Applestar’s 2021 Garden

[applestar]

Thanks @pepperhead. I’ll keep that possibility in mind. In the meantime, the answer to my query came back —

• “Physalis Angulata 3-4 meter away
  I have no idea if they can crosspollinate with Tomatillo Ixocarpa?”

• “My two plants were not exactly the same. The one with shiny leaves had a hard time settings fruits. It took way longer than the normal leave plant. I sent you seeds of two different plants that I thought might be normal variation, but maybe it wasn't? There were no purplish on mine.”
  
  …She posed the possibility that she could have been growing a previously crossed F1, which would make mine an F2

[applestar]

Friday 8/27 harvest — really big tomatoes are coming in from Sunflower House now.

I’m thinking these (along with the large fruited Wes and numerous elongated cherry harvests from VGB) supports film mulching as a technique — I should review what the benefits are…

• Film mulch increases soil and root zone temperature during the day as well as maintain temperatures that are consistently a few degrees warmer than the air temp during the night …RATHER THAN KEEPING THE ROOTS COOL —
  accept that my garden is actually in a “cooler” summer region (for now)

• In addition to keeping down the weeds, which means weeds that might have or tried to sprout were smothered and subsumed in the rhizosphere biological activities (I think it helps to increase probiotic microbial activity during bed prep), the moisture barrier helps to maintain more even soil moisture by returning condensation to the soil rather than evaporating out.

• prevents splashed soil borne disease spores as well as allows rinsing away accumulated debris and spores on the surface of the film and “treating” the surface with beneficial microbes to compete with the inimical microbes

…I think I’ll keep exploring and experimenting with eco-friendly and/or biodegradable film mulch options.

[applestar]

Saturday and Sunday:

Chicago Hardy Figs are starting to trickle in
… More Caramel Crisp Popcorn
…Tried harvesting Queen of Malinalco while still green to see if I could catch them before splitting
…Really productive Faelan’s First Snow. This is the Cherokee Purple type fruit segregate and the flavor is superb. Green shoulders but no tendency to cracking or splitting so far.

— Unfortunately my Sergeant Peppers is not true to type —It’s supposed to be a heart, and should have more antho on the shoulders too. I was wondering when the seedling didn’t grow with strong antho and the typical extra tall spurt to be the ‘tallest kid’ which are also typical growth characteristics.

Due to the plant’s rather short growth, I do wonder if this could be a cross with @digitS’s Amy Sue… which was grown next to Sergeant Peppers one year. (That would be worth pursuing )




Today’s exciting discovery —
I DO still have the true Mikado White PL!! . I apparently also have Mikado PINK PL. (Note that the original ‘Mikado’ variety is a red….)
— The leaves and growth habits of these two plants in the Sunflower House bed were exactly the same, up to the way both suddenly blushed and ripened overnight. Then …SURPRISE!

• A whole bowlful more Chicago Hardy figs were ripe today. Nice size on many of them, so pruning the branches to just above the fruits seem to have helped.

• Last two Honey Rock melons were ready to harvest today.

• Went out to the Front Yard Edible Landscaping Fence Row bed to *lament* that I was seeing less than a handful of the American Hazelnuts, and wondering if it would be harvesting at all … then I started REALLY looking and discovered all of these in the web tray. Per usual, end of August is when they are ripe.

[webmaster]

Really nice! We're still waiting on ours. I'm at a relatively high elevation and north of you.

You should start a farm stand!

[applestar]

Hah. I don’t know about that @webmaster. Hubby refused to let me take a couple of his favorite big sized tomatoes as house gift when we went to see his Mom and family this weekend…. “They have plenty of tomatoes” (His brother has been getting gardening lessons from me via text )

I did take my elongated cherry and small tomato selections (2 quarts worth) and one of the melons.

[Gary350]

apple, you have a very nice variety of tomatoes, you must have a better selection of tomato plants to choose from at your local garden store.

It must be nice to sample all those wonderful flavors.

I know our local garden stores only sell what sells best, this makes me wonder if people in different geographical locations grow different tomatoes because it has become customary for people in those locations to grow their type tomatoes.

When I lived in IL there were certain tomatoes people grew that I seldom see in TN. AZ has tomato plants I never heard of like, Arizona Heat.

Last night TV NPT channel did a show about tomatoes, there is an island with 70 farms on it, not sure if it was Martha's Vineyard or near Martha's Vineyard.

