I started carrots as an afterthought after radishes proved to be so exciting. I started them late, so I don’t think I’ll see them reach their full potential. So far they’ve gotten very leafy and I’ve pulled a few that are starting to look like carrots.
As everyone on the internet tells you, starting seedlings then transplanting them does in fact result in crooked carrots, but I don’t carrot too much (heh). I was more concerned with making sure the seedling were viable under grow lights before putting them outside because the weather can be so fickle here.
Not too much to report on carrots except to say I’d try them again, and their leaves smell like parsley. Could be interesting to use in recipes.
I gave growing from seeds a try for the first time this year, in Alaska. I started in April under grow lights. Here’s how one crop went.
My favorite crop this season was BY FAR zucchini (don’t tell the radishes). They quickly and easily progressed from a single large seed (that I could see without a microscope – I’m looking at you mint) to an adolescent plant with big happy green leaves relatively quickly! This was a great confidence boost as a beginner gardener. I watched with excitement as each leaf popped out, and eventually the first blossom buds started to form.
Baby seedling under grow lights
Where do squash babies come from?
Male squash flowers
Female squash flower
Once I got blossoms, I was informed that if I was growing them inside (yes, it was not warm enough yet for them to move outside) I would need to pollenate them. Turns out there are male and female squash blossoms, and without pollenators the gardener must don a bumble bee costume and do the dirty work herself (edit – turns out the bumble bee costume is not a requirement, the squash cannot tell the difference), transferring pollen from male blossoms to female blossoms. If the blossoms are not pollenated, the fruit will grow a little bit, then stop and fall off before maturing.
One lesson learned from this is that timing is tricky. Often there were too many ladies and no men around (am I right ladies?), or vice versa. Blossoms are only open and viable for about a day, so not having hetero pairs became a problem. As a result, I’d say having multiple plants is key to increase likelihood of available partners.
Growing up
Just watch these babies grow.
Harvest
Behold the bounty:
Squash blossoms
Squash blossom soup
First zucchini
First zucchini
Big kahuna in progress
Rot problems – this happened to several. Not sure if it was related to pollenation.
Different sizes and stages
Hand for scale
The big kahuna
… and finally, behold my biggest most beautiful zucchini child:
I harvested this big boy this week, and as I’m moving out of town next week, zucchini season is officially over! it’s just as well since the weather has decided it is autumn, and I think growth is slowing down all around the garden at this point.
ROAD TRIP 