Applestar’s 2024 Garden

[applestar]

Yesterday, I had set some no-frills sticky cockroach traps because some of the seedlings had been chewed up and I suspected it was the work of the big black crickets.

Last fall their population had been unchecked in the Sunflower Hoophouse and they did some serious damage when I started to plant fall crops in September, and I was catching them in these traps until there were no more exposed sticky surfaces left.

• This morning, however, one of the traps had been MOVED away from the wall …
• and when I examined it, it had grey fur plastered all over the glue and part of the paper frame had been chewed off — mouse? vole? In any case, the likely culprit for the first round of bush bean seed sprouting failure.
• I set a snap trap in its place

• and moved the glue trap to the other side along Bora King daikon and Scarlet Ohno Revival turnips (I thinned and hilled them today).

• I also planted kohlrabi starts — purple Kolibri and white Kongo (“duo” seed packet from Renee’s that is clearly described, which I like)— where I cleared a little patch from the zuke, and also planted the two extra in the back of the row where Y-star used to be.

• When I checked the glue trap that had been placed nearby, there was some kind of a grey moth in it, along with the target cricket. It had a pretty orange and black underwing.

I was curious and looked it up — I believe it’s an Oldwife Underwing (Pennsylvania Moths) · iNaturalist, an owlet species according to another site and meaning it’s related to typical pest moth caterpillars in the garden like cutworms, but one other site listed its food plants as “walnut and hickory”. If that’s the case, how did it even get in here?

That other trap that caught the mouse (and lost it) also had cricket legs in it, so the traps have started working. I’ll also do my best to slap and stomp what I can reach/catch when I’m working in there. (While it’s true that mouse is a natural predator and could potentially control the cricket population, it’s already virtually certain that it had been the bean eater, so I will show no mercy in this.)

[applestar]

Peeking in from the back of the Sunflower Hoophouse —

…(weeding and) Reshaping the Spiral Garden/testing the swale-path waterflow

[applestar]

Harvest collage for the past couple of days —

• I harvested one of the Alcosa mini savoy cabbage from the VGA low tunnel

• More figs and persimmons— they’ll continue until all container figs and persimmons are picked, and in-ground Chicago Hardy figs until near frost temps stop remaining fruits from ripening

• Remember that green tomato I posted about on 8/26? Another one blushed and felt velvety soft with a bit of a give so I harvested it on Friday, and I put the fully colored 26th’s fruit next to it. These are definitely true-to-type ‘Allons-y,Dr.X’ (as described in the 26th post).

• Myoga flower buds are finally starting to show up though these are still runty — I think it helped that I watered them, and they are likely to come up en masse after a big rain (if we ever get such a weather event )

• Also on Friday, I came across a green Faelan’s First Snow that had been gouged. I was immediately thinking squirrels, chipmunks… then stepped back and looked above the fruit to realize the leaves were stripped — aaaand that means … and spotted the culprit. Do you see it? HOW did I miss it for so long that it got to be this big?

[applestar]

Some of them are starting to hatch

…

I got carried away and bought some seeds. Not sure if I’m in time to start some of these (daikon), or have the space with sufficient winter sun exposure. (I also think I need to re-think protective insect mesh and winter poly low tunnels and make effort to build something more that is easier to use than the simple cover-and-pin-to-the-ground….)

• I bought the fava and snap peas early because I want to try the Japanese method of growing to just past seedling stage then protecting them through the winter. This is similar to the recommended method for starting and overwintering broccoli in this area (4~6 true leaves, 4~6 inches tall at most — trick is figuring out when to start then and best protection/protected location)

• I want to try growing my own onion starts — question is start in fall (that would be about now) or winter (Jan or Feb) if I want to have plants about diameter of a chopstick by mid~late-March.

* Bean Windsor Fava (4”, 75d)
* Pea Sugar Ann Organic Snap 2ft (58d)
* Pea Cascadia Snap 2.5~3ft (65d)
* Radish Misato Rose Organic Winter (60d)
* Radish Saitaro Daikon F1 (61d)
* Onion Cabernet Organic Red Summer F1 (90d)
* Lettuce Gildenstern Organic 4” mini Iceberg Or Crisphead (48d)
* Lettuce Freedom Lettuce Gene-Pool Organic Blend

[Gary350]

Some of them are starting to hatch
90EF21AE-FA7F-4A0D-A217-C9F514CB2B66.jpeg

…

overwintering broccoli in this area (4~6 true leaves, 4~6 inches tall at most — trick is figuring out when to start then and best protection/protected location)

• I want to try growing my own onion starts — question is start in fall (that would be about now) or winter (Jan or Feb) if I want to have plants about diameter of a chopstick by mid~late-March.

