Zucchinado

August 2013 Pickaway to Garden By Paul J. Hang Zucchinado August is a time of ripening. Apples on the branch, grapes on the vine, golden rod and milkweed pods in the field, acorns on the oaks, these are just a few of the things ripening. In a sense summer is ripening too, soon to be harvested and put away for the winter. Even the year is ripening as it progresses to the harvests of September and October, the feast of November and finally, lights out and a long winter’s nap of December. And how could we forget the ripening and ripe iconic foods of August sweet corn and tomatoes? A slather of butter and generous salt (some sprinkle a little pepper) on the corn, salt and pepper (basil and balsamic vinegar?) on the tomatoes and you are in for a seasonal feast. If you grew these in your garden, so much the better. The same could be said for green beans and squash but then where to stop? In August it is easy to be a locovore. A recent TV show was called Sharknado, an over the top story of how giant tornadoes sucked up millions of sharks out of the ocean and dumped them on the hapless citizens. Did you watch it? Me neither. The story however prompted a good name for the experience of another ripening garden denizen, Zucchinado! August brings a veritable storm of the squash. Zucchini of green and yellow, small and large are swirling around the garden, the yard, the garage, the neighborhood, the city, the state. If you planted more than one plant of zucchini you are probably up to your elbows in squash and despairing of how to get rid of it. In my earliest days of vegetable gardening I had the misfortune of planting three zucchini plants. Of course I didn’t research the plant, just forged ahead with the naïve certainty of youth. I was inundated with squash. The plants were so large and lush it was difficult to even see the ripening fruit. When the frost finally came and put me and the plants out of our misery, the leaves wilted, collapsed and revealed several escaped zucchini the size of sea lions that looked like they had been stranded on the beach. Really, when zucchini reach the size of watermelons they are not good for much and are definitely not appreciated as gifts. They are about as welcome as last year’s fruit cake. And please don’t sneak up and leave them on the doorstep like some abandoned infant. Off to the compost pile with them. The Founders’ Day Celebration June 26th was a huge success with over 90 people in attendance from at least five counties. Celebrated naturalist, columnist and author Jim McCormac spoke about native plants and how they are critical for sustaining our wildlife and our way of life. It was an interesting presentation and people were raving about it. The Pickaway County Master Gardener Volunteers are planning to do this celebration annually to honor Martha Beck and Lyn Fisher. They were instrumental in starting the program back in 1998. A native plant, Cup Plant, is growing in my garden reaching seven feet. The seeds were given to me by Lyn from her native plant garden. When I look at it I think of her. It is a wonderful way to remember someone. I know a lot of people have plants that were given to them. It’s nice to tour your garden when some of your plants have stories and histories, when a plant brings a person to mind. If you have a favorite plant, consider sharing it with someone. It is a great practice. They won’t forget you. Things to do in the garden: Weed. Weed. Weed and maybe water if nature quits dumping on us. Pull all that crabgrass before it goes to seed. Take heart though the first good frost will kill it. Plant the seeds of carrots, lettuces, spinach, radishes, turnips, and kale mid-month, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage early in the month for a fall garden. As plants die back clean up the debris so bad insects and disease don’t have a place to over- winter. Want to have a new garden next year? Now is a good time to prepare the site. Cover the area with black plastic, thick cover of newspaper or even old carpet. Anything that will block the sun will leave bare earth come spring. Disbud your mums and dahlias for bigger blooms and fertilize. Side dress (fertilize) peonies with a balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or 12-12-12. By the end of the month consider disbudding your tomato plants. Remove the growing tips of each branch and pinch out all the blossoms that bloom. It takes six weeks from blossom to fruit. This practice will give bigger tomatoes and prevent all those marble size tomatoes that the frost gets and never reach the table. If you’re not sure about this, try it on some of your plants and compare to those that you leave alone. Experiment! Try this also with melons and winter squash. It is time to plant biennials and order bulbs for fall planting and blooms next year. This is a good time to look at plants at their full maturity. Assess their look, their height, their spread, their color and texture. Do you like where they are? If not, think about moving them as soon as they begin to go dormant. If they are annuals, make a note for next year to plant them in another spot in the garden.