#yummm rot water

[bewilderbark]

day 6 - garbage wastes

[theglobalgardener]

Why Aren't My Squash Blossoms Producing Fruit? 5 Reasons your male squash flowers are falling off!

Why are my squash flowers falling off, producing no fruit?

5 reasons why your male squash blossoms aren't turning into fruit and 5 things you can do to answer the question "why no female squash blossoms?"

#1 Short Code Action you can take right now to hack results is to feed with this specific organic squash blooming feed:

https://amzn.to/3lhB0mC

Why are my squash blossoms dropping off? Why aren't my squash flowers fruiting? If you have squash blossoms no squash or squash blossom end rot, you're in the right place!

5 Reasons Why Your

1. Maturity of plants: squash produce test flowers to start attracting pollinators: "Coming Attraction! Really Big Show! Come back later for more!"

2. Sun stress: Afternoon intensity can cause temporarily drooping leaves, squash flower blossoms close.

3. Temperature stress: the heat of Summer into Fall can cause plant stress. Why aren't my squash flowers opening? It could very well be the heat!

4. Water stress: lack of water and irregular water cause plant stress!

5. Nutrients: poor soil yields poor results, low nutrients makes more male squash flower blossoms because they are easier for the plant to produce.

Anatomy botany flower parts lesson: the stem of male and female is called a peduncle or pedicle/pedicel.

Male squash flowers vs female:

Male squash flowers have anthers and stamens.

Female squash blossoms have pistils and stigmas inside the petals, between the squash flower blossom and the stem ("pedicle") is the ovary or "ovule" that becomes the vine's fruit!

Squash blossom flowers enlarge the ovaries to become fruits in anticipation of attracting pollinators. If the female flowers don't receive male flower pollens they don't develop into fruits, they abort mission, the flower dies and the end rots, called "squash blossom end rot".

In the curcurbit/curcurbitaceae family there are thousands of varieties of cucumbers, melons, squash, pumpkins, zucchini and more! Luffa/Loofah sponges, birdsnest/birdhouse gourds, and many unique heirloom squash!

What can you do about squash flowers dropping off? Squash blossom end rot?

5 Hot Garden Tips for growing squash flowers that produce fruit:

Here are five Garden tips to get your squash blossoms fruiting abundantly:

1. Pluck male blossoms and stuff with goat cheese! Recipe on how to cook squash flower: Fry in oiled skillet or roast 5 minutes in 400 degree preheated oven. Trim browning leaves to encourage squash plants to focus energy toward female squash blossoms.

2. Feed the soil with Compost for soil health,

mulch for water retention, organic fertilizer:

Dr. Earth Flower Girl Bloom & Bud Booster direct link:

https://amzn.to/3lhB0mC the 4 pound I held up in the video :-D

https://amzn.to/3aXT5RT a 12 pound better value per pound

https://amzn.to/3aVxN7s fast acting liquid hose end bloom booster!

3. Water, turn up your irrigation time and frequency! Recommendation is (depending on distribution tubing gpm and number of emitters) more than 15 minutes per day, in the extreme heat of Summer over 30 minutes a day, possibly multiple times a day, can bump the manual button for extra extra hot heat spells.

4. Qtip cotton swab, paint brush, or make-up brush for self-pollinating squash blossoms, gather from the male stamen anthers and brush pollens into the female pistil stigmata.

5. Finally, sun and temperature stress mitigated with shade structures, placement of squash plants near afternoon shade trees, proper soil management with compost, mulch, and irrigation timing.

I keep thinking about "squash hacking" but that's what's for dinner! Yummm

[spiceupyourkitchen-blog]

Seltzer Power Ranking

A post like this has been years in the making. 

Since I was a kid, I have been obsessed with seltzer. Call it sparkling water, call it club soda (yes I know that one has 10mg of sodium and is slightly different), call it fizzy water, call it carbonated water, whatever. I learned all of these terms when incredulous waiters would stammer, wondering why a little girl asked them for something random like “seltzer.”

I vaguely remember difficult co-workers the summer before college, when I worked as a camp counselor. “I only, like, drink seltzer if it’s a mixer!” my 16-year-old co-counselor unhelpfully chirped. Bless my innocence - I still didn’t know what a “mixer” was. She acted as if I had taken out a durian or opened up some Vegemite. Seltzer is not that niche, [name redacted].

Seltzer is something people who know me associate with me. My students have gotten me cases as a parting gift. Even they knew. There’s something refreshing about the crisp bubbles, a subversive reminder to your tastebuds that even water can be something special.

To rank all of the types of seltzer I’ve had in my life (list can be edited with additions BTW!), I’ve tried to standardize parts to best maintain an accurate comparison. My favorite seltzer flavor is lime, so I’m ranking lime seltzer, or whatever flavor comes close for such a brand. My criteria will be simply FLAVOR and CARBONATION, given a letter grade (#teacherproblems) for each.

Le’gggo.

10. DEAD LAST: SPINDRIFT

Each time I try Spindrift’s attempt at seltzer, I want to sigh and condescendingly say “Honey, you have a lot to learn.” Every one of its flavors tastes BIZARRE, and not in a cool way. Its cucumber flavor is disgusting. Thinking of it now makes me want to throw up. It tasted like a cucumber that’s been sitting at the back of your fridge and has started to get gummy. The carbonation is fair, though pretty quick to disappear. Spindrift thinks it can hop into the seltzer game, but it needs to taste a little more “crisper,” a little less “behind the Tupperware.”

