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.
Showing posts with label berries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label berries. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Oh the places I will grow.
I was away last week, very away...chicago to be precise. My church youth group was shy one male chaperone for a service trip, and yours truly had extra vacation time to use up. A really great trip all around. Our base of operations was a parish/school in the northeast side. Heavy population of immigrants and the mentally ill. Very sobering, but it was very productive and I felt like we really contributed. There was a community garden just around the corner that was about a quarter acre. And this was not some allotment "everybody grows whatever" This was a small scale farm.
Unfortunately I do not have pictures, but I was really impressed with their setup.
When I returned I found some pretty impressive sided tomatoes, a pepper plant in full bloom, kiwi vines getting out of control, our daughter had started to transplant the greenbeans where the potatoes used to be, the bee balm in full bloom, and wormwood that...is easily 6 feet in any given direction and in flower. I also found something totally unexpected.
Thats right, the blueberry bushes I transplanted this year produced 3 fruit. The two tiny ones are from a "chandler" bush, and the big (not yet ripe) one is from a variety called "herbert." Last year you may recall I had a scant few blackberries, and this year I am swimming in them (though not yet ripe). Hopefully the blueberries will prove just as eager next year.
Unfortunately I do not have pictures, but I was really impressed with their setup.
When I returned I found some pretty impressive sided tomatoes, a pepper plant in full bloom, kiwi vines getting out of control, our daughter had started to transplant the greenbeans where the potatoes used to be, the bee balm in full bloom, and wormwood that...is easily 6 feet in any given direction and in flower. I also found something totally unexpected.
Thats right, the blueberry bushes I transplanted this year produced 3 fruit. The two tiny ones are from a "chandler" bush, and the big (not yet ripe) one is from a variety called "herbert." Last year you may recall I had a scant few blackberries, and this year I am swimming in them (though not yet ripe). Hopefully the blueberries will prove just as eager next year.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
In the ground
Well yesterday evening, the spinach, lettuce, peas, broccoli, radishes and beets went in the ground. And of course there was a light frost this morning, but nothing seemed to be really bothered by it. This evening I'm starting the tomato plants for my dad's house, planting some podding radishes and flax outdoors, cutting the potatoes into smaller chunks, and approaching my wife about a spot I think would be perfect for another garden bed. Its worth a shot right?
Out and about in the yard I noticed lemon balm, bee balm, chives, mint, and wormwood poking up out of the ground. The buds on the ornamental cherry are swelling, the lilacs are getting ready to leaf out. I've got about 4 1-year-old blackberry primocanes that are budding and 3 coming up out of the ground. The berry yield will still be small but much better than the 7 berries I got last year.
Out and about in the yard I noticed lemon balm, bee balm, chives, mint, and wormwood poking up out of the ground. The buds on the ornamental cherry are swelling, the lilacs are getting ready to leaf out. I've got about 4 1-year-old blackberry primocanes that are budding and 3 coming up out of the ground. The berry yield will still be small but much better than the 7 berries I got last year.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Surprises Blooms and miscellany
Well as predicted, first the flowers then the pea pods (I know what a daring amount of foresight) They are still young and could be eaten whole, I am tempted to take a nibble now, but I prefer the plump sweet gems inside, so I'll wait.
The potato forest (actually its only about 40 square feet, but it looks impressive from this angle doesn't it.)
Blurry as it is this one deserves inclusion for one reason. I never planted it, in fact I haven't grown strawberries in 3 years. It is growing in the raspberry patch and I mistook it for such until I got a closer look at the flowers one day. Where it came from I don't know but this is probably the most unlikely and welcome "volunteer" I have encountered. Sure there may only be a couple berries but I take it more as a sign from someone somewhere that this whole project is moving in the right direction.
Speaking of raspberries...I got a couple canes from a friend when he moved into his new house and they were taking over the property. I had no idea that raspberries were biennial so I mowed every year. Well after actually taking the time to read about them (after I mowed them again). They are biennials. First comes the primocane straight up from the ground, then next year the floricanes branch out and fruit the second year. Well I thought I had ruined my chances this year but apparently there was a bit of a stump left on one and it fruited!
The first nasturtium flower of the year about a day after its prime, and a minute before I ate it.
My salad bowl as I like to call it. Lettuce up front, a second crop of radishes and carrots, some pole beans for the trellis (third generation kentucky wonders, the first seed I ever saved) and a lone cucumber survivor. We had a freakinsh swing of weather from cold to hot and dry right around the time they were transplanted and the other one succumbed to the nasty conditions.
The garden as it stands now. (You can actually see the tomato plants next to the potatoes now, they took about a week to get used to that spot but they are rolling now.)
Lavender starting to bloom (a tad earlier than I remember from last year)
Yes fennel does bolt, and it looks like this
Feverfew that lives between the lavender bush is starting to flower (and I didn't get a picture, but I picked about half a cup of chamomile flowers and the plants are still covered. Not bad for only 3 plants)
The potato forest (actually its only about 40 square feet, but it looks impressive from this angle doesn't it.)
Blurry as it is this one deserves inclusion for one reason. I never planted it, in fact I haven't grown strawberries in 3 years. It is growing in the raspberry patch and I mistook it for such until I got a closer look at the flowers one day. Where it came from I don't know but this is probably the most unlikely and welcome "volunteer" I have encountered. Sure there may only be a couple berries but I take it more as a sign from someone somewhere that this whole project is moving in the right direction.
Speaking of raspberries...I got a couple canes from a friend when he moved into his new house and they were taking over the property. I had no idea that raspberries were biennial so I mowed every year. Well after actually taking the time to read about them (after I mowed them again). They are biennials. First comes the primocane straight up from the ground, then next year the floricanes branch out and fruit the second year. Well I thought I had ruined my chances this year but apparently there was a bit of a stump left on one and it fruited!
The first nasturtium flower of the year about a day after its prime, and a minute before I ate it.
My salad bowl as I like to call it. Lettuce up front, a second crop of radishes and carrots, some pole beans for the trellis (third generation kentucky wonders, the first seed I ever saved) and a lone cucumber survivor. We had a freakinsh swing of weather from cold to hot and dry right around the time they were transplanted and the other one succumbed to the nasty conditions.
The garden as it stands now. (You can actually see the tomato plants next to the potatoes now, they took about a week to get used to that spot but they are rolling now.)
Lavender starting to bloom (a tad earlier than I remember from last year)
Yes fennel does bolt, and it looks like this
Feverfew that lives between the lavender bush is starting to flower (and I didn't get a picture, but I picked about half a cup of chamomile flowers and the plants are still covered. Not bad for only 3 plants)
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