Future challenges

It would seem that the coming climate change will make the dismally wet summers I've notice the last couple years even more pervasive. And while I seem to have gotten a handle on insect issues recently, other forces have taken note and decided to fill the misery void. Namely fungus.

With wetness comes fungal infection, most noteably, the mildew twins (powdery and downy). I also noticed some scab previously on the leaves of my apple tree. Thus I have the following considerations when proceeding with next year's plan.

Physical: The current height of my raised beds is about 6 inches. This puts the garden foliage only minimally higher than the surrounding environment. In an effort to lower the relative humidity I will raise the bed surface another 6 inches. Hopefully this will have a tangible effect on the micro climate of the soil.
Second, any vining plant will be grown vertically. Rampant overlapping foliage proved a haven for fungal infection.

Plant selection: Despite its success at bringing squash pests to a minimal level, nasturtium grows rampantly and contributes to the overfoliated conditions above. In the future I may switch to a dwarf variety or reduce its use.
Best efforts will be made to find open pollinated cultivars with desired resistances. I have noticed that the waltham butternut variety of squash did not succumb to PM despite living in contact with infected delicata squash. Purely anectdotal of course but worth noting.

Human intervention: Despite my desire to create a homeostatic balance and let nature take care of the problem, it may become necessary to spray. I will only explore the use of compounds which can be easily and safely produced at home in keeping with my ethos of limited dependence on external system inputs. I tried a milk spray this year with only limited success, and next year will attempt to more closely follow the proceedures outlined in the study. Humans created the climate crisis and its side effects, so I guess I needn't worry too much that a little human intervention may be required. Attra has a publication about the use of compost tea as a possible deterent of late blight in potatoes. Given the close relation between potatoes and tomatoes I don't see a reason why the resistance might not be effective there as well.

If anyone wants to share their fungal woes please feel free.

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.

Very Exited

Yesterday afternoon I came home to a package from Fungi Perfecti. My order of plug spawn, sealing wax, mycorizhal spores, and a copy of Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms arrived. I never realized that the book was as extensive as it is. Its closer to a textbook than one of the usual offerings in the garden section, and just as deep. My inner geek is totally stoked. I'll post a review when I finish reading, but that will take some time, in the meantime, I have logs to seed with spawn. Homegrown reishi and shitake here I come!

Ultimately I'd like to incorporate the growing of mushrooms into the grander scheme of things. It will be years before I have all the bugs worked out of my rotational system, but I know fungus will have a place in it.