tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54779223233151333332024-03-19T02:55:17.278-07:00The Garden of Eatin' at The Inn at Little WashingtonA blog published by Joneve Murphy, the farmer-in-residence of The Inn at Little Washington. Follow the growing season from earth to kitchen and all of the challenges and triumphs along the way.Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-6720082344502096212014-04-24T13:08:00.000-07:002014-04-24T13:08:05.749-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">
Spring has sprung! It has been a long cold winter, but the
grass has finally begun to green and the spring crops are getting into the
ground this week. We have already
planted peas, shelling and snow,<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pdzOELTkJnqVHzImzoln_YcoViTl7bU5js1fdHSgdpsBxFZP3V-hiqPLL2ZXwZ3cqpqTfoWo3GZBCdMG52KgQCb1SxFigCxBZh1kCEZeZnXAa6EWeyW0dd5fKvXKsNflejDIjSwcTivD/s1600/040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pdzOELTkJnqVHzImzoln_YcoViTl7bU5js1fdHSgdpsBxFZP3V-hiqPLL2ZXwZ3cqpqTfoWo3GZBCdMG52KgQCb1SxFigCxBZh1kCEZeZnXAa6EWeyW0dd5fKvXKsNflejDIjSwcTivD/s1600/040.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pea seeds going in April 4th</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
radishes, salad turnips, pac choi, and fava
beans. Later this week we will put in spinach, mache, onions, shallots and
beets. The greenhouse is full to the gills, bursting with peppers, eggplant,
tomatoes, squash and cucumbers along with the regular spring crops.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
We also sheared the sheep this past week and took care of
their hooves for the season. Their
paddock is finally starting to green up and they and the llama have been
happily munching away. <sup>th</sup>
and in the meantime we are getting the house ready for them. We have 50 baby
barred rock bantam chicks (say that 5 times fast) coming that will produce tiny
eggs to serve in the kitchen.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFxR-8OSjiEmhEh3g74rKlpK8fOcgx9wSSZAk104J_YC4CQlqH1gn8aoJEjmxDIKrS14r0AiHGRtVyS_C2YE-9mOUn16EFv9b-k2vaTaDIgqYv7B4k_e-E3K2z9MEYIvN77c_4IrYEAdu/s1600/P3289232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFxR-8OSjiEmhEh3g74rKlpK8fOcgx9wSSZAk104J_YC4CQlqH1gn8aoJEjmxDIKrS14r0AiHGRtVyS_C2YE-9mOUn16EFv9b-k2vaTaDIgqYv7B4k_e-E3K2z9MEYIvN77c_4IrYEAdu/s1600/P3289232.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jeremy and a just sheared lady</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our current flock
of chickens are about to go into retirement.
They are now a little over three years old and their egg production has
really started to decline. A few of the local ladies from town are taking them
home to live out their retirement on some small backyard farms. Our new baby chicks arrive April 29<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
This past week our new farmer started her new position. She
came to us from Arizona, but is a native Virginian. Jenna Brownell is a 4<sup>th</sup>
generation farmer from Bluemont, Virginia.
She has a degree in Environmental Studies form Prescott College and has
worked on farms all over the country as well as a few in Italy. She has been eager to start her position with
us and can’t wait for the summer to begin. Joneve is moving on to start a new
adventure. She will be traveling for one year, volunteering on farms in Europe
Asia and South America and plans to share her adventures on her new blog;
Farmer Seeking Roots. For more information please visit <a href="http://www.farmerseekingroots.com/">www.farmerseekingroots.com</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiXwtZdaonNDVDtc8H-9WRXmbYon3utIeSOcT8kN1rj4qSh9wM-45sZJzNRqNV65hY2-5fL_qv2HIoD97rW4O92zlvSeGUc_oishedeuXf2puZJ0Ew9Sh0SxtlfAziAKExHt2Wu-q3LECJ/s1600/031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiXwtZdaonNDVDtc8H-9WRXmbYon3utIeSOcT8kN1rj4qSh9wM-45sZJzNRqNV65hY2-5fL_qv2HIoD97rW4O92zlvSeGUc_oishedeuXf2puZJ0Ew9Sh0SxtlfAziAKExHt2Wu-q3LECJ/s1600/031.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shady, Jenna's dog and Blue faithfully guarding the greenhouse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jenna will be taking over the blog from here and is eager to
share the garden’s trials and triumphs with you all in the future. </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgjk39To2vKiKd0Ji1DEEU7UFPrgXfW_LmdrANOU0mxFaPy_VaTeD9QMnBcXAYRxunfiHys2rprtjfG0H2K3SyZM3opQrfGPN-RaBfZHUK8eGPRkMxpMO2sDqem3_kAJiyIG3HIsE-xna/s1600/075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgjk39To2vKiKd0Ji1DEEU7UFPrgXfW_LmdrANOU0mxFaPy_VaTeD9QMnBcXAYRxunfiHys2rprtjfG0H2K3SyZM3opQrfGPN-RaBfZHUK8eGPRkMxpMO2sDqem3_kAJiyIG3HIsE-xna/s1600/075.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red veined sorrel, a new microgreen for the kitchen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p>Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-11106388355389229452014-03-26T08:16:00.001-07:002014-03-26T08:16:50.981-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">
I am leaving The Inn to start a new adventure. I have loved
every minute of my time here. The Inn is
a close family and I will be sad to go, our new farmer starts next week, and we will overlap for a month of training. I’m
launching a new project in June called Farmer Seeking Roots. I plan to travel
through Europe, Asia and South America for one year volunteering on farms and
following the food home with a consumer to cook, eat and share recipes. I will
explore many avenues of sustainable agriculture; family farms, cooperatives,
school gardens, community gardens, pastured animals, urban farms and many more.
I want to labor alongside the multitude of ardent family farmers in both
developed and developing nations. I hope to share growing techniques, new
varieties, and recipes, but also I want to share their passion. I want to highlight these farmers and
consumers for the important decisions they make about food every day. I want to
have a conversation with both farmers and consumers about their choices to
support sustainable agriculture from either side of the plate. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hope that through sharing these conversations I can
inspire others to grow/ eat organically and sustainably. I hope to share
techniques that I find with other farmers, in an effort to further their food
enterprises. I want to encourage others to support their local farmers and food
producers, to grow something towards their own nutrition and the nourishment of
their community. I want to highlight farmers that are growing
food in such a way so as to rebuild their soils, improve the local environment
and engage with their communities. I want to highlight farmers and consumers
that are creating and contributing to a movement much larger than themselves.
Organic, sustainable, family farming is what is going to feed our world. People
that engage with their land, that work to see it and the land surrounding
flourish. Our personal health is dependent
on the health of the soil, the forests, the oceans, the animals and people that
surround us. We can no longer be insular in our decisions about food. We vote with our dollars more often and more impact
fully than any of our votes at the ballot box. We, as a global community must
support enterprises and people that are furthering the sustainable food
movement.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will share this journey; the triumphs, struggles and the people
that I find through a photo journal and blog on my website: <a href="http://www.farmerseekingroots.com/">http://www.farmerseekingroots.com</a>
. I invite you to follow me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am currently fundraising for this endeavor. You can find
my campaign at <a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/farmer-seeking-roots/x/5676147">http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/farmer-seeking-roots/x/5676147</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are a lot of great perks on offer, including prints of
my photographs, a gardening guide that I have written, online and in person
garden consulting and of course a huge thank you from me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Joneve Murphy<o:p></o:p></div>
Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-51979486637255807882014-02-22T08:30:00.000-08:002014-02-22T08:30:53.707-08:00<div class="MsoNormal">
Hi Everyone. Well I’m
back from my winter break and back to greenhouse grind. This year I didn’t go anywhere too exotic, I
spent my time visiting family and friends in Maine, New York, Vermont and
California. The time flew by. I did some
snowy hiking in Maine,</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_grrPq64Vp46pF_MZalnttJTywuAjUYdHrN0Myr-a_JfGFXdY6_3jMs1cHJIuoJmfZu3ugUOfvkAaUO8x3WA2lrGFAFG8qUM-rPL7NkkTTaUHZ2EB5_xMXFkirQ-rr3I0_s1oT_KXysKy/s1600/icy+trees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_grrPq64Vp46pF_MZalnttJTywuAjUYdHrN0Myr-a_JfGFXdY6_3jMs1cHJIuoJmfZu3ugUOfvkAaUO8x3WA2lrGFAFG8qUM-rPL7NkkTTaUHZ2EB5_xMXFkirQ-rr3I0_s1oT_KXysKy/s1600/icy+trees.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trees in Maine after an ice storm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
went sailing in the San Francisco Bay, hiking in Lake Tahoe, I went to the San Francisco <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRk4yomA0quiHlTZ8k2kFaEyytbrSRpHSmNNJjiULLBQIHJX89LUfcDzWsOBwMkPESg1JmgZERmLLDq1O4-v-WVCjSjbI8vaNa1gNRklNAxx6U99VoHvOEBH2z-i2kulV5RWJ-aXCflQuw/s1600/alpen+glow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRk4yomA0quiHlTZ8k2kFaEyytbrSRpHSmNNJjiULLBQIHJX89LUfcDzWsOBwMkPESg1JmgZERmLLDq1O4-v-WVCjSjbI8vaNa1gNRklNAxx6U99VoHvOEBH2z-i2kulV5RWJ-aXCflQuw/s1600/alpen+glow.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alpenglow in Lake Tahoe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Botanical Gardens, had some
beach time and of course ate some really great food. It was amazing to see all
of my family this year, which I don’t always make a lot of time to do. I have no time for visits during the summer,
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsbgMujCG1wng_sTYyyraBc0tcaIAwLCQOqHNuEWnh0iuVs5IfblQN72_G9FW_Mq1Zd5XNKirbR33ei4XQa7Xr59CPIOhZiDQ4_2xmfBdHMruoSih7u356ylsIN1Pb-0LI6seWtQZReRZ/s1600/tree+moss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsbgMujCG1wng_sTYyyraBc0tcaIAwLCQOqHNuEWnh0iuVs5IfblQN72_G9FW_Mq1Zd5XNKirbR33ei4XQa7Xr59CPIOhZiDQ4_2xmfBdHMruoSih7u356ylsIN1Pb-0LI6seWtQZReRZ/s1600/tree+moss.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lichen and moss covered tree Lake Tahoe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
and often when I leave in the winter to go to some far off land, I want as much
time as possible to explore and have adventures.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih34D8ysWYsb_3F0kMzEXY3mUGU7ieDddxhwQ1dkKsQuLHm77UmW2hEajY4OPaxbmiQRJCmFBGoT-5VA8kVLJjwKch6gKdPQRM5UHoxeij13wGq5P6_zzjQlnPxuZY-wN6_Wdi2dSpzBaJ/s1600/sf+beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih34D8ysWYsb_3F0kMzEXY3mUGU7ieDddxhwQ1dkKsQuLHm77UmW2hEajY4OPaxbmiQRJCmFBGoT-5VA8kVLJjwKch6gKdPQRM5UHoxeij13wGq5P6_zzjQlnPxuZY-wN6_Wdi2dSpzBaJ/s1600/sf+beach.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">beach in SF</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I got back last month and most of my time has been split
between the greenhouse and the office. I
put the seed order together for the season, and I’m in the process of writing
the crop plan. As dreary and cold as it
is outside, this is one of my favorite times of year. Shopping for seeds allows you to dream of
what could be. You can picture in your
mind’s eye where the plants will go and how they will look in all their
mid-summer glory.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the greenhouse I have started all of the micro greens
again, and we are already 3 plantings deep.
