Re: [gardeners] Great Garden Mistakes

Terry King (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Thu, 01 Jan 98 01:01:49 -0600

On Wed, 31 Dec 1997 18:49:41 -0500, Marianne Lepa wrote:

>Hi Terry,
>
>I'm curious about your climate that it would make it so difficult to grow
>these squashes. I've grown all of these quite successfully in zone 4,
>central Canada. How cool is cool? Our nights wouldn't get much over 60F
>until late July, but I would usually harvest summer squash a couple of
>weeks before then. Do you also get the long, cool, wet springs that the
>more coastal people get? 
>
>Marianne
>mlepa@adan.kingston.net
>Southeastern Ontario AgCan zone 5b

We can have frosts as late as July 7th (happened last year), nights are rarely 
over 55 F, days can be up to 100F but usually around 80F, first frost usually 
arrives in the third week of August.  

I live in a narrow mountain valley at about 3000 ft. elevation and my garden in 
out in the open, so freezes more easily than if it were on the hillside.

I just have to make season extenders a priority for my squashes like a do for 
tomatoes and peppers.  I just barely get ripe tomatoes before frost even using 
extenders.

Terry King                  North Central Eastern Washington
taeking@televar.com        USDA zone 4, Sunset Zone 1