2013 Garden Experiment-Companion Planting of Marigolds and Tomatoes

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Jay White

Each year I like to try some kind of experiment in the garden. I truly believe that the best way to become a better gardener is to try new things. This year I will be putting one of the most commonly talked about organic pest control methods to the test. I am going to try a companion planting of tomatoes and marigolds to keep the stink bugs away.

One of my “porch grown” marigolds is about ready to bloom

If you believe everything you read, then you no doubt believe that marigolds are miracle plants. It is truly amazing to me how many articles/posts there are on the internet making incredible claims about their bug fighting abilities. One of the more recent things I read swears that all you have to do is plant a marigold in each corner of your garden and all of your bug problems are solved. While there may be some truth to the marigold’s bug fighting abilities, I really don’t believe they are going to very successful at riding my tomatoes of their stink bugs.

The above marigold two days after opening

Now don’t get me wrong. I really want my experiment to work. In fact, I have gone out of my way to give the marigolds as much of a chance as possible. Instead of trying to plant four plants in the corners of my garden, I am going to completely surround the tomatoes in marigolds. For this experiment, I grew about 100 marigold plants from seed in my new back porch seed starting rack. Once the little plants got up to about four inches tall I used them to line the triangular beds of my potager. I planted the starts six inches in from edge and spaced them at six inches. It took about 20 plants to line each bed.

My first “bug fighting” marigold of the year

Once the flowers were in, I planted the tomatoes. For this experiment I am using romas. Romas grow on nice, neat determinate bushes. My thought is, those nice, compact determinate bushes will give all of those pesky bugs fewer places to hide. I am also hoping that their relatively open form will allow whatever magic bug fighting qualities the marigolds possess to waft freely deep into the bush where the bugs are hiding.

Holidays mean free labor. My daughter jessie helps me plant the marigolds for my experiment on Easter Sunday

I apologize a little about my attitude here. I really, really, really want the marigolds to run all of the bugs off. However, I am very skeptical. Even though I am doubtful of the marigold’s bug fighting abilities, I do truly expect they will keep any nematode issues at bay. It is a proven, scientific fact that marigold roots secrete alpha-terthienyl. This compound has insecticidal, nematodial and anti-viral properties. It also stops nematode eggs from hatching.

I love my larkspur. This has absolutely nothing to do with the experiment but it is lovely and i just wanted to include it!

My last big garden experiment was growing potatoes in a box. That one was a complete failure. I had very high hopes for that one when the experiment started. For this one, my expectations are a bit lower. I expect to have almost aero nematode problems but I really don’t expect the marigolds to be very successful at keeping the bugs away. Only time will tell. Check back at the end of the season to see how it goes.

Trowel and Error Symposium at Mayfield Park

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Jay White

This past week should have been one of the busiest weeks of the whole year in the garden. However, instead of setting out plants, weeding, mulching and making blog posts about it all, I was laid up fighting/recovering from the flu. If you have never had the flu, I don’t recommend you try it. This one bout has been enough to make sure that I never ever miss a flu shot ever again.

The water gardens at Mayfield are lovely

At least something good happened “garden wise” this past week. Last Saturday, Sally and I got to go Austin to give a presentation on organic weed control at the Mayfiled Park Trowel and Error symposium. Mayfield Park (http://mayfieldpark.org/page1.php) is a 23 acre nature preserve deep in the heart of Austin. However, what makes it outstanding (as far as I am concerned) are the two beautiful acres nestled behind rustic stone walls.

All of the beds at Mayfield are paid for and maintained by volunteers

These two acres were once the pride and passion of two remarkable Texans. Dr. Milton Gutsch (Chairman for the History Department at UT for many years) married Mary Mayfield in 1918. In 1922, the young couple moved into the tiny board and batten cottage that had served as a weekend/summer home for the Mayfield family (Mr. Mayfield served as the Chairman of the Railroad Commission and Secretary of State of Texas). Over the next 50 years, the Gutsch’s worked to turn two acres into a beautiful and restful garden dotted with beautiful water features, paved limestone patios and pigeonnier.

