It's THAT Time of Year

[MichaelMouse]

You know the time I'm speaking of if you garden. The time you regret planting all four zucchini plants. All your neighbors get that glazed look in their eyes and/or try to look occupied when you meet them. They know you have zucchini to offer. Anyone ever turn a zucchini? Short of pistol practice, it's tough to find a use for more than a couple a day, and they just continue to grow, sometimes doubling overnight.

 

[Gretch Flo]

garden/pole barn

With my 2 hills of zuccini, 2 hills of yellow sq, and 5 hills of cukes along with 3 types of green and 1 yellow beans, my neighbors/kids aren't compaining. I give 95 % away.Then of course there is the 3 types of sweet corn, yukon gold potatoes, 3 types of tomatoes, brocoli, brussel sprouts, melons, spinach, 3 types of onions,and 7 types of herbs that keep me busy. Not as much turning in the summer.
BTW, a week ago my son needed some interim work and suggested he could build me a pole barn to store my equipment (8 n Ford tractor, trailers, etc) and woodworking wood. Good idea!!!!! My arm didn't snap too badly.The holes are dug for a 24x24' and we get the building permit applic. today. And wood comes tomorrow. Time to "fall off the wagon"-again, Gretch

 

[dkulze]

I've only got a small patch, with my 5 mounds of summer squash of various types (thankfully, two mounds look like they're going go die), 5 cuke mounds, 6 or 8 pole beans, and 15 tomato. I'm personally considering building a trebuchet to see if I can clear my neighbor's yard and make it to the woods with the bigger stuff.

Dietrich

P.S.(I wimped out and didn't even bother harvesting the two black raspberry patches or the 5 extremely large blueberry bushes and just let the birds have them. The asparagus patch won't be harvestable till next year)

P.P.S.(Don't know about squash but potatos are turnable. Would imagine you could do toms, cukes, and zuchs if you freeze them first)

 

[Steve Worcester]

Sorry, around here, our zuch are all dead from the heat by now. Peppers are flourishing though.

 

[Martin Braun]

Maybe you could stabilize it with some Pentacryl or epoxy? Although, I doubt the color of the zucchini would last.

 

[KenN]

In some quarters it's considered antisocial to plant more than one Zucchini.

 

[DeanGThomas]

Honest!

Anyone ever turn a zucchini?

We have a guy locally that turned a sweet potato, actually. Made a THREADED box out of it! Even finished, it did not last long--got mushy and lost shape and threads about the same time. It was a great conversation piece while it lasted though, and it really gathered a crowd at the woodworking show!

 

[MichaelMouse]

With my 2 hills of zuccini, 2 hills of yellow sq, and 5 hills of cukes along with 3 types of green and 1 yellow beans, my neighbors/kids aren't compaining. I give 95 % away.Then of course there is the 3 types of sweet corn, yukon gold potatoes, 3 types of tomatoes, brocoli, brussel sprouts, melons, spinach, 3 types of onions,and 7 types of herbs that keep me busy. Not as much turning in the summer.

My sympathies. At least the wood is made here, though not back in the ready stacks near the load door yet. I turn maybe a couple hours a week right now, and that because I'm avoiding the heat by being in the basement.

It was nice to have new potatoes (Norland), peas (Wando), with baby thinner carrots (red-cored chantanay), sauteed shallots and zucchini for dinner, though. Oh yes, salmon too.

Something like a luffa which has an understructure might look great in acrylic. Can't even make something like those apple dolls out of a zucchini, though. Was thinking of such things while brushing the path through the north woods to the river. SWMBO and I hit the river pretty regularly in hot weather.

Betting even the traditionalist Blokes who turn wooden fruit for display don't do squash.

 

[Ziffy]

Up to my rear in 'Black Gold'

I've always hesitated about posting this information, as it is not DIRECTLY related to turning, but this thread looks appropriate... Have any of you woodturning gardners ever tried composting your shavings? I did this year, and I can't believe how well it works! The shavings decompose very quickly. I usually compost leaves from the fall and add vegatable scraps all summer long. Typically I end with not enough 'brown' material about mid-summer. This year I emptied a barrel of shavings into the mix, and it has worked great! Now, I need more 'green' material...

Brian

 

[Jake Debski]

I've always hesitated about posting this information, as it is not DIRECTLY related to turning, but this thread looks appropriate... Have any of you woodturning gardners ever tried composting your shavings? I did this year, and I can't believe how well it works! The shavings decompose very quickly. I usually compost leaves from the fall and add vegatable scraps all summer long. Typically I end with not enough 'brown' material about mid-summer. This year I emptied a barrel of shavings into the mix, and it has worked great! Now, I need more 'green' material...

Brian

Add a couple bushels of year-old horse or sheep manure to that mix, it'll help replace the nitrogen that the wood chips used to break down.

 

[MichaelMouse]

Note the year-old horse manure. Fresh stuff can get hot enough to light the pile off, even in the dead of winter. Wondered why the snow was gone when I had mixed fresh, then found I had a hollow pile and a lot of ashes.

Chickens are pretty good with the shavings. Just ask for them back after the coop is cleaned. No sawdust. Seems chickens are so stupid they'll think it's mash and eat it, with the resulting malnutrition.

Real acid shavings like oak, walnut, and cherry are going to take longer unless you sweeten the pile. OTOH, if you put them under the electric fence, you won't get weed shorts. They're pretty good grass killers.

 

[Ziffy]

The horse and/or sheep manure I'm sure is a good idea... Unfortunately I don't own either nor have any nearby. I've been trying to get permission from my better/smarter half, to start raising alpacas, but that is another story...

Brian

 

[Gretch Flo]

shavings for garden mulch

The last few years I have used the shavings for pathways, and to surround the vine crops as they grow to keep the fruit from the mud. Then in the fall/spring, it is rototilled in to add organic mat;l for the next year. You need extra nitrogen, and for the last 20 yrs (per a collegue), I spread urea (46%? N) in the spring. Rows or beds are given 12-12-12-. IN the fall I spread horse manure (from my pasture)-yes not rotted and lots of weeds. Plants thrive well, even using some oak,walnut, etc. Gretch

 

[dkulze]

Gretch got the key there. Unless they're done composting, wood shavings will tend to suck nitrogen from the soil and starve your plans. Using it for paths then mixing nicely with manure or nitrogen takes care of that problem. I've actually taken to using fresh grass clippings as the ground cover in my garden so as to avoid the nitrogen suck.

Dietrich

 

[n7bsn]

People with no friends...

My Mother-In-Law says that you can tell who the people with no friends are, you see them in the store buying Zucchini.

Honestly, I've been "drive by" Zucchini'ed before, come home (or get up in the morning ) to find a fresh Zucchini on the door step.

 

[woodwish]

My Mother-In-Law says that you can tell who the people with no friends are, you see them in the store buying Zucchini.

Honestly, I've been "drive by" Zucchini'ed before, come home (or get up in the morning ) to find a fresh Zucchini on the door step.

OK, that's the funniest thing I have read on here in a long time- "drive by" Zucchini'ed