a surprise in my blueberry bed

[magical thyme]

So I started a lasagna garden this spring, with intention either this year or (now most likely) next year of starting blueberries.

By mid-summer it was looking like a jungle and some monstrous thing was growing way up over the big burdock that grew some 6' tall at the front of it. It looked like a squash plant from Jurassic Park, easily 8' tall. I took a closer look the other day, and discovered it really *is* an 8' tall squash plant, and it had multiple blossoms on it. And then I discovered a pale green soccer ball hanging deep inside it. I have no idea what it is, but am looking forward to cutting it open and finding out. I think I'll need a machete to crack that sucker tho!

Meantime, the other day I accidentally pulled up the end plant in my row of Adirondack Red taters. Low and behold, I got 1.25 pounds of bright red potatoes with deep pink flesh from it. Today one of the Reds was dying, so I decided to harvest it. I accidentally pulled up another next ot the dead one that was *loaded*. I ended up getting 3.5 pounds from those 2 plants, with probably 3 pounds coming from one of them! They are beautiful and delicious!!!!!

2 of the new purple potato plants have died so far. 2 plants and zero potatoes. It's ok, though. My Peruvian Purples have been *loving* this weather. I spotted 2 new flowers on them today. They didn't come in until well into September last year, and with the reds doing so well I don't feel any need to rush them. I'm hoping for a really big harvest from those babies

[Sweet Freedom]

1. What's a lasagne garden?

Sounds yummy.

[magical thyme]

2. it's a way to start a new bed without digging up existing weeds

You start with a layer of cardboard to smother existing growth. Then add a thick layer of b&w newspaper. Then a layer of compost material (eg manure). Leaves. More manure. Grass clippings. More manure, and so on, until it's a couple feet deep. I topped mine off with compost and then leaves.

Best to start in the fall, and by spring it will have composted completely down and be ready to plant.

I started mine early spring with hope, if I had time, to put blueberry bushes in by early - mid summer. But I fell behind in my gardening due to other expansions plus awful weather. Then July heat and humidity hit in mid June and lasted until a few days ago. So I will instead turn it over this fall, add a few layers and next spring it will be ready to plant.

[Sweet Freedom]

13. Well, that's not yummy at all! :) /my

[whistler162]

7. Garfeild's dream garden!

[Arugula Latte]

12. I thought it was going to be a garden where you grow stuff for lasagna, like

tomatoes, oregano, and ... uh ... cheese.

[Sweet Freedom]

14. Me too! Except the cheese. :) /nt

[avebury]

3. Can we see a picture of this giant squash plant

and attached pale green soccer ball?

[magical thyme]

4. Right now it's "hiding" behind a giant jurassic burdock and a smaller burdock

and some other stickery plants that attacked me when I tried to get in close.

I'll be hacking my way through the jungle in a couple weeks. I'll see if I can get pix then. At least of the giant pale green soccer ball.

[AngryAmish]

5. I came to the Lounge to ask how people's tomatoes were doing this year

And your post was on top!

Yes, I want pics.

In Chicago and sw michigan we have had a good year. Not last year good (not hot enough) but tons of rain and kinda cool.

I don't grow them - too many critters. But I do stalk my neighbors, my barber and the farmers markets.

[magical thyme]

6. my tomatoes are doing moderately well

I don't have a huge number of them, but they are ripening 2-3 weeks earlier than usual. It's usually a major race to get some ripe before it gets too cold for them, and I don't usually see any red ones before the last week of August. Luckily I love, love, love fried green tomatoes because that's what I end up doing with most of them!

I had my first nearly red one yesterday. I have another one that just needs 1 day of sun to be done.

I grew heirloom cherries for the first time this year. They're doing quite nicely as well.

[LiberalElite]

10. I gave my brother's MIL this cookbook one Christmas - she got a lot of use out of it

http://www.amazon.com/Tomatoes-Squash-Beans-Other-Things/dp/0060968575

(Title: Too Many Tomatoes, Squash, Beans, and Other Good Things: A Cookbook for When Your Garden Explodes"

[easychoice]

8. Squash crossbreed notoriously...So

Your Green thing may be a squazini or a zoopunki...Pluck about half the blossoms off that vine.This'll be fun...

[Brother Buzz]

9. Perhaps a variety of gourd

[eppur_se_muova]

11. There are certainly lots of candidates - one subspecies of squash can produce several types of fruit

Last edited Sun Aug 17, 2014, 02:30 PM - Edit history (1)

... and there's lots of crossbreeding going on. Maybe you can spot it here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_gourds_and_squashes

If you're interested in growing big squash, look into the "Indian Pumpkin", the Cushaw: http://www.slowfoodusa.org/ark-item/green-striped-cushaw