There is a restaurant that has dinner plates of many tomato varieties. One of my hearing aids is broken so I was having a hard time hearing the TV.

Each dinner plate gets an equal quantity of tomatoes 2 big slices or several smaller slices, it looked like about 8 or 10 different tomato varieties on each dinner plate.

It must have been a vegetarian restaurant, no meat, herbs & flower peddles sprinkled over the tomatoes.

I want to eat at that tomato restaurant. It has been 25 yrs since I grew tomato varieties I might do that again next year.

When our children were still living at home they complained if, pizza, spaghetti, chili, did not have the same tomato flavor each time.

[applestar]

One of my daughters is very picky and has strong opinions about what she likes/will eat and not. Unfortunately she doesn’t like tomatoes or peppers, very little eggplant. She does eat ketchup and pizza, “tolerates” tomato-based pasta sauce. (I do think she might have solanacea or lycopene sensitivity.). No onions except minced and cooked/caramel used, will taste melons. Does not like fresh figs but can eat a bag of dried mission figs by herself. etc. My other daughter is a little more adventurous and actually some things I might have “saved” for myself will disappear before I have the chance to get to them.

I grow just about all of my garden veg from seeds…. Very rarely from store bought plants. I like the challenge.

…keep in mind that a lot of these heirlooms and developing new varieties are not as productive per plant as the hybrids. But I love the different colors and shapes and have been growing in pursuit of FLAVOR for a long time. I think I’m done trying to grow 100+ different varieties now, however.

I’m terrible at trying to make money from all this, and I’m desperately insecure about saving seeds “properly” — as in I don’t bother to do all the things you’re supposed to do, to safeguard from cross pollination …mostly because I like finding those new surprises and then seeing what I can get from the new genetic combo over several generations… but in the process, I end up letting some of my stashed seeds get too old with very low germination viability or end up losing the original genetic stock

[applestar]

Introducing the Greek Sweet Red squash. I have heard interesting positive reviews about this winter squash that is related to butternut.

Last time I tried to grow it, it never managed to fruit — the location was too shaded by an overgrown bean tower. It’s takes a while, being a typical C. moschata and late maturing, but I now have two squash on two vines from the single plant.

This was the only seed that sprouted this year from the old old seeds I had left, so I was really happy to see that it was managing, even though I miscalculated and am making it cling onto this teeny piece of a wire fence trellis ….

Today, I was checking on the 2nd fruit to see if it needed to be supported, and all of a sudden realized that the first fruit was busting out of its hammock/sling!

It’s a little hard to see in the photo, but I put a dark green 2nd net hammock OVER the torn yellow one to support it, and also gave the 2nd fruit it’s own sling/hammock.”

Note at lower left of the top photo that I cut off about a dozen yellowed and yellowing leaves — and in the process discovered two adult squash stink bugs and 1/2 doz nymphs! I’m reminded to check every yellowing squash leaf as potential sign that squashbugs and leaf fort bugs have been sucking on them. The leaves need to be removed immediately in case they have vectored diseases and need to be checked for laid eggs.

[applestar]

Since Ida did such a good job of thoroughly rinsing the insect mesh clean, I took the opportunity to remove it for machine washing prior to reconfiguring the Sunflower House covers towards fall and winter. (Greenhouse film roof + Insect mesh sides for Fall, then 2nd layer of full greenhouse film for Winter)

I also cleaned up the finished melon vines before the fungal spores have the chance to reassert. I’m planning to plant Fall-Winter greens and root vegs there after removing the green cellophane mulch, re-working and replenishing the soil, and covering with new eco plastic mulch.

This will be the first time I’m going to seriously try to grow under season extension here. As you can see, the house shadow is already creeping at 3:30pm. As the days get shorter and the sun crosses the sky lower, the house shadow will ultimately cover almost the entire area.

Once the ground freezes, the drainage in this location will be significantly impeded, too … although I have time to work on improving that before then.

…The other melon vines, summer squash, and cucumber vines in the Spiral Garden to the right are not looking too well even though there are 2 promising melons trying to finish growing.

I had tried using organic copper fungicide on them earlier, which left them looking better than any of the other melons for a while, but then they went downhill much faster when I went back to treating them all the same with home made preventatives and probiotics. Does that mean anything? Who knows?

