N&C Midwest: January & February 2023

Hello!  I am in the midst of fog, warmth, and coming cold…

Allowing myself to try to plan for 2023!  Looking forward to growing some new varieties, and trying to get some things.  I thought I was growing things like beets, and other things.  I wasn’t.  Bad labeling….

For the first time, I will grow hopefully (?) butternut type squash.   I’m super excited.

Replacing my old legacy boxes with a 4x4–RIP, you did great, legacy boxes.  You got me started!

Plans everyone?

Butternut squash! I'm not in your Region but Canadian Crookneck Squash has a long, meaty neck in addition to the hollow bulb part.

So I’m growing Butterscotch Winter Squash, and Tetsukabuto Winter Squash (basically to pollinate but it sounded great).  These are new to me.  The only winter squash I have ever grown is Delicata!  

I’m excited!

Happy New Year!!!

I am also in the planning stages SR and I am SOOO excited! I am going to grow both of the winter squash that you mentioned. It's going to be awesome!

I am looking forward to growing some paprika peppers to make homemade paprika powder  I am also going to try a few new tomato varieties. I am going to try Cherokee Purple and Thornburn's Terra-Cotta (free from Baker's Creek).

Just got done with my first batch of winter sowing. A variety of flowers that I had laying around. Hope it works! LOL

This year we are going to downsize our winter squash growing. Last year we had Cushaw, Red Kuri, and Butternut, which resulted in way too much winter squash for any one family to eat.  We love the Cushaw, but with each one of them weighing between 10 pounds and 25 pounds, that is a lot of squash to eat once one of them is cut open. And the Butternut squash produced so heavily that we would have to eat two per month to consume all of them, in addition to the Red Kuri and Cushaw.

Maybe this year I will plant the same number of squash, but prune the vines and fruit setting so that we have less to harvest in the fall. And then again, we'll probably grow too much winter squash again this year.... 

I know you already share a lot. There might be worldwide food shortages. Good year to Donate the squash.

Soose wrote:I know you already share a lot.  There might be worldwide food shortages. Good year to Donate the squash.

Unfortunately, winter squash is one of the hardest fruits/vegetables to give away. Many (most?) people do not want to have to invest the time and effort to prepare and cook a winter squash. Others don't like the name "squash" as a food. Yet others have never tasted one so don't want to start something new. We only have one neighbor that will take a winter squash, and she will only take one per year.  Even our local soup kitchen and food pantry will not take them, though that love our summer vegetables. The operator says that their guests won't eat them, so there is no reason to take one.

But, fortunately, the excess squash do make some great compost to use in growing more squash.... 

That's a real pity. I never tasted a butternut squash until in my 40s or 50s? There are still winter squashes I have not tried, like your Cushaw. For some reason, growing up further south a bit, we just didn't have these varieties back then. My son has been cooking acorn but when I tried it, it was fairly tasteless so I haven't been in the habit.

My grandparents grew up eating rutabagas but they are also not great to me.

The only winter squash that I know many people will eat is spaghetti squash. That's probably because of their use as flour-free spaghetti in Italian dishes. Others just butter it with salt and pepper.
Maybe it's a Californian thing. ?

First off:  this is a very interesting thread!  

JAM23–I am very excited about trying these new varieties, especially in a newish space.  I think I am gonna put my winter squash (large ones) in the ground.  They just don’t seem to get enough of anything in containers.  Oh!  And Cherokee Purple are my absolute FAVE tomato!!!!!  

Soose—Agree, I don’t think I tasted any winter squash other than Acorn until my 40s??  We always put butter and brown sugar in them and baked the acorns in the oven.  I wonder why we didn’t see more varieties—probably because I didn’t garden much or grow them.  Acorn are at the grocery.  The stores have gotten much better about offering a better variety recently.

OG—that surprises me about not being able to give them away!  It’s free food!!???  And yummy healthy food at that.  They do make great compost however….lol

Sanderson—It is a Cali thing to go all keto on us with the spaghetti squash, but growing it is right on because it’s super expensive to buy!  In Ohio, we buy spaghetti.  The noodle.  Lol

Oh how I wish I lived closer - I LOVE winter squash.. soup, saute in a hash, roasted.. etc.  I freeze extra portions as I'm only 1 person and don't want to waste any.   I can't grow in containers and my apartment patio is full (sadly)

I've started planning what I'm growing, and may get a greenstalk to increase my production - but I'm maxed out. 

 Onion, leek, celery, parsley, cilantro and celriac are all started and just up. I'll have extra seedlings as usual.
 