Last year I planted broccoli and cauliflower Sept 1st weather was warm, germination was 99%. I had trouble remembering to water my plants soil continued to be dry as desert until Jan. I hilled up broccoli plants same as potato hills 12" of soil is good insulation it keeps plants below soil surface alive until spring. I hilled up the soil 1 time a week so to only have 4" of plants above the soil surface all winter. Jan & Feb freeze killed the tops and tops all grew back March. My mistake was not getting serious and planting 30 plants in each 30' row. I ended up with 1 cauliflower plant and 5 broccoli plants. Cauliflower should have been planted Aug 15 not Sept 1. I was lucky to have seeds that grow small 4" heads they grow faster than large 8" & 10" heads. When broccoli started growing again in March I was harvesting enough broccoli for 1 dinner a week. When temps got warner broccoli grew faster. May it was warmer broccoli grew faster and almost made heads but we ate them before they were big. Then June 90° temps plants went to seed. I am going to grow cauliflower & broccoli again this year when mud dries up.

Last year I planted onion seeds Aug 1st. I bought 400 yellow onion seeds on ebay $2 free postage. I sprinkled the seeds in a 32" by 3" wide square raked soil around then left them along. About March I notice larger onion plants. July there were about 40 onions 3" diameter. This was a zero maintenance crop I decided to do nothing to see what happens.

Go to my garden photos last year 2023 look at pictures page 1 and 2. Looking at my own photos of onions grown from seeds I see more onions than I remember growing. We had crazy winter weather last year -7 and 85° in Feb. & 80° in March many onions grew seed tops and garlic froze to death. This reminds me I have 1000s of saved onion seeds some where ???????? and I see larger broccoli than I remember growing.

[imafan26]

I may be able to start some broccoli in containers too. I can only plant onions from seed. Some of the big box stores do bring in sets, but they are usually not suitable for this climate and will never amount to much. Radishes might be good. They are 50-70 day crop for daikon and it will be in time for the holidays. Gobo is a little late since it takes 120 days to mature and a very tall container or construction tube.

A lot of the seed companies now are offering end of the year deals. Unfortunately their "free shipping" deal, usually is only for the contiguous states. Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico are not included. I have checked some of them out. But as usual this late in the year, a lot of the seeds that I might consider are already gone. That is o.k. too. I really have too many seeds and I am starting to save more of my own seeds as well.

[applestar]

[…]
• Remember that green tomato I posted about on 8/26? Another one blushed and felt velvety soft with a bit of a give so I harvested it on Friday, and I put the fully colored 26th’s fruit next to it. These are definitely true-to-type ‘Allons-y,Dr.X’ (as described in the 26th post).
[…]

[…]

DD2 and I ate that ripe Allons-y,Dr.X today, and she gave me her tasting review: “Not like regular tomato…. Smokey (like BBQ) taste with mouthwatering lingering tangy flavor; edible skin — thin/soft not chewy”

(The epi is clear.)

[applestar]

Wow, didn’t pay enough attention to the forecasts and it’s actually very COLD out there right now.

I WAS looking at the back wall flap of the Sunflower Hoophouse yesterday thinking maybe I should close or partially close … but didn’t. Now I wish I had.

(KGP.Hoophouse sensor is actually in the house/Green Room atm)

Some pics from yesterday —
• Driveway figs are continuing to ripen
• After harvesting that single Ananas d’Amerique à Chair Verte melon, two more out of three that I had allowed to remain further along the vines started to grow … enough to need hammock supports (about softball size now). With the sudden drop in night temp (as well as all the leaves lost already to downy and powdery mildew), these will likely end up just teasing. There is also a runty 1/2 sized Jubilee watermelon.

• NutterbutterX with Molten Sky large elongated grape cherries in foreground.

•• Turnips, radishes, and Daikons + Asian greens under mini tunnels

• COMPLETELY forgot about this — turnip? daikon? in the soup cup….

[applestar]

I was growing out some saved seeds that were labeled “Lucky Cross or Captain Lucky — both PL so fruit will tell”.

I was leaning towards Lucky Cross because it’s a repeater in my garden…. but this one wasn’t—

Captain Lucky : First bite - SWEET! Umami... then milder sustained plateau (no more/no less) end note, then lingering sharp chaser on tongue. — I like this.

Epi was clear after thorough scraping (not yellow), somewhat thick skin.

Now then please someone tell me — ls Captain Lucky considered GWR (Green When Ripe) or a green shouldered Purple with bi-color green/red streak flesh? (…or is this NOT Captain Lucky at all and something else?)

…THIS is why I’m reluctant to share my saved seeds BTW — I’m terrible at book keeping and accurately and precisely saving seeds. I’ll share if you are willing to take seeds marked “A or B or possibly bee-crossed. Look for PL, dwarf or not growth pattern, and x or y color”.

[Gary350]

I was growing out some saved seeds that were labeled “Lucky Cross or Captain Lucky — both PL so fruit will tell”.

