also a question about japanese eggplant...do you cage or trellis them? I currently have them staked to a chopstick...

cyumickey,

Thanks for sharing your pics!
Will you be mulching your seedlings?

It's usually best to find an existing thread on the vegetable you are wanting to know more about instead of switching topics in the same thread. So I've posted my response to your eggplant question here:

Here is a link that might be useful: Japanese Eggplant?

I hadn't even thought about mulch...should I? I'm really clueless to all of this except to water, water, water. LOL My grandmother threw some kabocha seeds in her garden and they grew like crazy...it was really funny...

thanks for pointing me to the other thread...

Depends on your zone... (why does yours say 18?) and average soil temps at what times of year.

It is very easy to overwater in general (especially with melons that don't like "wet feet". Mulch will keep the ground evenly moist, the soil temperatures stable, and can cut your water bill in half.

oh, b/c it was more specific than usda z9

hmm, maybe I'm watering too much? I only watered a couple of times last week and watered a lot this weekend b/c it was so hot. Maybe I'll mulch after I get my trellises up and figure out which plants are staying and which are moving. The kabocha are kind of scattered b/c I really wanted to see if they would sprout!

what is best to mulch with?

There are two schools of thought on watering. Frequent shallow waterings or less frequent long, deep waterings. The general rule of thumb is that mature plants need 1-2 inches of rain per week in summer. You should provide whatever portion of this moisture is lacking. One inch of rain equals 65 gallons per 100 square feet of garden space. But this is just a guide. Time of the season, stage of the plants, soil composition, and many other factors affect the amount of water required.

Mulched plants require less water than plants that are not mulched. Raised beds require more than non-raised beds.

If a good amount of compost is incorporated into the soil, less water is needed. Compost holds 6 times it's weight in water.

Watering too frequently and too heavily is just as hard on plants as too little water. Roots require oxygen just as much as they require water and nutrients.

Dry winds dehydrate plants.

Cooler temps require less water.

Those using drip irrigation whether from a soaker hose or milk jug are likely getting the best use of their water which is going right where it needs to go and the ground has time to absorb it.

There are many, materials you can mulch with. Avoid hardwood mulch, dyed mulch, and cypress mulch. Mulch is also fantastic for your garden soil because it adds organic matter over time.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mulching Your Vegetable Garden

Nice picture of your seedling! I had to check online before responding to make sure I was also growing this, and I am! My seedlings are a little bit ahead of your seedlings; so it'll be exciting to watch both our plants grow! I'm growing delica -- also for my mom who likes to eat this squash. :) Keep posting pics are your plants grow! Barb

Sunset zone 18 includes San Bernardino and other communities in southern California - the interior valleys. One of these days, the USDA will replace or supplement its "hardiness" map with something that bears a relationship to the Growing Season!!

Kabocha . . . delicata . . . USDA zones . . . I do NOT seem to be able to grow these squashes - probably because of our cool night-time temperatures. And, I've tried. IÂm left with acorns (which I donÂt really like) and buttercup (related to kabocha, so howÂs that?) A gardener I know in zone 6 in the Columbia Basin grows kabocha. They'd probably be okay in much of zone 5, elsewhere in the US.

As a kid in southern Oregon, we grew banana squash for Thanksgiving pies . . . can't do that either. Maybe row covers would provide necessary protection but these plants require so much room. Oh well, enjoy!

Steve

Steve,

It is certainly possible for you to try to contstuct protection so that you can grow kabocha and other vegetables which require warmer temperatures. Depending on how large you make the enclosure, if it's smaller, you can certainly prune off vines so that the plant doesn't outgrow it. It's also possible to construct a sizeable enclosure. I recommend you check out the following book: The Four Season Harvest by Eliot Coleman. It contains multiple techniques to create protection against cooler temps in order to extend the growing season even for those in zone 3. Where there's a will, there's a way, let us know if you try...

I'm planning to trellis my vines (probably a bad idea) b/c I don't have the sprawling space that I should have anymore. Do you trim the vines to keep them in check? I've seen kabocha vines sprawl down a hill...they were about 15'-20' long...

You should absolutely make use of vertical space in your garden. Construct your trellis as high as you can reach. The vine will climb, allow it to fall back down and climb again.

"One of these days, the USDA will replace or supplement its "hardiness" map with something that bears a relationship to the Growing Season!!

AMEN!!!!

Hardiness zones are fine for perennials, shrubs and trees. They are useless for annuals, such as most vegetable crops. Actually, they are worse than useless, because gardeners are constantly trying to apply them where they are not appropriate (such as here on GW).

Jim

Coleman's Four Season Harvest was on my nightstand a few times since it came out, Violet. I have really had fun fantasizing on a life with a little more climate control in my garden. Unfortunately, this more reasonable life hasn't become possible.

