# My Volunteer Wild Garden



## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

Monster Spaghetti Squash takes over garden and it was a volunteer. I just finished the fence a few days before and the plant is growing outside already. This is basically a no care garden, I just dig a hole, throw things in, let the overflow from my spring run in various areas and off it goes. Things I strive to get going and spend a lot of time on don't even do 1/10th as well. This heap of compost has onions, red potatoes, sweet potatoes, straight neck squash, water melon (which started too late so it probably won't have melons) and some squash which I'm not sure what it is. It took until the big squash plant grew some squash to recognizable size before I knew what kind it was. The first pic was taken July 2nd and the second pic was taken August 4th. It wouldn't surprise me if I stood watching this squash for a few minutes I could probably see it grow.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

I love squash, one of the main reasons I like variations of the three sisters methods for "gardening". 
Squash blossoms are tasty btw, some people don't realize you can fry them up, some varieties are better than others.


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## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

I should also mention that the cherry trees are volunteer from a few years ago, started when throwing a pail of organic dog poo, kitchen scraps and cherry seeds down on this compost area. The cherry trees had some cherries on them for the first time until we got a late frost.


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## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

cowboyhermit said:


> I love squash, one of the main reasons I like variations of the three sisters methods for "gardening".
> Squash blossoms are tasty btw, some people don't realize you can fry them up, some varieties are better than others.


I eat them right off the plant a lot of times, they seldom make it to the house. They'd be good in salad as well.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

I can't get the spaghetti squash to get to full size. I would really like to be able to grow it to replace noodles. I guess this means throw the nutrients to it.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Meerkat said:


> I can't get the spaghetti squash to get to full size. I would really like to be able to grow it to replace noodles. I guess this means throw the nutrients to it.


That's surprising to me, I have heard a lot about squash being "heavy feeders" but we have never done anything special and they produce like crazy, they used to grow them with beans for a reason I guess. I think it may be more of an organic matter issue possibly, they don't like hard dirt in my experience, hence Viking's success with the compost pile:dunno: We don't water or anything.

Just a personal thing but as much as I like squash I am not a big fan of it served like spaghetti I am sure you have tried it from the store or whatever so you must like it and many others do, just not my favorite. I really like how well winter squash keep, we just dealt with some from LAST FALL!!! Kept in just a moderately cool place.


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## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

This spaghetti squash plant continues to amaze me as it's now growing outside of the fence in numerous places. I did a rough count the other day and there is approximately 55 to 60 squash on this thing and I've been picking at least one a day. I just found a dead russet potato plant under the canopy of squash and tomato plant leaves and it yielded a half dozen nice spuds. I pulled a couple of black walnut saplings from under the cherry trees that were in 1/2 gallon plastic pots and replanted them in 3 1/2 gallon pots yesterday and the day before and they are already putting out new leaves. The only thing frustrating is to realize that a volunteer garden does 100% better than one I've planted and taken care of on purpose, but believe me, I'm totally thankful for what it's giving us.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Viking said:


> The only thing frustrating is to realize that a volunteer garden does 100% better than one I've planted and taken care of on purpose....


Oh, the irony!

I harvested small wheat crop that was some old moldy rotten seeds (got wet) tossed out onto gravel - gravel - in Texas? Heat and few rains? Shoot, I got like 4 lbs of wheat from that area!


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## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

LincTex said:


> Oh, the irony!
> 
> I harvested small wheat crop that was some old moldy rotten seeds (got wet) tossed out onto gravel - gravel - in Texas? Heat and few rains? Shoot, I got like 4 lbs of wheat from that area!


 Seems like I run on Irony a great deal of the time, but that's okay. What you mentioned about moldy seed just reminded me of seeing my wife's cousin's dads farm in mid Western Kansas, there was a broken down combine sitting in front of the house with wheat growing out of it.


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## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

Just thought I'd show a little bit of the production of spaghetti squash. We've given away a fare amount and what's in the box is just part of what's on the kitchen counter, and in other boxes. From what I've seen for the price per pound in grocery stores we've got around $200 worth and there is still more growing on the vines. The two plants have been giving us from 1 to 5 squash per day and the two tomato plants that started from cuttings may possibly have close to 50 tomatoes on them, non of those have ripened on the vines but do ripen well after being picked so just before the weather reports show frost coming I'll pull them up and hang them where they won't freeze. This garden has been a God send as we've been so busy with installing ceramic tile in the bathroom and kitchen plus finishing the refrigerator cove and kitchen closet.


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