[Gary350]

I had tried using organic copper fungicide on them earlier, which left them looking better than any of the other melons for a while, but then they went downhill much faster when I went back to treating them all the same with home made preventatives and probiotics. Does that mean anything? Who knows?

I have noticed when we get lots of rains a few days later many plants start having rot & BER. Melons, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, all get BER. Yesterday morning first thing I did was give all my tomatoes & peppers calcium. I throw a small have full of calcium on the soil at the base of the plants then spray with water. I wonder is all that rain water washes away calcium or does acid rain neutralize calcium in the soil. I have to give my plants a regular dose of calcium, spring, summer & fall, calcium does not last very long in TN. Copper sulfate that I spray on my plants sticks and stays in 2 small rains but it is gone quick in a big rain. I need to spray my plants with copper sulfate & baking soda before dark no rain in the forecast for 3 days.

[applestar]

It HAS rained a lot more recently. I do need to step up with the spraying more, and the plants are likely getting tired from the massive production and could use some supplemental feed.

…it feels like it’s been all I can do to just keep up with harvesting that I haven’t been able to “get around to” the other necessary work around the garden…

[applestar]

- It’s been about 2 weeks since I started harvesting the Seckel pears, and the first paper bag of “surface blemished and some with unspoiled holes” have been consumed or thrown out as they ripened or speedily deteriorated. There are three “unblemished” bags left.

Once perfectly ripened, these tiny morsels are deliciously sweet. I need to eat at least two to satisfy, 3 may be too much at once.

- Figs are ripening and being harvested in chunks of dozen or more every 3 days or so. It’s gotten way beyond nibbling on fresh figs as they come in, and my DD’s have agreed to keep dehydrating them ahead of spoilage ( had a couple get mushy or moldy when we weren’t looking ).

- I think I’m losing the race to keep ahead of the melons. I have to process the last three we have in the house before they spoil. There is still a pile of 6 or 7 Chamoe melons too. Maybe it’s time for some smoothie….

- Made some tomato soup, tomato sauce, and tomato paste today.

- Persimmons are starting to blush on the tree….

[applestar]

Yesterday, I harvested a pepper which I’ve been calling Chocolate Cake NOT or King of the North, planted in Patio.SIP3.

It was refusing to turn red evenly, and I was afraid to let it go any longer in the cool and wet weather conditions we’re having. There was a worm or a pepper fly hole in the side so that could have been making it turn red prematurely.

It was way in the back in the shadows so I couldn’t tell before. but as you can see, where it is transitioning, it is brown.

Do you think this could mean it IS a Chocolate Cake? Or maybe it’s a cross with some Chocolate Cake in it…?

The pictured tomato is an accidental unspecified Terhune cross I’ve been pursuing off and on. It’s an orangish-pink and unusually shaped — not really a heart shape.

[Gary350]

Yesterday, I harvested a pepper which I’ve been calling Chocolate Cake NOT or King of the North, planted in Patio.SIP3.

It was refusing to turn red evenly, and I was afraid to let it go any longer in the cool and wet weather conditions we’re having. There was a worm or a pepper fly hole in the side so that could have been making it turn red prematurely.

It was way in the back in the shadows so I couldn’t tell before. but as you can see, where it is transitioning, it is brown.

Do you think this could mean it IS a Chocolate Cake? Or maybe it’s a cross with some Chocolate Cake in it…?

The pictured tomato is an accidental unspecified Terhune cross I’ve been pursuing off and on. It’s an orangish-pink and unusually shaped — not really a heart shape.

I fine that when I see a pepper starting to turn Red if I bring it into the house it turns red much faster & it reduces the risk of it going bad in the garden. My last 2 Big Bertha sweet bell peppers turned about 98% red in the kitchen in 2 days. It would be interesting to know what your Chocolate Cake peppers taste like, I will grow some next year.

[TomatoNut95]

Can you imagine what it would be like if Chocolate cake peppers actually tasted like chocolate cake????? All my garden space would be full of those!

[applestar]

Brown peppers are supposed to have smokey flavor similar to the way brown/black/purple tomatoes do. Chocolate Cake derives it’s name mostly because it’s actually supposed to turn evenly brown before turning red, and the big blocky shape makes it look like a lump of chocolate cake.

While it is a sweet bell pepper, there are other brown bells that are sweeter I have heard. Can’t remember off hand the name of it but I think that one also has “chocolate” in its name.

I’ll post when we cut it open and taste it.