A white Banksia is stunning over a limestone archway that leads to a private seating area

After the death of her husband, Mrs. Gutsch gave the property to the city to be used a park. Unfortunately, there was no endowment. So for the next several years the park began to suffer from neglect. Then, in 1986, a group called the Mayfield Park/Community Project came together to return the Mayfield cottage and gardens back to their former glory. This group, headed by Karen Camannati has been at it ever since. This group receives no money from the city of Austin. All of the money for the upkeep of this beautiful and historic place comes from an occasional grant, an annual newsletter and the annual Trowel & Error Symposium.

The flock of peafowl that roam the grounds are all descendants from the first peacocks that came to the property in 1935

I attend a lot of gardening presentations each year. While I usually enjoy all of them, this year’s Trial and Error was one of the most special events that I have ever attended. The welcoming and dedicated spirit of Karen, the generosity of the volunteers and the sheer beauty and history of the place made it the perfect place for a spring gardening event. If you did not make it out to this year’s Trial and Error, please make a point to attend next year. For the past several years Karen and the other members of the board have brought together an impressive array of horticultural speakers. For a $5 donation, you can support an historic Austin gem, learn from talented and passionate gardeners and buy starts from some of the hundreds of antique plants that bloom in the Mayfield gardens. And, if growing plants is not your thing, you can still come. The gardens and the flock of peacocks (that have descended from the original birds gifted to the Gutsch’s in 1935) provide a great opportunity and backdrop for all of you shutterbugs out there.

Pigeonneirs were once common throughout the rural south. Today, they are harder and harder to find. The one at Mayfield is outstanding

I seldom do personal stuff on the blog, but today I am making an exception. Our oldest daughter Kate, is in the hospital. She is suffering from an autoimmune disease called polymyositis. If you are the praying kind, I ask that you remember her and her husband in your prayers. She is in constant pain and there is no quick fix. If you are Catholic and you are participating in the Chaplet of Divine Mercy (http://www.praydivinemercy.com/) right now, please offer one up for her!

Growing Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus)

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Jay White

I love the holidays. The kids come home. We eat, we visit, and then I try to get them to help me in the garden. Before they get here, my wife always reminds me that when company comes they are “company” and not “labor”. She encourages me to leave the gardening alone and play host all weekend. And, since I love my wife, I try. I really do. However, I rarely succeed.

My son in law Ramez is skeptical of the “little thing he can help with in the garden”

This weekend I made it until about noon on Saturday. By that time I had whined enough, that the kids (and even my wife) told me to go. So, my son in law Ramez (Moose) put on his work shoes (that I keep here for him for just such opportunities) and we headed out.

Moose helped me move my cattle panel trellises from my “old garden” to the “new garden”. I use cattle panels, supported by T-Posts, in place of tomato cages. I also use them to grow vining crops like cucumbers.

This year, Sally and I are going to make pickles. So, I am growing a bunch of cucumbers. Moose and I set up two sixteen foot panels so I can grow a full 30’ foot row. Since cucumbers are so productive, a 30’ row will give Sally and I more than enough pickles to meet our canning needs.

My daughter Jessie is planting “pickling” cucumbers along my cattle panel trellis

Growing – Cucumbers are cucurbits. People often ask me how I know how/when to plant so many types of plants. Well, I cheat. Instead of trying to learn all of the traits of single plants, I learn the traits of plant families. If you learn the cultivation requirements of some of the basic plant families (like Cucrbitaceae or Brassica), you know how and when to grow a whole lot of different plants that fall in those families. Generally, all cucurbits can be planted and grown in the exact same way.

Blue cucumber seeds have been treated with an organic, sulfur based fungicide called thiram. This protects against certain pests and makes sure the seeds do not rot in moist soil.

Cucumbers can be planted about two weeks after the last frost date. For me, that is usually around March 15. Plant them in a sunny location that receives at least 8 hours of sun a day. They are heavy feeders and they need good drainage. Plant cucumbers about an inch deep in beds that are well worked with organic material. As they grow, watch their leaves. If they show signs of yellowing, side dress with a good aged manure.

