Clinton News-Record, 1980-04-17, Page 45Zu�;chirri syi1rtsh is available in geld us
rrsr.green fruit colors.
Green machine
A few plants of summer squash in your•garden can turn out
valuable food like a production lint.. ()nee switched on by ,hill
mer heat each green 'machine can produce two to three squash
per week for eight to twelve weeks.
Maybe thatt', why summer
squash places high in the
rank, of valuable vegetables
... number Live and climbing!
A singly plant can produce 11;
to :3ti fruit, averaging one
half pound pitch. At 11) rents
per Ili. you.are eating $:3.20 to
$7.20 in squash per plant each
season. 'That's up to 80 cents
per sq. fl.
But.most everyone plants too
much squash, evert experi
enc•ed gardeners. 'Three or
four hills of two plants each
are plenty for t he average
sized family. Even one or two
too mane squash plants can
force you into deliberately
harvesting; fruits at hahv
sizes. This isn't very efficient.
\''ith just the right .nu ni hr of
squash plants in your garden
you will have to program yotir
production more iar'efullt.
Onr way to increase t he value
is to force gine, to produce
before the midsummer glut
`;lines squash prices.
Increased heat. I1Ii ili-tett
drainage. increased carbon
dio'ltie anti optimized ley els:
of plant nutrition can all work
together to give fou squash
two weeks beton your
ntighhuir.
For wartier. better -drained
soil, it;irt by staking hills or
low mounds. Dump four
buckets .tri sitnrt and manure
in a pile. dig it in and level off
a hill about the diameter of a
gatrhage can lid. The soil
within this raised ;trey will
w'arrn up fatster and drain het
ter. Also, the moun'd' will keep
your feet off the area w here
squash root, .are ('Doren
•trated. ('omprtrtion from your
weight can stluash.Lhe air told
life out of soil.
Now, here's a ser:ret that will
assure you valuable early
-ops of squash. Increased
let '11 of e;u•hon dioxide ;inti
heat early in t he season can
hasten maturity. . 1'ou set t ht
stage by incorporating
organic matter ;Ind sand.
Then, you slake hoods tri
canopies by sti•etchio.i 'leatr •
plait iv over arches or tripods
of w ire or wood.
Thr canopies trap anti con
centrale heat :Ind carbon
dioxide. You must, how e\or,
faithfully open :t lilt ie
chimnev in the lop of the
canopies etch morning in
or•der_,iti prevent your plaints
from cooking.. and don't for
gel to roll or pin up 1 hi' edges
of the eatnopy slightly Io id
mitt hers for pollinating the
hlo;souls.
1n tther ke.i, to ntalainlizing
,tit ash t aloe Is Io harvest
fr'urt at larger si; es. ltecause
nloder'n squash hybrids are
slots to develop tough seeds
ante hard skin.. there is no
need to liar \ est trolls ;it hahv
sites. 'tr=ait until t hi•y weigh I
to ' pnnntls, hot n'o lunger.
int; large tl'uit' on the
\rm' will effect 1\ely pre\too
neb, initis fr'tt111 ttrrrlung.
Summer squash is Just as
popular as it is \,doable One
re;e,on "Ts 1halt you can use
squash for salads. finger
Iinttrs ;tail dip, Also. surplus
stlu'tsh caln, In no en and
stored, or used in numerous
dishes Iron] soups Io bread.
Each hill of squash can spread
in toter• 9 sq. It. That touch
spte.e could arrttlllm.tllalte
artothet' kind of vegetable
hirh, in a stall garden.
_voted he a r'eall
So, if you plant squash
prudently, there should he no
more plaint it. rnidsunitner
cries of, "Will somebody turn
off : he green machine!",
Temperature is the key
for good carrot growth
Carrots are one of the
easiest vegetables to grow.
• But adverse weather can
cause them to do strange
things, reports Cornell
University. ,
Take a popular ' carrot
variety like "Chantenay" for
example. At favourable soil
temperatures of 60 to 70
degrees, roots will assume
the normal wedge shape. But
if you harvest roots which
develop at soil temperatures
of 40 to 50 degrees F they will
be long and pointed. 'Soil
temperatures of 70 , to 80
degrees F will produce short,
1'
stumpy roots.
Prolonged low tem-
peratures can cause carrot
roots to be rather pale in
color. The nutritional value
of pale carrots is not as great
as that of deep orange roots
which have higher amounts
of betacarotene.
Prolonged low tem-
peratures can also cause
,flowers to form at the ex-
pense of edible roots. You
will see flower heads like
Queen Anne's Lace. Don't
try to eat the roots of
seeders; they. will be woody
and tasteless.
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