February 10th I started all of the onion, shallot and leek transplants. I like to start all of mine from seed rather
than sets. It gives me more choices on
varieties, but it does mean that greenhouse work starts much earlier than it
would otherwise. Most other vegetables
don’t need to be seeded before March. I don’t
like to start my transplants too early, because I think it stresses them to sit
in the greenhouse in pots that are too small for them. They become root bound and the shock when you
finally plant them is much worse. So my
advice for the day; be patient spring is coming.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvCvnuT5dRBFiR2Gl5qWI6KCIVUCbM4rhWhKNKaHcEpocR3PBw2BtS97L7xpZH1t8dbvTc10t4YO9TbVfnml8wFqx24OWis3a4WJapaDSjbmAuL2g3_YjUyYeMalP42-lje8hfb5Z0gTJF/s1600/micro+FB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvCvnuT5dRBFiR2Gl5qWI6KCIVUCbM4rhWhKNKaHcEpocR3PBw2BtS97L7xpZH1t8dbvTc10t4YO9TbVfnml8wFqx24OWis3a4WJapaDSjbmAuL2g3_YjUyYeMalP42-lje8hfb5Z0gTJF/s1600/micro+FB.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p>Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-66944980540102054832013-12-09T11:45:00.000-08:002013-12-09T11:45:32.639-08:00<div class="MsoNormal">
November 27<sup>th</sup><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wow November has been a really cold month. Much colder than
the November we had last year. We have even had one night below 20 degrees. That means almost everything, under cover or
not, is dead, and my record of harvesting until Christmas is now blemished.
Luckily I harvested all of vegetables before they actually died. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivOTgMXxxg0cgkqSCf860H0JgSubBx5uO5Aky5lkm-rNcBslUXRGECpDQkPycj6Yf74wmBQJJ2CIsQj_BZR-hqwFXqV8r0KBvgEFGeZwMPdzv-CZ0HnmibHb0rvZDr-fQIMULZt0npWyGI/s1600/slug+egg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivOTgMXxxg0cgkqSCf860H0JgSubBx5uO5Aky5lkm-rNcBslUXRGECpDQkPycj6Yf74wmBQJJ2CIsQj_BZR-hqwFXqV8r0KBvgEFGeZwMPdzv-CZ0HnmibHb0rvZDr-fQIMULZt0npWyGI/s320/slug+egg.jpg" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">slug eggs hiding under a beet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLcThggkJccQ7PuLrxfTOQ93Eihr0fJYenwvuB_5dQOPBQmKizOyhi9XmtAWSL3SY-xZha4VjC8_NsmTeAMqv1W2_gJAW69nZ7IuSWIqsZG7VazoFcwLnGRcELoN6cdfbEs2bEN806MAVE/s1600/spin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLcThggkJccQ7PuLrxfTOQ93Eihr0fJYenwvuB_5dQOPBQmKizOyhi9XmtAWSL3SY-xZha4VjC8_NsmTeAMqv1W2_gJAW69nZ7IuSWIqsZG7VazoFcwLnGRcELoN6cdfbEs2bEN806MAVE/s320/spin.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">spinach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The only
things left in the garden now are beets, carrots and spinach. The beets and
carrots will be harvested next week, as will the last cutting of spinach for
this season. After I cut the spinach,
(carefully, so as to not damage the growth tip) I’ll cover it with straw for
the winter. I can pull the straw off in
March and we will have a nice early crop.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have spent most of my time this month cleaning up the
garden and organizing the shed and greenhouse for the winter. I’m still
producing micro greens, and we have bumped up production for the busy holiday
season, so they are keeping me pretty busy as well. I planted the garlic last
week and covered it with straw.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOkOgGPGLNz4-vf3udVq4tf5ON87ec56cHewgeDBsxt2i3siKPfsV2oPJtoKhyphenhyphenPthqIvqnl0CZgwTbhnk3ORkivGyd99A2KarpRGu7H0ENi4og7YsGvgdMCKuq2UUZyvpyjFk_qt2u0HZi/s1600/garlic+clove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOkOgGPGLNz4-vf3udVq4tf5ON87ec56cHewgeDBsxt2i3siKPfsV2oPJtoKhyphenhyphenPthqIvqnl0CZgwTbhnk3ORkivGyd99A2KarpRGu7H0ENi4og7YsGvgdMCKuq2UUZyvpyjFk_qt2u0HZi/s200/garlic+clove.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">garlic clove waiting to be planted</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And finally, we have been holding our end of
the season meetings. We use this time to
sit down, farmer, cooks and Chef Patrick, and discuss both the failures and the
successes from the past season. We also discuss potential new crops to try for
next season. There are quite a few
interesting varieties coming out for next year.
I saw a daikon radish yesterday that was purple all the way through and
a green when ripe cherry tomato covered in pink stripes. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I finished all of the harvest records and we were well over
last year’s numbers with a whopping 8000 pounds of produce pulled out of the
garden this year. I was surprised as a
lot of the heavy vegetables such as eggplant and peppers didn’t produce so
well, but I guess we made up for it in cucumbers and sweet potatoes. Over the next couple of weeks I will be
spending my time still cleaning, organizing and getting the crop plan ready for
next year.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfrjG7JQ4YWo0iivDtnB07eGeWP05NdU-r7uZ-y5I1ALFRRa_6wYiIBCEhZPNBBTXbSCUTlL8W8eyyxVFafgUfEXMOXRDjcI_pf_EeYZXKb5XHFrja2CRlk06znDbKO7MSGcSc3U9cmkGN/s1600/roman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfrjG7JQ4YWo0iivDtnB07eGeWP05NdU-r7uZ-y5I1ALFRRa_6wYiIBCEhZPNBBTXbSCUTlL8W8eyyxVFafgUfEXMOXRDjcI_pf_EeYZXKb5XHFrja2CRlk06znDbKO7MSGcSc3U9cmkGN/s320/roman.jpg" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Romanesco</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-42683114704591380912013-12-09T11:17:00.000-08:002013-12-09T11:17:34.953-08:00<div class="MsoNormal">
November 1<sup>st</sup><o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwgmDcbaOcntCqGqnn_hCv7cPSDd6Mig1yCp2hr5A1YBeePXxmLQKHb7EDiz_pgl5XbuLnOWWAXyrW-T2KyJwDJvJh9EJWiTtZts7wjxjPsuIKNDfBdLU8PZWanxthGmTqlDK4Fn1eUcs/s1600/butter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwgmDcbaOcntCqGqnn_hCv7cPSDd6Mig1yCp2hr5A1YBeePXxmLQKHb7EDiz_pgl5XbuLnOWWAXyrW-T2KyJwDJvJh9EJWiTtZts7wjxjPsuIKNDfBdLU8PZWanxthGmTqlDK4Fn1eUcs/s320/butter.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butter Lettuce</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, we have had our first official hard frost. That means that all of the summer vegetables
are truly finished and almost everything else needs to be covered. So far our
lowest night was 28 degrees. Vegetables
such as beans, peppers, and tomatoes die at 32, but many other vegetables can
survive in lower temperatures. They can
freeze and thaw many times during the fall and early winter, and reserve their
