Tag Archives: squash

Agriculture, Farming, gardening, Hawaii, permaculture, pumpkins

Pruning Squash Leaves for Plant Health

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I plant close, I’ll admit it, too close.  I am a chronic over planter, but I have my methods.  One is making sure that, as one farmer summed,  ” feed the heck out of your plants.” Yes, I do.  Exactly.  I set those plants up for success by giving them a lot of micro nutrients, worms lolling about, mulch to hold it all in, and you cannot forget my homemade fish emulsion.  Like all good things, success comes from a layering method giving a strong base to grow just about anything.  DSC_0409

So it is mid July, it is now finally hot and sunny in upcountry Hawaii, and my May plantings are beginning to sprawl.  What do I do?  Prune the inner leaves and let the air circulate.  Let the other plants like corn, tomatoes and flowers get to see the light, by removing the squash leaves that are very close to each other.  A healthy squash plant will have “choke” (Hawaii slang for a lot) leaves.  So cut off the ones dusted with mildew, give the bed a good soak with diluted fish emulsion, and let ’em sprawl.  In the weeks ahead, they will smother the entire area where I shot this video.

Bear with the video, it is hot and mid day as I deliver this squinty, yell at the camera squash tip.  But it is sent to you now, so that you can fully benefit from it.  The extra fish emulsion will give it a boost of energy at week 6, a heavy vining time in the squash’s life cycle.  So prune, put the leaves in hot compost so to rot it down.  Don’t leave the leaves in the garden or you will encourage the powdery mildew.  Bag the leaves in an old garbage bag, tie it shut, leave it in the sun to cook and kill the mildew before moving them to your compost.

I happen to breed varieties that are naturally resistant to Hawaii’s bouts of mildew, they are often unaffected, when a new trial plant is suffering in it’s first season.  Only the strong plants survive my plant editing.

Powdery mildew is common here in Hawaii, even in dry up country.  I mean very common.  If a plant is getting a lot of natural nutrients, good air circulation, sun and water, don’t fret, maybe try a different species or variety of squash.

Only a small percentage of the squash varieties that I trial even like their VIP care.  So many varieties simply don’t like growing here.  Hawaii has a little bit of everything pests and disease, with the highly unpredictable growing conditions for plants, none of which is welcomed by many squash varieties.  I tried to grow the super dependable Hubbard, and it didn’t like the farm conditions at all.  Now that the soil is really soil instead of half rotted compost, it may like it.  Sometimes it is the time of year that you plant, or even the day that you choose to plant on.  If at first you do not succeed, try again.  You will be a better farmer or gardener if you fall on your face a few times.  Trust me. I do it all of the time.

permaculture, Soil, Zero waste

For the Love of Hops

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The Beer Garden is the nickname of my small farm parcel.  On April 1, 2013 (April Fools Day) I began to soil build.  When you know that you are growing a hungry crop, you know that you need to build your nutrients in as part of the plan.  So from day 1, spent hops from the award winning Big Island Brewhaus were used to amend the soil.  I am doing no-till, so the hops are dug into the growing piles.  Much like a 1/4 acre compost heap, it takes some attention and care to see that the soil stays healthy and that your microbes and worms can thrive.  People laugh when I say that it is a huge effort to “turn” a 1/4 acre.  Remember that each time I turn the farm, my zero-waste principles are at play.  Sure, it is easier to rip up plastic ground cloth, roll it into a ball, and drop it into our landfills, then they over till, and spray. That is one strategy, where you may save time there, but in the big picture, you are not saving anything. I do the opposite of that.  Each foot will either have a plant growing there, or will be used as a re-rooting place where vines will be buried under the homemade soil and get another hit of nutrients.

Yes, the other method can be done in a day, but your soil is on borrowed time, while mine is surging forward.  My labor of hauling and lifting create a nice, rich soil that holds water.  In a drought…that is worth gold.  So think before we discard.  Make connections with these local businesses who would like to help their farmers.  Yes “their” farmers.  Farmers belong to the community in the best possible way.

Here is a video where I explain a bit more about amending with fermented fish and brewery waste

I always do the warning about hops and dogs…they are poisonous to dogs, so watch your pet.  Many dogs have zero interest, but be cautious.

The image says it all. The additions have changed the soil dramatically.
The image says it all. The additions have changed the soil dramatically.