Cucumbers produce lots of vines. While you can let them run, the fruit quality and appearance will be better if they are trellised. I have grown them on three legged trellises with a lot of success. However, since I am going for production, I now grow exclusively on cattle panels.

Untreated “Muncher” cucumber seeds

Since cucumbers produce so many vines, they need a lot of water. Plus, the fruit of a cucumber is 90% water. If you do not give them enough water, they can become bitter. At a minimum, they need 1” a week from a slow deep watering. However, at flowering and fruiting, it is a good idea to up the amount of water to 1 ½” to 2” per week (especially in sandy soils). Ideally, cucumbers should not be allowed to dry out. The soil should stay moist throughout the growing season. Also, mulch your vines heavily to get the most out of all of that water you are applying. This mulch will save water and keep the roots cool. Cool roots mean longer production.

Planting Time – Finally!

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Jay White

This year I built a new vegetable garden. I tilled up a 35’ X 20’ area next to my orchard and berry trellis. Because of this, I was extremely excited. I had grand plans for an early planting of mature tomatoes that I had grown from seed. However, as we all know, if you get too excited about something in life, life is bound to throw you a curve. My curve came in the form of bad weather. In the past two weeks I have suffered through a hail storm and a late season freeze. However, in spite of all of these set backs, I finally got to plant most of my garden yesterday

You really have to love Craftsmen tools. My Craftsman rear tine tiller set unused in my garage for the past three years. This year, when I needed it, I added gas, pulled and started tilling. Amazing!

The hail storm that I mentioned literally pounded my etiolated tomatoes into the ground. So, in order to have tomatoes this year I went to K&S Farm and Ranch Pet Center to buy my replacement plants. K&S is a family owned operation in Brenham that I frequent quite often. When I say that K&S is family run, I mean family run. Like Sally and I, Keith and Suzette Evans have a whole bunch of kids. Every member of the Evans family has worked together to create a great little place to do business. Through the years, we have enjoyed dealing with some of the nicest kids in Washington County (and the parents are really nice to deal with too).

Lemon Boy image from Homestead Nursery @ http://www.homesteadnurserywi.com/

Even though Keith and Suzette sell feed and pet supplies at K&S, they are really gardeners at heart. Because of that, they keep a great selection of seeds (and grow them in their home garden) and sell a wide variety of transplants each season. I bought a six pack of Early Girl, another of Lemon Boy and a couple of big Celebrity plants. I also got a six pack of TAM jalapeños, a couple of yellow bells and four poblanos.

Mulching the rows of the “New” garden. If you are going to garden in blackland soil, mulching the walk pathways is an absolute must!

I stayed out in the garden planting until almost 8:00 last night. Thank God for daylight savings time. In addition to the tomatoes and peppers I also planted contender bush beans and lima beans. This weekend, barring bad weather, I will finish planting the “new” garden by adding cucumbers and corn. At least that’s the plan. Who knows what else mother nature has planned for my 2013 spring garden!

Planting Etiolated Tomatoes

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Jay White

This year, I am pretty certain that I have ruined my tomatoes. To say I am disappointed is an understatement. I am not really sure what went wrong. I created a grow center in my mudroom out of a metal shelving system and florescent grow lights. I kept the lights just a couple of inches above the plants. However, in spite of my care, everything went terribly wrong.

My tomato seedlings under the expensive grow lights that apparently weren’t worth what I spent on them

Now don’t get me wrong. Its not like the plants didn’t grow. No, they grew and grew and grew. In all honesty, I knew something was wrong about 30 days into it. They were just too tall. I thought they were growing so fast because of the expensive “grow lights” I bought for the fluorescent fixtures. Boy was I ever wrong. Looks like my expensive grow lights have left me with a whole bunch of etiolated tomatoes.

According to Wikipedia, “etiolation (pronounced /iːtɪəˈleɪʃən/) is a process in flowering plants grown in partial or complete absence of light.^[1] It is characterized by long, weak stems; smaller, sparser leaves due to longer internodes; and a pale yellow color (chlorosis).”