growth periods for when the weather is favorable. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJr1dQyyH_EqHRNwFQnUbatk5F7o5SPxWFvd5tZionHfOITX7jv0HaEJlyJPfMULJGZHOnVbFJDlHhe7vFGotKqX5fQNib5XH6NCatuu0GcBykLm30XeczVKGmbcA3wpM8HFysjGwYl9o/s1600/fallcarrots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJr1dQyyH_EqHRNwFQnUbatk5F7o5SPxWFvd5tZionHfOITX7jv0HaEJlyJPfMULJGZHOnVbFJDlHhe7vFGotKqX5fQNib5XH6NCatuu0GcBykLm30XeczVKGmbcA3wpM8HFysjGwYl9o/s320/fallcarrots.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This makes growing really slow, but it can
work in your favor, a garden that has been planted well can have tons of
vegetables “hanging out” and waiting to be harvested. For example we planted 5
beds of carrots in early September; they have pretty much stopped growing by
now, but can wait in the soil for another few months before they need to be
picked. I’ll harvest a few at a time until Christmas.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBX7iHA8JvJCgxsV1Kurr0yHUK309eEEbuLYpvvN2V3AiWM7RqvEiTgWxT5GyUJvDioHUxmNhyGQvlyCmp7MWC6T6ivgZDiakVNLfsPAfuluvzt5FLcV_W7zDw60jqbw9wCEt7ee3LeFGX/s1600/photo+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBX7iHA8JvJCgxsV1Kurr0yHUK309eEEbuLYpvvN2V3AiWM7RqvEiTgWxT5GyUJvDioHUxmNhyGQvlyCmp7MWC6T6ivgZDiakVNLfsPAfuluvzt5FLcV_W7zDw60jqbw9wCEt7ee3LeFGX/s320/photo+%25284%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew with a cardoon plant</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As the frost loomed, we
harvested the last of the beans, peppers, eggplant and tomatoes. With the tomatoes I pulled off all of the
green ones as well as the red, and will ripen them in the shed over the next
few weeks. I also dug up all of the sweet potatoes to cure, and cut down the
giant cardoon plants. I harvested most of the lemongrass and potted up the rest
in the greenhouse to plant in the garden again next year. We also lost the
cucumber plants, which was a little sad. I was hoping to hold on to them for a
little longer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYHVUJ8NbHtVQJhxsvyOyL5l81a3MByBTrjmN3tgQr70YLZx0Z-lXnl2q23E7MYwHs9hX90lj3Wfv-qrlpDdpe3Ep7mauk_leI6GAcEhyqlQbWdwptVuQIDpLDtnhwtp1EzSnWRr34AL4W/s1600/photo+%25286%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYHVUJ8NbHtVQJhxsvyOyL5l81a3MByBTrjmN3tgQr70YLZx0Z-lXnl2q23E7MYwHs9hX90lj3Wfv-qrlpDdpe3Ep7mauk_leI6GAcEhyqlQbWdwptVuQIDpLDtnhwtp1EzSnWRr34AL4W/s320/photo+%25286%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chickens enjoying a mountain of beet greens</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmqE7kiXqkgHSmp_XZ9yq_rkhbu-AxMMbmbNt-v7J9Kfr6o3FZN-Fqi6Opf42K7ubUXaY4J7T_6B7t37catDEdh1aLzqqd9musovgQ6Cw9-B15dbe5Fo-SRGqQ4DPMwcgFFC6rXuvIvUh/s1600/radharvest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmqE7kiXqkgHSmp_XZ9yq_rkhbu-AxMMbmbNt-v7J9Kfr6o3FZN-Fqi6Opf42K7ubUXaY4J7T_6B7t37catDEdh1aLzqqd9musovgQ6Cw9-B15dbe5Fo-SRGqQ4DPMwcgFFC6rXuvIvUh/s320/radharvest.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCM4qUX-Wlx9bnTp4SK22aN43rnDV_pZBz0z6O_kjclsg60ZaeZQTiUx7goD7VZlQLmSO0DDjfavOIkXUyUpTF_an59YhxS1S-iUMIjBkHpv55z5ltZLboMgSYSwtAf1NqXsixx-u2dZIf/s1600/radharvest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4teH4GDwq3zfEm4SrtoKyNJUI1zpW8y_YA_ciULmRw84kY_fHatS9lgXf22jAOmFqaZ87SCf0m4JE8kcfccIxJO_LrwLcuFLRwHSl7LlyIgIwnaxyyfPR4OJwQvxmWYku5yWxrqwQiFg/s1600/photo+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>Right now in the garden we still have lettuce, French
radishes, Japanese fresh turnips and Pac choi under cover. Kale, swiss chard, brussel sprouts, purple
top turnips, celeriac, mustard greens, spinach, carrots, beets, cauliflower and
romanesco are all exposed to the elements and happy to be so, though most of
those will need to be covered or harvested soon.</div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-13415341184176785512013-10-14T08:40:00.001-07:002013-10-14T08:40:18.907-07:00Fall has arrived<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBm5CejsNxFj-Lp43Y88JJcUGGObjugPK_5lqcxnp3LwOVZYaEiXfPzGKRiF6r3Kczhi8JVfbUB1MVuAhRimfI0jUpdxl5UcsJSnO0EfaI1fhJtyqwjphrCMnRRy3DO0PPmWBTt1aNyII6/s1600/bee+14OCT2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBm5CejsNxFj-Lp43Y88JJcUGGObjugPK_5lqcxnp3LwOVZYaEiXfPzGKRiF6r3Kczhi8JVfbUB1MVuAhRimfI0jUpdxl5UcsJSnO0EfaI1fhJtyqwjphrCMnRRy3DO0PPmWBTt1aNyII6/s200/bee+14OCT2013.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
So, the season seems to be wrapping up. I say this somewhat
skeptically since we had 90 degree weather just a week ago. For the last 6 days it's been cold, blustery and wet, the perfect trifecta to herald the beginning of fall.
There are still a lot of vegetables and a lot to do but the end is officially
in sight. The last few weeks have been
spent planting lettuce, spinach, radishes and turnips to harvest until
Christmas. The weeds have slowed way
down, but they are still growing, and still need to be plucked. The cucumber
house is growing like crazy, and the vines are well over 10 feet, requiring
pruning and tying up at least twice per week. Other than that I have spent most
of my time harvesting, vegetables are coming heavily which is always a great
way to end the season.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_VNUgCEscYCkAsAo7NCs0uvyxsUDgMDCzXBfZWe4GGSS9BeisgC1OXIiHGt3omAOsRKj_U_4MegthuzS_HeHfjLPzRWSbEs4K56HHEea-aHQ_q2bdHSeZICawUeI5wihcD07sA1sfZrhs/s1600/cucumbers+14OCT2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_VNUgCEscYCkAsAo7NCs0uvyxsUDgMDCzXBfZWe4GGSS9BeisgC1OXIiHGt3omAOsRKj_U_4MegthuzS_HeHfjLPzRWSbEs4K56HHEea-aHQ_q2bdHSeZICawUeI5wihcD07sA1sfZrhs/s320/cucumbers+14OCT2013.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHT1jHUxIQQy-l4gn7yjXOO92hcUmC0OIS02BRSidF7Zv_Lgig8gvC31hzoQlsYYD7EqHEdarQlHYQz06zmWaXWISeacYq_n_rT4aimAsmPJZsbhMBJNMRYQyv2n-pk4S2AlLc3VJNwt8/s1600/perfect+butter+lettuce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHT1jHUxIQQy-l4gn7yjXOO92hcUmC0OIS02BRSidF7Zv_Lgig8gvC31hzoQlsYYD7EqHEdarQlHYQz06zmWaXWISeacYq_n_rT4aimAsmPJZsbhMBJNMRYQyv2n-pk4S2AlLc3VJNwt8/s200/perfect+butter+lettuce.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
I have begun to assemble the harvest lists for the season
and reflecting, it has been surprisingly good.
With the somewhat cool and wet weather we had this summer I expected the
numbers to be a little grim, I’m glad to have been proven wrong. Here are a few
highlights of harvest so far; 683 bunches of beets, 550 pounds of tomatoes, 200
quarts of shishito peppers, 1500 european cucumbers, 2650 pickling cucumbers,
300 pounds of French beans, 400 bunches of carrots, 856 heads of pac choi, over
600 heads of lettuce, and last but not least we have produced more than 250
pounds of micro greens this year to date.
