Applestar’s 2023 Garden

[applestar]

This time of my gardening season, there’re so much going on that if I don’t try to summarize what happened each day, I quickly fall behind and it becomes impossible to report, let alone remember what happened.

A couple of highlights —

The VGC stand of Mirai 421 corn tassels have long since dried up — maybe 5 days. But the silks took a long time to appear and at least 4+ days of own pollen production were wasted, so there has been a gap of at least 2 or 3 days when the last of the silks=cob were not pollinated. But since a couple of days ago, the new tassels on tiny row of Mirai 421 that I have been experimentally growing in the Sunflower Hoophouse have started to shed pollen. I’ve been harvesting some of these pollen in manila envelope and folded parchment paper, as well as cutting of tips of the tassels to bring over to Vegetable Gardenbed C and hand pollinating the remaining silks as well as 3 stalks that have just recently peeled out their silks.

Here are my best surprise among my cross breeding projects this year. ‘Kiki’s Afternoon Snack’ and ‘Kiki’s Sunny Spot’ — a completely unexpected appearance and fantastic flavor profile. Not by any means guaranteed to be reproduceable, but I’m going to try.

— will discuss in detail in my Cross thread. Stay tuned.

[applestar]

* In addition to the two daikon varieties, the beet mix, rest of the 2 turnips, and some of the carrots sprouted. I’ll try re-seeding with the carrot variety that did sprout since the others might be too old.

* 2nd Nutterbutter butternut squash I hand pollinated to assist here was all shriveled today. I was disappointed and surprised because there had been so much pollinator activity that I really didn’t think MY help had been needed, and I gave it an assist anyway. Then, I realized that there was a cutworm curled up inside the browned mushy looking floral part.

* In the mean while, Greek Sweet Red has finally started producing female blossoms, and I had the 1 from day before and then 3 more to assist. Two of them are high up on the trellis and I couldn’t tell but these look like they set fruits.

* Inside the Sunflower Hoophouse,

• Crickets have decimated the Minuet Napa and I’m trying to eliminate them using roach traps

• Two of the zukes are misshapen — not sure if these were yesterdays blossoms that I’d cut open to attempt pollinating or if they had been pollinated with the now suspected C.maxima or one of the other C.moschata pollen due to not having any of the self C.pepo male blossoms….?

• Money Maker and Shoya Long eggplants. First Shoya Long — significantly later to mature

• The Aspabroc plant that had overwintered as runty start is starting to shine! I already harvested the first central head — these are first side heads.

The second plant was an older start that didn’t overwinter well (frost damaged). I had cut it back almost to the ground in spring and it had burst out with dozens of side shoots. I thinned/culled them to see if limiting to just a couple of stems will help it to grow better.

…Oh wait, didn’t I decide that first broccoli is Green Goliath? (hmm)

[applestar]

We had over 1” of rain yesterday. So I didn’t have to water but had to minimize potential fungal issues.

I was reaching up to gently pull down an edge of the Greek Sweet Red leaves to flick fallen leave(s) off with the tip of my pruners, when I found out — That second shadow wasn’t a leaf!

[applestar]

The yellow jackets after I tiptoed by and tossed about a 1/2 cup mass of diatomaceous earth directly on the ground nest entrance hole.

Diatomaceous Earth-bombing the Yellow Jacket nest

8BEC40A0-0AC3-47CE-ADD4-A386B2D385DA.gif (5.39 MiB) Viewed 6987 times

You might recognize how close my Vegetable Gardenbeds are — the nest is actually IN the June-bearing strawberry bed — and I HAD been walking right by their nest before.

….Me, taking a live photo video from about 25 feet away, hiding behind a rain barrel….

I started doing this yesterday. Attrition with DE helps to shrink the population inside the nest so that by the time I’m actually going to tackle them after frost/freeze, I’ll have less to contend with.

3rd time I’ve had to deal with these nasties as safely as possible, in or near my edibles and/or where my girls as toddlers used to play.

[applestar]

Highlights from yesterday and today —

— A ground-level view of the Spiral Garden with Country Gentleman corn starting to tassel to the right and elevated trellis cultivation of winter squash — a single Nutterbutter squash almost ready to harvest (I think) and currently 3 Greek Sweet Red squash hiding among all those leaves.
— Inside the Sunflower Hoophouse (SFHH) as viewed from the rear (East) insect mesh wall. The blue-sky on the door end illustrates how the westering sun pours in later in the afternoon.

— Mirai corn inside SFHH
— Mirai corn in VGC
… “Fall/Winter Garden” progress …
— Fish peppers were planted late, but I’m not concerned about how quickly they are growing since these will be dug up and potted to overwinter and grow over the next couple of years
— Beets
— Brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, mini cabbage and mini napa) and single stalk and bunching scallions inside SFHH
— Insect mesh low tunnel in the foreground of Spiral Garden planted for fall/late fall harvest (daikon, turnips, carrots, more beets etc.) with Shungiku edible chrysanthemum leftover from spring planting for the flowers and to go to seed.

… This week’s harvest …

[applestar]

I can barely keep my eyes open…. A quick post with some pics. May add details later.

