mauirose, the vines are looking splendid. Crisp and fibrous like celery. I tore one open yesterday that was climbing into a tomato cage where I didn't want it to be. This vine did have an infected fruit on it. I took the opportunity to inspect the vine and leaf stems for internal problems, which I did not find. The vines are growing quite well, although by this time of year they're slowing down on vine growth. Larvae? We don't have squash bugs or SVB in this region. I haven't noticed any insects/maggots in the *many* squashes of all sizes that I have opened up. The plant health in general, to my eye, appears uncompromised. Yes, a bacterial infection seems like a real possibility. I have not tried the bag test, but I might as well. This morning I tore open the blossoms of three fruits where the petals were closed but not yet wilted. They must have bloomed yesterday or the day before at the earliest. There was liquid around the base of the stigma, and the stigma structure itself felt slippery. They smelled like mildly rotten milk. I have no doubt that they were "on their way". One of them, however, appeared unaffected. I will keep an eye on that one although it is quite likely infected but not yet showing symptoms. My only plan of action at this point is to tear out all of these vines and relocate them to the burn pile, and not grow any squash is these same beds for a very long time. I cannot burn them now but it's the best I can do. I would have to sacrifice a very good looking Marina Chioggia and Galeux D'eysines. Both of which I was eager to sample, but realistically, what are the chances that they are edible? This is a pretty good area for growing squash as there are no pest problems. It is sometimes a challenge to get Moschatas or even Maximas to ripen, but the judicious use of a cold frame, and thinning the late setting fruits is all it takes. I currently have Acorn Squash, Zukes, Crooknecks, and Pink Jumbo Banana all growing and producing nicely without issues.I guess I'm not doing too bad all things considered. I just don't want a repeat performance next year.

Quote: * Posted by aspen0 z5 MI (My Page) on Sun, Oct 5, 08 at 17:24 No no... We had a FREAK frost, we will not have another one for 3 weeks or so, and many leaves have been killed, but not all. So the vines are still alive, just without most of their leaves, meanwhile the squash are large, but unripe. I can leave the squash outside for another 3 weeks without risk of frost, so worrying about future frost isn't the issue. ---------------- If you can leave them on the frost damaged vine, the squash will ripen similarly to a squash on a healthy vine. Leave them on until the section of vine nearest the squash changes color from green to tan, and dries out. The vine end may not get "corky" as it would on a healthy plant, and it will appear smaller in diameter and slightly shriveled (a tell tale sign that the vine was frosted.) However, many garden pests become more aggressive after a frost and go in search of any surviving plant life they can attack. So keep a lookout for pest damage, and consider harvesting the squash if they are getting damaged.

Susan, You're welcome. You hill up potatoes when they're grown in the ground. When I plant in containers, I partially fill a tall container with soil and plant the potatoes. When the initial stolon emerges above the soil level, I add more soil to the container when the stolon is an inch or two tall. As it keeps growing, I keep adding soil until the soil is as high in the container as it is going to go...maybe 2 or 3" below the top of the container. That's one of the advantages to growing potatoes in containers---no hilling up, just adding soil in a container. Some folks on the vegetable forum have experimented with growing potatoes in bottomless 'frames' or 'trays' they stack on top of an existing soil-filled bed. As the potato plant grows taller, they add another frame and fill it with soil. They haven't had quite the results (tons of potatoes) they've hoped for as the potatoes will not form new potatoes endlessly along the stolons forever. I do not know if they had control plants grown in the ground to compare with the boxes or frames they kept stacking and adding vertically. To me, containers seem simpler than adding stacked boxes or frames. Potatoes make their best growth in our climate early in the season while the soil and air temps are cooler and while rain is (hopefully) falling. Research at Texas A&M University when I lived in Texas showed potatoes make their best growth when temperatures range between 60 and 75 degrees during the day and 45 and 55 degrees at night. We don't stay in that temperature range very long, so early potato planting is critical to success and also is key to getting bumper crops of potatoes. We get way too hot too early to expect amazing potato yields in our climate because once soil temps hit 85 degrees, potato initiation ceases. Our weather is really better-suited to sweet potatoes than regular potatoes. You'll notice that Oklahoma is not a hotbed (pun intended) of commercial potato growers. Dawn

Well, Becky, you're assuming I actually end up with some melons, LOL! In the past the only thing I had space for were tiny melons, like Minnesota Midget. This year, since I have a plot at the community garden, I thought I would try a bunch of different kinds, but with our short growing season, and cool nights, they may not get ripe before the first fall frost. If I do end up with a lot of melons, I'm sure they won't go to waste. All three of my kids love any kind of melon, and so do I. Recieved my package today, and there were several I had to look up. Two of them, I couldn't find any info on, so whoever sent in the 'Keeper' and/or 'Pridenstrovsky', any information would be helpful - size, type of melon, flesh color, etc. Thanks for hosting this swap! Great job!!! Bonnie