Bliss

Yesterday I tasted a cherokee purple for the first time. This was the most delicious tomato I have ever eaten. Hands down, end of story.

I picked just under five pounds yesterday of Amish paste, Cherokee, and Brandywine bringing my total tomato harvest a touch under six pounds. I havent weighed the spuds I dug two days ago but I figure its just south of 10 pounds. And the blackberries are slowing up now. 5 and a half cups now and probably another one or two on the canes still. Based on the number of new canes this year I expect almost double the yeild next year (3 large bearing canes to go away this fall, 7 mixed size new canes).

I started seed for the fall about two weeks ago but so far very little has sprouted. Might be the heat. I'll be trying something novel with parsnips. As I understand it, the Japanese grow them in wooden boxes to make for easier harvest. ( guess they are somewhat brittle) I got a wooden ammunition crate from my friend in the marines that would be perfect for this. Pictures to follow.

Winos

I was at a birthday party yesterday for a friend of mine (who will be teaching me how to make mead as soon as I can get my hands on another 5lbs of local honey).

He opened a bottle of rhubarb wine that had finished. I know what you are thinking...rhubarb? Ok, pour me just a small glass. YES, rhubarb. another glass please.

Rhubarb, its not just for pie.

Wow

Jim Cramer, whose prior contribution to society was serving as fodder for the Daily Show appears to think trouble is ahead for Monsanto. Well duh. Anyone in the Justice Dept with half a brain and a shred of ethics is probably eyeballing that beast for antitrust...at least.

I harvested my first tomato yesterday a nice ripe 14 oz brandywine. Cut it up and ate it straight up. Its been almost a year since I have had a real tomato. The pale mealy crap in the stores doesn't even come close. I've got another couple brandywines getting close and a cherokee purple that I think is probably ready too. I cut away all the foliage infected with early blight and so far the last few days have not shown further infection. I can only hope...



The vermont cranberry beans are doing great! Look at those gorgeous pods. My green beans have started flowering now too.

Something old, something new

First the old, as in old friends. I recently got back in touch with an old college room mate who as fate might have it, has also taken up organic gardening. Coincidence? Something in the wind? I'm glad he's into it, but I can't count him as one of my five, so the score is still at 3/5.

Now the new. The first of the tomatoes are almost ripe. Brandywines. No sign of ripening from the Cherokees or Amish paste, though there are several nice plump specimens of each. I hope they ripen soon, I've spotted early blight...not good. Not good at all. This pattern of horrifically damp summers is not just depressing, it could be a definite problem if it continues long term.

Things I've noticed

Some good, some bad.

First the bad news. Something has infected the apple tree. Is it scab? It resembles scab. Are there any organic treatments for scab?



Thankfully it appears on just a few leaves, though the bottom side of the leaf has developed a wart like growth. Should I just remove the few affected leaves?


Second find: Mushrooms! Not sure what kind, and I'm not about to taste and find out, but I'll be sure to take more pics as they emerge and perhaps get a positive ID on it. I own mycellium running and Growing gourmet and medicinal mushrooms by Stamets and you'd think I would have thought to seed all this much we have with spawn and grow some shrooms in the front yard...you'd think that. Sometimes nature has to remind you of the possibilities you should have thought of.

That is a leek in the background...doing quite nicely.


Third find: The first ripe blackberry! Sorry no pics. It went straight into my drooling maw.

seek and ye shall find

The afforementioned garden/farm in northeast chicago. 1038-ish W ainslie st. Go to the larger map and then zoom to the green arrow. For some reason Google map felt the need to make the "A" marker Uptown Chicago.


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