that I had somehow mixed up two flats of seedlings. Lesson learned: label seedling flats clearly and directly in a manner than cannot be mixed up when you adjust things. So here you see two rows of what I originally intended to be tomatillos. I was looking forward to a huge overabundance of tomatillos! They cook down into a delicious jam.

But no. These are all pepper plants. And about half of what has been planted. Originally I thought I transplanted 8 hot peppers, 20 bell peppers, and 30 tomatillos. But I actually have 8 tomatillos, 20 bell peppers (see, I didn't mix those ones up), and 30 hot peppers. 30! And they all look fantastic and healthy and strong. What am I going to do with all those peppers? Here is a tomatillo husk from the other side of the garden, by the way, looking nice and plump, waiting for the fruit to fill it out from inside!