Happy planning everyone!
Nancy

nrstooge, is it possible to get or share a small community garden plot?  Not really necessary, but just a thought!  What do you do with celeriac?  Is this new!?  Interested to hear!

we do have one, but the plots are 10x10 feet.. not large and folks get things stolen all the time as it is near a walking path (no fence) - there is also a long waiting list.   Location isn't the best from me either.  I have to hold out that the universe will provide.  

In the meantime, I'll be happy with what I have.

I understand all too well about not having enough space to grow all the things you want to. I am also having to come to terms that I have limited space and need to appreciate what I do have. Maybe someday I can have the huge garden of my dreams but for now, need to see how I can maximize what I do have! LOL

Scorpio Rising wrote:nrstooge, is it possible to get or share a small community garden plot?  Not really necessary, but just a thought!  What do you do with celeriac?  Is this new!?  Interested to hear!

 I forgot to answer on the Celeriac - sorry.. it is a root crop, and a LONG grow, but it is used in soups, roasted, made to fries. etc.  it is like a cross between potato, celery and parsley in flavor and is under-rated IMO.  More popular in the UK than here but I'm intrigued by it.  There are so many wonderful flavors/things we could grow here, but don't.  Why?  Perhaps because how this are was originally settled?

I've recently tried a cauliflower pizza crust. Never been a huge fan of cauliflower, though it's a nice addition to veg mixes -- with dressings, dips, in soups or roasted veg, etc.. . But I think I need to learn how to make these cauliflower crusts, and for that I am thinking I'll try more enthusiastically at growing some cauliflower.

I’m looking into celeriac, I usually have good luck with root vegetables!  Plus I like them!  

I am also looking at artichokes.  Perennial, large, but I do like to eat them a lot!

They say that patience is a virtue, but I think I missed that gene.  Today I picked the outside leaves off of the Napa Cabbage so that we can make some Zuppa Toscana Soup for dinner. Couldn't wait for them to form heads. 

OhioGardener-those look so amazing! 

I was planning on making some zuppa toscana soup this weekend with some frozen kale from last season. LOL

JAM23 wrote:I was planning on making some zuppa toscana soup this weekend with some frozen kale from last season. LOL

When they are in season for you, make that recipe by substituting either Bok Choy or Napa Cabbage for the Kale. The flavor is incredible. Haven't tried Tatsoi yet, but that might also be a good substitute.

Going through my seeds to see what is probably not viable at all, what I just have too little of to matter, etc.  Thinning to start.  Then will plan and order anything I ran out of, although I think I did a pretty good job of replacing as I went.  

But, I have said that before!  

Strange cold windy weather here.  Perfect planning weather.  My aerogarden is putting along with the herb packet.  3 visibly up; basil, dill and parsley!

Scorpio Rising wrote:Going through my seeds to see what is probably not viable at all, what I just have too little of to matter, etc.  Thinning to start.  Then will plan and order anything I ran out of, although I think I did a pretty good job of replacing as I went.  

But, I have said that before! 

Note to self:  Label the seeds when planted..... 

It’s very interesting, OG!  I do a really bad job of labeling.  Not sure, but I blame turning the plantings….

What.?

Scorpio Rising wrote: My aerogarden is putting along with the herb packet.  3 visibly up; basil, dill and parsley!

I've been using the Aerogarden as a seed starter for seedlings to transplant into the greenhouse this winter. My Aerogarden has 6 slots so I start 3 Bok Choy seeds, and as soon as they sprout I start 3 more. The first 3 are ready to to plant out in 2 weeks, and then I start 3 more seeds. The seeds sprout in 4 days in the Aerogarden, so it allows starting a lot of seedlings.

When I bought the AeroGarden Harvest 360 it came with the Seed Starter Tray & Supplies, which allows for starting 23 seeds at the same time, but I have not used that yet kit yet.

These Bok Choy seedlings are 8 days old. The 3 cells in the back have seeds that have sprouted by are not yet showing above the covers. In 2 weeks the ones in front will be ready for transplanting, and then 3 more seeds will be planted.

The mild winter we have been having is wreaking havoc with the perennial plants that are normally dormant this time of year.  I noticed yesterday that some of the Rhubarb plants are sending up shoots, and those normally aren't visible until April.  The Daffodils are up about 4", and they shouldn't be up until March. And, the apple and pear trees are budding out, which is way too early - those buds will freeze and we will not have any fruit from them.

Meanwhile, the bunching onion seedlings are developing well and will be ready to start hardening off the first of March so that they can be transplanted into a bed.  Then it will be time to start the tomato and pepper seeds.