FLAVOR: F--------

BUBBLES: C-

9. SAN PELLEGRINO

Apparently, San Pellegrino has “exceptional taste.” In what universe? Is our bar for exceptional so low? Even its flavors, which are harder to find for this brand (excluding Limonata, etc., as those are not seltzer) are rather bland. Flavor- and carbonation-wise, this is as robust as a light beige wall. The second you open it, the faintest “hsss” makes you think you’re getting promised carbonation. Well, it’s a trap. The few bubbles in here barely manifest themselves, and you’re left with flat water that is calling out for some form of added carbonation.

As I say in English, no. As the Italians say...also, no.

FLAVOR: F

BUBBLES: D-

8. PERRIER

Perrier is less available in restaurants, but tied with its Italian cousin above, it is one of those that people think I’ll enjoy when out to dinner. If the choice is SP or Perrier, I’ll stick with tap. Perrier is similarly boring. Its lemon (closest to lime?) flavor barely exists, though there’s a hint of it. When opened, a few bubbles remain, and the amount of carbonation drops significantly thereafter.  A hint of flavor prevents a last-place finish, but meh. No wonder the French revolted.

FLAVOR: D

BUBBLES: D-

7. LA CROIX

Like, sure? I’ve been known to drink this at times when I’m #seltzerdesperate and there aren’t any other types. But it’s so overrated. La Croix has become a hipster obsession, which prompted me to be a bit hipster about a hipster taste - as in, I discovered it first! But once I got over such frustration, I realized that I was disappointed by how crappy its bubbles are. They barely exist! The flavor is OK, though. In fact, however natural La Croix claims to be (and probably is?), the lime flavor is cloying and doesn’t taste very real. Hence my confusion at how intensely La Croix merchandise has proliferated. WHY?

FLAVOR: C

BUBBLES: D+

6. POLAND SPRING

I’d never associated Poland Spring with anything revelatory, taste-wise. It was bottled water! It never tasted super fresh, but it never tasted gross (looking at you, Aquafina). I was ambivalent when I saw its carbonated version at the grocery store. But you know what? It’s pretty good. The carbonation is impressive, though a bit more short-lived than that of its counterparts. The lime flavor tastes very natural, but it’s a bit too tepid and muted for my tastes.

FLAVOR: B

BUBBLES: B-

Now, we’re getting to such high rankings where the grades mean less and my ~*~feelings mean more.

5. STORE BRAND/PEAPOD/STOP-AND-SHOP SELTZER

For some reason that is #unclear to me, Peapod seltzer is one-and-the-same as Stop-and-Shop seltzer, down to its logo. It reminds me of my grad school days in Rhode Island, where this midwesterner was puzzled by a grocery store called Stop-and-Shop. What are you shopping for?? There are so many types of things, so isn’t that name vague? Plus, in my head, it is called Stawp and Shawp due to the Griffin-tastic accents I associated with it.

This brand of seltzer is pretty good, though, I have to say. Its carbonation is strong and forceful, and though the flavor quality can be variable, its lime variety always packs a nice punch. It’s not as memorable, but it’s very good.

FLAVOR: B+

BUBBLES: B

4. SCHWEPPES

From ginger ale to club soda, Schweppes is pretty good with carbonation. I always find its bubbles to be intense in level, staying intact for a while after opening. The flavor is a bit hit-or-miss: Raspberry lime is just weird tasting. Still, its lime variety (for which I cannot find a small enough image) has more than just faint echoes of lime. The taste and the bubbles work together very well indeed.

FLAVOR: B+

BUBBLES: B

3. CANADA DRY

Following closely on the heels of Schweppes, just edging it out slightly, is Canada Dry, similarly known for its similar array of carbonated goodies. What is it with Canadian-named beverages worming their way into Americans’ hearts? Remember Clearly Canadian? #RIP 

Canada Dry always delivers in the flavor department, with assertive flavors that never taste fake or “off.” Its bubbles are more intense and long-lasting than those of Schweppes, though both are good brands - we’re a long ways away from San Pellegrino and Perrier now! Canada Dry’s seltzer has zip, vigor, and moxie! If you drink it, you might also be at such a loss for words that you sound like a 1940s talent agent! 

FLAVOR: A-

BUBBLES: A

2. DASANI

Growing up and playing sports (HAHA just kidding, I did debate), I could always use water to quench my thirst. Coke-affiliated Dasani and Pepsi-affiliated Aquafina both had a terrible reputation of, uh, crappiness. I wasn’t that enthused by the idea of Dasani sparkling water, then. Yummm, the faint taste of copper pipes!

Well I was super duper wrong. Dasani must’ve done something right with its seltzer: The bubbles are intense and don’t let up. The lime flavor is downright intense, waking up your tastebuds and telling them that maybe they should reconsider their preconceived notions about water backed by companies that usually specialize in teeth-rot. I will shill for Dasani ANY DAY OF THE WEEK FAM.

FLAVOR: A+

BUBBLES: A+

1. CANFIELD’S

Canfield’s is the OG of seltzer. You might not have thought that that is A Thing, but it is indeed A Thing. I opened a can of Canfield’s one day and left it in my car. Two hours later, I returned and drank a bit (#onlygodcanjudgeme). It was somehow still pretty carbonated. Canfield’s knows its bubbles. Its flavors are pretty strong, too, though they don’t slice through your tastebuds, giving the whole sip a sense of balance. Canfield’s is life and my perpetual favorite. Forget La Croix’s overexposed mediocrity - Canfield’s is the true undiscovered indie darling. Drink some now so you can feel special before people make earrings out of it.

FLAVOR: A+

BUBBLES: A+