Golden Acorn Squash

 

They look beautiful this time of year! When an Acorn Squash has reached its full growth on the plant, it's harvested and cooked within a few days, it's one of the best tasting things in the garden. Acorns, unlike other winter squash, aren't "cured" for a week or two after being harvested.

 

Typical winter squash aren't cut from the plant until the stem has dried. The stem has turned a greyish-tan, shriveled, and looks dead. The squash is then carefully cut an inch or two from the squash. That stem isn't a handle for the squash. Lift or carry the squash by the stem and you'll probably break the seal, air will enter the squash, and it will begin spoiling. The typical winter squash is then left in the bed for a week or two to "cure," then stored in a cool dark place, for up to several months, until it's used.

 

Acorn squash start losing their flavor immediately after being harvested. Once they've reached their full growth on the plant, they're at their peak of flavor and nutrient content. From that point on it has begun losing its nutrients and flavor. 

 

If you leave the green Acorn out of the sun and out of refrigeration, it will start turning "golden." The older it gets, the more "golden" it will become. The more "golden" it becomes, the less flavor and nutrients it contains. It's that flat, nutrient absent flavor of squash too old, that people who "don't like squash," are thinking about.

 

If you're tempted to pay 2-3 times as much for a "Golden Acorn Squash" because it looks so pretty, go ahead. It can be a beautiful part of a table decoration. If you expect it to taste "good," it won't. Leave the Golden one as part of a decoration, but serve and enjoy eating the green one.

Me...A TV Star??

I have a TV show? In South Africa? Apparently I do!

Several months ago I gave a non-profit org there permission to show my DVD's on TV; provided only that they posted where people could order my DVD's if they wanted to, and that the showing would be non-profit. 

Over the years we've had any number of orders from every English speaking country, from Africa to New Zealand. The DVD's have also been shown on any number of Public TV stations in the US, both with and without my permission. This latest request from S. Africa wasn't much out of the ordinary. 

What I didn't expect was some of the most gratifying e-mails I've ever received. In the latest, the fellow told me he was "going to continue to watch (my) TV show for more gardening tips."

My purpose in making those DVD's, at considerable cost, wasn't with the dream of getting lots of money. My purpose was to help people get control of their food safety and quality, save money, do something for the environment, and enjoy the family unifying adventure that vegetable gardening can be.

With this latest S. African development, I'm considering my original purpose for the DVD's fulfilled.

I thank you all.

Lee

Sweet Potatoes

I have a bed that's 5' x 9' where I grow only sweet potatoes. The next bed over is 6' x 10' and I grow only yams in that one.

We can't grow actual Yams in this country. They grow only near the Equator. Yams can get up to 5' long and look more like a branch of a tree with heavy bark. The flesh is white, and tastes nothing at all like what we call a "yam." I've never seen one. My wife saw some in a market on some island in the Carribbean. According to her and everything I've read, even if we could grow them here we probably wouldn't.

What we call "yams" are actually a variety of Sweet Potato. Super Markets used to have to label their Yams, "Sweet Potato Yams." Apparently they aren't required to do that anymore, as it's been many years since I've seen them labeled that way. "Sweet Potatoes," the more yellowish of the two, have a drier and coarser texture than the more moist and fine fleshed Sweet Potato "Yam."

We've been pulling both out of my beds since August, whenever we want them for dinner. The vines are still green and make a beautiful ground cover for the 6-8 months they're growing. I simply move the vines aside, brush around the base of the plant, and ease out as many as I want. I let them sit under the awning the rest of the day.

At dinner time, I wash them off, split them down the middle, rub olive oil all over them, and rub some Kosher salt on all surfaces. I put them cut side down in a cast iron pan, cover it, and turn the burner on medium for about 15 minutes. About half of the cut surfaces get blackened. After about 15 minutes, I turn them over, cover them again, and in about 15-20 minutes, when they're soft to a fork, they're done. We eat them just like a baked potato, blackened skin and all--a little butter, a little salt....YUM! 

Sweet potatoes/Yams are one of the most vitamin and mineral laden things we can grow in our climate. They make a more beautiful ground cover than the Ivy used for the purpose, and I'll easily get 100 lbs. or more from each bed.

Now I realize I could plant lawn in those beds, and have a nice lounge chair there under the tree. But I'd have to mow the lawn. I just plant the Sweet Potatoes and Yams in April, have a more beautiful site to look at than any lawn--and I don't have to do a thing from April through December, when the lovely things will be all gone. But they'll be back in the spring---for sure they will be back in the spring!