I think these are some pretty impressive numbers. Last year we produced
around 6000 pounds of vegetables, I’m interested to see what the total will be
this year.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllEYT8Yx5ArDcrtZuocJ0_-RYA1uzMrKBzVVzc9QsJGJiZBo3JKDB1zsImR26pFB0VgHozw_ZuHt8ba5mIMpmd57xcktPj70sfQomFChO7QAuCEaI2N2Msbz8j-W8gvOw62tD5grYxu-i/s1600/yams+14OCT2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllEYT8Yx5ArDcrtZuocJ0_-RYA1uzMrKBzVVzc9QsJGJiZBo3JKDB1zsImR26pFB0VgHozw_ZuHt8ba5mIMpmd57xcktPj70sfQomFChO7QAuCEaI2N2Msbz8j-W8gvOw62tD5grYxu-i/s200/yams+14OCT2013.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
Harvest is still running strong and some of the true fall
vegetables are already starting to roll in. On the list for this week we have
sweet potatoes, celeriac, carrots, beets, French beans, radishes, turnips,
cauliflower, romanesco, kale, swiss chard, lettuce, spinach, pac choi, all the
herbs, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and of course micro greens.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsOdI0FSsMDGgyJy7ZPG5nFqEw7an3GwmJIZy1Z8EdpQ1XUQH2zcWwjdfMKNV7FM1gaRrqzPRnR9SdBYH64QgnsMReGy5aQH1NQd1QofJGcpZ16BliX9ujX2I90h6DzIWWt_EEQXm9xFlv/s1600/photo+%252822%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsOdI0FSsMDGgyJy7ZPG5nFqEw7an3GwmJIZy1Z8EdpQ1XUQH2zcWwjdfMKNV7FM1gaRrqzPRnR9SdBYH64QgnsMReGy5aQH1NQd1QofJGcpZ16BliX9ujX2I90h6DzIWWt_EEQXm9xFlv/s320/photo+%252822%2529.JPG" width="288" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-27019023665993786472013-09-12T07:11:00.000-07:002013-09-12T07:11:49.125-07:00The Facts About Stink Bugs...<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjToDryyWYA0dDFDIBZhQFHma7Ese_WHAJDaXPrGCibhSw8xnqr8oq8y6d5rgJCECX-_47513L2UzDeog4EoRpKGIJpwtMKCWMvq0BVehceGmkqJEm8twr4penIyJ2uorHnHaNB_vs_9T12/s1600/photo+%252818%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjToDryyWYA0dDFDIBZhQFHma7Ese_WHAJDaXPrGCibhSw8xnqr8oq8y6d5rgJCECX-_47513L2UzDeog4EoRpKGIJpwtMKCWMvq0BVehceGmkqJEm8twr4penIyJ2uorHnHaNB_vs_9T12/s1600/photo+%252818%2529.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
So this
posting I wanted to talk a little bit about Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs
(BMSB). I have heard so many crazy theories about them during my time in
Virginia, and I’d like to take the time to set the record straight. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">First
though, I’ll share a few funny examples of things I've heard about BMSB.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
“The
government released the BMSB back in the 90’s to take care of the
overpopulation of lady bugs” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
“They were
purposely released by the Chinese government as a form of bio-terrorism”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
“Ladybugs and
native stink bugs mated to create the super bug” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
OK, those are
pretty funny, especially to a bug geek like me. But let’s get to the
facts.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
Here in VA we
have over 13 native species of stink bug, a few of which are very
beneficial in the garden. For example the assassin bug (which I mentioned
in a post last year) is a serious predator in the garden, using those sucking
mouth parts to kill other insects. BMSB or Halyomorpha halys is native to
China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea, and is considered an agricultural pest, though
the populations are not as high as they are here. It was first documented in
the US in 1998 in Allentown PA, but was probably here before that. Most
likely the first individuals were stowaways in shipping containers. (We all
know how they like to squeeze into small spaces) They are now found in at least
35 states though they may not be breeding in all of them. They were first
documented in VA in 2004, and they had invaded the entire state by 2010. In VA
they can have up to three generations per year depending on temperature. When
they emerge from our houses, wood sheds and barns every spring they head out to
the forests and farms. They then feed and mate for about two weeks before
they begin to lay eggs on the underside of leaves. Each female is
responsible for about 400 eggs. They are laid in clusters and take
between 3 and 7 days to emerge. At this point they are in their first
nymphal instar. They will go through 5 of these with about a week in each
stage. All of the nymphal stages are wingless; wings develop after the 5<sup>th</sup>
instar. When they are adults, and have wings, they become very mobile, moving
easily between crops as some food sources are exhausted and more become
available. There are over 300 different hosts for BMSB, including grapes,
berries, tree fruit, tomatoes, eggplant, beans, and some ornamentals. Their
feeding results in deformation and rotten blemishes rendering the fruit
worthless. I couldn't find any comprehensive information on the agricultural
economic damage these pests have done, but in 2010 farmers reported a loss
between 25 and 40% to apples resulting in a 37 million dollar loss for that
year.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnAEs3pDzfuw-w9eWkRXB_VOaMu7fjXBjE5zq85Z8-YlRNrysBJ0WxeKjm1KM3O_1WZMAbnf6NCdmD7Lo1S_Lk6lkut67rZL1ATzbGEEABTDTKEcLQsE5h3gXskUYnw9OOzp-F9-gXPTYI/s1600/stink+bug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnAEs3pDzfuw-w9eWkRXB_VOaMu7fjXBjE5zq85Z8-YlRNrysBJ0WxeKjm1KM3O_1WZMAbnf6NCdmD7Lo1S_Lk6lkut67rZL1ATzbGEEABTDTKEcLQsE5h3gXskUYnw9OOzp-F9-gXPTYI/s1600/stink+bug.jpg" height="200" width="186" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
OK, now for
the good news. First: our native predators and parasites are already adapting
to utilize this new food/breeding source. There was a study conducted in OH
that started in 2005. They collected stinkbug eggs from around the state and
found that about 5% had been parasitized by wasps that lay their own egg inside
that of the BMSB. In 2012 they conducted the same study again and found that up
to 29% of the eggs were now parasitized. It has also been shown that
native birds are feeding on these insects much more than they did initially.
Second: there are a lot of people working on this problem from various
different angles, and there is a lot of money being put into it. The US dept.
of AG has classified the BMSB as the top invasive species of interest. The US
department of Ag, the Land Grant Universities, the EPA and the USDA are all
putting money and resources into finding the solution. Several universities are
testing the possibility of releasing the parasitic wasp that is native to Asia
and keeps the population there in check. (Parasitic wasps are nothing to be
afraid of. They are tiny creatures that do not bite or sting humans.)
Unfortunately it was recently stated that it will probably be three years or
more before this is a possibility. There is also a group that is sequencing the
genome for BDSM in the hope that they will find a key to an extremely targeted
pesticide, or a key to their defense mechanisms. There are groups working on
mass trapping projects using the bugs own pheromone as a lure. Most
institutions agree that a biological (as opposed to a chemical) control is the
best way to go. Let’s hope the solution presents itself sooner rather than later.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
For more information on the current studies that even you can participate in regarding BMSB please visit www.stopbmsb.org. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCK7jHVn_SNw2_mXFd3oWIAxZ912cDOirfEv3Qt5VIOK01LFVVUMiNrZL9wnGRPFuG3ZjJzZxoOn6RMiD6BiNG5oo0BLOOhydD7we6MykgFNSSDcwlwcmrRAFZ4yclpqTzXBfPl-gzZBv/s1600/photo+%252813%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCK7jHVn_SNw2_mXFd3oWIAxZ912cDOirfEv3Qt5VIOK01LFVVUMiNrZL9wnGRPFuG3ZjJzZxoOn6RMiD6BiNG5oo0BLOOhydD7we6MykgFNSSDcwlwcmrRAFZ4yclpqTzXBfPl-gzZBv/s1600/photo+%252813%2529.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who knew that chickens love watermelon?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-xLUJSIvgaFNmRAMt89hhnycWSr_yjQuhoyrO4N-ewBQi4jMnyYrc5y0H5Uw8xTCYZQ5XJfFv1oC2DPu7-HIwnqfZf_LSpRcTbjmtWn0ZljVVqyUqIFGg3P5pJWcj7-2_5TT6VS4eiHG/s1600/photo+%252816%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-xLUJSIvgaFNmRAMt89hhnycWSr_yjQuhoyrO4N-ewBQi4jMnyYrc5y0H5Uw8xTCYZQ5XJfFv1oC2DPu7-HIwnqfZf_LSpRcTbjmtWn0ZljVVqyUqIFGg3P5pJWcj7-2_5TT6VS4eiHG/s1600/photo+%252816%2529.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
Now, for the
garden. It has been a pleasant few weeks; Great weather and a lot less rain. We
have been harvesting quite a bit, and planting all of our greens for
fall. We put in kale, chard and mustard. We plant lettuce, spinach
and pac choi weekly. We have also been seeding French radishes and Japanese
salad turnips every other week. All of this work should keep us rolling
in produce well past frost. We removed the shade cloth from the green houses
and the plants seem to like it. The second generation of cucumbers is
coming along really well and started to flower this week. Peppers
eggplant and tomatoes have begun to slow way down, but are still ripening and
doing well. The king lima beans began to flower this week and it looks as
if we should have quite a bumper crop. I checked on the sweet potatoes
yesterday and they are coming along really well. The kitchen is already
starting to experiment with them and yesterday I got to taste a sweet potato
ice cream that was delicious. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcs1knjVdY0150iREN9opqqqxzE1GumZlNyapq7StSeg6nizIVKQPT0twifKQ9M29F7BkXdWN7CBtSBjjKKlISPAJu0-2puuGscbdG1BLQOLwiJsfAKFPy2yowg1FefHueY34C-tBfmwK1/s1600/photo+%252814%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcs1knjVdY0150iREN9opqqqxzE1GumZlNyapq7StSeg6nizIVKQPT0twifKQ9M29F7BkXdWN7CBtSBjjKKlISPAJu0-2puuGscbdG1BLQOLwiJsfAKFPy2yowg1FefHueY34C-tBfmwK1/s1600/photo+%252814%2529.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
Our current
harvest list includes; lettuce, spinach, radishes, summer squash, baby carrots,
beets, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, haricots verts beans, okra, water melons,
shallots. Edible flowers, herbs and micro greens.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-51404670994266125792013-08-26T08:05:00.006-07:002013-08-26T08:05:52.861-07:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<b>What a summer!</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPW3kTogMDm-GE2YGRlQwIUk-yhp3TZsMzJKohjjD1G69pLFlfs1mJF57RcDTdpM2KEcmwxKBoZ6O7vCckg2Z8ctW-_jnTUZvcLPS4xZwujsWf5LlYubYWMwZMdNaIKazGClVOGIMXsQ-w/s1600/baby+carrots+31JUL2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPW3kTogMDm-GE2YGRlQwIUk-yhp3TZsMzJKohjjD1G69pLFlfs1mJF57RcDTdpM2KEcmwxKBoZ6O7vCckg2Z8ctW-_jnTUZvcLPS4xZwujsWf5LlYubYWMwZMdNaIKazGClVOGIMXsQ-w/s1600/baby+carrots+31JUL2013.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The month of July has flown
by. We have been battling fungus. But, what
can you expect when we have such ideal fungal conditions -- rain late in the afternoon,
clouds all day and warm temperatures. Fungus thrives under these conditions and
unchecked, can move quickly through the garden. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The tomato blight showed up earlier than usual,
but with careful pruning, and weekly spraying of serenade, (an organic spray
equivalent to a probiotic for plants) it has slowed down quite a lot. We should
have no problem holding onto the plants till fall, which is good because they
are loaded with fruit and I would like to keep them long enough to harvest all
of it. Blight is a yearly battle in Virginia. It splashes up onto the plants
from the soil below. Then, if you leave
the infected leaves on the plant it will splash its way up every time it rains,
slowly killing the plant as it progresses. There is no “cure” for blight, once
it has appeared for the season; all you can do is try to slow it down. Neem oil
and a copper fungicide spray can be used as a preventative measure in the war
on blight, though once the plants start flowering it is best to stop, because
the sprays may interfere with our friendly pollinators. If you have had blight in your garden over
the summer it is important that you do not till or mulch that space before the
winter. Remove all plant material and burn it. (do not add it to your compost
pile) The freezing temperatures can kill the sclerosia the blight leaves behind but only if it is
exposed. Do not plant tomatoes or related plants in the
same space for a minimum of 2 years.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1LLxhp4Uy7NdkVUU8s0N1yBh5WVonKSBEW7Z-7VXAFEXNJo4Jm0N0dSmjb6QJokKqW40ip2j24fPcx7I_4JSv8SUgOsQoOSl79HEVVn3WDvQu_BDmKKifR87w7JKMs5LkxvJ8HDseGf3/s1600/Ants+and+okra+flower+31JUL2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1LLxhp4Uy7NdkVUU8s0N1yBh5WVonKSBEW7Z-7VXAFEXNJo4Jm0N0dSmjb6QJokKqW40ip2j24fPcx7I_4JSv8SUgOsQoOSl79HEVVn3WDvQu_BDmKKifR87w7JKMs5LkxvJ8HDseGf3/s1600/Ants+and+okra+flower+31JUL2013.jpg" height="200" width="153" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okra blossom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Luckily
we seem to have broken out of this pattern, and we did so with a bang. The temperature soared up into the high 90s
and stayed there for a little over a week.