I grow sufficient produce in the outdoors that some of it is sold at a farmers' market and joke that I grow all these vegetables so that I can purchase oranges and bananas thru the Winter. There is really some truth to this. No, I'm not quite ready to go back to living entirely out of my garden but wouldn't it be wonderful to have that as an option. You know, sort of like living in zone 18 Sunset or la . . .

You guys down there need to be careful about having too much fun . . . the rest of the gardening tribe may decide to join you.

A couple of observations on Violet's comments: The growing tips of winter squash are edible. You probably know about tempura squash blossoms but the tender tendrils are terribly tasty. So if your kabocha gets too aggressive or even if it doesn't, try a dish of something else from your vines while you wait for those squash fruits to ripen.

Also, there's another forum on 4 seasons gardening for those of you with the capabilities. It is fairly quiet and rather odd - a mix of mostly high number zone gardeners with a few frozen northerners chiming in every now and then. The later are usually going on about some enclosure or another.

I recently posted some information on wire and plastic tomato trellis/tunnel on the Rocky Mountain forum where I'm inclined to hang out and need to get back to exploring ideas of protected growing and harvesting. Honestly, we would all benefit from a little more attention to climate control. I understand that there is no ideal growing environment - even in Southern CA. Please forgive me for being a little envious on how close you come to it.

Steve

how exactly would you cook the vines?? i'm intrigued...

Stir fry with some green onions - cut up the onion and squash vine to about the same size. Use a nice oil and maybe a little black pepper. You can add other veggies to this like chopped bok choy, maybe some baby corn. Serve on rice with soy sauce, if desired.

I don't care for Summer squash despite enjoying their variety and appearance. Squash vine tips, even tho' they're green, taste like yellow winter squash. Seems odd but good.

S

I am having lots of trouble trying to grow the kabocha seeds. I'm in Houston Tx.
I kept some about 2 years ago and recently soaked some seed to start the root before planting. But nothing happened to the seed after 6 days in the water.
I saw on the DIYnet by Joe Lamp'l saying you should file a little of the side away to allow the water to soak into the seed and this would also help prevent damaged to the shoots. Did that but it's been 3 days since my latest batch but still nothing is happening. Maybe 2 years is too long for the seed to survive?

Any ideas?

My seeds were from last fall. I dried them on the counter and put them in a ziploc baggie that I half-sealed. I didn't file or do anything to them when I planted...just direct sowed into the ground and watered twice a day. The plants emerged in 12-14 days. I tried to germinate a few seeds indoors in a ziploc baggie with a wet paper towel, but they molded after just a few days. I wasn't sure if my seeds would germinate but all 5 that I planted came up! I'm not sure about Houston b/c I'm in socal though...

Pics taken this morning:

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I know, they have to be separated...

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I'm hoping to get my trellis up this weekend so all of my plants will be in their permanent home...

Well I think I have successfully killed 4 of my 5 plants. I replanted a few seeds but since it is already mid-june, I'm not hopeful that I'll get any kabocha off them. Note to self - make sure that you plant plants yourself next year exactly where you want them.

The 1 plant that is still alive is the one I didn't move, so hopefully I will be able to get something off that...

"Maybe 2 years is too long for the seed to survive?"

Squash seeds should last longer than that if they're stored properly. You say you saved the seeds from a squash yourself? Maybe the squash wasn't ripe when it was picked and sold and the seeds weren't mature? Just hazarding a guess.

"The 1 plant that is still alive is the one I didn't move, so hopefully I will be able to get something off that..."

My condolences on your lost squash plants. Squash and cucumbers don't like to be moved. I've successfully moved young tomato plants but curcurbits are just temperamental about having their roots disturbed.

one of the plants may have survived the transplant! The smallest one still has its leaves out and looks to be growing! The other 3 are quite wilty, even though the main stem still looks healthy. The cucumber, on the other hand is totally crispy...

kd6ac,

"But nothing happened to the seed after 6 days in the water."

Do you mean you left the seeds in the water for 6 days? I normally soak overnight and then plant the seeds the next day.

cyumickey,

Happy to hear your plants might survive after transplant! If you can, try and shade the seedlings you moved for a few days. That might help with the transplant shock and help them recover, too.

it looks like 2 more transplants are fighting for dear life. I trimmed off the dead leaves and underneath there is a new leaf and the stem is still strong. I now think that only one may have died. I also had replanted 3 seeds just in case and I saw 2 of them emerging today...

I also think that I really should mulch. Violet, I checked out your thread. I might just go to home depot and get some wood chips...hopefully I can find something fine enough. I'll try to get some pics tonight of my new trellis and growing plants...

