For today's Harvest Monday I have the last two tomatoes of the season. One Kellogg's Breakfast (seed from Granny) and one Japanese Black Trifele. The tomato season was good compared to last year but it was definitely not a home run either. They were late to produce and then got blight late in the season. I tried starting the tomatoes much later this season which resulted in a much later harvest. Next season I am going back to starting them 8 weeks before transplant.Also in the basket is a bunch of Double Yield Cucumbers. They are still hanging in so they may make a few more appearances.
I also picked this butternut squash that was getting this weird pattern on the skin. Ever seen this before? It almost looked like it was excreting sap that was forming this pattern. I peeled the skin in this area and the flesh looks completely normal and was still very firm. Not sure if I have the nerve to eat it though!
On Sunday I cleared out all the tomatoes plants. Because of the blight they all went out with the garbage. Not running the risk of contaminating my compost! I also knocked off all the lower leaves on my brussels sprout plants . My thought is the plant will now send more energy to the sprouts. Hope it works!The harvests will now be sifting to cooler season crops. The weather has really turned now, seems like the norm now is 15c (60f) in the day and 5c(40f) at night. The only warm season crops left now are peppers and they will be coming in shortly. I was hoping they would turn colour before harvest but I don't think that will happen now. Seasons are a changin....
I have never seen a pattern like that on a squash. If the flesh looks normal is should be OK to eat.
ReplyDeleteMy brussels sprouts are small like yours. Maybe I should take the leaves off of one or two of the plants and see what happens.
Knocking off the leaves of the BS will sure give them room to grow larger which is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteCould the pattern be stink bug damage, or would that affect the fruit also?
The pattern is a new one on me....I bet that KB was really good!
ReplyDeleteI've had that same damage on butternuts before, although I never knew what it was. The flesh was fine though.
ReplyDeleteGot to try knocking the leaves of my brussels sprouts. Why didn't I think of that earlier.
ReplyDeleteI cut the tops of the BS plants around Labor Day (if the plants look big). That seems to make the sprouts fuller.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a leaf miner to me. Confused little bug apparently. LOL. I say cut that part out and eat the rest anyway!
ReplyDeleteGood luck on the brussel sprouts! Mine have done absolutely nothing.
ReplyDeleteI usually knock the lower branches off of brussel sprouts when they get to be about the size yours are - also usually side dress the plant with some organic fertilizer at about the same time as well. It pushes them to the finish line when the soil temps are decreasing (which locks up nutrients) and because at the end of the season the soil is likely getting a little depleted. I did not grow any brussel sprouts this year and am really missing them.
ReplyDeleteI have some double yeild cukes coming off of the one plant that survived from all of the ones I started from the seeds you saved me. They were late to the cucumber party but are loaded with small fruits.
Those are two fine looking tomatoes to serve as the last tomatoes of the season!
ReplyDeleteI have heard that cutting the tops of the brussels sprouts plants off, as Jason has done, forces the actual sprouts to grow all to a uniform size to finish the season. I haven't tried it, but that's what I read somewhere. Good luck with it, and let us know how you make out with whatever you do with them.
ReplyDeleteWhat a weird looking squash. It looks like some weird fungus is growing on it. Pretty in a freaky sort of way.
ReplyDeleteInteresting experiment on your sprouts. I've left the leaves on mine for the moment. Looking good!Do you have any Pink Berkeley Tie Dye seeds yet?
ReplyDeleteThe brussell sprout stalk looks like some sort of insect. Like a centipeded or something. lol Beautiful tomato :)
ReplyDeleteJason above, mentioned taking off the top of the BS about labour day...I would miss the beautiful green or burgundy leaves if I did that, but, that is exactly the advice I was given at our local farmers market on Saturday, so next year, will do a comparison to see if that does work. Taking the bottom leaves off, hasn't particularly made my BS larger.
ReplyDeleteIt's all a learning curve heh!
Neat. Looks like travertine!
ReplyDeleteIf the flesh looks ok, I say eat it!
Could it be cold or frost damage on the squash? I think I have seen that on some of my stuff before it starts to go mushy.
ReplyDelete