The heat did cause some blossom drop in the eggplant, but I was happy to
trade a few flowers for the drying power of the sun. I think it helped us out
quite a bit, and for the most part the fungal issues (besides the blight which
slowly lumbers onward and upward) seem to have cleared up. After the heat wave,
we have been experiencing a fall preview.
Cool evenings and daytime temperatures in the low 80s make me feel as if
it is summer in Vermont instead of summer in Virginia. I am not complaining, it
has been lovely weather to work in, and the plants seem to be happy with it so
far. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiprGYFe_wE6p4jl1vy21bGWDBXNEEe_767ZE6kNlmx_o1ueXKK4vcTrLOHbcrmH-WDbn71mYnHLR3Q9FSPbUQ8OpVFtfS61rfKSJiacjaMhq4sZoPltCDhz845UNoiNrFJgJ0T7xsHygKD/s1600/fingerling+potatoes+31JUL2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiprGYFe_wE6p4jl1vy21bGWDBXNEEe_767ZE6kNlmx_o1ueXKK4vcTrLOHbcrmH-WDbn71mYnHLR3Q9FSPbUQ8OpVFtfS61rfKSJiacjaMhq4sZoPltCDhz845UNoiNrFJgJ0T7xsHygKD/s1600/fingerling+potatoes+31JUL2013.jpg" height="200" width="185" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fingerling potatoes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We have
gotten a lot of work done in the last month.
All of the spring plantings have been harvested, and the beds have been
re-composted and turned over for fall.
We have kept up with the weeds, a monumental and daily task. We
harvested all of the onions, shallots and garlic. We put them up on racks in the greenhouse and
they seem to be drying quite well despite the humidity which is slowing their
progress.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMXv7xEXXFPNGdMhcax10baQpLiO5NXzVS3TdLgZdoUXF1eKMWfAOut9qayopIaA27hRVhY5V1z0uaIxNpHByGtA2oY_Nv4YVv88oP3aW_z7_sONh5j1PhZY2U2YjujZ0eeBrNxwxDg1r/s1600/Drying+SHallots+31JUL2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMXv7xEXXFPNGdMhcax10baQpLiO5NXzVS3TdLgZdoUXF1eKMWfAOut9qayopIaA27hRVhY5V1z0uaIxNpHByGtA2oY_Nv4YVv88oP3aW_z7_sONh5j1PhZY2U2YjujZ0eeBrNxwxDg1r/s1600/Drying+SHallots+31JUL2013.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdUgmVtLfgCUeBzcHoXjV28ASOAF3nmrzdyFrBl3k8vXG4clbAVpm9GCcRVhvfqKoSjWpi3hiMX_gEXm16iT4dIEi7reTvQGvXnA0Equwb4Muoe7tKQDwfuutZ9rjDPX5D4mFIy537QSC2/s1600/drying+garlic+31JUL2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdUgmVtLfgCUeBzcHoXjV28ASOAF3nmrzdyFrBl3k8vXG4clbAVpm9GCcRVhvfqKoSjWpi3hiMX_gEXm16iT4dIEi7reTvQGvXnA0Equwb4Muoe7tKQDwfuutZ9rjDPX5D4mFIy537QSC2/s1600/drying+garlic+31JUL2013.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Most of the cippolini onions
have already made their way to the kitchen and we may finish them before they
have a chance to finish drying. The garlic crop was impressive this year with
huge, healthy bulbs, and we have already pickled quite a few jars. I just hope
they all dry before it is time for the shelling beans to come in. The brussel
sprouts and the first two planting of cauliflower are in the ground, as well as
the first planting of turnips. Fall is right around the corner.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8uRHKglLRWXkwyNi7HxGM6pNj0R20qzSp0t-dzJzNTpZ9VBjJ-AeY8aaPooqRISgXmG1fwn_2WoJvuLTZdop9vaf_ydznlhbvuImQj4QYUCBC1XtnmZC1bwZKe7m_vV8vfpncaj1Ca6u/s1600/butterfly+flower+31JUL2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8uRHKglLRWXkwyNi7HxGM6pNj0R20qzSp0t-dzJzNTpZ9VBjJ-AeY8aaPooqRISgXmG1fwn_2WoJvuLTZdop9vaf_ydznlhbvuImQj4QYUCBC1XtnmZC1bwZKe7m_vV8vfpncaj1Ca6u/s1600/butterfly+flower+31JUL2013.jpg" height="297" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This
week we are planting the last of the cauliflower and romanesco for the fall,
and putting in the second planting of rutabaga and turnips. We have seeded a few more fall veggies in the
greenhouse; scallions, kale, chard, fennel, pac choi, watermelon radish, and
fall lettuces. Other than that weeding and bug wars seem to be the predominant
tasks. On the harvest list we have beets, carrots, onions, shallots, potatoes,
french beans, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, squash, okra, cardoons, melons,
cucumbers, raspberries, lots of edible flowers and herbs.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNiaDLPNw0BN8rSPnPIhmW9lPs-qqvuDoxnNfHm29piLeWg5JY0afxkygR5qq0m3tBqt90VPYUVBJjILebRY-VnCW8MEVVNjQinuaPuM5hu0452GTqpGU_L3WK-SozaxkS2Tm-N2FwCaG/s1600/Blue+%2526+amerigo+picking+beans+31JUL2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNiaDLPNw0BN8rSPnPIhmW9lPs-qqvuDoxnNfHm29piLeWg5JY0afxkygR5qq0m3tBqt90VPYUVBJjILebRY-VnCW8MEVVNjQinuaPuM5hu0452GTqpGU_L3WK-SozaxkS2Tm-N2FwCaG/s1600/Blue+%2526+amerigo+picking+beans+31JUL2013.jpg" height="320" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue and Amerigo picking beans</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here’s
hoping it warms up some, and we finish out the summer with some more seasonable
weather. Happy gardening.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRcMpJPUfPsWw7vlnVxWXQaMjgkSsodBrKF44mR2-5sMpF7pl38i_1zA25aS6Ziclr1twp9GPKlVji3s3Aw5Jxfg0Mw0axbt7PudfJsAA4Nx1VGHQBeMrCGQlSPfD5j0_HIfFmM-JB2Sw/s1600/harvest+31JUL2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRcMpJPUfPsWw7vlnVxWXQaMjgkSsodBrKF44mR2-5sMpF7pl38i_1zA25aS6Ziclr1twp9GPKlVji3s3Aw5Jxfg0Mw0axbt7PudfJsAA4Nx1VGHQBeMrCGQlSPfD5j0_HIfFmM-JB2Sw/s1600/harvest+31JUL2013.jpg" height="303" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-17001170052670834312013-07-01T10:24:00.002-07:002013-07-01T10:25:15.708-07:00Where did May and June go?<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCelLaSu4Q9r-_IK0P-o3Z3RSut9WS2qpTE9rNgaDs0B9MXkut3ijufEbvSZRapuPMC85NxwraGBRDWcZii5Jhdak0peQiBr3AgnGQwUj6haVk0oYaO5TIujJCdbxLuMejXxtyc78hST7/s1600/sleepy+blue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCelLaSu4Q9r-_IK0P-o3Z3RSut9WS2qpTE9rNgaDs0B9MXkut3ijufEbvSZRapuPMC85NxwraGBRDWcZii5Jhdak0peQiBr3AgnGQwUj6haVk0oYaO5TIujJCdbxLuMejXxtyc78hST7/s1600/sleepy+blue.jpg" height="200" width="171" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sleepy Blue hanging out<br />
at the Greenhouse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The month of May seems so long ago. However looking back on
my records, that was the last time I wrote. This summer has been a slow
whirlwind. Between record late frosts, hot days out of nowhere and rain storms
that won’t stop, I admit I lost track of time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
May finished with a bang. We had a late pocket frost on the
24<sup>th</sup>. I ran around putting covers over all of the tomatoes,