OK, I’m back …

I’ve had some mishaps with the trellised watermelons and two of the still immature Kaho watermelons fell off the vine (one fell off even though it was in a sling, and the other one fell off when I tried to test if it was secure in its sling . The stem attachment seems to have failed. I can’t tell if it’s because the melon stems are so thin or because these were starting to show spots on their sides — I’m thinking stinkbugs or plant hoppers (possibly Spotted Lanternflies although I haven’t seen many in my garden) might have been at them — and they might actually have been sucking at the stems and weakened them. There are only 3 Kaho fruits left on the trellis….

- I decided to put slings on the Nutterbutter Greek Sweet Red squashes early even though they didn’t seem like they needed it yet. The one squash high up on the trellis was hanging next to the top of the T-post and looked sure to be scratched up so I put a tiny ceramic pot over the post to protect from the sharp post edges (sharp from all the sledge hammer pounding), and I tried putting the fruit on TOP of it. It fit but may still need adjustment since it may try to push off as it grows (I need a stepladder to get up there for close work)

- The fastest growing stalks of Country Gentleman corn in Spiral Garden are starting to shed pollen and one have full silk going on.

- I found an old wok lid which is perfect for holding up over my head to catch the pollen from these tall corn tassels. I’m using some of the pollen on the Mirai 421 corn inside the Sunflower Hoophouse (SFHH). Not sure if they’re compatible but the Mirai tassels are drying up.

- Inside the SFHH, one Cashflow zucchini is going to town. Other two have been positively wimpy and I actually culled the one in the far-left (NE) corner even though that would leave even less opportunity for pollinating male blossoms, since I’ve reached conclusion that odd-ball round fruited “Ae” is actually kabocha (Hokkori) and it’s C.maxima pollen should be compatible to pollinate the female zuke blossoms.
- And Yay! I got another chance to grow at least one kabocha



…I’ve prepped the NE corner and dug in fertilizer (fish bonemeal, some salts like MgSO4, K bicarbonate, Calcium Nitrate, Langbeinite for minerals and home made bokashi fertilizer), watered well and re-covered loosely with the eco-mulch I had cut off.

I haven’t decided what to plant yet — I was thinking maybe fall potatoes, but I might have overfertilized…. I’d say salad greens if I wasn’t still dealing with those pesky crickets.

- An outside view of the brassicas in the SW corner



… Estimated harvest dates with extra 7 days calculated in for some of my fall/late fall crop

[applestar]

…Looking at that table, I realized the spring planted carrots in the. VG.SIP Vegetable Garden area container -technically- should have become ready to harvest. I rather doubted it because several mini-daikon had been growing in the same container and had been harvested at respectable, expected sizes.

— I checked them out. And as suspected, their growths had been delayed due to the daikon hogging all the nutrients and water, as well as overshadowing them with their much taller and denser foliage. BUT they are in good growth phase to finish growing for fall harvest.

I did pull these thinning sized carrots to enjoy for now.

I also fertilized and took the opportunity to plant two leftover bell pepper plants that were pretty good condition in available spots here to grow until they can be potted up for the Winter Indoor Garden.

— More pics from inside the Sunflower Hoophouse. You can tell I’m really getting good use from this structure. I’m so happy I built it. The accidental feature of extra tall roof arches I think has been alleviating the excessive temperature rise that has been plaguing the Patio Hoophouse where the temperature rises regularly over 115+°F — way too hot.

Even though I haven’t raised the north wall poly — only loosened it — and south wall poly by only about 18 inches or so, the temps inside essentially a very high tunnel with insect mesh ends seem to hover around 100°F to just under 110°F even on hottest days, which I think these summer crop plants can mostly tolerate and benefit from.

…Due to shadows from surrounding structures and trees, there are temperature differential airflow dynamics from one end of the tunnel to the other, and from sucking air in from bottom of the loose side wall flaps.


— I called it on the Shimofuri.F7xAztek.F3 variegated foliage mini-dwarf/determinate cross breeding project tomato plants. The topped at approximately 18 inches for the shortest to approximately 24 inches for the tallest. And will be planted from saved F4 seeds next year to grow out and pursue for interesting segregates.

I dug up and worked in fertilizer, re-shaped the arc bed, watered well and re-covered with the eco mulch to meld while I think about what to plant next.

[imafan26]

Looking good. I had to pull out my kabocha squash experiment. Too many fruit flies were stinging not only the squash, but the cucumber too. I am still having fruit fly damage on cucumbers.

The garden looks great. I have some problems with what to do with small spaces between other plants too. Sometimes it works out because as the older plants like broccoli and komatsuna mature, they take up the space, but other times, it can be challenging to find something that can squeeze between existing plantings.

[applestar]

That’s too bad about the kabocha. Kabocha is hard to grow for me as well — C.maxima seems to be favored above all else by the Squash Vine Borers — even more than C.pepo, and later by the squash bugs … hence my attempt and search for varieties suitable for growing inside the insect mesh hoophouse.

Also, we must have different kinds of fruit flies. Fruit flies here swarm the blossoms— so much that I’ve learned to only cut off the petals and not harvest the entire blossom (I can’t eat cream cheese, etc. so the quintessential “stuffed squash blossoms” is not typically on our menu.)