I was leaning towards Lucky Cross because it’s a repeater in my garden…. but this one wasn’t—
39773629-2DA0-41CC-988A-6716AC999238.jpeg

Captain Lucky : First bite - SWEET! Umami... then milder sustained plateau (no more/no less) end note, then lingering sharp chaser on tongue. — I like this.

Epi was clear after thorough scraping (not yellow), somewhat thick skin.

Now then please someone tell me — ls Captain Lucky considered GWR (Green When Ripe) or a green shouldered Purple with bi-color green/red streak flesh? (…or is this NOT Captain Lucky at all and something else?)

…THIS is why I’m reluctant to share my saved seeds BTW — I’m terrible at book keeping and accurately and precisely saving seeds. I’ll share if you are willing to take seeds marked “A or B or possibly bee-crossed. Look for PL, dwarf or not growth pattern, and x or y color”.

There are several cross pollination videos on YouTube they are very interesting. I find it interesting if your cross A + B = C but if you cross B + A you get D. There is a cross pollination research lab in a cave in the side of a mountain air is filtered to prevent outside pollination from contaminating their research. It has been a few years since I watched that video. Once you watch a video like that computer links you to more of the same type videos. I remember, tomato, corn, squash, other vegetables but can't remember if they were all on the same video. It is interesting to see 20 ft tall tomato plants and 14 ft tall corn plants. There is no winter or summer is a cave they can grow new crops every week. When I am a prisoner inside the house in bad weather I watch videos like this. Here is an example video this might link you to better videos. I tried crossing hot peppers with sweet peppers once then I had to plant seeds next summer to learn how that turned out, very slow work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcY0uXnA7YQ

[imafan26]

Your green tomato looks similar to annnas noir.

[applestar]

I had wondered the same, @imafan. But doesn’t the “noire” in the name suggest black which in tomato parlance should mean yellow epi…?

[applestar]

We ate one of the two paw paws today — I waited until it had become very soft in the fruit basket, even though it hadn’t turned completely yellow.

First one ever from my trees.

We all shared, me slicing slivers and offering while saying “… the flavor is variously described as tasting like
banana, pineapple, mango, custard….”

It was nice and sweet, and consensus was that it tasted like all of the above. My thought was it definitely tastes “tropical”, and hubby detected a “citrusy” afternote.

We are hooked and are eagerly waiting for the one or two more days for the 2nd of the only two harvested to ripen.

First one was pretty small — maybe 1”x2.5”, and had 3 seeds. 2nd one is slightly bigger, but both much smaller than I had anticipated. And they had come off the branch much greener than I expected, so I think that’s how I lost the possible harvests from last year and possibly the year before.

Hopefully the fruit size will increase as the trees mature, more established, and grow larger.

[applestar]

pics for now — will embellish with more text later

9/1~9/6 harvests:
• This big Greek Sweet Red squash had to be harvested green because of SVB (YES SVB! got in the vine — via leaf stem and traveled to the main vine) and all the leaves deteriorated from lack of nutrient/water flow. This was the one in white mesh produce bag.

• 9/6 Harvested 1 gallon bucket half full of mostly fully blushed Prok persimmons that pulled off the branches. They are further ripened in the house to velvety softness then in the fridge to FULL ripe softness.

We ate another Allons-y,Dr.X

Allons-y,Dr.X

FFSX are trying to grow some more and are tall enough now to need tomato cage support.

Keep wondering if I should harvest these fully colored NutterbutterX, or I should wait until vines are dead….

There are 5 fully colored and one 1 green here in the Vegetable Garden, 1 full sized and 1 4~5 inch newly set by the fig tree, and 6 more in various sizes and maturity levels on the Haybale Row trellis….

[applestar]

We ate that last 9/4 Kaho watermelon yesterday. It was the biggest, sweet and delicious . I probably left it a little too long either on the vine or after harvesting since the flesh was getting flaky (but juicy) and the already thin Kaho rind (only about 1/4” thick green/white layer) practically fell apart wherever I touched with the sharp knife so I couldn’t even cut up even wedges.

NOTE — This grew on one of the NutterbutterX side grafted vines. All the fruits were bigger on grafted vines. DEFINITELY grafting watermelons again. Melons, too depending on rootstock needed.

(Also ate the 2nd slightly larger paw paw which was about 3”x2”, and the 2nd full sized Magness pear, sharing among four of us )

…The lowering sun angle results in the house shadow covering over half of the Side Yard Garden …. In winter this area is completely in shadow and make it very difficult to grow anything that is winter hardy and needs to have the sunlight for active growth.

You can see how the vertically trellised plants still can catch the rays because they are 5 ft + above the ground level.

[applestar]

I’m rushing it, but I keep thinking of the old saying that goes something like “1 day in fall is like 7 days in spring” — meaning the waning days and less sun slows down growth of newly started crops so that it takes 7 days to grow as much as they do 1 day in spring.