This is what a seriousllt etiolated tomato plant looks like

This is what a seriously etiolated tomato plant looks like

What all this means is my “grow lights” were evidently not producing the right wavelengths required by the tomatoes to grow correctly. We all know that plants need light. However, what a lot of us don’t know is light is really a pretty complex thing. Light comes at you and your plants in waves. Some of these waves are long and some are VERY short. Different plants respond to different wavelengths. So, even though my expensive grow lights provided a lot of light, it wasn’t the right light.

Technically speaking, etiolation causes a lengthening of the internodes of the plant. This makes their branches weak. However, the really bad thing (as far as I am concerned) is that it does not allow the plants to properly develop the chlorophyll need for photosynthesis.

This lack of chlorophyll thing bit me when I set the plants out to “harden off”. Since their chloroplasts weren’t fully formed, they got a pretty bad burn pretty quickly. This “hardening” almost immediately killed about a third of my 58 plants.

I nursed the plants along and continued hardening. However, they were hurting. I was really afraid I was going to lose them all. In order to try and save some of them , I decided to do the only thing I could think of to salvage some of my plants – I planted them sideways!

The long holes I dug to plant my etiolated tomatoes

That’s right, I dug a big old long hole and buried almost all of my etiolated plants. I left about 8” of stem and leaves sticking up. Hopefully, they will quickly develop their weak little chloroplasts and they will start growing normally toward the sun.

Planting the entire plant in the long hole

I was able to bury my plants because tomatoes have the ability to grow roots anywhere along their stem. In fact, even if you plant healthy tomato plants, it is a good idea to bury them deeper than they were in their container. By planting them deep, the buried stem will produce more roots that will in turn help produce a bigger, healthier plant.

One of my poor old etiolated, sunburned tomatoes after transplanting to the garden.

Right now I am hopeful that I will be able to salvage some of my seedlings. However, I have been wrong before. If things don’t go my way over the next week I will be at my local garden center fighting for plants with all of the other last minute tomato gardeners. Wish me luck!

Signs of Spring

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Jay White

Right now, if you are a Zone 9 gardener, you are busy. If you haven’t already gambled and done much of your spring planting, you will soon. If you are not planting, you are weeding, tilling or otherwise preparing your beds and borders for all of the flowers and veggies to come. Yes, it is definately a time of sore backs and aching muscles.

With so much to do, it is easy to overlook all of the amazing things that are happening all around us. That is why I always make a point to walk around and observe all of the beautiful things that are beginning to make their spring show.

I love the things that produce every year with out any help from me. My peach and plum trees are beginning to flower. In my mind, there aren’t many things that are any prettier than the delicate pink blooms of the peach tree.

No Texas spring is complete without bluebonnets. The winter drought is going to mean that there are fewer bluebonnets to enjoy this year. However, one really is enough.

I absolutely love larkspur. These self seeding annuals are as utterly dependable as my poppies and my bluebonnets.

Cherokee rose is an absolutely horrible plant. It is full of thorns, it grows like a weed and it only blooms once. However, this is the first “found rose” that I ever propogated. Plus, I did it with my daughter. So, despite all of the bad things about it, I will love it and keep it forever.

Even though I have several bulbs blooming now, I think the delicate leucojum (Snow Flakes) are my favorites.

A redbud in full bloom is a great reminder that spring really is here again

By far, the biggest and showiest announcer of spring are the native Texas Redbuds. The sight of their bright magenta blooms can bring cheer to the cloudiest day.

2013 THERESA AND LES REEVES LECTURE SERIES at SFA

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Jay White

A beautiful hydrangea in the Mize Garden at Stepen F. AUstin State University in Nacogdoches

As far as I am concerned, the only thing better than gardening is learning about gardening. For those of you in East Texas (or those that would like to visit), your friends at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches have put together another amazing line up of horticulturists to inform you on the latest and greatest in the horticulture world. If you have never visited Stephen F. Austin State University, use these lectures as a chance to gather some useful information and see some truly beautiful gardens. SFA hosts an arboretum, an azelia garden and the Gayla Mize Garden. The gardens are incredibly beautiful, accessible and incredibly well maintained. These gardens are always lovely, but spring is an extra treat. If you can catch the February lecture, you will still see some blooms on their amazing camelia collection. The March lecture is around the time the azelias kick in and they are spectacular. Hope to see you there!

