I couldn't stand to look at it any longer. Powdery mildew had overtaken the pumpkins, and it was beyond help. It took the better part of yesterday afternoon to cut off most of the bad leaves, which left very few good leaves. Two pumpkins had to be harvested to get them off the lawn, another was accidentally harvested when I cut the wrong vine back with the scissors.
The carnage.
It's looking quite a bit better, but there is still a bit of work to be done to get it in shape.
The largest pumpkin weighed 15.5 pounds, the middle size 10.5 pounds and the smallest 9.5 pounds. The butternut squash was another "Ooops" moment. I hope it's ripe enough to eat, it weighs a hefty 4.25 pounds!
The carnage.
It's looking quite a bit better, but there is still a bit of work to be done to get it in shape.
The largest pumpkin weighed 15.5 pounds, the middle size 10.5 pounds and the smallest 9.5 pounds. The butternut squash was another "Ooops" moment. I hope it's ripe enough to eat, it weighs a hefty 4.25 pounds!
Oh pumpkins. I so wish I could grow them here. I think once I succeeded out of all the years I've tried. Powdery mildew is starting to come into my garden now too on my zucchinis.
ReplyDeleteThat's too bad, granny. But those pumpkins sure do look good! I picked one of mine today, too - and need a good tutorial on how to save the good stuff for pies. I need to spray my pumpkins and squash tomorrow for powdery mildew control....
ReplyDeleteDaphne, can you believe those beauties came from just two of your pumpkin seeds? And there are at least four more out there that will mature before winter, which means at least eight pumpkins from two seeds. I have one funny looking one that began life trying to grow into the fence, but all the rest are just perfect specimens.
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EG, they are pretty simple. Cut it in half and scrape out the seeds, then cut it in chunks and bake, steam or microwave until tender. Scoop it out and mash it up or run it through a food processor. If it's really wet (from steaming or microwaving) set it into a colander and let some of the liquid drain off. Then I freeze it in two cup containers, as that's the amount I use in pies.
Step by step microwave directions in my blog: http://annieskitchengarden.blogspot.com/2009/08/august-5-2009-its-pumpkin-day-in-august.html
To bake see:
http://www.ehow.com/how_8305_make-pumpkin-puree.html
The patch sure looks improved with the tidy up! We have some blight and mildews showing up too. Typical for this area as we head into fall. So far, only the blight in the sauce tomatoes is really out of hand. The rest is rather insignificant.
ReplyDeleteThe pumpkins are picture perfect.
KitsapFG, that spot is such a tangle of three types of squash and the pumpkins, it's difficult to tell what vine belongs to what plant. I was trying to keep the butternut intact, as it is the only one with no mildew, but I ended up having to cut part of it off to get it off the lawn. That butternut vine is HUGE.
ReplyDeleteGot it! Thanks, granny!
ReplyDeleteWe always seem to get the powdery mildew too, on the courgette plants, they seem to keep producing, but the leaves look awful don't they.
ReplyDeleteWhat brilliant pumpkins you've grown though.
AG-those are some fine looking pumpkins......mildew on the vines didn't seem to affect them!
ReplyDeleteI have given up on my white pumpkins! They were covered with squash bugs so out they went!
ReplyDeletebeautiful pumpkins, granny! have you ever used a cored pumpkin for a floral centerpiece? i would LOVE to make something like the one in the pic you can find here http://verrillfarm.wordpress.com/2008/11/01/thanksgiving-floral-centerpieces/
ReplyDeleteisn't it gorgeous?
Heskie, it doesn't seem to hurt them at all, it's just so ugly to look at. If those leaves were out of sight, rather than in full vision of my kitchen window, I would probably just let them be. The butternut is resistant to the mildew, and even being tangled together with the pumpkin, it has escaped the problem. I think next year I'll be making butternut squash pies instead of pumpkin pies, just for that reason.
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Sue, they are just picture perfect. All but one of the 8 (nearly) mature pumpkins are like that.
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Erin...white pumpkins? There is just something wrong with that picture ;-)
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Kelli, that is gorgeous! It would, of course, be a tiny pie pumpkin, not a 15-pounder like mine. I have the problem of traveling south mid-October, and then spending a week or two settling in there, so I'm not into much decorating until Christmas! I get the Pilgrim figurines that my mother made out in time for Thanksgiving, and that's about as ambitious as I get!
Your squash look excellent. I'm thinking of trying squash ravioli this fall when I harvest mine. I have mildew as well but on my cucumbers, it has really slowed their fruiting unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteDan, I've been more than happy with that Waltham Butternut squash. It also makes really good "pumpkin" pies, so I think it will be the one to grow next year. I love that it's resistant to powdery mildew.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I have another melon chilling right now! I tasted it, and it is unbelievably sweet. It's the Savor F1, and it was almost too ripe...unlike the Petit Gris it didn't slip from the vine easily, but it started to get a yellowish hue and I could smell the blossom end and it smelled of ripe melon. I have lost two melons that split wide open overnight, not realizing they were ripe. Another was edible, but too ripe. I'm learning!
I am fighting the good fight against PM, but there are squashes that are being harvested just a little early. You're pretty on top of your stuff. That's a big butternut!
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