… I went ahead and direct-sowed new daikon seeds — Saitaro F1 and Misato Rose — in the new bed. There are 6 more holes in the mulch that are reserved for something else that is quicker to mature and can be removed out of the way later … maybe one of the new lettuce.

• Over on the other side of the house, I weeded and thinned the Bora King daikon, etc. VGB mini low tunnel. Everything looks good — I need to upgrade the tunnels so they are taller/wider

• In the VGA low tunnel, Cheong Du daikon can be seen starting to increase in diameter.
• I purposefully cut the Alcosa savoy mini cabbage leaving most of the basal rosette of leaves intact to see if Side heads will form.

[applestar]

More harvest photos — dominated by the persimmons.

• They are bumper crop this year. It’s harder to see them because I failed to thin out the massive spring growths of multiple branch buds, but so far, I’ve been able to harvest them with my (cleverly cut to snag-pull-catch) 2L soda bottle secured to a 7 foot bamboo pole, handy-dandy harvesting tool. I also invested in an arborists throw line-and-weight, which has allowed me to snag and bend down the highest branches within reach.

• I started experimenting with growing basil sprigs in water. Simple set up in plastic cups and glass bottles for now, but I’m surprised by how much roots they are growing — I think I’ll need to give them bigger root volume containers….

• I sowed Saitaro F1 daikon and Misato Rose round daikon/radish in the prepared watermelon arc on 9/8

• Most of them sprouted today (9/12)

• It was very foggy in the morning, revealing big spiderwebs like this all over the garden. This one was one of THREE near the gate (I had to break one to get out)

• Later, while I was washing the harvest, I heard a noise towards the picnic table. I turned around to see a hawk perched there. It took off just after I took the picture. I have a live shot, but the hawk was too fast to see more than a blur.

[Gary350]

More harvest photos — dominated by the persimmons.

• They are bumper crop this year. It’s harder to see them because I failed to thin out the massive spring growths of multiple branch buds, but so far, I’ve been able to harvest them with my (cleverly cut to snag-pull-catch) 2L soda bottle secured to a 7 foot bamboo pole, handy-dandy harvesting tool. I also invested in an arborists throw line-and-weight, which has allowed me to snag and bend down the highest branches within reach.

Wild Persimmons don't turn sweet until after a very hard frost. Sometimes it needs to frost several nights before persimmons fall from the tree. My grandmother had a wild persimmon tree 200 ft from the house she would only pick up fruit that fell to the ground, she said, persimmons are sweet because frost did it and made them fall off the tree. But some persimmons were not totally sweet yet so she put them in the refrigerator freezer over night to make them sweet. If you put a persimmon in boiling water they get hard as a pine board and loose all there flavor. The Sure Jell box use to have a cold recipe for persimmon jam. Persimmons have an amazing good flavor I don't know anything that taste better than persimmons.

[applestar]

@Gary350 we talked about this last year, too.

It was interesting to note that last year’s harvest ended around beginning of October. I think they are even earlier this year.

I found a recipe on-line called “Persimmon Pudding” — basically very ripe persimmons strained to remove skin and seeds, then mixed with a bit of cream — 1/2 cup to 6 cups of puréed persimmon, so 1/6 ratio — (I used coconut cream), and a bit of salt, honey if desired.

Yesterday, I made some and added EZ Gel (which is modified starch I keep on hand for making instant chocolate pudding) to thicken a bit. It’s delicious.

I’ll see if I can hunt down the Sure Jell jam recipe. Thanks!

I’m also soaking the overripe and damaged ones in Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (with mother) to hopefully turn into persimmon vinegar, and am soaking a big jar more in brandy.

This morning, I made some persimmon bread and baked in muffin-sized silicone bundt forms.

According to one site talking about persimmons, even a scrap of unripe astringent piece can turn the entire batch astringent. It’s the heat. BUT, she said, this doesn’t happen when baked in a banana bread-like recipe.

Also, according to a Japanese persimmon site, soaking in strong alcohol will neutralize the astringency.

So I tried mixing some brandy into strained puréed fully ripe persimmon and then baking. Initially I was following my last muffin recipe from memory (which had been more like cup cake because I had subbed a portion of flour with cake flour) … I then thought maybe yeast bread would be interesting and used bread flour for that portion instead … then couldn’t find the yeast! … so ended up using baking powder and baking soda after all.

I also had just a little bit of batter left over so I ended up overfilling the mini forms. Anyhow they are super yummy

[applestar]

Photo Gallery screenshot collage from this morning —

[applestar]

Harvest and garden progress from last few days —

•As you can see, the persimmons have finally started to dwindle. There may be another dozen on the tree at most.

• I’ve harvested the last 3 earliest NutterbutterX from VGD — One sign the vines gave me that they must be ready to remove is they opened viable new female blossoms at the leading edge and have set fruits after being hand pollinated. 2 are definitely growing, 3rd was just pollinated and still healthy after one day, so we’ll see.