BTW — I harvest blushed tomatoes to fully color and ripen/develops full flavors in the kitchen all the time. I don’t know why I haven’t thought to do the same with peppers! Thanks, @Gary350.

[applestar]

I had to do something with those melons, and unfortunately, they are not sweet enough to tempt massive consumption. (Back to the drawing board next year with different growing techniques — I think these did *grow* mostly as expected or even exceeded expectations — and possibly other varieties).

So I looked around and found a recipe for “Melon-Ginger-Lime jam”.

The recipe said to let them rest for 2 months for the flavors to meld, but I kept about 1/2 cup out to taste. — it is intensely ginger-y even though I reduced the amount of ginger and substituted some Myoga (Japanese ginger) flowerbuds. So not the kind of jam you spoon out and lick (for now), but it was excellent on rye toast even without butter, and it was in fact lovely when added to my breakfast bagel with lox and cream cheese. I also tried blending the jam with equal amount of mayo as dipping sauce for fried shrimp, and that was good. too.

…now to wait for 2 months, if I can… (Actually the ones only covered with silicone lid will be in the fridge and not likely to wait that long )

[applestar]

According to my planting map, this should be one of the two plants of “MR.Zm F3 4B-P3 9/5/16” — part of my “Maglia Rosa #1 (WWL) x (Zluta Kytice + Coyote + Matt's Wild Cherry + Faelan's First Snow lv)” mixed pollen cross grow outs.

after F3, I subdivided the clear epi segregates and yellow epi segregates since yellow epi is dominant, and this one with the MR.Zm designation is the yellow epi subgroup that assumes descent from Zluta Kytice or Matt’s Wild.

…AAAND! this one is MULTIFLORA! (Zluta Kytice characteristic) . (I’ll post in detail in my cross thread later — I was just so happy to see the floral truss this morning )

[TomatoNut95]

Is Chocolate Cake an heirloom? If so, I may ask that you save me some seed. I'd love to have some bell peppers that turned different colors than red. Since I normally eat my peppers green I never bothered with colored ones in the past.

Also that clump of tomato blossoms is fascinating!

[applestar]

Harvest recap collage

[applestar]

@tomatonut, I’ll probably save seeds for that one anyhow, but the question here is IS it really Chocolate Cake?

I don’t bag the pepper blossoms like I should because I generally have trouble growing them to begin with, and have had trouble getting them to set fruits in the bags before. (Also tomatoes). So I can’t reliably save good (true to type) seeds.

[applestar]

Something new — instead of ripe mashed bananas or shredded carrots, puréed melons as quick bread base

…we ate that big Mikado White PL from Aug. 30th.
... it had fully colored with a nice pink blush along the bottom (sorry didn’t take a pic )

I was careful to warn DD and DH that …Whites are typically mild but this one has a pretty good sweetness at front end and nice lingering tangy end. You just might want a little salt to compensate for the weak middle flavors, I’m having mine with mayo….

It turned out that DD was like “it’s good” (but not especially enthused), and it was hubby who is the most critical was the one that raised his head after first bite and said “THIS is good! It has good flavor!”

(He likes that intense lingering flavor that does NOT have the biting tingling acid burn — this really had good umami at the tail end)

[applestar]

We had a beautiful morning — low humidity and not too hot. I went outside around 8am. At first I was put off by exhaust fumes lingering on one side of the house — maybe a neighbor’s young man with a motorcycle hobby or perhaps an early lawn service crew … so I went to the other side of the house where the air was clearer.

I decided to start planning the plant locations for my new front yard gardenbed — my Dad’s YingYang memorial rain garden. I already had a shrub potted up for transplanting, and dug up a volunteer redbud tree and some cardinal flower. I need to plan on transplanting a few other low growing shrubs and perennials. I have some spring flowering bulbs for the bed coming.

I was half on alert for 9am because I wanted to have a moment of silence (my way of commemorating this day), when I noticed a low-flying commercial jet…, then another — different airline — then another — yet another airline … all flying at similar altitude and angle of ascent from same direction. Then more at a different angle and headed in a different direction but likely from same origin … then a series flying further away and from a different same origin. There were some that were flying much much higher and probably going further away, too.

I was so intrigued thinking these must be the participating commercial jets flying the Afghan refugees from the NJ air and naval bases (it was reported yesterday that there were 7000 refugees on the military bases) … and intent on sending positive prayers of encouragement and love and luck to each jet, I almost missed the moment of silence, but I checked just in time.