Here’s an update/progress on the kabocha (bottom center) along with some other pics of Kaho and Otome watermelons:

— Just like last year ONE zuke plant is taking up a big space inside the Sunflower Hoophouse. This year, I planted it at the base of the roof arch snowload supporting metal conduit so I have a sturdy upright to tie the main zuke stem in tree-style cultivation — maintain straight upright trunk form by tying up frequently and not allowing to lean or slump; prune 2~3 lowest (or in this case, path side) leaves every time a fruit is harvested

— I took some pics of the side yard garden area with the camera app that time stamps to note the morning sun exposure

— I’m not sure if sowing seeds around existing (2nd) zuke plant for fall crop will do any good, but this is the time to start sowing and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to pull this one yet. … Daikon, carrots, and beets.
— I HAD to chuckle at this cucumber, growing relatively straight SIDEWAYS. Normally enjoined to remove obstructions that can get in the way of cuke hanging straight down and may cause the fruit to veer or bend, this one managed to stay straight with support by a tendril in the middle and a leafnode supporting the blossom end. I’m leaving it one more day and harvesting tomorrow

[imafan26]

There are 4types of fruit flies but two are the most common. Oriental fruit fly which attacks mainly fruit and melon flies that attack curcurbits. They have different lures to trap males. It is harder to get the females because the bait is very hard to get now (costs $200 for a gallon). Protecting fruits with barriers, sanitation, and treating roosting hosts with baits are the options. Fruit flies are here year round, but they get worse in summer. These are different from fruit flies or vinegar flies in the house. At least the pickleworms are not coming around, yet.

[applestar]

A few more random pics —

…I don’t think I’ve seen this kind of spider with the angular abdomen before. I had to coax it off of the Manganji pepper in the new little pepper patch in front of the Sunflower Hoophouse door so I could harvest it.

I forgot to bring out a net veg bag to hammock support this Greek Sweet Red squash, but it was definitely starting to weigh down the vine despite the simple strapping I had fashioned the day before, so I tied some twine together into a macrame hanger (circa. 8th grade art class)

…big fruited tomato plants that survived the worst heat/disease of the summer are resuming growth and starting to grow green fruits at the top of the trellis — above my head….


I’m trying a new technique for supporting eggplants and peppers that seems to be making the rounds in the Japanese gardening and agricultural technique scene. The basis for the theory behind it to make use of the natural inclination of plants for apical dominance hormones promoting strong growths on what grows perpendicular to the ground.

Here, the side branches of eggplants inside the Sunflower Hoophouse are all tied up to a single stake and NOT allowed to spread out (in direct opposition to the usual practice to promote good air circulation)

…This is actually similar to a technique I learned from a European gardener for supporting cherry tomatoes (restrict to 4 vines and bundle together at every 4~6 inch intervals to a sturdy single central stake or spiral tomato stake).

[imafan26]

Interesting tying up the eggplant is something new to me. Eggplant here are large shrubs, they usually don't need support, but they spread quite a bit. Tying them up when they are young, though would save on space. I don't have a lot of space, but I don't like to spend too much time staking or pruning either. I use cages to contain the sprawl and not have to prune very much, but I do have to give up more space to do that. Air circulation is more important in a hot humid climate.

[applestar]

Updates and progress collages —
(I’ll come back and add more descriptions later )

These are at F6/F7 and I’m trying to differentiate them based on appearance and flavor profiles and give them their final names:
* ‘Molten Sky(紅蓮の空)’
* ‘Wild Rosa(オテンバ娘),
* ‘Li’l Wild Rosa(お茶目なローザ)

[imafan26]

I like your sling. Since I have to use net bags for fruit like cucumber. I can tie the bags to the trellis. Even gourds can be trellised on a strong fence (I.e. chain link fence) and don't really need to be supported. As long as the weight is gradual, the vine thickens to support it. But gourds are not as heavy as melons and gourds are adapted to climbing and melons are not.

[applestar]

The squash in the Spiral Garden are doing well because they’ve climbed to the top of the wire fence trellis (about 6 feet) and are able to get more direct sun than if they were at ground level. At this point they are all creeping along the top.

It’s going to be interesting trying to make sure the fruits are sufficiently supported….

In the mean while, the cucurbits in the Sunflower Hoophouse are also reaching for the ceiling.

But the zucchini’s days might be numbered — all of a sudden, powdery mildew spots are blooming on the leaves.

It did something odd, too. This is Cashflow. I don’t think it’s listed as parthenocarpic. In fact, female blossoms that weren’t sufficiently pollinated dropped and some female blossoms dropped prematurely without opening their flower…. BUT if you look in those pics, there is a HUGE dark green embryo forming with an unopened bud on it.

I actually harvested it today because it had become bigger than the size at which I normally harvest pollinated fruits.

[applestar]

There seems to be squash blossoms needing to be hand pollinated practically every day lately….

This week’s Harvest Collage.