I've tried to encourage my friends who have lawns to dig them up and plant Yams and Sweet Potatoes. I guess it wouldn't be politically correct. It would be infinitely healthier, much more beautiful, enormously more beneficial to the environment, but simply not done.

I'll have to work on being more "politically correct." Or not.

What my DVD buyers are saying....

Hi Lee,

Yes the result comes from the effort but without the proper teacher the student has nothing As I have witnessed firsthand working in the school system for the past 30 years.

You got me motivated in the very early stages when things went wrong I could have very easily packed it up and found another hobby to enjoy.

 

You are very humble but the world is a better place because of people like yourself that help others and help the planet become a safer place within our little square footage of space we occupy.

 

Well I guess I should give you my update from this past weekend?

Oh it was a good one and some of the judges actually wanted to ask me questions and pick my brain and get some inside information?

(from Me).

Lee I came in first place and the judges expressed how they have been watching my development and have seen amazing results in the past growing season.

They said my tomatoes were actually perfect in all categories and considering the extreme heat we experienced in Toronto this year that by itself is a task alone!

They said do you realize who you have beaten in this competition?

I said I think so everyone else on the table, then I was told you have beaten master gardeners ,horticulture experts and farmers from across this province of Ontario.

I was told that I should be very proud of my accomplishments and being only my 2^nd year of competing stay on track and keep developing to your finest ability.

 

So regardless if you feel I give you too much credit in my heart alone I know you had a very big part of this success and I thank you for that and will forever be your friend for helping me reach this level in competitions.

Have a great day.

Regards,

RW

Hi Lee,   Oh that makes me so happy! You deserve so much credit and respect and recognition! You alone have changed my life in such a positive way, I can not express my appreciation and gratitude. The joy that I get from following your mentor ship is immeasurable. The tomatoes that I have eaten, given and still on the vine are a testimate to your skill and generosity.    You are Tomato Man, but people on my block think I am, I always tell them I am just a student of the MASTER.   WF

The 3 Sisters in the Garden

 

Some years ago I got into quite a heated skirmish with an old Indian over the 3 Sisters. I told him the Indians were out of their minds when they planted the 3 Sisters: Corn, Squash and Beans together. As one would guess, he took exception to my comment.

 

I told him; 1) The green beans wrap their vines tightly around the ears of corn as they grow up the corn stalk, making it impossible to take ears of corn without killing the bean vine. 2) If you try to harvest either beans or corn, you must step on your squash and squash plants, causing them irreparable damage. 

 

This old Indian apparently had never gardened, because he couldn't enlighten me on why it didn't work for me. But I did, finally, figure it out. 1) The Indians let most of their corn mature, for grinding into corn meal for the winter. They didn't ruin their beans to take ears for fresh corn on the cob. 2) Beans were also not lightly steamed, or used fresh--they too were harvested only after they had fully matured and dried, to be cooked throughout the winter. 3) They didn't grow much, if any, summer squash (Zuchhini, Patty Pan, Crook Neck, etc.), but grew Winter Squash. Winter Squash (Butternut, Banana, Acorn, etc.) are those varieties that fully mature, get a hard shell and can be stored for many months.

 

If you plant the 3 Sisters like the Indians did, you'll no doubt have great crops. You have no need to go into your garden at all until you're ready to grind your corn into meal, shell your dried beans, and take your squash into your storage bin.

 

But to expect fresh corn on the cob, fresh green beans and summer squash, all grown together, to be a happy growing experience, you're going to find yourself cursing Sitting Bull-- just like I did!

Mulch: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

The Good: Every gardener knows that mulching is a very good thing: 1) It reduces the amount of watering a garden needs. 2) It insulates the soil so that it maintains a more even temperature. 3) It reduces the quantity of weeds in the garden.

 

The Bad: 1) Since most U.S. gardeners don't have to water much in the early spring, it really isn't necessary for water conservation. 2) Putting down mulch before the soil has fully warmed up will keep the soil colder, not allowing it to warm up as well as the days grow longer and warmer.

 

The Ugly: Putting down mulch at planting time in the early spring provides a haven and a breeding ground for slugs, pillbugs and other such ugly creatures.

 

Solution?: 1) Put mulch down after bug breeding season, and 2) Put down mulch after the soil has nicely warmed.

 

I've been applying that theory for the last few years, wanting to be sure I wasn't over-looking something important before I wrote about it. From the beginning, it's worked perfectly! I have almost zero pill bugs and slugs eating my seedlings as soon as they emerge from the soil. I've not had to re-plant anything at all because of bug damage. I've not had to use any pest controls over the entire season for soil dwelling pests in 3 years.

 

Imagine my embarrassment at figuring that out after a lifetime of gardening!

 

Good luck!