I was out in the garden for a while and was able to repeat the process when the jets started flying over again around noon to 1pm.

[applestar]

The jets were flying over again today, heading north, west, and south. I was sending hope and luck to all the ones I could see. Some of them were all grey air force jets today.

[applestar]

Here is an exciting development in my Goldfish sport/variant of the Fish pepper

…Here they are, goldfish (tangerine) orange when fully colored. You can see these fruits do have the “Fish pepper” stripes especially when immature, and notice the (modest) variegation on some but not all of the leaves. — if my prior experiences with the Fish variety holds, the plant will show greater and more vivid variegation as it ages when overwintered indoors and grow over 2 or 3 years.

I still think the fruit size is somewhat fatter and larger than typical Fish, and the shape with slight bulging/undulating, instead of straight conical, and the pointed “horn” curve make them atypical for Fish.

I’ll try tasting in a couple of days.

[applestar]

More jets flying overhead today starting around 8:30am and every 2 hours. Wishing them all good luck and fortune.


…


I’m going to try growing some more brassica crops this fall-winter — daikon, turnips, kale, cabbage, Asian greens…. etc.

In the past, I have been discouraged by the white cabbage butterflies and cross striped cabbage moths, especially since hand picking alone and insect mesh tunnels alone have not been successful. Adding Thuricide (a brand of Btk liquid form) to the regimen did work, but I didn’t like Thuricide — it was blue and chemically-smelling … I only used it 2 or 3 times.

This year, I splurged on a bag of OMRI listed Di-pel (powder form Btk). So far used once it has been effective (I need to apply again though) and being able to control the carrier liquid and sticker makes this much better for me. I’m getting ready to set up a tunnel over another row and plant some more.

[TomatoNut95]

I to am planning on "growing green" this winter: kale, mustard greens, arugula, romaine lettuce, cress, chinese celery and cabbage. Oops, can't forget the turnip greens!

[applestar]

In addition to the caterpillars I mentioned, I think you’ll have to be on the lookout for and take steps against a couple of other pests including fall armyworms. Once it gets cooler. the cabbage aphids become an issue. These crops are difficult to manage because you can’t get into the nooks of where the leaves attach to the main stem.

Spring crops are also patrolled by the yellowjackets and paper wasps, etc. that use the caterpillars to feed their babies, and I also get a big boost from the aphid mummy maker wasps, ladybugs, and hoverflies / syrphid flies maggots…as well as wrens, but in the fall the Garden Patrol dwindles with less of them in parenting mode….

I do see the cardinals who raise several broods still feeding fledglings and peering under the leaves for cabbage worms.

[applestar]

Today, some of the drying popcorn kernels actually shifted when I tested them, and I was able to strip a couple of runty and unfilled cobs to make about 4 cups of popcorn

[TomatoNut95]

I don't have yellowjackets until fall, which is now because they are out flying around. I've got a trap but idk where to hang it yet.

I don't normally have many bugs mess with my winter stuff but I have had past run-ins with little green worms and aphids.

Unfortunately cardinals (or any bird for that matter) don't visit my garden to look for bugs. I have to take care of bugs myself. I don't get enough assistance from frogs, toads, mantises or such. Baby lizards will sometimes patrol my pepper plants but I relocate them because if I don't they poop on my peppers and it's disgusting. I don't tolerate poop on my stuff.

[applestar]

Harvest pics—

• the potted Petit Nigra figs have started to ripen handful are a time — they are the smaller darker ones and have thicker but still edible skin and have much more concentrated flavor.

• Chicago Hardy fig is winding down so no more mass harvests I think but bringing in 1/2 dozen or more per day with perhaps a couple dozen more left.

• Prok persimmon got away from me in the Espalier Fence Row, and is now a very tall — taller than 2nd story window — tree. I have GOT to do a major pruning this winter or I won’t be able to do it by myself any more.
  
  I have recruited DD’s help to act as fruit spotter from the bedroom window with binoculars and guide me while trying to harvest.
  
  I’ve been climbing the tree by stepping up from upturned 5 gal bucket to the first big branch near the top of the fence to reach the highest fruits with my cup-on-a-stick harvesting tool. But I did admit defeat and bring out my folding step/ladder yesterday …are you ever too old to climb trees?