* I’m trying to make better use of herbs in my garden by harvesting and processing them right away into alcohol tinctures and herbal oil extracts as well as drying them for later processing
— 8/22 plantain
— 8/23 bundle of closet sachet herbs (tansy, sage, lavender, mint, lemon balm, allspice branches for leaves and bark)
— 8/26 weeping willow branches for leaves, branch tips, and bark)

Notable:
— 8/20 daikon thinnings, edamame
— 8/21 zuke females had no male pollinators
— 8/22 Blacktail Mountain watermelons harvested not quite ripe due to wilted vine and diseased leaves. Ate one of them today — sweet but not great … melon growing skills need more work….
— 8/23 Lass year’s records noted American Hazel had been ready to harvest a few days before 8/26 — checked and found bigger bush ready; “token” elderberry harvest — waited too long (making 16 oz jar of sugar syrup extract in fridge)
— 8/24 Dark green embryo zuke female had not opened but bigger than usual harvest size; first runty Mirai 421 corn from SFHH
— 8/25 unremarkable small harvest — due to rain and smokey/hazy dais?
— 8/26 oldest Otome watermelon had turned yellow! Overripe? but tendril had barely started to dry….

——

Fall/Winter harvest schedule:

[imafan26]

Try Partenon zucchini. It is parthenocarpic so it does not need pollination, but it has good resistance to PM. In my humid climate, I did not really have to spray with a fungicide even after it rained. It did get PM once the plant began to age, but young healthy plants did fine.

[applestar]

I REMEMBER! You recommended Partenon before.

Was trying to recall why
I ended up with Cashflow — I was going to get from Johnny’s as I thought they would be a reliable source, and they were either out of stock or discontinued at the time (it’s now discontinued, though listed at other sources)

Cashflow was recommended as good greenhouse candidate due to open habit, short/compact size, and spinelessness for easy harvesting.

I did come across this article. Cashflow isn’t mentioned but interesting to note that some level of parthenocarpic fruit set occurs in others.

I think I’ll try to find one of the yellow squash mentioned here to grow next year as well

parthenocarpic squash – Sustainable Market Farming

It’s not an all-or-nothing attribute – a number of squash varieties have some level of parthenocarpic capability.

[imafan26]

Golden glory is another good one that did well in Cornell's 2013 zucchini trials.
It is actually not a parthenocarpic zucchini, but some zucchini cultivars have a good fruit set even without pollination. And it rated on the top of the list. It is a yellow zucchini. Golden Glory does list PM resistance Cash Flow does not. However, I have found that not all resistance is listed on all varieties. I planted Dunja because it also rated well in parthenocarpy, but that one turned out does better with pollination. It did have moderate resistance to PM. It was productive, but I had snails and other fruit rot issues so I did not get a great yield, but that was not the plant's fault.

https://www.vegetables.cornell.edu/pest ... varieties/

https://www.hort.cornell.edu/expo/proceedings/2014/Vine%20crops/Seedless%20squash%20Reiners.pdf.

[applestar]

I wish I had more room in the hoophouse!


I started some more fall crop

— Volunteer lettuce seedlings were separated and planted around Fish peppers in the H-19 LL cuke arc. Those beets seem to be doing well and the snap peas have started to take off although germination was spotty.

— Early maturing Korean hybrid daikon (Cheong Du)
and remaining old seeds (for Kyoto Red carrot and Wild Garden mix lettuce) where first row of Mirai 421 stood in VGC.

— Also decided to try starting some seedlings in an available spot. For this, I picked the Spiral Garden arc where the determinate S7xA cross mini and micro tomatoes had been cleared. I’m planning to plant garlic there, but I can start the seedlings there before then. (Komatsuna, Mini Kisaku 50 napa, Minuet napa, Wild Garden Mix lettuce)

— More available open spots in Spiral Garden arc for edamame and under H-19 LL cuke have been sown with more lettuce, Kyoto Red and Rodelika carrots as well since they are all getting old and no point in keeping longer.

— In the Sunflower Hoophouse, Korean Fall Storage daikon sprouted, and the Dolce Fresca basil and … I think these are Mini Napa #2 seedlings …that were leftover from spring planting and stunted in plug cells have been planted and settled temporarily where fall potatoes will be planted later (They’ll be dug up and transplanted later.)

— The fall crop under the insect netting tunnel were thinned/culled some more.

— Brassicas and scallions in the Sunflower Hoophouse. I think I need to cull some of those — I planted them too close (Alcosa cabbage, Fioretto 60 stick cauliflower, Eastern and Green Magic broccoli, and the Green Goliath that overwintered from last fall planting)

— …Insurance… four 3.5” square pots of Mini Kisaku 50 and Mini Napa #2 started indoors.

[applestar]

I continue to have fanciful interaction with my Garden Patrol.

Yesterday morning, when I was working on the Vegetable Garden C by digging with a claw-hoe to shape the mounded bed to sow the daikon and long carrot seeds, I realized that when at farthest part of the bed, the yellow jacket nest in the Apple Guild bed strawberries is only about 4~5 feet away.

When I accidentally caught the claw in the rabbit fence, and saw how the vibration reverberated to the fence wires by the nest, I thought “uh oh”.

I was careful not to do too much digging after but I got careless, and saw one yellow jacket fly nearby — looking for something it seemed like.

