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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Sept 11, 2018 17:05:24 GMT -5
My strategy for harvesting squash is to smash my fingernails against the skin on the fruit. If they sink in any at all, the squash isn't ready to harvest. If I don't leave dents, then I pick. On some varieties/species there are color changes, or glossiness changes. I remember being startled by a study on the sugar levels in Tetsukabuto squash. It attained maximum sweetness something like 3 months after harvest. For best taste, I recommend that maximas and moschatas not be eaten for at least 3 weeks after harvest.
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Sept 6, 2018 9:23:48 GMT -5
The F1 common X runner crosses have grown one seed so far that looks big enough to be viable. Today is my average first frost date and the other pods are still small. The extended forecast is looking dry. Frost typically follows our first rainstorm in September.
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Sept 5, 2018 9:45:44 GMT -5
steev: Wow! Wow! Wow! On getting a house put on the farm so soon.
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Sept 5, 2018 9:42:13 GMT -5
Anyone know? Is it Tetsukabuto or Kabocha or something else? Looks like Tetsukabuto to me.
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Sept 4, 2018 18:29:04 GMT -5
mskrieger: Thanks for the grow report. The first few years my moschata squash had growing seasons from planting to first frost of 84 and 88 days. More than 75% of varieties that I planted didn't set fruit. So yes, they were selected very hard for early maturity. I expect my frost free season to be June 5th to September 6th, (91 days). This year, I was harvesting "Small Moschata" after about 65 days. The medium are more like 85 days. I don't remember squash detaching from the vine, so that's news to me. (Other than acorn and delicata, but I don't think that I've been sharing that seed yet.) Maximoss is still really diverse, so I'd estimate days to maturity at between 75 and 110. I typically don't save seeds from anything that takes more than 90 days to mature. The Maximoss are definitely acting self-fertile in my garden now. There still might be an occasional male-sterile plant, but on the whole, they seem to be flowering normally. The Maximoss have picked up traits that are common for squash in my garden, or developed some of their own. I hope to post photos in a couple weeks. In the meantime... Here is a photo of a Maximoss (Moschata X Maxima) plant. Where did the maple-shaped leaves come from? Pepo? Argyrosperma? Mospermia? I haven't seen that leaf-shape in either Moschata nor Maxima. High Resolution image.
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Sept 4, 2018 18:24:49 GMT -5
My frost free season is about 91 days: June 5th to September 6th.
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Sept 4, 2018 13:38:06 GMT -5
Also i think I've heard it said that the genetic variation in peruvianum as a species is far more than domestic tomatoes, pimp., cheesmaniae, and galapagense combined. Or something like that. The self-compatible tomatoes are tending towards constantly loosing genetic diversity because of selfing. The peruvianum complex, which are generally obligatory out-crossers are tending to hold onto genetic diversity.
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Sept 4, 2018 13:34:22 GMT -5
The only pilose fruits that I have seen were on S habrochaites. The longer I play with plant breeding, the more of a lumper I become... I'm currently growing inter-species hybrids of squash, corn, beans, and tomatoes. Here's an interesting taxonomic analysis. vcru.wisc.edu/spoonerlab/pdf/Tomatomonograph.pdf
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Sept 4, 2018 11:24:44 GMT -5
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Sept 4, 2018 11:16:18 GMT -5
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Sept 3, 2018 18:32:52 GMT -5
Lol. Figures. It was. Worth a try though. For example, some of the wild plants had 1 leaf per sympodial unit... But the key only had entries for 2 leaf and 3 leaf sympodial units!!!
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Sept 3, 2018 16:03:57 GMT -5
Yesterday when I visited one of my fields, the squash leaves had been frozen. Tomatoes were still OK.
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Sept 3, 2018 14:28:54 GMT -5
one idea i had was that i could try using flower and fruit differences for identification. I downloaded a tomato species identification key the other day, which used flower and fruit characteristics as part of the key. It was very inconclusive! I was trying to key out plants that have been growing in close proximity to each other for about 3 generations, so I'll just say that it was a muddled mess.
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Aug 30, 2018 22:22:24 GMT -5
A cold day at the end of August is typical for me. My first fall frost typically occurs during the first week of September.
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Aug 30, 2018 22:19:21 GMT -5
Golden hops are grown as an ornamental here. I wonder if they are male. Female hops have smooth leaf colored flowers. Male hops have big fuzzy white/yellow flowers.
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