Nobody's Mad

Early and Often Hybrid
Expected germination: 7-14 days.
Expected harvest: from 64 days on.

24 seeds

06/26: Planted 1 per cell in 24 cells.
07/06: 18 of 24 (75%) have shoots 1/2″ to 4″ tall.
07/10: 20 of 24 (83%) have shoots 1/4″ to 6″ tall.
07/10: Planted out.
07/18: 1-1/2″ to 14″ tall.
07/24: 7″ to 22″ tall, with foliage diameters 4″ to 20″.
08/01: 12″ to 34″ tall, with foliage diameters 7″ to 38″. Most are 30″ to 34″ tall.
08/07: 30″ to 42″ tall, with foliage diameters 20″ to 50″.
08/15: 44″ to 53″ tall, with foliage diameters approx 48″. Two tassels.
08/23: 65″ to 75″ tall. Three tassels and three silks.
08/30: Heights to 86″. Several tassels. Several silks of which about half are brown.
09/14: Harvested first ear … glorious!

Early Snowball A
Expected germination: 8-10 days
Expected harvest: 55 days

6 seeds

06/26: Planted 1 per cell in 6 cells.
07/06: 2 of 6 (33%) have shoots 1/2″ and 3/4″ tall.
07/18: 2 of 6 (33%) have shoots 1-1/2″ and 4″ tall. Remainder believed lost to dampening off.
07/22: Sprayed with 0.001% spinosad, an organic pesticide.
07/23: Planted out.
07/24: 2″ and 4″ tall.
07/29: White fly on under surface of leaves. Sprayed with 0.001% spinosad.
08/01: 4″ and 6″ tall, with foliage diameters 4″ and 10″.
08/02: White fly on under surface of leaves. Sprayed with 0.001% spinosad.
08/07: 6″ and 8″ tall, with foliage diameters 5″ and 16″.
08/15: 10″ and 11″ tall, with foliage diameters 9″ and 21″.
08/23: 13″ and 16″ tall, with foliage diameters 11″ and 24″.
08/30: 13″ and 18″ tall, with foliage diameters 14″ and 24″.
10/19: Harvested one head about 4″ diameter. Poorly shaped but good taste and texture both raw and cooked.
10/29: Harvested one head about 6″ diameter. Poorly shaped but good texture. Slightly bitter raw but excellent cooked.
11/24: Harvested one head about 4″ diameter.

Long Imperator #58
Expected germination: 8-12 days
Expected harvest: 77 days

12 seeds

06/26: Planted 2 per cell in 6 cells.
07/06: No visible change.
07/18: 2 of 12 (8%) are 1-1/2″ tall. Remainder believed lost to dampening off.
07/23: Planted out.
07/24: 1-1/2″ and 2-1/2″ tall.
08/01: 3″ and 3-1/2″ tall.
08/07: 5″ and 7″ tall. Crowded by brussels.
08/15: 8″ and 9″ tall.
08/23: 11″ and 12″ tall.
08/30: 10″ and 15″ tall. Overwhelmed by brussels.
10/13: Harvested a couple of 2″ carrots.

Harvest: 109 days

Santa Anna
Expected germination: 6-8 days
Expected harvest: 65-70 days

18 seeds

06/26: Started soaking in a jar of water overnight.
06/27: After 15 hours soaking, planted 1 per cell in 18 cells.
07/06: 2 of 18 (11%) have shoots 1″ tall.
07/10: 2 of 18 (11%) have shoots 1-1/2″ tall.
07/10: Planted out 2. Remainder believed lost to dampening off.
07/18: 1 of 18 (6%) is 4″ tall.
07/24: Unable to distinguish from other beans. Overall leaf mass is up to 30″ with runners up to top 60″.
07/24: Henceforth this plant is merged with “Beans, Pole″.

Harvest: See “Beans, Pole”

We’ve been in Seattle a little over a week, getting settled and getting the new garden in.  Let me tell you a little about our road-trip getting here.

After one false attempt– I had forgotten something– we started down the road at 1:18 p.m. on June 15.  An hour later we were on the southern edge of Turlock, approaching the rest stop.  At 6:52 p.m., Mike glimpsed Mt. Shasta.  After seven hours on the road, at 8:18 p.m., we were on the southern edge of Ashland, Oregon.  By about 5:18 a.m., June 16  (and I omit the details of hours and hours of road-pounding) we had arrived at our home in Seattle.  Total hours, sixteen; driving hours, fourteen and one-half.  Total miles: 899.1.

Mike did by far the majority of the driving, though I took the wheel for about 100 miles in the northern great California Valley.  Our stops were quick and to-the-point: for gas, rest, and quick meals.  These latter were from the picnic basket and cooler in the trunk, which we had filled with home-made sandwiches at Mariposa.

