Early Pumpkin Harvest

Safe and gorgeous

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

I harvested 8 pumpkins this morning.

It's August.

Harvesting pumpkins in August just does not sound right. Especially when it will be around 90 later this afternoon.

Not right at all.

Extenuating circumstances encouraged me to wade deep in the bristly pumpkin patch and knee high grass to grasp my favorite orange fall buddies. Er, I mean, signs of the season. Sure, I talk to my pumpkins. And those dratted slugs and squash bugs. I do admit to speaking kindly to my pumpkin pals. Not so much with the vermin.

Doesn't everyone talk to their plants and garden inhabitants? No? Hmmm.

Slugs. They were eating HOLES in my pumpkins! I rolled one large pumpkin over and a huge spotted slug, probably 3-4 inches long when stretched out, was coiled comfortably in the blossom end hollow. UGH. Tiny little slime booger slugs were creeping all over as well.

Odd. Spring. Weather. We had the weirdest spring. That is all I can blame on the extremely early crops. It was very warm, very hot, and then very cold. Plants in my area don't know what to do. Except grow.

Squash bugs. I've been so busy packing up the house, I missed recognizing the sign of yellowed leaves that indicated I had extra special garden pest visitors. Why, those hungry little insects have moved right in!

Orange. These pumpkin babies were colorful and ready to visit my porch.

Snip, snip, tug, and off we went away from hungry mouths to the safety of shade and protection.

Fall (in August) here we come!

How is your garden growing this year?

Slugs vs Plaid Boxer Shorts

Yes, that was me wandering outside in the backyard wearing my plaid boxers. Why do you ask?

Because the slugs are winning.

It's a war. Lettuce vs slugs. Radishes vs slugs. Kale, strawberries, green beans, raspberries - all vs slugs.

Even with me, my trusty saltshaker, two grands with their saltshakers, and a handy gardening shovel, the slugs are still winning.

One day, hundreds of years in the future, archeologists will ponder this little plot of highly salted land and try to figure out how the ocean traveled this far inland. That salt plus my assortment of shells and driftwood will complete the evidence.

All joking aside. Die. Slugs. die.

A Note to the Slugs:

I know you have a purpose for decomposing. But my garden does not need decomposing. Go back to the forest and gnaw on some dead and downed tree trunks. Guzzle your way through layers of old leaves. Chomp down weeds and woodsy debris. But leave my garden alone. Thank you.

Sigh.

Maybe plaid boxers do not scare away slugs. Must change hunting attire.

Garden Advice Requested - Slugs?

It's almost that time again. Actually, I could and should plant cold weather vegetables ASAP.

Last year I planted a type of French radish. They were 2-3 inches long and oblong in shape. A hot dog of a radish instead of a ball. Those fresh radishes were so delectable, I couldn't keep my hands and my mouth away from them!

Neither could the slugs. That is my guess. The photo shows how something has eaten around the top of the radishes. In the beginning, this only happened on the top of the radish. Later, small nibbles were found below ground. I'm suspecting pill (sow or potato) bugs did that damage.

I would gladly glean from the wisdom of the collective worldwide garden. Please!

Who was eating my radishes?

How should I get rid of them?

Should that work, what is your favorite recipe for radishes?

This gardener can't wait for spring produce.

Angie Quantrell loves growing fresh food for her family. She does not like to share with garden pests and respectfully requests your insights into protecting her future meals from present bugs.

Parsley Anyone? How About Homemade Tartar Sauce?

One ladybug, three earwigs, two baby green worms, several egg cases, a million aphid-looking things, mud, grass, weeds...

Details such as those listed above required triple washing and vigorous rinsing before I could pop the harvest from two parsley plants in the dehydrator. It was rough work - spoon at the ready to smash offenders (not the ladybug), continuously moving water, and icy hands - completing this early morning task.

But I won! A good dunk and swish (times three), a turn in the salad spinner, and the dehydrator was soon crammed full with pungent yet delectable parsley springs. A good mornings' work.

Have you ever noticed the slight cigarette smell to crushed parsley? I kept smelling a faint cigarette scent, like old smoke. I'm not sure how else to describe it. Thank You, Jesus, that it does not taste like old cigarette smoke! Parsley is delicious, especially in the tartar sauce I am making for dinner. Triple mmmmm.

Homemade Tartar Sauce
(I mix and match my ingredients until it looks like I want it. I adore onions, so there is quite a bit of diced onions in my tartar sauce).

1/2 jar of dill relish (cheating, I know, but much easier)
good handful-sized batch of fresh parsley, washed, dried, and chopped
1 small onion, diced
Saffola (or your preference of mayo)

Add relish, parsley, and onion to a bowl. Add enough mayo to make a creamy tartar sauce. Stir well. Let it steep for at least half an hour.

Serve. We love it with salmon.

Next on the list? Attacking the sage.