Posts Tagged ‘blackjack zucchini’

BlackJack Zucchini Update

Gardening, Herb, Fruit and Vegetables | Posted by Dean
Feb 19 2008

Well I thought it is time to give you all an update on how the latest BlackJack Zucchini’s are progressing. As many of you would recall this plant is my nemesis and I at one stage swore not to grow any more. Needless to say I buckled and bought some hardy looking seedlings on 20th January and decided upon Another Attempt.

These seedlings remained in their seedling tray during the move as I did not want to torture them with a replanting before they journeyed to Wollongong. They were though replanted into good sized containers upon arrival in 5 containers. One container has 3 plants, the other 3 received individual pots. I then put them in two locations within the garden. Both locations share a similar sunny disposition.

All but one of the plants are thriving in Wollongong. They are getting sufficient water thanks to the mild and wet summer we are having. I have though lost 1 seedling, that though looks to have been the work of a bird with it going from healthy to vanished in the space of 24 hours.

So although still early I am relatively confident that the hex of the BlackJack Zucchini may be broken.

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Another Attempt

Gardening, Herb, Fruit and Vegetables, Worm Farm/Vermiculture | Posted by Dean
Jan 20 2008

Well today I found a number of very healthy looking Blackjack Zucchini seedlings. My head said walk away you know that is your nemesis plant. However, my heart said you can grow these. So I now have another lot of Blackjack Zucchini to try my hand at. I have decided that I will be potting them in some temporary pots tomorrow.

The temporary pots are recycled pots for larger plants in the garden. This will give the plants something to grow in and prevent getting root bound in the current seedling tray. It will also the easy transportation of the plants to Wollongong next week. Once in the Gong I will be performing another recycling tub conversion to a planter.

In order to make a few changes to this attempt I have bought a bag of Debco Organic potting mix. The reason for going with this alternative planting medium is that I wish to eliminate the RichGro Pro Mix from being a potential contributor to my previous disastrous attempts to grow this plant. This medium is coarser and does not contain the soil wetting agents or slow release fertiliser that the Rich Gro does, however given that I will have an abundance of worm juice and vermi compost that should not be a problem.

Why will I have an abundance of the worm produce? I will be deploying a second worm farm in Wollongong. In fact I am seriously considering going larger and marketing the worm juice and compost. That does need a considerable amount more investigation. However, a second farm is a certainty. The construction of that farm is yet to be decided. I am considering the Cheap Worm Farm Construction idea, but that is largely dependent on the above plans.

From this article there are two things that are certain:

  1. All attempts will be made to grow these plants successfully, I am sick of having a nemesis, especially one that I enjoy.
  2. I am yet again in need of more worms.

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A Tale of Woe

Gardening, Herb, Fruit and Vegetables | Posted by Dean
Jan 08 2008

As I have written numerous times I like the taste of zucchini. In fact on Saturday I cooked a rather safe beef stir fry that had an entire home grown Lebanese zucchini sliced up and quartered. However, this article is a tale of woe, not a celebration of my culinary successes. After another attempt to grow Blackjack zucchini I have lost another four seedlings.

The Blackjack zucchini seedlings showed positive early signs and went into a growth phase. I thought finally I have some success and could look forward to some long, slender standard zucchini. However, all have subsequently perished. I simply do not understand what it is that I am doing wrong with these plants. They are getting the exact care and growing conditions that the Lebanese zucchini receives, and that plant is absolutely flourishing in the conditions. In fact it is currently full of flower.

I am now shelving the Blackjack zucchini dream for a while. I will concentrate my zucchini growing efforts on the Lebanese variety that is giving bearing great success. Perhaps I will give the Blackjack variety another crack once we have moved to Wollongong. A move that will be happening soon as we are all ready for a change of scenery due to no small part the cats next door. Another dedicated post coming on that soon.

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Blackjack Zucchini

Gardening, Herb, Fruit and Vegetables | Posted by Dean
Jan 03 2008

Blackjack Zucchini is a high yielding variety. It produces the typical long dark green fruit with juicy and white flesh. It is probably the most commonly grown variety of zucchini given its hardiness. Despite that, my previous attempts have failed miserably. My previous seedlings have all looked dodgy when purchased, and I am hopeful that was the case as I am giving it another go.

Today I picked up 4 new, healthy, and budding seedlings from big kids toy shop Bunnings. I have decided on a new strategy rather than clump them all together. Of course, the potting mix remains the Rich Gro Pro Mix. My planting strategy has two of the Blackjack seedlings planted with the successful and large Lebanese Zucchini which was in a large tub of its own. The Blackjacks’ are at the opposite end of the tub and have a lot of room to grow for themselves. As they will get the same conditions as the Lebanese variety does I am hopeful that they will take.

The remaining two Blackjack seedlings are planted in a separate large tub. They are cohabitating with a number of Long Yellow Capsicum seedlings. The tub is also next to my new tomatoes. So they will receive similar conditions to the Lebanese/Blackjack tub, though not exactly the same. All have been well watered in and I will be fertilising those tubs in the next few days to encourage growth.

I am hopeful that I will finally have success with these plants as I really do enjoy the fruit.

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