Re: [gardeners] Re:Native fruit and nuts

Allen and Judy Merten (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sat, 24 Apr 1999 00:57:52 -0500 

Hi Kris,
    If you are going to container grow cucumbers, squash, and pumpkins you need
to find some varieties that are adapted to growing in pots. This family of
vegetables have extensive root systems. Some cucurbits have root systems that are
20 to 30 feet long.
    The old timers believed that they would cross pollinate, producing some thing
different than what you intended. I separate mine. My extension agent assures me
that they will not cross. I think what happens is the seeds are not going to be
true to type.  Not sure.

    Allen

KrisP64@aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 4/21/99 10:51:03 PM, jbmerten@swbell.net writes:
>
> <<  I love gardening in my sandy loam soil. Yesterday I hand dug some new
> potatos and I mean with my hand.
>  >>
>
> I hate you Allen!! I want some of the soil. I envy that good soil of yours.
> Wish I could drive down and still some.<grin> Already tired of trying to dig
> in my clay compacted soil. I have not been gardening for all that long and
> did not realize that when i made my perennial flower borders that was the
> time to amend my soil. So you live and learn. I think that you are primarly a
> veggie guy, right? I grow just a few, am not a big veggie person like you and
> George are but my husband is so I'm trying some radishes and carrots in a
> container and the radishes look great. I know how much easier could I get
> than that. I also bought some bush cukes to try in a container but not sure
> when to start outside. It's to early yet in Z 5 i'm sure of that. Also am
> going to try yellow squash. Maybe won't put that in a container. 2 questions
> then, What do you think about trying the squash in a container? Itried mini
> pumpkinks last year and I have a chain linked fence and it was my goal to
> have to pumpkins train up it. Well it worked and it didn't. The only pumpkin
> had grew in the fencing. Didn't catch it when it was small enough to do
> something about so it grew around the chain link and I couldn't get that
> puppy out of ther for anything. I was really disappointed. Okay next question
> can I have the cukes and squash growing by each other or do they need to be
> seperated?
>
> TIA,
> Kris P
>
> Z 5  IL