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Like everybody and their dogs I grow some summer squash. Maura prefers the ubiquitous zucchini so I grow that as well as a yellow squash.

This year I chose Dark Star zucchini from Uprising Organics and Early Straightneck from Burpee (from seeds given at my retirement party).

In my garden powdery mildew is always present, so I took measures throughout the growing season to minimize its presence and effects. The Early Straightneck eventually succumbed to the fungus as soon as August's cloudy and cool weather veiled the sun. However, the Dark Star zucchini appeared to be immune - or perhaps, more fortified by my milk and fertilizer sprays.

Whether from the re-mineralization, the greenhouse germination of the seeds or the foliar sprays, the plants appeared vibrant and unusually health, judging from the leaves. They had rich color and a thick appearance except for the yellow squash after the mildew took over.

The unusually hot and dry weather during June and July inhibited production of these summer squash. As soon as the cooler August temperatures took over, the yellow squash produced effusively, although there was significant damage from mildew even on the squash.

Often a zucchini plant will go wild at sometime during the season, but the Dark Star didn't - no overproduction from the two plants; rather a steady number of fruits from week to week.

I'll continue next year to grow some Dark Star zucchini, but I'll look for a different yellow squash.