• That last photo is a female Greek Sweet Red blossom that opened on a rambling vine that climbed up a tree

• The two mini low tunnels in VGB were making me anxious since the turnips and daikon were outgrowing them and pushing against the mesh. Bugs can easily reach their tiny mouthparts and ovipositors through and they have been known to even drop eggs through.

• I consolidated the tunnels and included the little row of carrots to the left under a new medium tunnel. This will let them stretch out and it’s much easier to duck under and work on the beds. I’ll probably fortify the structure a bit more later so I can cover with frost blanket and/or vented poly as fall weather gets colder.

* Daikon under the new Spiral Garden inner arc tunnel have sprouted — much better germination rate than I expected (the packet said 70%) so I’ll have to thin those, hopefully today.

• I think I’m done starting kohlrabi — I have 1/2 dozen 1st set of true leaves seedlings that I need to find space for, and a dozen 2nd set of true leaves seedlings ready to plant in those last row of holes with the daikon.

— But I wanted to grow more lettuce this fall, so they have been started and sprouted. They need protection from severe weather but not as critically from pests with tight insect mesh.

— and I also started some onions to try overwintering. I expect to be able to plant them in the Sunflower Hoophouse after harvesting the three mini kabocha. (They are almost ready.)


…Watching those Japanese market and hobby backyard gardener videos makes me complacent and feel like I could grow more during the winter when I should know by now that it’s gets WAY colder here. They’re USDA Zone equivalent to around 8 or 9.

I need to find more Hokkaido and Niigata area videos (but THEY get the snow cover that I don’t — more like upstate NY and New England, etc.). There IS a video channel posted by citrus and blueberry nursery that have been more relatable and helpful.

[applestar]

SUNFLOWER HOOPHOUSE — So, if you remember, I found one of my sticky cricket traps torn up and short grey fur stuck all over the glue. Most likely culprit being mouse, I set a couple of mouse traps in addition to cricket traps which obviously isn’t strong enough to secure them.

Until yesterday, nothing … but some of the tender green seedlings and lower most bean leaves were being chewed up. Could have been climbing cutworms or slugs. But when I found half of a young lettuce plant munched on with obvious teeth marks, I moved one of the mouse traps right next to the remaining plant.

ONE YESTERDAY, and ANOTHER ONE TODAY when I put the mouse trap right back next to the lettuce.

Not sure if they were getting in from somewhere or if they have made a nest somewhere, maybe behind one of the containers.

I put the trap back next to the lettuce.

[applestar]

More harvest and Fall garden progress —

• Hehe I was re-reading previous posts and saw that I said there was only a dozen persimmons left on the tree at most…. But really, they are hard to spot while still green, and it’s even almost impossible to notice the fully ripe orange ones on the other side of a branch…. (That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it! )

• More squashes and last of watermelon (runty half-sized Jubilee) came in…. Myoga flower buds are continuing to poke up out of the ground and I’ve started making sweet&sour refrigerator pickles.

• Last year, I learned almost too late that Goldenrod is a great medicinal herb for respiratory as well as skin; but this year, I gathered enough flowers for tinctures as well as leaves that are still unblemished for teas and decoctions.

• The driveway Petit Nigra figs are just about done — a single late bloomer is still green

• I began planting the seed-started lettuce seedlings. Shown are 3 in VGD where China Jade cukes used to be; a row along edge of VGA in front of the melon trellis; and a mini arc in the Spiral Garden that used to be an access, but I decided a continuous sweeping arc would look better. I just have to step over or walk over to another access break in the spiral.

• I thought I would have a break but the Trifoliate Orange ‘Flying Dragon’ fruits have changed color and are waiting to be harvested. They are not immediately ready, but are best left on the tree until they either actually fall off or willingly come off with a gentle twist. I keep on the counter until the entire stem area has yellowed, then it’s time to juice them.

— The fragrance from the fruits on the counter is intoxicating.

(I did taste a small one squeezed out in a tea and it’s delicious. Some of seeds fell in the tea and that’s OK. I steep them in the mug along with the tea leaves.)

— In Chinese Medicine pharmacopoeia, there is roasted/blackened? citrus seed — I want to look into that some more and see if that would be a way to make use of the too-many seeds. Regardless, heading into the cold season, the juice will provide extra source for Vitamin C.

— I’ve also started a container of unscented liquid castile soap to drop the rind, seeds, and remaining pulp in to extract the fragrance.

— The juice makes excellent substitutes for lemon juice in sweet and savory dishes. I want to try making “Key Lime” pie with them this year. Also some “Limon”cello as well as salty preserved juices and sugary syrups.

• I harvested the single big Largo de Reus pepper (152g) even though it hadn’t completely changed color. This was the only fruit the overwintered plant supported all summer, but it has set two new fruits and are blooming some more, so I wanted to give it a chance to load up if possible before it got colder. I trimmed older tattered leaves and fertilized. I expect to bring the plant inside again later.