My wife enjoys a hug from noted horticulturist Greg Grant in front of one of the many camelias in the SFA arboretum’s collection

2013 THERESA AND LES REEVES

LECTURE SERIES

The SFA Gardens and Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series is generally held the third Thursday of each month from 7:00 to 8:30 pm in room 110 of the Stephen F. Austin State University Agriculture Building at 1924 Wilson Drive (between the Art Building and the Intramural Fields) in Nacogdoches.

Refreshments are served by the SFA Gardens Volunteers before the lecture with a rare plant raffle being held afterward. The lectures are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Greg Grant at 936.468.1863 or grantdamon@sfasu.edu.

Feb 14 MengMeng Gu, TAMU, College Station, TX – Urban Landscape Philosophy and strategies in China.

Mar 21 Ed Bush, LSU, Baton Rouge, LA – Grow your garden and enjoy a sip of tea!

April 18 Leo Lombardini, TAMU, College Station, TX –Everything you wanted to know about pecans but we’re afraid to ask.

May 16 Todd Lasseigne, Director, Oklahoma Centennial Botanical Garden, Tulsa, OK – The OCBG, proving that there’s plant life here.

Jun 20 Darren Duling, Mercer Arboretum, Houston, TX –Making Mercer Magnificent – Opportunities and Challenges.

Jul 18 Julie Shackleford, Texas Programs Director, the Conservation Fund, Nacogdoches, TX – Backyard Gardening for Dummies and wildlife

Aug 15 Paul Cox, retired Director, San Antonio Botanical Gardens, San Antonio, TX – Lessons in Nature: Reflections on the meaning of life from a plantsman’s point of view –

Sept 19 Wayne Pianta, Ball Horticultural Company, Fort Worth, TX – Plant Breeding, Garden Performance and New Product Development: What Makes the Cut and Why? A Survey of Recent Introductions

Oct 17 Matthew Kwiatkowski, Biology, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches TX – The Critters that Slither and Hop in Your Garden: The Reptiles and Amphibians of East Texas –

Nov 21 Jackie Carlisii, The Grass and Rock Shoppe, Lafayette, LA – Making Organic Gardening Easy

Dec 19 Dave Creech, SFA Gardens, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX – Why raising a garden and raising kiddos is about the same thing; it’s all about breaking rules

A native fern grows on one of the structure in the Mast Arboretum

Start your tillers!!!!

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Jay White

Even though you did not see it on the calendar, last weekend was the end of winter for the Zone 9 gardener. Ok, I realize that by making that declaration in print I am probably dooming us to a late season freeze. However, according to historical statistics, Feb. 15 marked the last day that we could realistically expect a freeze in Zone 9B. Because of this I am now suffering from a severe case of garden fever. Last weekend, to celebrate the end of winter, I planted 2 -33′ rows of potatoes (Yukon Gold, Kennebec, Red LaSoda). I also cleaned out the potager in preparation of the flowers and herbs that will be planted there in the next few weeks.

Now is the perfect time to plant all barassicas like broccoli and cauliflower

Because of our mild climate, we can now plant everything but the most cold sensitive plants. If you want to have fresh cole crops on your spring table (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts) you need to get them in the garden soon. The blue leafed cole crops in the brassica family can be safely planted from transplant anytime between now and March 15.

It’s not too late to plant root crops like carrots and beets from seed

It is also a great time to put out seeds of lettuce, spinach, collards, chard, mustard greens, beets, turnips, radishes and carrots. All of these are fast growers and they are very easy to grow from seed. Since they prefer temps below 80, this is probably the last chance you have to grow them until next fall.

Wait until early March to plant your green beans

In the next couple of weeks I will be planting my green beans. I grow “Contender” but there are several other varieties out there that do very well in our area (see Patty’s recommendations in the sidebar). Green beans are a little cold sensitive so I always hedge my bets and plant them a little later (around March 1).