The house had been serenely waiting for us.  Mike restored the water service and hot water supply, and we tumbled into bed in the room we call the “cave,” our basement bedroom.

Another oasis for the “Nomads.”

Burpee’s cutting mix
Expected germination: 7-14 days

18 seeds

06/24: Planted 1 per cell in 18 cells.
07/10: 15 of 18 (83%) have shoots 1-1/2″ to 5″ tall.
07/10: Planted out.
07/18: 2″ to 8″ tall.
07/24: 5″ to 16″ tall, with foliage diameter 4″ to 14″.
07/26: Approx 5 plants pushed over and snapped off. No underground damage. We suspect a raccoon looking for seeds.
07/26: An additional 2 plants were bent over but are recovering.
08/01: 15″ to 32″ tall, with foliage diameter 10″ to 23″.
08/07: 22″ to 45″ tall, with foliage diameter 12″ to 32″.
08/15: 30″ to 62″ tall, with foliage diameter 14″ to 30″.
08/23: 56″ to 86″ tall, with foliage diameter approx 30″. 2 fully open.
08/24: Started cut flower harvest.
08/30: 54 to 88″ tall. Several very nice flowers open of at least five different kinds.
09/15: Removed several dead heads for seed.
09/22: Removed two sunflowers and trimmed squash to provide better light to melons and pumpkins.

Seattle’s Best of All

Two plants.

06/22: Bought, with a few fruit started.
06/24: Planted.
06/30: Took three cuttings, see “Tomato, Indeterminate #2″.
07/18: 41″ and 44″ tall. Green fruit lower down and new flowers above.
07/24: 48″ and 53″ tall, with foliage diameters approx 40″. Approx two dozen green fruit. New flowers at top.
07/27: The two plants have roughly a dozen vines forming a bush around the two poles. We now begin aggressive removal of all new suckers. In a few days we’ll pinch off the growing tips.
07/30: Pinched off the growing tips.
08/01: Combined bush is 64″ tall, 54″ wide, 68″ deep. Several dozen green fruit. Still many unopened buds below pinched-off tips.
08/07: Combined bush is 70″ tall and 64″ by 64″. Several dozen green fruit. Flowers at tips. We’re pinching off suckers daily.
08/15: Harvested one orange fruit for cooking. All other fruit still green.
08/15: Combined bush is 66″ tall and 66″ by 66″. Several dozen green fruit. Flowers at tips. We’re still pinching off suckers daily.
08/16: We’re occasionally harvesting green fruit for fried green tomatoes.
08/23: Combined bush is 69″ tall and 78″ by 78″. Several dozen green fruit. Still some flowers at tips. Still pinching a few suckers.
08/30: Harvested a second ripe tomato – nice consistency, mild flavor. A few more are starting to turn orange.
08/30: Combined bush is 64″ tall and 72″ by 82”. Several dozen green fruit. Still some flowers at tips. Still pinching a few suckers.
09/05: Roughly one fruit per day is ripening now. To speed up ripening we today laid some of the vines on a bed of “straw” (shredded clematis vine) with a double layer plastic tent over.
09/15: Vines under plastic have not ripened yet. Roughly two fruit per day are ripening on the regular vines.
09/22: Moved plastic cover from (a few) tomato vines to (all) melon vines.

Cornell’s Bush Delicata

06/22: Bought.
06/24: Planted.
07/18: 11″ tall with 24″ foliage diameter.
07/24: 14″ tall with 45″ foliage diameter. Several flowers.
08/01: 25″ tall with 58″ foliage diameter. Most flowers have set and first gourd has started to form.
08/04: Startled animal must have run through bush, snapping off some leaves and first young gourd.
08/07: 31″ tall and 72″ by 60″. New flowers. No gourds at this time.
08/15: 36″ tall and 84″ by 68″. Many flowers. One 2″ gourd.
08/23: 36″ tall and 100″ by 78″. Many flowers. Several cream colored young gourds to 4-1/2″.
08/29: Had become 108″ by 92″ and was over lettuce #2, celery, pepper, and melon. Major pruning.
08/30: 35″ tall and 93″ by 78″. Several flowers. Several cream colored young gourds to 6-1/2″ long and 2-1/2″ diameter.
09/09: Harvested first gourd. MJH thought it edible but that they would have more taste later.
09/15: Pruned again.
09/22: Removed two sunflowers and trimmed squash to provide better light to melons and pumpkins.
10/13: Leaves and stalks dying back fast. Harvested final gourds and cleaned up.

Harvest: 79-113 days from purchase
Yield: 6-8 gourds about 2 lbs each