• Last photo — This Greek Sweet Red squash growing amongst the Autumn Joy sedum flowers might be the biggest one this year.

[applestar]

A couple of days ago, I tried taking pano shots from the doorway of the Sunflower Hoophouse and stitching them together for full view of the interior.

As it turned out, I ended up harvesting the three Kurin mini kabocha over these three days so it turned into BEFORE view.

I only got three squashes from 5 separate plants. Obviously they were grown too close together, and it begs the question “would three plants spaced farther apart have yielded at least two fruits @ and ended up 6 squashes … or even two plants and 4?”

I had also planted seeds from storebought full sized kabocha, but those three plants were overcome by powdery mildew. They sprouted side shoots that grew again, but are continuing to lose leaves due to attrition, and that tiny plant with tiny number of leaves has a tiny fruit that set a few days ago. I left it in place to struggle some more but I’m pretty sure there’s no point.

Adam Gherkin cucumber turned out to be an overachiever in terms of reaching for heights.

I used parachute cords that I hang from the rafter beam way back when I first built the SFHH to support tomatoes to give them something to climb, but I lost control and some of the vigorous vines are beyond my reach for pinching out the leading node flowerbuds to promote the fruit development further down the vine. You can’t just clip the tip because that might kill the plant (cucurbits always need at least one actively growing leading shoot).

Eggplants have come back with burst of new blossoms and fruits after I pruned off all of the tattered older leaves and fertilized back in late August.

[applestar]

Huh look@that, I somehow forgot to include the last panel on the bottom. The stitching process is like one of those interactive puzzles for which you rotate and resize tiles to assemble a picture like jigsaw puzzle back together.

[applestar]

Harvest photos for the past week —

[imafan26]

That's a nice harvest. Tunnels increase humidity and they are usually packed tight which makes for good conditions for fugal growth.

[applestar]

Thanks! Yes there’s a learning curve for those tunnels at first — best way to set them up for your particular gardening style and conditions, varying degrees of supplies quality, and those pros and cons, including humidity issues when weather is rainy and humid.

For me, their primary purpose is to keep out the worst pest infestations, but they can and do sneak in so the tunnels have to be easy to see through and/or easy to take off and on.

This time of the year/season, they start off by protecting from pests and that include casual intrusion by animals and birds, but also as temperatures start getting colder, those insect mesh tunnels provide a modicum of wind protection and warmth that can make the difference in the slowing growths.

Next step is to put a non-woven garden fleece UNDER the insect mesh to protect from night time IR (heat) loss. I’m trying to gauge the best timing for this since adding the opaque fabric cuts down on visibility as well as light transmission when there is already diminishing daylight, and the fall rains add to humidity and pest issues.

I just came across a video in which narrow strip is positioned at the top of the arch which apparently is sufficient to block the IR from just dispersing while preserving visibility and airflow from the sides during the day.

[Gary350]

Thanks! Yes there’s a learning curve.

pest infestations, but they can and do sneak in

airflow from the sides during the day.

Learning curve 47 years ago, This reminds me of my first TN green house in 60 mph wind. I built the green house with 2x4 lumber the green house was 8ft x 8ft x 8ft. square cover it with polyethylene plastic. The first strong wind blew the green house down. I built it back stronger with X traces on all 4 walls and ceiling. A strong wind made plastic suck in out like a bellows sucking cold winter air in and heat out. Next I hilled soil up on the sides to prevent leaks then wind blew the door off. I though it was anchored good but a 50 mph wind blew the green house out of the yard and across several 20 acres fields like a 8ft square cube I drove around in the car and and never found it.

2 years later I tired again. I think soil is full of bug eggs soon as it got warm inside the cube shape green house it had bugs and butterflies inside but none outside. I was 28 years old then I had more energy than brains. That was the end of the green house experiments for about 20 years or more.

[applestar]

Whoa, the thought of that 8ft cube rolling across the fields! Yeah, I haven’t had that drastic of an accident, but plenty of times when the darned plastic went flapping around — worst if when the thing just puffs and then COMPLETELY flattens, because you did secure the corners tightly or whatever, BUT the hoop or other supports were in sufficiently built and now the stupid thing is just FLATTENING the plants it’s supposed to be protecting.

…

I mentioned/complained that pests can sneak in. I found a black/brown wooly caterpillar in the Sunflower Hoophouse that had nearly completely chomped the leaves of one of the mini napa on Saturday… Mostly only central leaf veins left standing.

I also found signs of cutworm — the kind that only eats the central growing point of important heading crops like cabbages and napa as well as daikon — once those cutworms completely chews down the center, those plants won’t develop properly.

I couldn’t find the cutworm on Saturday.

Today, I thoroughly sprayed the napa, pak choi and other Asian greens with Btk. But also culled one napa at top-left because it didn’t have a center anymore.