Try to avoid wood chips for mulch in the vegetable garden. They're better for trees and perennials. Call around to landscaping businesses and nurseries. See if they have shredded bark mulch, shredded leaves, grass clippings (make sure they're not "hot"), you can even mulch with 1-2 inches of pure compost if you can find it.

thanks, I'll do that!

pictures taken this morning:

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cucumber to the left, transplanted kabocha in the middle, hot pepper on the right:
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2 new kabocha plants:
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transplanted kabocha I thought was a goner:
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Hmm, my biggest plant doesn't seem to be getting any taller, the leaves just keep getting bigger, and bigger! They're huge now! It's weird...of course, it may be normal, I've never grown kabocha before!

cyumickey,

Make sure you are not watering too much. Melons in general do not like "wet feet" meaning the roots really prefer oxygen and need oxygen, they don't like being moist all the time which is why many plant melons in "hills". Meaning they mound the soil up in a little hill and plant in the center, this way there is plenty of drainage for the roots.

oh! thanks Violet! I might be watering it too much, although my honeydew gets the same if not more water and it seems to be pretty happy, climbing quite nicely, and even showing a few flowers! I had a slow grower that wasn't getting enough water, and now it grows about 1" a day...

Next year I will have to remember about the hills...I will be much more prepared next year...

I found 2 boy flowers this morning! yippee! The girls shouldn't be too far behind...right?

I hear that people eat squash/pumpkin flowers...is that true?

Yes, patience. Remember, nature would grow the plant and it would create melons all on it's own even if humans weren't around.

Here is a link that might be useful: Squash Blossom Recipes

3 girl flowers over the last 2 days. I hand pollinated b/c there was a boy each day. How do you know if it took?

on a side note, I finally found 2 honeydews growing...I had nothing to do with those! LOL

I think I WAS overwatering...over the past few weeks I've let watering go by the wayside and look what I have now...

oh, and my mother has about a dozen baby kabochas growing, and picture messaged me a pic of one of them to make me jealous...LOL

she said that there were more "flowers with the ball at the end" and that dad had picked all the "flowers that had no ball" so they would grow better. I had to tell her that she really needed those "no ball" flowers for kabocha...ROFL

Sometimes it takes them a couple of days to yellow and die if unfertilized, but if it took, it should start growing pretty quickly.

I think I'm going to have 2 kabochas! I'm so excited. I'll try to get a pic tomorrow. They haven't turned dark green yet, but the balls are getting larger. woo hoo! the vine is taking over my small planter area...it's already smothered 2 eggplants and it's choking out the cucumber on the trellis. oh well, next year I will have to plan better...

3 kabochas and possibly 4 (pollinated one yesterday)...think I might have to start thinking about slings...

Very exciting... looking forward to seeing your photos!

pics:

my biggest:
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a hanging one:
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pollinated this morning:
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big one in the middle, little one upper right corner:
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so excited! :)

c

well, my 3 little guys died, so I just have 2 growing...oh, and the vine broke my trellis! I'll definitely have to plan better next year...

This is the 2nd year I have grown kabocha. Only harvested 2 last year but 5 this year!. Unfortunately, the ones that are growing on the fence have been a bit mis-shapen..

Slaters attacked the ones on the ground. Not too bad but any ideas how avoid this?

My kabocha vine is growing again ?!? and I have a ton of flowers...must like this time of year. Too bad I won't get any fruit...

no girl flowers anyway. I thought for sure the vine was a goner and I really needed to pull it up. It's weird, too, b/c my japanese eggplants are growing again...lots of flowers! Didn't know that they would still be growing. Of course the summer was REALLY hot and it's cooling off now...plus my plants were pretty much decimated by leafminers and grasshoppers in aug./sept., so now they are recuperating...

I have a kabocha growing...!?!

I'm in the UK and have fgrown Kabocha for the last 2 years. I took the seeds from a pumkin in the supermarket.

Last year it was an experiment and I had 1 plant, with about 6 pumkin in the end. THis year I have 2 plants, both about 12 ft long and 4ft reach wide.

Last year I took all the fruits off in October (the end of the growing season). Does anyone know can you pick them earlier, is there any rule?

My growing conditions are cool and wet, they are growing on a well drained bank.

Following Caroline's question above, I have a few nice Botchan kabocha's coming along, and on the first one, the stem where it attaches to the fruit is starting to dry out, which I heard is a sign that it is just about done. I also heard that certain types of winter squashes have to be 'cured' off the vine for awhile. Does anybody have information specific to kabochas? I'd hate to pick my pumpkins too early, and I'm not familiar with the curing part at all.

Thanks!!

Brenda

In case you didn't know it, Kabochas have to cure (ripen) for about a month before they develop their best taste. This article mentions several ways to do it. For best taste let them mature on the vine until the stem turns corky (brownish), then let them cure for a month.

Here is a link that might be useful: Harvesting and curing Kabocha squash