Soon after, I heard the intensified buzz that I had heard last time I was stung, ducked and ran behind the cucumber trellis, trying to stay out of sight.

After returning to the bed to lay out the black trash bag mulch I was reusing for the 3rd year, there it was again! A buzz somewhere near my head!

But before I could react, there was an even louder buzz that flew by, then nothing. I saw a streak that flew past my head and landed on the black surface of the mulch in front of me. A dangerous-looking one inch winged flier with closed wings sharply pointed and extending beyond its abdomen … clutching something smaller and striped yellow.

It had snatched the yellow jacket out of the air near my face.

I reached for my phone to take a pic but it got stuck and I momentarily looked away. When I got the phone out of my pocket and turned back, it had gone.

— Leaving me with a mental image/ impression : “Was this one bothering you? I got this. Oh no, no photos, Ma’am, just doing my job.” kind of “bad-ass” super-competence.

Robber Fly : aka Assasin Fly = applestar’s secret service?

[applestar]

More progress in the Sunflower Hoophouse :

* Harvested the 3rd/last Otome Early Girl watermelon in the SFHH yesterday (ate the 1st one harvested that had gone a bit overripe — It had lost crispness but hadn’t gone soft/mushy yet and was sweet and yummy )

* Had an epiphany while puttering around clearing the Otome vines/trellis and taking pics — I believe I will try growing the fall potatoes in growbags, removing the plastic film mulch and setting the bags directly on the ground. Designated spots are where Otome had been and that far NE corner (also considering the NW bed where the corn had been (mostly runty, mostly harvested and eaten as snacks)

— I was able to pollinate some of the remaining silk with Mirai 421 pollen collected from the VGC micro patch. Am currently supplementing Spiral Garden Country Gentleman silks with pollen collected from Country Gentleman in VGC mini row — THIS might be the BEST reason for staggering corn but in same location (… next year, will be trying a larger single, staggered planting of corn probably in the Vegetable Gardenbed A and possibly B as well).

* I should also be able to plant those mini napa and basil that will be dug up in separate growbag… and might still be able to dig up and save plants from middle of the crowded brassica bed….

* I’m marveling at the way Cashflow zuke took to the bottomless black plastic nursery pot, and am thinking of lining the base of the north wall with more of those. This might serve dual purpose of creating a windbreak/heat sink.

— I’ll need to re-inventory how many of the bigger pots I have that could be put to use. I do have a whole bunch of nominally “1 gallon” size but they might be too small or may be better suited to the south wall side… not blocking any light along the south wall might be preferable…. Hmmm.

[imafan26]

I use mostly bigger pots for the larger plants and vines, but my problem is that they also take up more space and need a whole lot more soil to fill them. I am trying to figure out the minimum size of pot for a 5 ft determinate tomato. I usually plant them in 18 gallon pots, I tried 5 gallon, but the plants were about 1/4 the size, they produced, they were just much smaller. A 48 quart tote worked, but it is not that much smaller than an 18 gallon container and still takes up a lot of space.

[applestar]

I actually took a day off yesterday. I was feeling accumulated fatigue piling on, and besides, when I was dithering about going out after sun up, it started to rain, then it started to POUR — not what was in the forecast which had only been 30% chance of rain…. (DD1 had to go out in it to take care of some project of her own, and got SOAKED!)

Even though it cleared up afterwards, I wasn’t up to it, and opted instead to stay in and make some fun edibles in the kitchen (savory vegetable pancakes made with garden greens, peppers, scallions, and zucchini … and sweet potato starch based clear blackberry syrup “mochi jelly” … ran out of energy and ended up making 3rd dish I’d planned — tomato purée and butter sauce pad thai noodles — much later for dinner)

—

* Today, I took care of pressing issues in the garden — checked on the seeds I sowed to see if they were up … THEY WERE … and cover with simple insect mesh protection, and to upgrade the low insect mesh tunnel of daikon, turnips, etc. with a larger one so the growing daikon and turnip leaves wouldnt be pressing against the mesh for the pests to lay eggs THROUGH THE MESH. (I weeded and hilled them well before covering them up again.)

— ABSOLUTE KEY to successful fall garden with brassicas is to protect them adequately from abundant pests that are everywhere at this time of the year.

* Cheong Du daikon sprouted nicely in the center holes of the VGC.R1. I had covered these with a doubled swath of tulle, so I think they will be OK for today.

* The back up napa seedlings have sprouted, too. I’ve moved them out of the house to the patio table where they will get better light and can stay safe inside the picnic saver insect mesh mini food tent (you’ve seen it before — behind my harvest photos ).

[applestar]

I’ve been meaning to take care of this all season — my very neglected container ginger. According to the markings on it, the ginger was first planted OR was last repotted on 2015. (I think twice or three times in the interim, I’ve pulled of hands to reduce the mass and start new, smaller containers of ginger.)

I was intending to break up the entire mass and repot in spring. Once we were into the summer, I thought about transplanting them somewhere in the garden.

NOW it’s a bit late to do this at all, but I’ve given them the spot in Vegetable Gardenbed D where the determinate (Dwarf Arctic Rose x Utyonok, F5) tomatoes had been growing.