While I was hilling the kohlrabi and other plants with loose soil that used to be around the culled plant, a cutworm rolled out Hopefully this was the only one, but the Btk should take care of any others, if any.

That Greek Sweet Red squash that set fruit in a tree is developing. I called it a “tree” but it’s actually a crab apple “espalier” styled into an umbrella shape, and the top of the trunk is only about 4 ft high. I’m trying to protect the squash from getting poked by stray sticks as it grows and expands/gets heavier.

…Its situation is not really that different from the rest of the squash that are hanging around on the trellis….

[Gary350]

Today, I thoroughly sprayed the napa, pak choi and other Asian greens with Btk. But also culled one napa at top-left because it didn’t have a center anymore.

How many more Napa plants do you have? Have you had good success growing napa before?

I am setting here looking at my napa seed package I found a good video that says, Napa bolts at 80°f. Don't let plants get warmer than 70°. It's favorite temperature is 60 to 65°, it does good down to 25°f, it does good with 5 hours of winter sunlight. That will be almost impossible in TN unless I grow in 1 gallon pots and move them in/out of the house morning and evening..

[applestar]

There are 5 more elsewhere in the Sunflower Hoophouse in addition to the 4 left in the row in the pic above.


I find those temperature ranges difficult to meet too.

In the past, I’ve failed in spring because our spring consists of average last frost around end of April with lows in the 20’s even in the beginning of April, and then maybe a two week window before 80’s by mid-May.

I’ve tried growing in fall but didn’t start early enough and they didn’t get the chance to head up.

I needed to work out how to protect from aphids, flea beetles, butterflies, moths, and stinkbugs.

So this past early summer was the first time I have successfully grown napa — and I grew mini-nap that matures early/only need about two months.

TODAY, I concentrated on the Vegetable Gardenbed side.

Since both VGA and VGB/BG.SIP plants were outgrowing their tunnels, I found a way to raise the supports/upgrade by simply swapping the covers (and leaving out the corn in VGB….)

This gave me chance to take lots of pics.

• 1,2 — I first noticed the purple kohlrabi looking almost ready, and notes that the Alcosa cabbages have started to head up.

• 3,4 — Corn needs feeding, and there was a single purple Bora King daikon that is fattening up (about 1.5 inches diameter so far)

(I think I mislabeled the date stamp for this collage — it should be 7/01/2024)

• VG.SIP Emiko mini napa are also starting to head up, but they are being attacked by mass infestation of baby slugs.

I culled some to open up space and removed yellowed and shredded outermost leaves. The harvest pic also shows most of the cherries, with probably about a dozen remaining to ripen on the trees.

• Removing the cover and arched wire fence tunnel from VGB allowed me to weed and hill the corn. These Emiko looked a little bit less damaged.

• I planted the Suyo Long cukes in the gap between napa and the VG.SIP

• Since the corn looked yellow, I foliar/drench fed with diluted combination of chelated iron sulfate, calcium nitrate, and soaked neem cake solution.

• Before covering up the VG.SIP with the insect mesh cover, I started examining the extent of damage on the napa, and realized the baby slugs were starting to crawl OUT of the leaves! … they were sentenced to “Death by hot stone”

…The napa were transplanted in these beds around end of April (4/28?).

…If you go back and look, I harvested some of those napa on July 4 and July 5.

These beds get morning sun but just a bit of afternoon shade from the 5ft picket fence until mid-summer when the sun is direct overhead.

[applestar]

• My increasing squash harvest collection— I think I have 3 more on the HBR trellis, 3 more on the VGD trellis, plus 3 more on the untrellised RGRP overflow vines.

• I gave up on most of the struggling broccoli in the center of the Spiral Garden, pulled and rebuilt the bed, and planted more lettuce.

I used white plastic side of potting mix bags as mulch again, even though the recommendation for the fall/winter garden is to use black plastic, because I’m hoping for the increased reflected light effect to help them grow in spite of the shadow cast by the house as the sun angle lowers.

[applestar]

Harvest is slowing down due to reduced accumulated warm temps. It’s just as well because I have a lot of clean up to do before the chilly temps and impending frost ushers in the Great Fall Migration of my container plants back inside for the winter.


• Pretty sure that’s a Fioretto cauliflower. One of several spring brassica seedlings that had become overgrown, root bound and were suffering … that I planted too late and without protection in “live-or-die” desperation.

They had basically hunkered down for the hot summer and then started to lose leaves due to some kind of stem blackening disease (which I’m attributing to the whitefly infestation). They are all desperately forming tiny heads in what I assume is their “last hurrah”.

• My kumquats are doing well this year with a good number of green fruits on. A couple of them have started to color up.
• Compare these two Greek Sweet Red squashes (RGRP area). They are BOTH resting on a red brick. Not sure why that runty one is so runty.