[applestar]

I see the series of jets continuing to fly over every couple of hours while I’m outside in the garden — they’ve started at 8 o’clock hour this week. I compared their flight paths against a map of the area, and I now think these are mostly on approach patterns to the Philadelphia International.

Only few of them are obvious flight path and altitude — particularly low sort of up and down curve — to be from the combined airbase.

Others are slightly higher and descending, and the ones I thought were heading north often make a banking turn towards Philadelphia. I realized they often turn after they have passed my house, sometimes almost out of sight.

Few fly not over my house but along a flight path further north, from East and the view is blocked by neighbor’s house, and most of the fly overs come from Southeast and South direction which is where the woods behind my house is, so I can’t actually see them until they are practically directly overhead. The jet sounds bounce off my house and echoes with neighbor’s, and makes it difficult to pinpoint the original direction.

…I also noticed fast flying jets way way up high sometimes fly across while these jets are flying over — jets flying like this is normal but I wondered yesterday if some of them are not the usual ones and are involved.

There ARE ALSO some jumbo jets that climb higher heading north or west. They could still be in a holding pattern circling the airport, waiting their turn to land their passengers to travel on to their destination.

I wish them all luck and happiness.

[applestar]

I’m trying to grow some fall crops and attempt late fall into early winter crops … possibly overwintered early spring … under season extending protection.

I already have cabbages and greens growing under an insect mesh tunnel, some daikon and turnips in a patch for experimenting with Di-pel Btk protection only, and peas and favas are growing nicely in locations that can be protected if necessary.

Day before —

Since yesterday —

I soil-prepped/refreshed some plastic mulched beds — replaced the green cellophane with black eco-plastic for growing under insect mesh tunnel, and another small patch for carrots and lettuce — and either have starts waiting to be planted or have seeds that are pre-germinating.

I’m feeling the pressure now since yesterday I watched a video uploaded by a community garden guide (from a gardening zone similar to mine) saying plant starts or sow seeds by mid-September for DECEMBER harvest, and by October for overwintered early spring harvest.

I have to be realistic and not try too much — my area typically freezes down to negative single digits in the depth of the winter, and sometimes plunges to negative double digits. Nothing survives except garlic sometimes, and I have to lay off garlic this year because of the darned onion flies.

I’m thinking of prepping those plastic mulched beds where corn and melon were growing for fall grown winter cover crops that hopefully will die off and become organic mulch or easily turned in in spring.

[applestar]

I think it might be time for the dragonfly squadron to fly through for their annual migration soon*.

I was startled by a large black dragonfly flying sweeps along the Sunflower House - Haybale Row path. I tried to take a picture but it was quick in flight and would take off if I tried to approach. Plus it was so dark and hard to see in the early morning shadows.

I was able to ID it though —

Maryland Biodiversity Project - Shadow Darner (Aeshna umbrosa)
https://www.marylandbiodiversity.com/view/672

The aptly-named Shadow Darner (Aeshna umbrosa) is more likely to patrol in shade […] This dark-colored dragonfly is often found feeding up to or even after sunset (Dunkle, 2000)

…I told it that it was welcome to all the mosquitoes it can catch, and to try the Spotted Lantern Flies if extra hungry and can manage a sizable and exotic meal.


* …it occurs to me that all of the Afghan evacuee resettlement jet plane flyovers might disrupt the dragonfly and swallowtail flights this year…. I wonder what they will make of all of the commotion and occupation of the higher airspace? Do the swallows fly as high up as the jets in their lower approach flight paths? They do fly so high I can’t see them any more….

[applestar]

I had to quit early yesterday to go get my car inspected. There are 2 state inspection stations within similar driving distance, but one is ALWAYS less hassle than the other. There was ONE car ahead of me and a 2nd bay opened up almost right away. Only three cars in the cavernous ware house/multi-bay massive barn-like structure with both ends open, and another car drove in but a previous car ahead drove out. The inspection went really quickly.

The location was close to a farm supply store, so I was also able to curb-side pick up a bag of dolomitic lime and rice bran-based horse feed I want to experiment with for prepping a garden bed.

Still, I had a lot to do to make up for yesterday —

• Eco-mulched and sowed refrigerator-prepped, ready to sprout carrot seeds in the slits and lettuce seeds in the near row of circles.

