"Todd" > wrote in message
...
> On 07/26/2013 06:19 PM, W. Baker wrote:
>> Todd > wrote:
>> <snip interestin gardening advice>
>>
>> : I have a HUGE club sized Zuke
>> incubating. Plan
>> : on cooking it Sunday. Should fill my entire saute
>> : pan.
>>
>> : I wonder how much longer these dumb-dumb plants are
>> : going to buy my cock-'n-bull story about taking
>> : their offspring for a drive in the country and
>> : figure out what I am REALLY doing with them.
>>
>> : I am babbling.
>>
>> : -T
>>
>> : WHAT? Plants don't talk. Oh please! :-)
>>
>> Do you realy like those giant zuchinni? most prefer the small ones and
>> have the giants oly because they kind of got away form them. If I get a
>> giant, I always stuff it king of like a stuffed canal boat, as it tastes
>> better that way. when Ibuy, I always go for the small yong ones. they
>> taste beter in all the simple day to day preparations like microwaving,
>> grillingas halved sliced lengthwise.
>>
>> Just my view on these vegetables.
>>
>> Wendy
>>
>
> Hi Wendy,
>
> From the store, ABSOLUTELY! The big ones are also
> more bitter and really tough.
>
> But, these are not store varieties. These are an
> heirloom Costa Romaneco:
>
> http://www.rareseeds.com/costata-romanesco-/
>
> And, they are 20 minutes to the pan. They have not had a
> chance to sit around and dehydrate.
>
> I am really tickled because I can let them grow bigger and
> get a lot more food out of them, they are as tender big
> as small, and they are not bitter!
>
> According to my CSA farmer, if I let them, they will
> grow four feet long. Then they are a problem. (The
> plant will go to seed too, as it will think it has
> done its job.)
>
> If you live in a long growing season (I don't), Rareseeds,
> told me a trick to out witting squash bugs, is to plant
> them late in the season. If you live in one of these
> areas, you still have time. All you need is a dirt pot
> and some organic soil and compost. Plus not too much water
> and a bit of love.
>
> You can try talking to them, like I do, but I am suspicious
> that their response might be the wind. :-)

Talking to plants actually does work as does playing music to them. This
was an experiment that we did in biology class. We hooked some sort of
meter to the plants and judged their reaction. When we said nice things
like, "I love you plant!" Or, "I'm going to water you now." Or, "You're
getting some food!" Or, "I'm going to clean you leaves!" And then of
course doing the appropriate action. Or played nice music, the meter
indicated a nice reaction.

But when we played really loud, jangly rock music, shouted at them or did
mean things like burn them with a cigarette lighter, the needle on the meter
went wild. And it didn't take long for the plant to respond to our voice.
The plant knew what we meant when we said we were going to burn it. After
burning it a few times, all we had to do was tell it that we were going to
burn it and the needle went wild. We really only did burn it a few times.
But after doing that, all we had to do was threaten to burn it and it would
freak.