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Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Compost Squash


The mystery volunteer squash that sprouted out of our compost bin is growing really well, better than any of the other squash plants growing properly in our raised bed.  I'm a bit skeptical of how this will turn out, because I thought that our compost had too much green stuff and not enough brown stuff.  It's hard to get brown stuff when we hardly have any trees around to supply us with dry leaves.  We also have not been turning the compost much for aeration.  Doesn't that mean everything inside, including the roots of this squash, will just rot and get yucky?  But so far, this plant doesn't seem very aware of its perilous environment.



In fact, I even spotted a few female flowers last weekend, including this little baby.  I'm thinking that this might be a spaghetti squash?  This is our first year growing any type of winter squash, so it's all new to me!

32 comments:

  1. Looks like spaghetti squash to me, but you'll definitely find out in a few weeks....

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  2. Kinda looks like a melon to me, but squash always out-crosses with other cucurbrits, so it won't be a true typ. But, you may end up with something very interesting. Last year, on ground that hasn't been gardened in at least 20 years (until I got in there last year) a huge squash plant emerged. I decided to leave it, and it grew at least 20 feet long! It turned out to be a summer squash, and the yield was enormous. Check out the pics: http://www.mysuburbanhomestead.com/vegetable-garden-notes-check-volunteer-squash-plant/ I think you will enjoy the pictures of the odd looking squash.

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  3. EG - I'm not sure I'll recognize a baby spaghetti squash even in a few weeks, as I have never seen one. I'll be sure to post another picture so you can help me figure it out.

    Vegetable Garden Cook - thanks for sharing that link! That's one strange looking summer squash you got there! I'm looking forward to seeing what I get.

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  4. I had 2 volunteer squash plants a few years ago that grew like gangbusters. They were great producers. The squash were scalloped yellow and green. Pretty awesome! Keep us posted on your mystery squash.
    ~~Lori

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  5. I can't wait to see what your mystery plant will be! How fun!

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  6. It does look like a spaghetti squash...but only time will tell!

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  7. Watch out for the dreaded squash bugs. My plants just got overrun last week!

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  8. Lori - that's very encouraging to hear. I'll definitely keep you posted and am looking forward to similar success from my volunteer.

    Holly - gardening is nothing if not fun, right?

    Robin - so you're saying I gotta be more patient? So necessary for gardening, yet so difficult. :)

    Dan Owen - ugh, you're bringing me back to reality of bugs and pests. I've heard so many horror stories about squash bugs. I don't think I've seen any in our garden yet, and I hope to continue the trend. Sorry to hear that your garden suffered!

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  9. My compost bin is now in sun, so I keep thinking I ought to plant squash intentionally in the bins. Right now I have volunteer morning glory (which I've never grown before) and a bean plant. Not sure which bean it is though. I'll have to see as it fruits.

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  10. I always found that self-sowed plants are much more hardy than the ones we nurtured from seeds. Lucky you!

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  11. I don't apply too much science to compost-production. I rely upon the worms to make good compost for me, and they don't usually let me down!

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  12. Daphne - so if you have a volunteer that you've never grown before, does that make it a weed? :)

    MK girl - maybe that explains why this volunteer is growing so well!

    Mark Willis - I don't have any worms in the compost bin at the moment, but there are a lot of worms in/under our garden. Maybe I should throw some in the compost bin and see if that helps.

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  13. Minji- I bought a six-pack of very young onion plants from my local nursery. I am very lucky because one of our local wholesaler growers buys a lot of seed from Johnny's Select Seed and then sells the young plants to the local nurserys. He even uses Johnny provided plant identifying markers in the six-packs. So,as I brouse the Johnny's catlog every winter, I know there is a chance that I can buy the young plants at my local Nursery in the spring. But you could definatly buy Prince seed from Johnny's . They have carried it for many years. It's a winner in my book!

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  14. Very interesting blog! Was going to join as a follower but this seems to be down at the minute. Will have to come back again to join. All the best, Kelli.

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  15. I'm sure your plant will be fine in your compost. Around here, we try to balance the brown/green mixture in compost by bagging leaves in the fall and saving them for the summer. Amazingly, as long as the bag is dry inside, the leaves don't decompose. Straw is also a great summer time brown. maybe someone near you sells single bales?

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  16. I couldn't ID the squash! I've never grown one either, although I do have some this year! What an excitement to find out later on...

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  17. I don't think your squash roots will rot, besides it should grow happily in this rich terrain... Good luck!

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  18. It's funny, each year we also have some volunteer squash somewhere and they always do better than the plants we're actually trying to grow!

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  19. Such a healthy looking squash.

    Cassy from Guitar Made Easy

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  20. Ive had wonderful squash this year but i DO love those sueprise compost plants and they are usually so strong and healthy

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