I noticed powdery mildew was starting on my zucchinis. Usually it only starts after a borer attack, but the zukes have been covered since before they came out. So I removed the cover and found out that my attempt to foil the borers was unsuccessful. Was I too late in getting the cover on? I checked the stems before I put it on and couldn't find any of the eggs. Did they get under the cover somehow? Well it is frustrating to say the least. I really want my zucchini this year. I have barely frozen any yet. I was hoping for zucchini bread all summer long and enough saved in the freezer for lots in the winter too.
Not only that I made a zucchini casserole last night that I just loved. I still have to tweak the recipe more, but it was delicious. If I actually get enough zucchini to try a couple more batches and changes, I'll post it.
And how can I not mention random things without mentioning the weather? In the last three weeks of massively hot temps we haven't even had an inch of rain. I don't ever remember having a heat wave that lasted as long either. Today will be our sixth day and tomorrow might make seven. (Heat waves in Boston mean 3 days in a row over 90). Today has a chance of hitting the triple digits too. I watered last Friday. I'm watering again today. Usually I try to only water every 5 days if I don't get rain (or six if I'm waiting for a predicted storm). But I watered four days ago and the plants really need it again. I haven't pulled my spring carrot crop yet, just a few early ones. I'm wondering if they will be bitter. But the forecast has the heat breaking on Wednesday afternoon as a cold front moves in. So we will be back to more normal temps (average for today is 82F historically). Well, it will still be a little above average, but at least it will be close.
Please share your zucchini casserole recipe! I have three zukes in the refridge and I spied another on the plant this morning. Always looking for new ways to make these good veggies. Stirfried one last night with a pepper and onions and marinated round steak.
ReplyDeleteSounds like the heat is bringing out the insects in swarms. Glad to hear you have a break in the weather in the forecast. I on the other hand and looking forward to our forecasted warm up later this week. It's been warmish but we have had alot of grey days and periodically some nasty thunder storms and heavy rains.
ReplyDeleteThis heat wave is just something else, isn't it? We've broken more records here in metro-Detroit than I care to count. We're at 10% of our normal rainfall and I try to water every 3rd day-just the veggies and my special perennials. Our average highs are normally in the low to mid 80's and we've had weeks and weeks of 95-100+.
ReplyDeleteLove that dragonfly!!!
It's definitely turning out to be a challenging gardening year. We were blessed with several hours of rain on Sunday evening and are expecting t-storms late tomorrow to break the heat wave. We are supposed to get up to about 98 today!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about the SVB's getting to your zucs. I had one winter squash plant at the plots die. For what reason, I haven't a clue. So far, the Spaghetti Squash here at the house are doing fine. I'm crossing my fingers and toes though!
Stay cool!
I second the plea for the zucchini recipe. I'm just about ready to start tossing them at passing cars.
ReplyDeleteWe've had really hot weather, but we've also had two really big thunderstorms with lots of rain in the past week. We don't usually get that much rain during the summer. My garden (except for the carrot fail) is growing as well or better than ever. I've already harvested half the weight of the entire 2011 garden, and I could feed a herd of cattle on my fast growing lawn!
Hopefully I'll get a couple more zukes to try the recipe out again. If I figure it out I'll post.
DeleteI'm sorry your struggling with so many pests this year. We actually lost our zucchini this year as well. Some kind of wilt, so for the first year in 15 years we won't have any zucchini from the garden!
ReplyDeleteMy fingers are crossed for your cucurbits. You might be able to keep them going with a foliar feed of compost tea. It's supposed to be like a plant tonic, maybe it can stave off the wilt and bugs long enough to get some harvests in.
ReplyDeleteI can't offer any advice on most of your problems, but drying marjoram with the flowers shouldn't be a problem - I have plenty of flowers in last year's harvest, too. (And I can't imagine not growing marjoram, it's one of the herbs I use most often. I wonder if this is an Austrian thing?)
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry about your zucchini! We really haven't had the extreme kind of weather. You have struggled with a real challenging season.
ReplyDeleteThe bugs are definitely coming out now. Funny though, I have some bugs this year that I never had other years and others that I usually have that haven't shown up this year.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! It sound like The Plague has hit you :)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you probably know that SVBs emerge from the soil after overwintering, so it could be that your soil already held them??
They do but usually only where you have planted squash in the past. This bed did not have squash in it last year.
DeleteIt is so frustrating when bugs get more out of the garden than we do. The bugs seem to be under control here...for now. I just have to keep the dogs and kids out of the garden.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear of your cucurbit woes! My (totally unprotected) Costata Romanesco zucchini vines have some inconclusive scarring but no obvious borers. They are suffering from the powdery mildew, though. And it's odd, because it has been so hot and dry. I thought powdery mildew was a disease of cool, humid areas.
ReplyDeleteOddly, the cucumber vine right next to them has had no problems. It's an Armenian cucumber variety...
I feel your heat-in-the-garden pain Daphne. Central Pennsylvania has been experiencing similar weather. I could cry when I see crops wilting in the heat... not just my garden, but the poor farmers too. Very sad, but part of the process and something we have to accept. I'm grateful to have the water to share with the plants.
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