I peeled up the eco mulch film and dug deeply to loosen, then dug a trench along the middle, scattered handful each of neem cake meal, fish bonemeal, and langbeinite; and worked them in; then replaced some of the soil.

Planted the smaller pieces in the back and two big clumps in the front. And harvested all the pieces that didn’t have any stalks growing from them. (Only two small pieces had mushy spots).

I was able to cut slits in the black film mulch and lay them back around the 2 rows of ginger.

Used one of the tomato cages to support the taller ginger stalks as well as to hold down the mulch, along with the 3 U-pins that had been there.

Weather forecast shows at least another 10 days of HOT weather. I’ll keep track and give them protective windbreaks and covers to keep them in the ground as long as I can, then dig/pot them up to bring inside for the winter as usual.

[applestar]

This one turned out to be NOT Blacktail Mountain — I did wonder because it was only one that looked different. Grown from saved seeds. It might be a cross or possibly a stray Early Moonbeam? (I don’t even have those in my stash anymore, but I did before….)

Sweet and yummy even though it was a baseball sized runt.

…eta…

The rind was NOT light green with dark stripes (so not Early Moonbeam). It was brighter green than normal Blacktail Mountain and maybe faintly striped? Also shape was slightly ovoid and I thought that was because of its early demise and in fact not ripe… but it WAS ripe — so a little bit elongated in shape?

This brings forward the only other yellow — Moon and Stars Yellow… but it’s seeds should be white, not to mention size should be much much bigger.

So an accidental bee-cross after all and F2 or later (if yellow flesh is recessive)? Hmm?

…I’m realizing my mediocre melon growing ability is also hampering proper identification — I might have grown an earlier, “deformed/malformed” segregate and simply thought I did something wrong….

[applestar]

Another view of the transplanted ginger. They look good so far.

Since around 3rd week of August, I’ve been topping the indeterminate tomatoes that have survived the summer heat and have resumed growing and fruiting at the top of their trellises the same way — As soon as a fruit truss forms and two more leaves grow out, cut above the 2nd leaf to encourage those fruits to grow to size and ripen ASAP.

Usually, by the time the truss has set fruit, there is a new floral truss forming above the 2nd leaf above it, but be decisive and clip.

These are cherry tomatoes but same goes for large fruited indeterminates.

[imafan26]

Is this edible ginger or some other kind? My ginger looks like it is going to flower soon. It has barely had 4 months to grow since it came up very late this year.

[applestar]

@imafan, This is grocery store ginger that’s been in continuous cultivation.

Mine normally blooms just after yours start I think, or — my personal phenological sign — at the same time as the Myoga… And I just checked — they’re not up yet, which is a bit late but maybe due to the drought.

[applestar]

This is the cross that was made in winter 2014-15 that I had to go back to the original F1 seeds to grow out and pursue this year.

I’m liking these which were the biggest fruits out of the 4 plants. F2 seeds are fermenting now and -yes- I WILL properly save them seeds this time.

Maglia Rosa #1(WWL) x Stump of the World?HBR + Faelan’s First Snow LV + Manö) F1 “MRxSFM.F1#4-VGD’23”

——

I set up these somewhat flimsy (and not really good for storage) crates in the Sunflower Hoophouse to try growing fall potatoes. Chitted seed potatoes for yellow fingering-type potatoes are in the left crate, and red bliss-type potatoes are in the corner crate (relocated from the South wall). Reserving the right crate for yellow potato, hoping they will still sprout in time.

Also planted the leftover extra mini-type napa and scallion starts in a root pouch fabric pot and in a black nursery tub (with intact bottom), as well as some available spots in the beds.


— this week’s harvest collage —

[applestar]

* Time to put up the insect mesh tunnel over the VGC daikon seedlings! I’m using a new mint green one that is supposed to provide just a little bit of shade to keep them cooler for now. (Hopefully, those are lettuce coming up in the left holes)

* I just happened to go around to the front of the house, and happened to think it might be a good idea to water the container figs ahead of the heatwave… and noticed the nearly black hanging, fully ripe figs (Harvested a baker’s dozen )

* Saturday, I thought the beets hadn’t sprouted, and had the impulse to take a photo — I was telling myself that I would have a “condition” photo to compare with and if there is nothing and the cells look as bad or worse, I’ll give up on them….

* Then today they were all up! I was confused … how could they grow so quickly? … but now looking closer, I can see them just starting to emerge their knuckles in Saturday’s picture.

[imafan26]

Mine are actually blooming about the right time. They can bloom anytime between September-November. I am surprised it is blooming since the ginger took much longer to sprout than usual. Usually, the ginger starts to grow sometime around March, but this time it started growing when it was nearly May. This is probably the shortest growth time I have had. We have harvested ginger before after 5 months, but that was our choice to harvest the ginger. Once the ginger blooms there is no choice because the tops are going to die off a couple of months after that. Turmeric usually goes down around the same time. My turmeric also got a late start, but I planted it late as well. It is growing well but is not putting out a bloom yet. That one though, will sprout right after the tops are cut down and the roots reset.