Now is the perfect time to plant asparagus and artichoke crowns

Late February into early March is also a great time to put out the two perrinial vegetables that do well in our area – asparagus and artichoke. Both of these are grown from roots called “crowns”. They take a little more work and a little more care than our single season vegetables, but they are well worth the effort.

A redbud in full bloom is a great reminder that spring really is here again

The past two sunny weekends have induced in me a very bad case of gardening fever. As I write this, every muscle in body aches from the gardening I forced it to endure last weekend. And that’s fine! My achy body means that winter is finally over and the 2013 gardening season has begun. Gentlemen (and ladies), start your tillers!

It’s Tater-Plantin’ Time! by Patty Leander

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Jay White

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner – a time for love, roses, wine, romance…and taters!

Plant potatoes now for potato harvest in May or June. Photo by Bruce Leander

Plant potatoes now for harvest in May or June. Photo by Bruce Leander

The traditional time for planting potatoes in Central Texas is right around Valentine’s Day or President’s Day. Gardeners in North and West Texas should wait and plant in early March and gardeners in South Texas should plant right away. Potatoes are like people – they are most comfortable and perform their best at room temperature, so in order to keep potatoes happy, we need to plant them so they can grow in our mild spring temperatures (a pretty narrow window, I know) and mature before those hot summer days arrive.

Russian Banana fingerling potatoes. Photo by Bruce Leander

Seed potatoes can be purchased at many local nurseries and feed stores, or they can be ordered through the mail (but you’d have to hurry at this point as planting time is near). My favorite mail order source for certified seed potatoes is Potato Garden (www.potatogarden.com). Avoid the temptation to use potatoes from the grocery store – they have often been treated with a sprout inhibitor and you don’t always know what variety they are. They could also carry disease organisms that could be transferred to the soil. Seed potatoes purchased from a reputable source are certified to be disease free.

Potatoes cut and ready for planting; small potatoes, like these fingerlings, can be planted whole. Photo by Bruce Leander

A few tried and true varieties for Central Texas gardeners are Red Pontiac, Red La Soda, Kennebec and Yukon Gold. But don’t be afraid to try some new varieties, just try to avoid the late-season types that take too long to mature. I have had good success with Mountain Rose and Purple Viking as well as some of the fingerlings including Austrian Crescent, Russian Banana and Red Thumb.

A row of potatoes growing in bushel baskets. Photo by Bruce Leander

Cut potatoes into pieces about the size of an egg, making sure each piece has one or two “eyes”. Allow the cut pieces to cure in a warm location for 2-4 days before planting. Some gardeners dust their seed potatoes with sulfur to help prevent soil borne disease. Remember that potatoes belong to the nightshade family, so try not to plant them where you have grown tomatoes, eggplant or peppers in the past.

Potato foliage grows very quickly. The potatoes are ready for harvest after 3 1/2 months. Photo by Bruce Leander

Prepare your soil a week or two before planting by mixing in a layer of well-rotted compost and 1 pound of organic fertilizer per 20 feet of row. When you are ready to plant dig a trench about 4-6” deep and plant the potato pieces in moist (not wet) soil 8-12” apart. Cover them with 2-4” of soil, pressing down firmly to ensure good soil contact over and around the potato piece. You will be amazed at how fast they grow. Before you know it, they will have grown 5-6” and it will be time to “hill” the potatoes. Do this by piling soil or mulch around the potato stems until only the top two inches of the leaves are showing. You’ll do this again in 3-4 weeks. The ultimate goal is to have several inches of soil above the seed piece so that the tubers will develop below the soil and will not be exposed to sunlight (which causes them to turn green).

Potatoes are usually ready to harvest in June when the tops begin to turn yellow, but I start feeling around for tender new potatoes in mid-May. When the time does come for harvesting, dig the potatoes gently to prevent damage and let them air dry 1-2 hours in a warm, shady spot. Wipe the dirt off carefully and store potatoes in a cool, dark location.