eggplant, peppers, etc. that I had just planted the week previous. This
basically meant the entire garden had to be covered. Fortunately all of
the vegetables came through. Unfortunately, the cherries had a lot of fruit and
flower drop. We lost almost all of the fruit for this season; a real
disappointment after the bumper crop we had last year. Welcome to farming; one
year can be so different from the year before. After the 24<sup>th</sup> we had
some nice, cool spring weather. It was perfect weather for the peas, fava beans
and potatoes. Not so great for the sun loving crops, but they took their time
and grew slowly. We had a great crop of peas, and the fava beans are plumping
now.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Aky-HuQbXDvkDhzLR5EpPoz_9Ql36Rkcbnmk9J8Bjk8kKCBbzYHK5UXgGDGdRYgFWpk-LDIKKqB0WY0ak7vqq-0IgXtDVmrqJZ5h3cY38f9qsV6piTWQ_byX8qHEdEB5vuK9789rRmVI/s1600/peas+close+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Aky-HuQbXDvkDhzLR5EpPoz_9Ql36Rkcbnmk9J8Bjk8kKCBbzYHK5UXgGDGdRYgFWpk-LDIKKqB0WY0ak7vqq-0IgXtDVmrqJZ5h3cY38f9qsV6piTWQ_byX8qHEdEB5vuK9789rRmVI/s1600/peas+close+up.jpg" height="200" width="154" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
June has been all over the map. A few hot days that soared
into the 90’s, but mostly a lot of rain. In the beginning I was happy for
all of the new crops to have such an easy transition into life outdoors, but it
became a bit much. We couldn't get things out on time because you can’t turn
over wet soil. (Working with wet soil can destroy soil structure. This is
especially true with clay soils like we have here.) In the end the weeds took
over a little, and we had a few signs of early fungal development. The only
plants showing long term effects are the potatoes. Specifically the
towers of potatoes, the wet soil caused some early blight on one variety,
though the rest seem to be pulling through relatively well. The weeds have been
mostly taken care of, and we put down about 40 bales of straw to mulch in the
garden for the summer.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4NGW4cfKXp9RtqCf5TvcarN2FShC-CtX8Ly1NI-lVZVlQ0sj3b9jeDY7QyGbOHb1GNNACnxsAWCQ_pHacW_eP9xB4SLU1ShQ-JqtXqQcoECK1PfzwtDV6XlSVJLRoYb9isTMlpFNB-7Dk/s1600/pole+beans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4NGW4cfKXp9RtqCf5TvcarN2FShC-CtX8Ly1NI-lVZVlQ0sj3b9jeDY7QyGbOHb1GNNACnxsAWCQ_pHacW_eP9xB4SLU1ShQ-JqtXqQcoECK1PfzwtDV6XlSVJLRoYb9isTMlpFNB-7Dk/s1600/pole+beans.jpg" height="200" width="128" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early tomatoes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So far the tomatoes are doing really well. We have a lot of
fruit development, and luckily no signs of early blight. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFv95Y8a9_LiFGx2tzGCfS4hOm2h086QWJHXyWZZHnsZFn3sY8e8iZPXqP4zR_INrxKq8lwPNnywHtGhEhuTTU_j_b_dkESLp8rqOLwYoKFksp8wXHB-Ha_IfqIeKCfHQLCs1cYcE8-SUY/s1600/ladybug+release.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFv95Y8a9_LiFGx2tzGCfS4hOm2h086QWJHXyWZZHnsZFn3sY8e8iZPXqP4zR_INrxKq8lwPNnywHtGhEhuTTU_j_b_dkESLp8rqOLwYoKFksp8wXHB-Ha_IfqIeKCfHQLCs1cYcE8-SUY/s1600/ladybug+release.jpg" height="200" width="173" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The cucumber house has grown into a jungle. We had a
few problems with aphids, so I did a ladybug release of about 5000 and they have
cleared up the pests.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The vines are
well over 12 feet long and we harvest more than 200 cucumbers per week. We have made a
ton of pickles that we will be able to eat all year. The peppers are mostly
doing well. One variety has succumb to phytopthera; a fungus that grows during
periods of heavy rain and humidity. We lost a few plants, but I started
spraying Serenade (an all-<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5477922323315133333" name="_GoBack"></a>natural fungicide) and
hopefully the rest of that variety will pull through. The shishito
peppers have already started to produce fruit, and will make their way onto the
menu very soon. Our seeding is all back on track and once things begin to come
in we shouldn’t have any gaps.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0j3c6D7r-zgXsD-cur2SSaxhY1d7fOyiVZxBOxwrYAxSY09ayOpy1YD594MtuLnjEK3Eq2-_0AaQLg9rwdM8GPs4EysZrO5onPqcPpCNwTgzt_aalnI-QQ7jCrJX5LBq4dHs9ytKLWAs/s1600/Cucumbers+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0j3c6D7r-zgXsD-cur2SSaxhY1d7fOyiVZxBOxwrYAxSY09ayOpy1YD594MtuLnjEK3Eq2-_0AaQLg9rwdM8GPs4EysZrO5onPqcPpCNwTgzt_aalnI-QQ7jCrJX5LBq4dHs9ytKLWAs/s1600/Cucumbers+1.jpg" height="320" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cucumber house right after planting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xlE9R2baulRudVXjYx31q2CMRVV5zZIvNAe0XWX2Q3YLHA3_YAidkSsyf-d_rjBuZhsud0WSk4-2yMyMsJOVJfNof15jC5flh6ixSH3nrHdxRLkUosk1Wu_psxC0Qj-Kr06pehRlojl4/s1600/cukes+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xlE9R2baulRudVXjYx31q2CMRVV5zZIvNAe0XWX2Q3YLHA3_YAidkSsyf-d_rjBuZhsud0WSk4-2yMyMsJOVJfNof15jC5flh6ixSH3nrHdxRLkUosk1Wu_psxC0Qj-Kr06pehRlojl4/s1600/cukes+2.jpg" height="320" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amerigo working on the cukes 3 weeks after planting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBcS0w4u5ioL_D1bfSDUl71DPuCTfDOhBOXdaNydbb5M1ZTSHI3cpQwyoE4e7jvx6KABvGpr-q0oAgIScZBX9t3UlqJjS2NiKfFXA1bl4MrVln7GoB1CjOGVWwoXq7-rhc5sRXnVYZYAMw/s1600/cukes+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBcS0w4u5ioL_D1bfSDUl71DPuCTfDOhBOXdaNydbb5M1ZTSHI3cpQwyoE4e7jvx6KABvGpr-q0oAgIScZBX9t3UlqJjS2NiKfFXA1bl4MrVln7GoB1CjOGVWwoXq7-rhc5sRXnVYZYAMw/s1600/cukes+3.jpg" height="320" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a couple of weeks ago...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicfUGlrCHq841QmBx2jaypitTcEbJOCPXSgJYBgD_ztpaGU4y5ZhImNYhdaU00JlQ95HMQaOg5JwMMR_gndeeuX4ogzfF28Rp-3MLc2Xo9xRpXKmSSIjE9x5CI73sNnMRGjBti1KLnRCcl/s1600/cukes+final+25JUN2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicfUGlrCHq841QmBx2jaypitTcEbJOCPXSgJYBgD_ztpaGU4y5ZhImNYhdaU00JlQ95HMQaOg5JwMMR_gndeeuX4ogzfF28Rp-3MLc2Xo9xRpXKmSSIjE9x5CI73sNnMRGjBti1KLnRCcl/s1600/cukes+final+25JUN2013.jpg" height="320" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today the vines are 12 feet high and still growing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This year we have had some amazing additions to farm
staff. We have Caitlin, who moved here from California with her husband.