So think about how you can make super soil.  This farm is small, but my soil is mighty.  Be a steward, and you will be rewarded with a bountiful harvest, reduced pests, and you will be a hero to the kindergartners…and who doesn’t want that?

companion planting, Farming, gardening, Hawaii, permaculture

Interplanting With Squash

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Squash are not known being team players in the garden, but are we giving them a fair chance?  Squash will grow out and over everything in it’s path, but if you plant other vegetables at the base of your squash you solve many things at once, let me explain.

For example, the Three Sisters method was a smart interplanting solution invented by the Native Americans, including the Iroquois.  Don’t believe me? Well, squash stars (well assists) in the beautiful flip side of the 2009 US Dollar coin.  That is right, not only I say that squash can play fair in the garden, the evidence is minted.

Though I was not yet able to do a true, successful Three Sisters Native American planting technique, I’ve been able to keep true to the underlying truth that considered what plants need, and how those needs can be connected in a self caring system.  I add in cherry tomatoes, or tomatillos, along with beans, corn, and squash.  At times I add plantings of okra or sunflowers in lieu of corn.  Tall stands of okra become an excellent resting spots for small birds that feed upon the pickle worm moths and other flying foes.  They use the okra as a lookout spot before diving in for a bug. So for those of you who think that a squash farm is just squash, you are missing a lot of the fun, and a lot of the harvest.  Not only does it create multiple crops from one watering and one application of fish emulsion, but it also is good for the soil.

Need more convincing?  Please remember that squash vines will grow away from this central point, leaving the other plants to breathe. So give squash a chance in your small garden or farm.  It will smother weeds, feed your family, and reduce water evaporation for those, like me, who grow in drought conditions. If the vines threatened to take over, prune them.  It is that simple. There is little to lose, and much to gain.

Glass Gem popcorn, Tigerella tomatos, Hawaiian Black Kabocha, Jimmy T's Okra, Rattlesnake pole bean...in harmony
Glass Gem popcorn, Tigerella tomatos, Hawaiian Black Kabocha, Jimmy T’s Okra, Rattlesnake pole bean…in harmony
recipes, Uncategorized

Vegan Mango “Squashie”

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mango squashie

Nothing says summer in Hawaii like mangos. So here is a simple and lovely little drink to make in your blender.

first, steam chunks of squash, peel them, and drop them into a freezer bag. Freeze overnight or longer.

Then, at the hottest time of the day, peel and remove all pulp from one medium sized mango. Scoop right over the blender so that the juice drops right in. Take 4 or so frozen squash cubes, and enough almond milk to fill your blender 1/2 way to the top. Use the ice crush mode to pulse the frozen cubes. Add more almond milk or frozen squash to taste. Pour into 2 glasses (or make one giant one) and top with a dusting of ground ginger. No sugar is needed as the mango is sweet enough as is! Aloha!

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Dreaming of the National Heirloom Expo

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Great-pumpkin-patch-Expo-2011

http://theheirloomexpo.com/updates/

Like all busy farmers, September seems like a very long time away, but it is closing in on us as we plant ourselves silly.  I have my small dream of being an exhibitor at the expo, that grew into a much larger dream after the Gettles of Baker Creek were kind enough to include my squash patch in their global touring.  My dream was nearly nixed by the sad news that my squash cannot fly to California, no touring due to the fruit fly. The Department of Agriculture person was even saddened.  But the lovely folks who are assisting in the organization of the expo noted that I would be welcome to represent our Hawaiian heirloom squash at the expo, pumpkins in hand, or not.  I was relieved to say the least. I can bring the seeds, photos, and let that represent the patch.  Now, some paperwork, networking, and some fundraising is in order so to make this happen.  Just putting this out to the universe….fingers crossed…dream getting a wee bit closer…

Hawaii, Soil, Zero waste

Fish Composting Beds Opened!

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composting bed
Remember this? Well….I am very pleased to report that it is now this!

Compost

I used EM-1 to add even more rich microbes to the heathy new compost and replace any that may have gotten burned out when the fish composting really heated things up. The fish composting was a success! (yeah! Thank you to Redwater Cafe and their continued donation of green waste and fish bits, Merriman’s for cardboard, and Starbucks for the donation of coffee grounds to help me build the soil!) The compost is a bit chunky due to my using a lot of sticks, but after a little bit of sifting out large pieces, the new compost was ready to be added to one of the beds. This will give a Spring makeover to a well used bed.