Seed potatoes planted in a bushel basket. Photo by Bruce Leander

Growing potatoes above ground is fun to do, especially for kids. My young niece and nephew were visiting from out of state last Thanksgiving and they were delighted to harvest potatoes growing in a bushel basket in my garden. Bushel baskets are cheap and easy to work with and they last two or three seasons, but a wire cage or any open-ended container will work. Start by cutting the bottom off each basket. Plant potato pieces 2-3 inches deep in soil that has been loosened and amended with garden fertilizer (use 2-3 tablespoons for each basket). Don’t overcrowd the basket – two or three potato pieces per basket is good. As the plants grow, gradually fill the baskets with compost, mulch or straw, leaving a little bit of the leafy tops showing. When harvest time rolls around just pull the basket up and harvest the spuds from the base of the basket. This is for you, Jack and Ava – let me know how many you harvest!

The prize – several Kennebec potatoes in the base of the basket. Photo by Bruce Leander

Hand Pollinating Squash

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Jay White

A squash vine borer moth in Patty Leander’s garden. Photo by Bruce Leander

Squash vine borers are just horrible in my part of Texas. Because of this, it is almost impossible to get a great crop of any of the standard summer squash varieties grown in our area (yellow crookneck, zucchini or patty pan). As I talk to people, I get more questions about how to control this destructive little pest than any other. Quite frankly, if you are an organic grower, there is not much you can do to beat the borer besides growing your plants under row cover (if you are not organic, Sevin dust does a fairly decent job of keeping borers away, but it needs to be applied every four or five days). If you properly grow under row cover you will definitely stop the vine borer. However, you will also prevent bees and other pollinators from reaching the plants. Because of this, if you want any fruit, you will be forced to pollinate your plants by hand. Luckily, hand pollination of squash plants is very easy to do.

A female acorn squash flower in my garden. Notice the small, developing acorn squash under the flower.

Flower Identification – Hand pollination of squash blossoms requires no special skills or tools. All you have to do is be able to identify male and female flowers. On squash, this is very easy to do. Female flowers will always have a tiny fruit under the flower.

Up close view of the stigma of a female acorn squash flower

Male flowers grow on a long narrow stem. You can also tell the two apart by looking at the reproductive organs found in the center of the flower. The female flowers contain the stigma. The stigma generally looks like a flower in its own right. It has several “bumpy structures” that cluster around a central opening. Anthers (male parts) look a lot like the thing my wife uses to apply eye shadow.

Up close view of the anther on this male squash flower

Hand Pollination – When growing under row cover you will need to pollinate as soon as the flowers begin to open. When this happens, roll back your cover and find a male flower. Cut it off where the flower stem meets the main stem of the plant. Next, gently remove all of the petals from the flower. Once the petals are gone you are left with a stem and exposed anther that is about 4” to 6” long.

The anther and stem of the male plant will be used to “paint” the pollen onto the stigma of the female

Now find a female flower and use your stem and anther to “paint” the stigma in the center of the female flower. Gently rub the anther over the stigma a few times. Then go on to the next female flower. Each anther can be used to pollinate approximately five flowers.

“Painting” the stigma

Caution – A fellow gardener once told me that they were crushed to find a vine borer trapped under their row cover after they had hand pollinated. If this happens to you don’t worry. While it is best if you can keep your squash plant bug free for its entire life, a mature squash plant can usually “outgrow” a worms infestation if the eggs are not laid until after pollination occurs. Because of this, many gardeners that grow under cover often remove the cover completely when the pollination is done.

If you want to keep the cover on throghout the life cycle, work with a buddy and pollinate in the late afternoon (borers are most active before noon). Roll back the cover and quickly harvest several male flowers. Put the cover back in place as you strip the petals from the male flowers. When you have all of the anthers exposed quickly pull the cover back and pollinate all of the female flowers at one time, then quickly put the cover back in place and anchor the sides to the soil.

Squash being grown under cover in Patty Leander’s garden. Photo by Bruce Leander

This method of hand pollination is a great tool to master and you can use it for all of your cucrubits. If you do it right, I am convinced it will increase your yields This fall I grew acorn squash. Since we have been short on bees, I did a small experiment. I hand pollinated half of my vines and let nature pollinate the other half. I got almost a 100% yield from the flowers I pollinated. Mother Nature was only successful about half the time.