Garden Evaluation: Zucchini, Squash, Pumpkins, Nasturtiums

Top Terrace: Zucchini, Squash, Mini-Pumpkins, & Nasturtiums

Zucchini: 1 hill, from seed
Planted: June 8
Variety:  ?
Yield: Lots and lots--more than enough
Pests, problems, diseases: Some powdery mildew. Didn't effect production one bit.
Finished: end of season
Comments: Grew to nearly fill in the empty space beside it. Summer harvest was 2-3 times per week. If we waited a full week there would be huge ones waiting! Froze some, gave some away, ate a bunch...they still came on!

Yellow Straight-Neck Squash: 1 hill, from seed
Planted: June 8
Variety: Butterstick
Yield: plentiful
Pests, problems, diseases: none to speak of--some powdery mildew, but didn't effect production
Finished: end of season

Comments: Mild flavor, thin-skinned. More plentiful than the crookneck variety we grew in Mo. If left alone they grew huge just like the zucchini! One hill was sufficient for eating fresh.

Mini-Pumpkins: 2 hills, started indoors

Planted: June 8

Variety: Jack Be Little?  I started 2 each of Jack Be Little (orange) and Baby Boo (white). 2 didn't grow in the seed trays, and one hill died off after planting in the ground. The one that survived started white and turned orange, so my final answer is Jack Be Little....I guess.

Yield: 8-10 minis

Pests, problems, diseases: not sure why 2 didn't come up at all (see comment, above). I think the one that died off in the ground could have been animal related--i.e., trampled by Diamond or something. It was wilted away, not nibbled, but it looked like it had been broken off or crushed.

Finished: end of season

Comments: Very cute little pumpkins. The kids loved them! Great for small-scale decorating. However--10 tiny pumpkins for as much space as that plant took up is not that great a return on investment. Especially when I found out you can get a whole basket-full of mini-pumpkins at Safeway for a couple of dollars. So probably next year we'll go that route and save the garden space for something else.

Nasturtiums: planted all along top terrace in front
Planted: June 8
Variety: don't remember--whatever was left in the seed packet
Yield: 1 plant
Pests, problems, diseases: just old seed, I think
Finished: they lasted right up until hard frost (end of Oct)

Comments: I saved some seeds from the hardy survivor. The bright orange flowers were lovely once they started blooming, especially in contrast with the squash flowers. I want to buy fresh seed next year and start them indoors, so I can have those cheerful blooms earlier in the summer.