He is our new cellar master, and she is doing great work in the garden. We have
also had a lot of volunteers this year. Quite a few of the cooks from the
kitchen have been coming for a few hours in the morning before work. Amerigo
has been our star volunteer showing up a minimum of four days per week!! It has
been an amazing help. I had all of the volunteers to my house for dinner
and bocce to show our appreciation for all their help.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMsvo7XBPQFFWQU3BjWTfAba1gFx0cHYAzhqOnrFc4bRvr6doF5tL0zLTB-PmzUBHVGkTJFWBe3BzyXJe-tngJ7A3sVL0f25uBdMLq4lCyr4w9P9wDuyYg7uQDHWo8qZxYTuimyxhphXQb/s1600/amerigo+harvest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMsvo7XBPQFFWQU3BjWTfAba1gFx0cHYAzhqOnrFc4bRvr6doF5tL0zLTB-PmzUBHVGkTJFWBe3BzyXJe-tngJ7A3sVL0f25uBdMLq4lCyr4w9P9wDuyYg7uQDHWo8qZxYTuimyxhphXQb/s1600/amerigo+harvest.jpg" height="200" width="128" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amerigo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPwE_YDwQ1LwLok8yWk9-EG3AGOStMNwJWPRVH2futY_GPNy-MDPbAudHv75apNLFeFfZFp2eCeQE7igYf4pATxW0egux7g9s6T8bGpvH_KyybNAyaq442Miww00nQVKAd8jyYNmWJF3O/s1600/kaitlin+harvest.jpg" height="200" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="146" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kaitlin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfIULfbkPH9S-5XmGkFRkFhfGHtvo3SKKCMSrKg_DN72sj-TAQQoVs7qxrqeUQ_XJQMoiTNjGETOXIXTevbOZAVAKNinDPnIBnjfTj52G00n_FKinRfxLX9NyR-4xII9KarjpsskrIyHsz/s1600/joneve+harvest.jpg" height="200" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="138" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPwE_YDwQ1LwLok8yWk9-EG3AGOStMNwJWPRVH2futY_GPNy-MDPbAudHv75apNLFeFfZFp2eCeQE7igYf4pATxW0egux7g9s6T8bGpvH_KyybNAyaq442Miww00nQVKAd8jyYNmWJF3O/s1600/kaitlin+harvest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
This week we are staking the peppers, eggplant and
flowers. We are also putting down another application of fertilizer for
all the long standing crops. We started seeding for fall a few weeks ago, and
we continue to do so. This week we start the 3<sup>rd</sup> generation of
cauliflower, which we should harvest by the end of October.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfIULfbkPH9S-5XmGkFRkFhfGHtvo3SKKCMSrKg_DN72sj-TAQQoVs7qxrqeUQ_XJQMoiTNjGETOXIXTevbOZAVAKNinDPnIBnjfTj52G00n_FKinRfxLX9NyR-4xII9KarjpsskrIyHsz/s1600/joneve+harvest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the harvest list this week we have: fennel, shelling
peas, snow peas, beets, cucumbers, shishito peppers, carrots, cippolini onions,
new potatoes, green tomatoes, lettuce, herbs and micro greens.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NW8FZDfOHA5NrCdJhqyeNPcw1f4cVsXWF6aWe06aOgBTKnNt8B2fdVDYMiawTHK2yeEVTGGjBargTQpXbbFi9Snmib8khQxaC5mx_9cIry9rXsfE7JzyxfWE0i88cHOz2NWgxP6rgdk6/s1600/garden+full+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NW8FZDfOHA5NrCdJhqyeNPcw1f4cVsXWF6aWe06aOgBTKnNt8B2fdVDYMiawTHK2yeEVTGGjBargTQpXbbFi9Snmib8khQxaC5mx_9cIry9rXsfE7JzyxfWE0i88cHOz2NWgxP6rgdk6/s1600/garden+full+view.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><br /></u></span></div>
Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-82231837387426419632013-05-10T15:13:00.001-07:002013-05-10T15:22:01.476-07:00<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
May 10 - Spring and Cicadas</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well it has been a
hectic month since I last wrote. We battled the onion grass that takes
over the garden each spring (though it wasn’t as bad as last year, so I must be
making some headway), composted and re-dug all the beds, and planted quite a
few spring crops. So far in the ground we have peas, fava beans, fennel, beets,
onions and shallots, celeriac, pac choi, radishes, salad turnips, lettuce and
spinach. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLQ2k0kBAoMUoRTZwGtMIb_YZxdCvpP0HB8FKtz2WvAeIdd0y-iJEYcSn2AM-DRi5KXBNtvEvd80LCkDk-HGhiIuYN5WaDfd781LYumLEKjUkSmY-kthyphenhyphenfc5BOZ3vDxYK-KHnGn6f_bmr/s1600/photo+%252815%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLQ2k0kBAoMUoRTZwGtMIb_YZxdCvpP0HB8FKtz2WvAeIdd0y-iJEYcSn2AM-DRi5KXBNtvEvd80LCkDk-HGhiIuYN5WaDfd781LYumLEKjUkSmY-kthyphenhyphenfc5BOZ3vDxYK-KHnGn6f_bmr/s1600/photo+%252815%2529.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring planting in the Garden of Eatin'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The hoop house is planted with cucumbers and melons, and the
first generation of cucumbers is already producing. With all the cool wet
weather we have been having, all the spring crops are pretty happy. A big
difference from last year when it was already pretty steadily in the 90’s by
now. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2i2HbqDGhEGtC5tZCtmROnCIVzR3xUwMyKDLOHUy85AmpdwFp0q04eYv97OxW4VWmZCdMBwB8w-t-kjE3eZjlr-mjfnnvDs3T4_7nKE__kyqVeSZLnJTGHLzd-P-xqRVGZ1iuCilPCvI0/s1600/photo+%252814%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2i2HbqDGhEGtC5tZCtmROnCIVzR3xUwMyKDLOHUy85AmpdwFp0q04eYv97OxW4VWmZCdMBwB8w-t-kjE3eZjlr-mjfnnvDs3T4_7nKE__kyqVeSZLnJTGHLzd-P-xqRVGZ1iuCilPCvI0/s1600/photo+%252814%2529.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9ozNhGF_V-Wlzn2m1mPO58X0ItBLATBoyQaPXkeOev6gB2j0kLQR5ufCP_RAJrDPGQzgVh_1ehhZWPvfjuu8-elvkJTpLl66HTrZtQaTmQbgZX8ubJMxvrYohUqsSKV9-PKHRZEvagMS/s1600/photo+(17).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9ozNhGF_V-Wlzn2m1mPO58X0ItBLATBoyQaPXkeOev6gB2j0kLQR5ufCP_RAJrDPGQzgVh_1ehhZWPvfjuu8-elvkJTpLl66HTrZtQaTmQbgZX8ubJMxvrYohUqsSKV9-PKHRZEvagMS/s1600/photo+(17).JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full view of the cucumbers in the hoop house.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The summer crops are all waiting patiently to get into the
ground, except for the first generation of peppers and tomatoes, which we had
to re pot. My plan was to get them out this week but then came the
monsoon. In the end it was a good thing, as they are now predicting a possible
frost for Monday night. Now the plan has shifted to begin planting on Tuesday.
So next week will be big for planting, with not only peppers, eggplant, and
tomatoes going out, but zucchini, cardoons and okra as well. All of the
herbs should make it in next week too. We have added a few new herbs to
the list -- I found nutmeg flavored thyme, and a ginger flavored mint, that I
can’t wait to try. It will be a busy week, but well worth it when everything is
in the ground and happy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hopefully the frost doesn’t happen, but just in case I will
cover some of the more tender vegetables. The strawberries for example are all
in flower, and we are pretty loaded with small green fruits, which I would hate
to lose. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9FEX_XWqu2yOTDJrGP6YfiqCMEuSvkhTwfbimJZFfET7aC1MmNbUj0HdlKnfe228LhIrooYIKzOK3qDCj9EWG6-EFu0FUkEcYpzbRz3_YGhLZeZZUKVUMkMN1ef2lYVP2BFSQewVE5zJ/s1600/photo+%252812%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9FEX_XWqu2yOTDJrGP6YfiqCMEuSvkhTwfbimJZFfET7aC1MmNbUj0HdlKnfe228LhIrooYIKzOK3qDCj9EWG6-EFu0FUkEcYpzbRz3_YGhLZeZZUKVUMkMN1ef2lYVP2BFSQewVE5zJ/s1600/photo+%252812%2529.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I wanted to take a moment and
talk about the 17 year cicadas that are emerging this year. A lot of
folks have been asking whether or not they will affect the garden. The
answer is no, though they may be so loud we can’t talk to one another. The only
things they may affect are young trees and shrubs as small diameter branches
are where the female likes to lay her eggs. If you are worried about some new
plantings you can net your trees and shrubs to prevent the female from laying
her eggs.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5CimRm6TlHxzkO9T52MyHALUGSL3xagqPRauAaVXXxiXzpIyKpJM46Uhikd3ZLE6Ay6o0sM2irN4TLSwep89MqnYBHIFBOUyXAJ88ia1sVFw8yNk6yR0xlqI6BfPu3oDaFeiwsoraxHq/s1600/photo+(16).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5CimRm6TlHxzkO9T52MyHALUGSL3xagqPRauAaVXXxiXzpIyKpJM46Uhikd3ZLE6Ay6o0sM2irN4TLSwep89MqnYBHIFBOUyXAJ88ia1sVFw8yNk6yR0xlqI6BfPu3oDaFeiwsoraxHq/s1600/photo+(16).JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I saw my first nymph emerging the other day. They come out of
the ground when the soil temperature is in the 60’s, climb the nearest tree and
then shed their exoskeletons. The males start their loud signature song to
attract the females. The females make no song though they will gesture with their
bodies and wings, and make small sounds with their wings during courtship.
