The Garden in July - Squash and Cucumbers

Due to the garden expansion and fence installation, I didn't get the cucurbits planted until mid-June. That's not a big problem, except for the long-season winter squash varieties - a variety like Sibley, at 110 days, is a bit iffy if we get an early frost.

I planted Sibley, Chersonskaya and Table Queen Bush Acorn winter squash. Unfortunately, the late planting wasn't late enough to prevent the squash vine borer from attacking the plants, even though I tried to remove any eggs that I saw. And since I planted them wherever I found room, I couldn't try row covers this year. Good thing there is always next year!

Squash vine borer egg

Sibley squash stem with vine borer damage

Out of the three varieties, the acorn seems to be resistant to the borer, and may be the only variety I plant in the future. I can't keep giving space to crops that don't produce, and I can't seem to be able to control the vine borer.

Acorn squash - look at those happy stems!

However, only Chersonskaya has set fruit so far - an impressive 7 to date. Hopefully the fruit will mature before the vines succumb to the damage.

Young Chersonskaya - the fruit is already the size of my hand.

I decided to try trellising the cucumbers and summer squash this year. I had room for two trellises - one for the two cucumber varieties (Straight 8 and National Pickling) and one for zuchinni zuchini zucchini (Black Beauty) and spaghetti squash. Of course, once it started growing, I realized the zuchinni zuchini zucchini is actually a bush variety. Oh well!

Summer squash - the spaghetti squash is taking over!

Cucumbers

The cucumbers aren't producing yet, but the spaghetti squash is doing well, with almost a dozen fruits so far - which is good, since it's one of my favourites!

Young spaghetti squash - yum!

 And just yesterday, I spied my first zuchinni zuchini zucchini. Good thing the grill is ready!