Question: How do I know when my winter squash are ready for harvest?
Answer: Winter squash is grown in summer but the mature fruits can be stored and eaten in winter. This is different than summer squash, like zucchini, which are harvest young and eaten right away.
Winter squash must mature completely on the vine before it is picked. This can be quite late into the fall. To determine if it is ready for harvesting, check its colour and the hardness of the stem. Once the colour looks right AND the stem feels hard like wood, it is ready. If you can scratch a mark into the stem with your fingernail, the squash is NOT ready.
Once harvested, leaving the stem on, it needs to be 'cured' before being stored if you want it to last long. Cure in a warm (27-30 degrees C) dry place in your home for TWO WEEKS, then you are good to go. It can then be stored in a cool (15 degrees C) dry place after that. Depending on the variety, properly cured winter squash can last for 3-9 months. Each month, check stored squash to be sure there on no signs of rot.
Source: Linda Gilkeson // West Coast Gardening // Gardening Tips Sept. 5 2024 newsletter
Answer: Winter squash is grown in summer but the mature fruits can be stored and eaten in winter. This is different than summer squash, like zucchini, which are harvest young and eaten right away.
Winter squash must mature completely on the vine before it is picked. This can be quite late into the fall. To determine if it is ready for harvesting, check its colour and the hardness of the stem. Once the colour looks right AND the stem feels hard like wood, it is ready. If you can scratch a mark into the stem with your fingernail, the squash is NOT ready.
Once harvested, leaving the stem on, it needs to be 'cured' before being stored if you want it to last long. Cure in a warm (27-30 degrees C) dry place in your home for TWO WEEKS, then you are good to go. It can then be stored in a cool (15 degrees C) dry place after that. Depending on the variety, properly cured winter squash can last for 3-9 months. Each month, check stored squash to be sure there on no signs of rot.
Source: Linda Gilkeson // West Coast Gardening // Gardening Tips Sept. 5 2024 newsletter
Question: How many spots does a ladybug have?
Answer: It can vary anywhere between 2 and 20 depending on the species. There are quite a number of different species in the Coccinellidae family and each has its own characteristic colour and spot patterns. There are about 480 species of Lady Beetle (Bug / Bird) in North America, including about 95 species in BC. Some are more recent introductions from Europe and Asia, others are native to North America.
Lady beetles consume masses of aphids are so are a wonderful pest control. The won't keep living and breeding in your garden if there is no food though, so don't be too hasty in trying other means to get rid of aphids before the lady beetles and their larvae have had a chance to find them!
The native 9-spotted Lady Bug commonly seen always has exactly nine spots. This species is becoming less common, with other species being seen more frequently. A few of the more common lady beetles you may see locally now are shown below:
Cardinal Ladybird is originally native to Australia and was introduced to California in 1888. This one typically has five spots and is now common throughout BC.
The 14-spotted Ladybird is thought to have been accidentally introduced by European ships arriving in the St. Lawrence River in the 1960's. This one ranges from cream to yellow to orange, but is never red. It has 14 rectangular black spots.
The 7-spotted Ladybeetle, introduced from Europe as a biological control for aphids, is a voracious aphid eater. Interestingly, whilst they are well-established and doing well here, they are beginning to decline in their original European habitats.
Not common but also worth mentioning as one of the rarest native lady beetle species in BC is the Three-Banded Lady Beetle. It prefers aphids, mites and insect eggs but will also eat pollen and nectar.
Question :Should I be removing Leaf litter from my garden during the fall and winter?
Answer: Generally no. The leaf litter acts as a beneficial mulch protecting your plants from heavy freezing and heavy rains. It also is a home for beneficial insects over the winter. As it breaks down it provides essential nutrients to your garden. The only reason to remove the litter early is if you have a known plant disease that could be overwintering in the winter.
How do I move my potted citrus trees indoors for the winter?
There are some great you tube videos that can help you with any gardening challenges you may have. Also check with local nurseries such as Phoenix Perennials for citrus trees that can survive all year round outdoors in our zone 7. Check out this video on YouTube.
When can I harvest walnuts?
Walnut tree harvesting starts from early September to early November. At this point, the kernels are light in color and the membrane between the halves has turned brown. To determine if your nuts are ready for harvest, crack a few open. The nuts should show browning of the membrane and loosening of the hull. Take your nut samples from as high up in the tree as possible since those that are at this height ripen latest. Also, if your tree is water stressed, harvesting walnuts will be delayed. To speed things up, be sure to keep the tree well watered through harvest. Begin harvesting when you estimate that at least 85% of the nuts can be easily removed from the tree. Delay too long and insects and birds may get to the nuts before your do. Additionally, if you delay too long, the outer husks become soft and black and the resulting nut has a bitter, rancid flavor.
Once you have harvested the walnuts, hull the nuts using a pocket knife. Wash the hulled nuts and then dry them in a single layer on a smooth, flat, shaded area. Stir the nuts around on a daily basis to promote drying. If drying outdoors, cover the nuts with plastic netting to deter birds. The length of time until complete drying depends on temperature but, generally, will be dry in 3-4 days. At this point, the kernels should be brittle as well as the membrane separating the two halves. Store the cured walnuts in a cool, dry area or to extend their shelf life, in the refrigerator or freezer. They can be stored for up to a year in the fridge and for two or more years in the freezer; that is, of course, if you can stay out of them that long.
Read more at Gardening Know How: Walnut Tree Harvesting: When Are Walnuts Ready To Pick https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/nut-trees/walnut/walnut-tree-harvesting.htm
Once you have harvested the walnuts, hull the nuts using a pocket knife. Wash the hulled nuts and then dry them in a single layer on a smooth, flat, shaded area. Stir the nuts around on a daily basis to promote drying. If drying outdoors, cover the nuts with plastic netting to deter birds. The length of time until complete drying depends on temperature but, generally, will be dry in 3-4 days. At this point, the kernels should be brittle as well as the membrane separating the two halves. Store the cured walnuts in a cool, dry area or to extend their shelf life, in the refrigerator or freezer. They can be stored for up to a year in the fridge and for two or more years in the freezer; that is, of course, if you can stay out of them that long.
Read more at Gardening Know How: Walnut Tree Harvesting: When Are Walnuts Ready To Pick https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/nut-trees/walnut/walnut-tree-harvesting.htm
What is this beautiful shrub growing in Paulik Park? False Spirea!
What plants attract butterflies?
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Arbutus unedo - strawberry tree
Check out David Suzuki Foundation's, Richmond Butterflyway Rangers for more information on the work going on to increase the butterfly population in Richmond! www.https://homegrown.projexity.com
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What flowers attract Bumble Bees?
This link from the Royal Horticultural Society and Wild About Gardens explains it well, I think. Gary Lake, Past President
This link from the Royal Horticultural Society and Wild About Gardens explains it well, I think. Gary Lake, Past President