• Temporarily covered with a slit open bag — but plan to replace with something lighter tomorrow - should be nonwoven cover or newsprint

• Made holes in the eco-mulched row next to the planted peas in the Sunflower House, then sowed
  - pre-germinated / ready to sprout daikon, turnip, and hakusai,
  - started brassica plants

• Then covered with an insect mesh tunnel right away to avoid any pest problems

Harvest update … I’m really loving this versatile ladder

[applestar]

The persimmon bounty continues

• I cleaned up the yellowed and fungal spotted lower leaves of the fall crop cabbages and other brassicas under the small insect mesh tunnel. The Dazzling Blue toscano kale in the back are doing really well. Cabbages may still make it, and Aspabroc and Fioretto are starting to make their little heads.

• The plan is for the Sunflower House insect mesh walls and greenhouse film roof to be completed before these newly planted starts and sprouting seedlings outgrow the low tunnel. Sunflower House will get a full layer of greenhouse film walls and roof over them as the winter arrives, and possibly further insulating and passive solar features.

• I have turnips and Hakusai starting so I’d better stick to the plan or I won’t have a place to plant them….

[applestar]

• I have Daikon, Turnips, and/or Rutabagas growing on a small arc on the Spiral Garden’s Inner Spiral. (This is Di-pep Btk protection only group)

• …and sowed some more pre-germinated seeds of Daikon and alternated with Tokinashi which is a tender, quick-maturing mini turnip on a small Outer Spiral arc.

• I realized afterwards that since this is an area just vacated by the “compost pile tractor”, and the soil could turn out to be over fertile… I guess we’ll find out.

• I’m having trouble deciding whether/when to harvest these “randomly companion-sown at tomato planting time” turnip or rutabaga (or daikon). I think they are probably not Daikon based on leaf shapes, but I’m not positive. I thought the big purple stemmed/topped one might be Laurentian rutabaga, but maybe the stems are too purple? Could it be just a Purpletop turnip?

[applestar]

It was 48°F before dawn yesterday, and daytime highs are forecast to be in the 70’s with overnight lows continuing to be in the 50’s or dip down to upper 40’s… so I went ahead and surrounded Vegetable Gardenbed C (VGC) with a thin plastic sheeting. This is just a temporary protective structure made with “painter’s drop cloth” plastic and not expected to stay standing through the winter, but I have enough extras to double the wall, and I have cpvc tubing arches to construct a roof later too.

Hopefully the eggplants and peppers will keep producing a little longer this way. And I might sow something quick like lettuce in the cleared/empty melon row.

[applestar]

I’ve been out in the garden every day and harvesting. Made some progress with the season extended new beds big and small. Have planted lettuce, carrots, turnips and daikon for late fall-winter crop and am also growing starts for more lettuce, brassicas and asian greens to plant out in a couple of weeks.

I have photos that need to be organized, but….

My heart is not in it these days — we think our old kitty has reached her last days.

She hasn’t given up, and we want her to keep going as long as she has the will — we have managed to put together a combination of homeopathic remedies that have been helping with her breathing and alleviate her pain, and dosing schedules that seem to forestall any more of the really scary episodes of retching and panting collapse that she has had in the last week, as well as regular 24hr round the clock watch among us to try to keep her stabilized so she can still get up and walk with help— a few feet at a time with plenty of rest in between, crouching and huffing, to reach her goal … to drink water, to demand to be fed, and - being carried as needed - to go potty in the litterbox on her own terms.

It took her 4 tries to go potty this morning — coming out of the litterbox to crouch and huff and rest … then suddenly and determinedly going back in to scratch around and try to go. After she was successful, she rested afterwards, then marched to the kitchen and the refrigerator and sat down to wait for her favorite food to appear. (Needless to say, we have been indulging her with high quality kitty treats — dehydrated raw natural food combos, chuuru which we are calling “pudding”— as well as her regular canned food and vitamin/mineral supplements)

She is a little champ.

[applestar]

View from up on the ladder while harvesting persimmons

I missed catching two of the fruits in my DIY harvesting tool (artfully cut up 2L soda bottle strapped to 7ft bamboo pole) and they fell to the ground …almost, in one case

As I was making my way down while carrying the now kinda heavy 2-gal harvesting bucket, I SAW A MONARCH BUTTERFLY!

Not seeing as many as I should be this year, so it was a very welcome visitor— too far to determine male or female, or take photos, but looked fresh and bright and healthy. Appeared to be a larger, diapose/migrating type (so maybe a female in hindsight).