[applestar]

I made that “Flying Dragon” pie today. I ended up with too much filling (maybe because I used a storebought graham cracker pie shell) and it threatened to overflow, so I made 1/6 portion of a graham cracker crust recipe that was part of the Key lime pie recipe I was following, and made a mini pie for myself from the extra.

(So yes, there IS an entire pie in the fridge, but here’s a pic of the mini pie I had as the patissiere’s prerogative)

Only substitution to the recipe I made was a vegan sour cream and a vegan whipped “cream” in a can (I thought I’d bought both dairy and vegan so I could compare, but couldn’t find the dairy ones in the fridge — maybe hubby thought we don’t need both and took the dairy ones out of the cart?). I did add chopped pistachios on top.

It was absolutely delicious. It actually doesn’t taste like Key lime or lime, or Lemon or Meyer lemon. But has a lovely fresh citrus flavor of its own.

I’m so happy I splurged on the lime squeezer — was it last year? — it does the job perfectly with minimal effort. This is the kind I have —

570F34B1-8B9F-4325-806A-EBABE2A051C0.jpeg (86.38 KiB) Viewed 3209 times

[imafan26]

I got one of those too. But I haven't used it yet. It is very heavy. I still cut the lemon in half and use a fork to squeeze out the juice. I can find a fork. Is this recipe a basic key lime pie recipe. I make lemon meringue pies but they have a regular pastry crust and eggs so they turn yellow.

[applestar]

Here’s the recipe I used—
The BEST Key Lime Pie - Southern Bite

The lime sized squeezer is also heavy but probably not as much as the lemon sized or orange sized. I wanted this one because my Flying Dragon fruits are/used to be only ping pong sized at best. This year I’m harvesting some racket ball sized ones but they might still fit.

One unfortunate characteristic of these fruits is that it is very seedy and has resinous deposit surrounding the seeds and pith. You mustn’t cut the fruit across all the way.

I have a dedicated small sharp paring knife just for processing them. Cut just the peel while rotating so you are not cutting up the seeds and central pith remains intact. Hold the fruit by top and bottom hemispheres (without squeezing!) and twist until the pith breaks. Put the half fruit in the squeezer, cut side down, and squeeze once. The ratcheted pressure gets most of the juices out anyway but don’t be greedy or you end up pressing out the resin. The juice spurts out from the slits in the squeezer’s bowl without allowing any but the tiniest immature seeds and pulp through.

— Strain the juice before using in a recipe to exclude the pulp and seed bits.

— Drop the squeezed halves in something like a thoroughly cleaned pasta sauce jar, and when full, cover with cold water to basically rinse them. By rinsing them a couple of times this way, make Flying Dragon “lemonade” from the diluted juice.

— After extracting the usable juice, add apple cider vinegar or white vinegar to the jar to extract and make lightly fragranced citrusy ACV hair rinse or deep extracted white vinegar for cleaning.

— or add fragrance free dish washing liquid or liquid castile soap to make your own Flying Dragon citrus soap.

…I like these for the kitchen and bath soap dispensers and for a mosquito repellant hand soap at the garden faucet station (I extract with eucalyptus liquid soap). For my bathroom, I mix half and half with liquid peppermint soap for my own citrus-mint liquid soap.

*****
Listing these uses reminded me that I wanted to try oil extracting and I hadn’t processed the husks from the pie yet, so I took most of the drained husks from the pasta jar and put them in the dehydrator. These will be soaked in canola oil to extract, I think. The more wet pieces and seeds in the bottom of the jar are soaking in ACV now.

[applestar]

When I reached for the metal strainer to put my harvest in yesterday, there was this HUGE black bug.

At first glance it looked like a leaf footed stinkbug, but then something was different so I captured it and looked it up.

It’s a Wheel Bug — a predatory assassin (never saw a grown adult in my garden before ). I immediately drafted it into my Garden Patrol and transported it to deploy in the Sunflower Hoophouse.

[Gary350]

When I reached for the metal strainer to put my harvest in yesterday, there was this HUGE black bug.

At first glance it looked like a leaf footed stinkbug, but then something was different so I captured it and looked it up.

It’s a Wheel Bug — a predatory assassin (never saw a grown adult in my garden before ). I immediately drafted it into my Garden Patrol and transported it to deploy in the Sunflower Hoophouse.

It is good you could figure out what that bug is. I have seen them before I always thought they are some type stink bug. I have search problems wrong search words finds nothing useful. Will that bug kill stink bugs? My tomato plants have stink bugs but not until about 3rd week of July, I'm not sure if birds will eat stink bugs, Birds appear to be finished nesting by late July.

[applestar]

Ah ha! Found a good ref page for you —

What Do Wheel Bugs Eat: A Handy Guide to Their Diet - What's That Bug?

Some common prey for wheel bugs include:

Aphids
Caterpillars
Japanese beetles
Stink bugs