My timing is off with the dasheen. I have big roots, but I am finding them rotting and lots of keiki instead, so I am harvesting them too late. the smaller ones I harvested earlier are actually sprouting. And it is really too early for me to use them. I mainly use them for nishime for New Year. It will be easier to get the seasonal ingredients like the hasu, and gobo for it then. They do sell a frozen nishime mix in the store with the vegetables in it. It is ok, but the frozen dasheen in particular is mushy. The little suckers are slippery though when you try to peel them.

[applestar]

Yeah my turmeric in a container needs some TLC like the ginger. I’m really happy that I started growing them in containers. They are easy houseplants during the cold months, and like you said, they go dormant soon after blooming. So I just have to get them inside once daytime temps consistently stays below mid-50’s and before mid-40’s, give them a last hood soak and then find them a dim location, let them yellow and dry up, and then after that, water maybe once every 3-4 weeks to keep the potting mix from completely drying out. Occasional accidental overwatering has not bothered them. Remove the dead foliage (can be used as potpourri or to scent bath) and I don’t have to start thinking about them much until after Spring Equinox when their other overwintered buddies like peppers, avocado, coffee, mango, jasmine, etc. start stirring”

I’d like to try growing dasheen. I wonder if grocery store ones are treated not to sprout if conventionally grown. I wonder if there is a source for edible corms for growing…?

My parents had some growing in their garden when my Dad had been healthy and really enjoyed growing his vegetables — he used to get supplies and advice from his cousin in Japan or something, and my mom had a friend who was also into gardening.

But my Dad’s more demanding veg that needed to be carried over the winter in special storage were lost when his dementia worsened and my Mom couldn’t maintain them, and she had no interest in growing (“farming” as she used to say).

[applestar]

Yesterday, some of the first Chicago Hardy figs we’re ready to harvest, so now we can compare with best of the Petit Nigra container figs. In the past, they ripened at different times and/or the container figs were significantly smaller — but they are both looking comparable this year.

Difference maybe due to the container figs staying the entire season on the Northwest facing driveway in front of the garage, and actually getting more direct sun (around noon to sunset) and heat through the season + more dedicated watering due to being near foot traffic + being watered with fruit scrap cultured nutrient boost.

——

The brassicas in the Sunflower Hoophouse can be differentiated now
1) broccoli that look like existing big broccoli
2) cauliflower that look a little bit different but similar
3) baby savoy cabbage leaves are starting to crinkle

——

This morning, I made yellow tomato marmalade on a whim. I needed to process the extra yellow cherries on the counter (actually “white” in tomato parlance since their epi is clear).

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with them at first, so just trimmed the stem scar and tossed them in a dry saucepan to start cooking. Once they released their juices and started to boil, I remembered I had some yellow Queen of Malinalco tomatillos that also needed to be processed so I added those (decided not to add the antho version although I have some of those as well — I didn’t want to muddy the color, and also, yellow ones are sweeter)….

But then decided against making “Mexican” type salsa etc. since I didn’t have any yellow hot peppers.

Since these are my cross-breeding project grape cherry tomatoes with sweet umami, I decided to try another version of tomato jam, and added some orange juice and cane sugar and kept cooking until the liquid thickened and turned clear and shiny.

Temporarily poured out about half, puréed with a stick blender, returned the liquid, added orange juice dissolved pectin, then strained out seeds and skin (skin because of the mouthfeel, and seeds because I noticed with the last one that the seeds are bitter when chewed, crashing with the sweetness of the jam) and filled a half pint jar to water bath process.

I saved another maybe 1/2 cup in the refrigerator to enjoy right away. The sealed jar will get a couple of months to develop flavors before opening.

…but after that, I was tired. Taking another day off I think. It’s already 86°F out there, going up to 97°F. Will dash out and water the started seedlings if it seems necessary, but I think they should be OK.

[applestar]

I skipped another day yesterday. And it doesn’t look like I recorded what I did on Thursday….

Let’s see… figs and persimmons have all decided it is time to ripen. And powdery mildew has really started spreading on the one zucchini “tree” in there. I might have managed to contact transfer it to the already struggling butternut squash in the Spiral Garden which then started to inch over to the Greek Sweet Red, although GSR vines are still pretty vigorous and is not easily succumbing.
…Today, I finally DID manage to thoroughly spray the butternut and zucchini with oil and baking soda spray based on a new recipe that has been very effective on the zucchini.

(not pictured) In the Sunflower Hoophouse, I planted two more “red creamer” potatoes in the right crate since the gold baking potato doesn’t seem to want to sprout. Purple fingerings turned mushy while waiting for sprout.

— planned to transplant the started beet seedlings in front of the double crates and the mini napa where direct seeded beets and carrots didn’t sprout.

— Beet seedlings are not quite ready, but today, did plant Mini Napa #2 seedlings from one of the 3.5” square pots as planned. These will be thinned to every other hole, keeping the green circled ones (hopefully).

— The new sticky roach traps that had been set out on Tuesday to capture the invasion of crickets looked like these today, and I caught by hand another big one.

