From: songbird@anthive.com   
      
   Bob F wrote:   
   > On 12/25/2021 3:59 AM, songbird wrote:   
   >>    the seeds are drying nicely.  one of the things that   
   >> forced air heat is good for in the middle of winter.  :)   
   >>   
   >   
   > Do you use squash seeds from previous years? We have had poor luck with   
   > that as far as variation in the varieties.   
      
     yes, we have plenty of bees around so we get some strange   
   squash.  i have now about six different kinds of squash and   
   i enjoy the variety.  i won't be repeating the planting of   
   dumpling squash next year though as they are one i don't   
   much like.  i'm not really a big acorn squash fan.  the   
   rest i have a Kabochas and cross breeds that have happened   
   to them (likely from a local pumpkin grower someplace but   
   the results are good eating so we keep replanting a few   
   each year, but they don't store well).  also some Baby Blue   
   Hubbards and now the new cross which may be related to the   
   BBH.  i also like to plant Buttercups but these have not   
   kept going very well so i need to somehow get a more reliable   
   strain of those.   
      
     i don't treat for bugs of any kind here so if the vines   
   can't survive squash borers or squash bugs or powdery   
   mildew they won't survive.   
      
     everything else that does survive often holds on by   
   mere threads of stems sometimes the borers do such good   
   work on them.  but i figure that is one way to get resist-   
   ant plants is to just keep growing and seeing what happens.   
      
      
   > We do have a favorite bean that we use previous seeds year after year.   
   > They came from a "weed" in a pot with something else in it I received   
   > through freecycle. Nice big tasty beans with no strings.   
      
     i grow hundreds of different varieties of beans here.  :)   
   this past year i grew out a new cross breed that showed up   
   from the year before and it is edible but i'm not sure how   
   good.  so we'll grow it again next season and i'll cook up   
   more of them.  i'm also including the beans in my mix of   
   seeds to give away to other people which will have seeds of   
   five or six green and wax beans in there for people to grow.   
      
     the best bean i grow here for green beans is a variety   
   called Purple Dove.  love the flower color the plant growth   
   habit and productivity.  the dry beans are also good and   
   have a mild pinto flavor and a creamy texture and cook up   
   fast.  the only downside i've found to this plant is that   
   the Japanese Beetles love it, but they will still produce   
   even after being munched on.  the deer and groundhogs will   
   also eat the tops off and it will survive and give pods.   
   i'm trying to get this bean to cross with all my other   
   varieties that i grow and so far not much luck with that   
   so this is fun and a challenge.  :)   
      
      
     songbird   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)