Cleburne County, AL – A basic spring vegetable seed with easy maintenance is Crook Neck Squash. The seed germinates in 10 days. The plant continues to produce squash as long as you prune off the young vegetables on a daily basis. Because the leaves are large and cover the ground, a Gardener can use this as an advantage. By growing lettuce under these leaves. The squash vine runs a pathway and can be staked to run up a vertical frame to save space. Some gardeners allow squash to run up corn stalks by using a string to direct the squash upward, attached to the stalk. To keep squash borers controlled, I use an organic Diatomaceous Earth Powder (DE). DE cuts all crawling bugs. I give my vines some pine straw to run across to keep mold, mildew controlled with air circulation. I use squash to make relish, refrigerator pickles, frozen squash, stir fry, and fried squash. My technique for large crowds of frying squash is to cut the clean, washed squash into circles. Soak your circles in buttermilk, toss those circles in half cornmeal/flour. Use BBQ bamboo skewers to insert the circular disk of breaded squash. Heat your vegetable oil, lay the skewers in the hot oil, rotate to brown, and drain on paper towels. Every guest will be excited to receive their own personal fried squash skewer. Squash gets a chalky taste when it has large seeds. The quality of freshness reduces in old, large squash. To keep squash for several days in the refrigerator, do not wash it. Wipe the squash with dry paper towels and place it uncovered in the refrigerator. If you place squash in zip bags, it will get moldy quickly. Tip: water the ground, do not water the squash leaves to control wilt, mold, and fungus.
Betty Clark is a contributing writer. She has been an organic gardener since 1998. The signature flower she grows is Dahlias. She has a straw bale garden, a raised bed garden, and an in-ground garden. Both her surnames are from agricultural farming families (8 generations). Her hobbies include ancestry research, antiques, continued education classes, and workshops. She also has a background in marketing & promotions, including expos. To contact Betty Clark with gardening questions: [email protected]
