We had a great twilight meeting last week-sorry if you missed it. We had a visit from Dr. Suresh Ghimire, who is the new vegeta-ble specialist at UConn. He’s done research that many would find interesting: evaluating the new generation of Biodegradable Mulches. Here is a link to a Washington State University publication that gives a great outline of these materials and how they perform: http://pubs.cahnrs.wsu.edu/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/publications/fs103e.pdf. Bear in mind that condi-tions in the Northeast are different from the climate where he did his work… –> Need to discuss? Got something you need looked at? URI Extension: 401-874-2967/andy_radin@uri.edu, hfaubert@uri.edu

The shortest season squashes, Delicata, Sweet Dumpling and Acorn, have the best chances of making it. All (including pumpkin and spaghetti) are classified as Cucurbita pepo. Two things to look for: dulling of the sheen of the fruit surface and development of a deep orange spot where the fruit is in contact with the ground. On the first two, the orange takes the form of stripes, and the normally yellow skin can also take on orange color. Spaghetti takes longer to mature-there’s no good orange spot on these, look for dull yellow skin, with no green. All of these types are edible right at har-vest and for up to 3 months with proper curing and storage. Later maturing and longer storing types are often Cucurbita maxima, which includes Hubbards, Buttercup, Banana, and smaller Kuri and Kabochas. All of these are marked by their fat stems and large seeds. The last two are edible immediately and can last up to 4 months. Fully dry stem, dull sheen and hard skin are all signs of ripeness