Fire Up The Grow Light

  
  Good grief.  Every year, there are one or two vegetables that will just not get going.  Last year, it was the snap beans.  This year, it is the squash.

   Lower Salmon River squash (C. maxima) were started indoors in mid-May.  I am so glad I did this, as it is the one variety that is growing well.

   Since May 25th, I have direct-sowed two kinds of green zucchini, Early Prolific (C. pepo), Table King Acorn (C. pepo), and Gold Nugget (C. maxima) twice - three times in the case of the zucchini.   

   As of today, one green zucchini, one Early Prolific, and three Gold Nugget have sprouted.  Most of these don't even have secondary leaves yet.  No sign of the acorn squash.

   On June 16th, I planted seeds (again!) in small containers, planning to transplant them to the garden once they were a reasonable size.  The latest forecast for the next week, however, calls for cool, rainy weather.  Arhg.  We only have 90 growing days we can count on - sometimes, not even that.  Out came the heat mats from storage today and under the grow light the pots of squash seeds went.  It feels ridiculous and frustrating to have to do this in the middle of June!  Fingers crossed that this does the trick. 

   Since late May, a bunch of volunteer squash (or cucumber?) have been coming up, mostly in one of the black containers on the south side of the house.  I must have pulled out 15 or more before curiosity got the better of me and I transplanted two into large pots.  Several more have popped up since then, and I transplanted a third this morning.  Seeing as I am having problems with the squash I've deliberately planted this summer, I figured I might as well “take the hint” and nurture the ones that are coming up on their own, prolifically!   Which variety they are remains to be seen.  Spaghetti squash, Early Prolific, Galeux D’Eysines, and North Georgia Candy Roaster are the most likely possibilities.  

A small volunteer squash, one of many that has popped up this summer!

Curiosity wins out.  Three transplanted volunteer - mystery! - squash.

On a different note, an iris update.  :)