— Although I am not impressed by the H-19 Littleleaf cucumber performance, and am going to start looking for a hybrid parthenocarpic variety to grow in the hoophouse, I’ve decided to let one fruit each from the Spiral Garden and inside the Sunflower Hoophouse to mature for saving seeds. I want to see if “by growing them out for several generations, they will adapt to garden’s growing conditions and begin to grow more vigorously” is myth or truth…. (I’m also saving one Suyo Long and probably one China Jade)

Allowing them to finish maturing a fruit will speed the plants to senility, but I think my family is ready to give up harvesting cukes, and the beds can be turned over to the next succession crop or to cleanup and a state of soil enrichment in preparation for the coming winter.


—— This week’s Harvest collage

9/3 — onion bottoms grew this much over the summer and then flopped over (they might be shallots)

9/4 — Petit Nigra container figs in front of the garage, Arkansas Black apples, and smaller bush American hazelnuts; (Cashflow zuke is still trying. See also 9/7)

9/5 — culled side sprouted cabbages that were in the way of the fall potato crates; test pulled carrots from VG.SIP (still runty); Chicago Hardy figs from tree in the ground SW side of the house also started ripening

9/7 — more Petit Nigra and Chicago Hardy figs and Prok persimmons started. First to set Nutterbutter butternut squash vine died so the one fruit was harvested.

— “Volunteer PL HBR’14” has ripened a gorgeous fruit — this was grown from seeds of the pollen donor parent to the two re-activated cross-pollination projects.

— picture of how the antho of the Queen of Malinalco X with antho purple bleeds blue into the flesh. We don’t usually talk about epi of tomatillos but this one is clear. Squat shape should be noted also. (9/3, 9/7, and 9/9 harvests include the true to type Queen of Malinalco— elongated yellow)

9/9 — Wes; More Chicago Hardy and one Petit Nigra; most of these Prok persimmons were on the ground from missing just one day (albeit there WAS a storm so not entirely my fault)

[applestar]

A few more random photo library screenshot collages …just because, and I take so many pics that I just have to share them

[applestar]

Over the summer, I managed to get some nice beeswax pastilles/pellets so in addition to my annual rubbing alcohol extraction tincture of plantain, peppermint, and jewel weed plus witch hazel astringent itch stop spray, I tried making some itch stop salve.

Itch Stop Salve - 4 weeks oil extraction of Plantain, Peppermint, Jewelweed, Yarrow, Comfrey, Lemon Balm, Greek Oregano, Yellow Dock; Organic EVOO, Organic V. Coconut oil; Organic Beeswax; Vitamin E.

Tested it on poison ivy rash, a mosquito bite, and healing sunburn on shoulder — It really works instantly and smells wonderful

[applestar]

I’d like to try growing dasheen. I wonder if grocery store ones are treated not to sprout if conventionally grown. I wonder if there is a source for edible corms for growing…?

My parents had some growing in their garden[….]

Hiro-chan posted a video describing a 3rd kind she grew this year in addition to the common one and the red-stemmed one (Yatsugashira) she prefers over the common one.

It’s the first one she demonstrates with, and is called “Ryukyu” in Kochi Prefecture where she lives (but is generally known as “Hasuimo”. “Ryukyu” is old name for Okinawa and is said to have been imported from Okinawa and hence it was referenced by that name. This kind is grown for the leaf stems and the corm? stem? doesn’t fatten up like the other two kinds she grows.

She’s describing how to prepare the stem by discarding the leaf, pulling off the skin, and then hanging fro dry until dehydrated. (It must be dehydrated first to make it edible. Its sap can cause dermatitis and contains sharp crystalline structure that can irritate — I assume if ingested.)

She discusses how the first one is typically pickled in sweetened vinegar and then put in miso soup, and how the honeycomb structure makes it pleasantly crunchy, while the other two type which are grown for the potato-like corms have solid stems that cook up into mucilaginous and potato-like texture. Her son operating the camera was telling her that he likes both kinds of stems.

[youtuDOTbe]https://youtu.be/iFbINSwvJhI?si=OF5qJH7Jyk7MqYEG[/youtuDOTbe]

[imafan26]

Most of the dasheen here is grown locally, so they are not treated. I need to harvest the edible ginger every year. If you let ginger keep growing in the same pot, the pieces get gnarled together and they get smaller and smaller. Ginger needs a wide container because it doesn't really grow down unless you hill it, it grows sideways until it hits a dead end.

Johnny's always runs out of Partenon. I was able to find seeds from another company. I have to read the shipping and return policy well because, they may not ship here and I want to avoid getting any seeds from China beause they don't always have certificates. It is always hit and miss, some companies will only carry the seeds for one year. Dunja was another good one for disease resistance, not as good as partenon and did better with polination, but productive. Golden Glory zucchini is much easier to find and costs less. I did get some seed, but I haven't planted it yet. Golden glory has some powdery mildew resistance.

Weseeds still has partenon. I have not tried this company. They source their seeds from China.
https://www.weseeds.com/partenon-hybrid ... -2482.html

[applestar]

I did a quick look and I don’t see availability either.

Hopefully this year’s harvested seeds will become available by the time I need to start them sometime in March or April. But I appreciate the heads up. I’ll be sure to buy those early, just as soon as I start to see new season offerings.