After this they mate, the female lays her eggs in a groove she has cut in a
small branch. The adults will all start to die off in mid-June. The egg
later hatches, feeds on the fluid the tree is excreting because of the
groove. That larval stage then falls and burrows down into the ground
feeding on roots. After a determined period of time (between 2 and 17 years
depending on the species) the nymphs emerge and start the cycle again. What
exactly is going on with them during this time underground is still a mystery
to scientists. Somehow they count the seasons, maybe through the roots of
the tree, changes in nutrient levels, temperature etc. so that they all emerge
together. It is thought they orchestrate these mass emergences to combat
predators. The thought being if there are so many of them, even if the
birds gorge themselves, many will still get through. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Birds are not the only ones to
delight on this mass appearance; many people are already posting their favorite
recipes. You can eat them at the nymph stage, and many believe that they
are a crunchy, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5477922323315133333" name="_GoBack"></a>tasty low fat protein. They will not
be making an appearance on our menu. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
This year Brood II of the
Magicicada periodical cicada is set to emerge. This is a large brood, but
apparently nowhere near the largest. The reason this particular brood
gets so much hype is its size, but also the fact that it is one of the few
large broods that affects the New York metropolitan area. There are over 170
species of cicada in North America, and 2000 worldwide. Some have been reported
to reach 120 decibels with their song. So, though they will not affect the
vegetable garden for the most part, we need to prepare ourselves for the
cacophony of sound for the next few months. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-13771323000428580232013-05-07T07:48:00.001-07:002013-05-07T07:48:14.816-07:00<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
April </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So spring has finally sprung, finished and we are sliding
into summer. At least for this week. Welcome to Northern Virginia. Just 2 weeks
ago we had snow, and I was worried that peas were going to out too late. I
dream of rain showers and days in the 60’s. Mornings when I still need my
jacket, but can feel the warmth of the sun on my back. My spring crops share my
dream. This is the difficulty with climate change. Our seasons will become more
erratic, highs will go really high and lows really low. If farming wasn't already a gamble, it surely
will become one in the next few decades. I spent today running around and
irrigating my poor peas. They finally started to come up yesterday, and they
have had to face an 85 degree sun. I tried to plant my onions as well. I got two beds finished before it got too
hot. Luckily we will be moving into more seasonable weather in the next week,
so if I can nurture everyone through is heat we should come out well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the last few weeks I have planted lettuce, Pac choi,
radishes and Japanese turnips undercover. Outside, I seeded shelling and snow
peas, fava beans, spinach and all of the potatoes. The potato towers went in
well, and I can’t wait to see how they turn out. I’m prepping the beds as needed;
I applied about two inches of compost to each bed, and tilled it under. The
only plants up so far are the peas.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the greenhouse I have a lot of veggies. Parsley,
celeriac, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, fennel, beets, etc. the first
generation of tomatoes went in two weeks ago, with the next going in this week.
I like to do at least two plantings of tomatoes, about three weeks apart. This spreads out the peak, so that we don’t
get overloaded. Also this week I am
ordering my irrigation and supplies for the season. I started planting onions today, and I’m prepping
beds for fennel, beets and carrots. I took the winter straw off of the strawberries,
though<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5477922323315133333" name="_GoBack"></a> they will have to be covered if we get frost. <br />
<br />
More soon...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-34327142052597679332013-04-17T09:15:00.002-07:002013-04-17T09:15:26.389-07:00<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">March 25th</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Well, projects have been
moving along relatively smoothly. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The raised beds are just about
finished. I dug them out, put in the boards, and laid down landscape fabric to
try to keep the weeds at bay. After that I added a few inches of gravel
to keep the roots from matting on the fabric. Last of all I added the topsoil
mix in. I still have to <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5477922323315133333" name="_GoBack"></a>put in the irrigation and
then they will be ready to go. I have a variety of cucumber that will
produce fruit as low as 50 degrees (typically cukes want it around 70) so those
will go in mid-April, with the rest going in a few weeks later.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhho2h2kNJWvA2hDlbdBCH0Gwp9y6cqaDkNSdCyhKxeIIUOzZYo4upAnGoe5L6JJ2b8nmUFU2TAqOFdRUaxh6d4xEtVlFflHtpRKDBppYBLF4bQAziaT_MXaUx2DtpfS3i9nzQsZWP35aEN/s1600/photo+%25286%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhho2h2kNJWvA2hDlbdBCH0Gwp9y6cqaDkNSdCyhKxeIIUOzZYo4upAnGoe5L6JJ2b8nmUFU2TAqOFdRUaxh6d4xEtVlFflHtpRKDBppYBLF4bQAziaT_MXaUx2DtpfS3i9nzQsZWP35aEN/s1600/photo+%25286%2529.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The potato towers have also
come a long way. I have built 20 of them to go down into the main garden.
Inside I will plant red thumb, rose fin apple and Swedish peanut potatoes.
These are all different types of fingerlings. Fingerlings work best for the
towers because they produce tubers over a longer period of time as opposed to
an early season variety like Yukon which only produces fruit once. Now that the
boxes are done I have to work out the irrigation. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtpqrcZmht9wF8TTxf7AJM7UlIQGoGaxY5c5eKheehsBd2RpdK9Pv_JlZpKXFlNcMP2G4lHTvxq7f2bQwMnXTmJ3rvBKjpBo6HYQiV-BXC-xvDHxJqDBx_JCoBStPB221EW27Sppxfec5-/s1600/photo+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtpqrcZmht9wF8TTxf7AJM7UlIQGoGaxY5c5eKheehsBd2RpdK9Pv_JlZpKXFlNcMP2G4lHTvxq7f2bQwMnXTmJ3rvBKjpBo6HYQiV-BXC-xvDHxJqDBx_JCoBStPB221EW27Sppxfec5-/s1600/photo+%25283%2529.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Other than that I’m
doing a lot of greenhouse work. Eggplants and peppers went in this week. We
are doing several interesting varieties of each. For eggplant we have one
called chu chu - an Indian baby eggplant that is said to produce copious
amounts of bite size teardrop shaped fruits. We are also putting in a long
Japanese type. These are nice because the skin is thin and therefore more
edible and the flesh is non-bitter. For peppers we have the aji dulce, a sweet
habanero, coming back. These were used to make an amazing peach jam last
year. You get the smoky flavor without any of the heat. Shishito peppers
are also coming back. We have another small light green pepper to go with
them called oriental wonder. And last but not least, a cubanelle pepper
also renowned for its smoky flavor. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I’ve included some pictures
of the construction of both the raised beds and the towers, if anyone is
interested in doing something similar. Coming up in the next few weeks,
we have the first of the spring planting. I’ll keep you posted</span>.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPKtcyVO95rhsbb_JzRBwHebvAPnKrZk4fQFcPmkDIrMZTQb6kDvDR3cvWRbWKc_SH3WNS2-PcfoZWNma3cs_tAB3uq_TgWSJ6sY_XTkTOu9o0HaTHr0Rse9-cDL96J49LuqYuTjF8leQ/s1600/step+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPKtcyVO95rhsbb_JzRBwHebvAPnKrZk4fQFcPmkDIrMZTQb6kDvDR3cvWRbWKc_SH3WNS2-PcfoZWNma3cs_tAB3uq_TgWSJ6sY_XTkTOu9o0HaTHr0Rse9-cDL96J49LuqYuTjF8leQ/s1600/step+1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beginning the raised beds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXpH0fC3P5vA_RR0lDeOt_ue7JUnGDxaXKFwONdRpThLnswRcnmmlECtuobd20-MnMSJBC96YS6Dg45_Nr3KMBSlPOE2iy67t2q3tqL8wkR602Oc6Xi8seJFAUqJH85aYpS02TkuvZTMB/s1600/photo+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXpH0fC3P5vA_RR0lDeOt_ue7JUnGDxaXKFwONdRpThLnswRcnmmlECtuobd20-MnMSJBC96YS6Dg45_Nr3KMBSlPOE2iy67t2q3tqL8wkR602Oc6Xi8seJFAUqJH85aYpS02TkuvZTMB/s1600/photo+%25285%2529.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready for planting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /></div>
Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-66325635816216282332013-02-19T08:42:00.003-08:002013-02-19T08:42:48.557-08:00<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h2>
Back to work</h2>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Vacation was amazing, though as always, way too short. I
spent some great time with my family and friends in the cold north. One night
was minus 18 degrees, way too cold for my thin Virginia blood.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttGfWkodM57ZFOWhUGLIdpBqdmS5j5fXp3rHm9RToinXoN8DNdfWtv6G0Wu0sZ2jYJqI4G-oIqK6jotyXTklrFsRKqqbxOkKa5ZmZ9TF_oUL0LjBXrrmkZoGragqsPeX7DrHGNfeoKZMG/s1600/dim+sum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttGfWkodM57ZFOWhUGLIdpBqdmS5j5fXp3rHm9RToinXoN8DNdfWtv6G0Wu0sZ2jYJqI4G-oIqK6jotyXTklrFsRKqqbxOkKa5ZmZ9TF_oUL0LjBXrrmkZoGragqsPeX7DrHGNfeoKZMG/s1600/dim+sum.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
After a few weeks in New England, I flew to Hong Kong for three days and then on to Thailand for two weeks. My time in Hong Kong was mostly spent visiting old haunts from my childhood, and eating. The food there is amazing, an eclectic mix from all over Asia.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbNUZLsxKBUYH3UdBpFs2XlazO8oBzjg8ox0cOU5g-LSytRWObkdDprsfAMHnAIh4er6ABcMQ6RihWQUm6WCAkP6WdHgGtcTPwKfEiuiMImr-ty8DWM27mBrIHs00eO5rOgriXBW3R2_C/s1600/neon+kowloon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbNUZLsxKBUYH3UdBpFs2XlazO8oBzjg8ox0cOU5g-LSytRWObkdDprsfAMHnAIh4er6ABcMQ6RihWQUm6WCAkP6WdHgGtcTPwKfEiuiMImr-ty8DWM27mBrIHs00eO5rOgriXBW3R2_C/s1600/neon+kowloon.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNiZnPnnBOGkrL-LpKX3zi6nmMjLYHSyGvhyphenhyphen9X_GkeUG59_w8lDRFTYx4rIEm8AJuqPfos023yfw4zOsR8vEh2KcIUFPp3tti1g1xEI0p3BvgD4Fb_qbnh-LaTiMi7G3_h_WMcRERVzmJX/s1600/dried+shrimp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNiZnPnnBOGkrL-LpKX3zi6nmMjLYHSyGvhyphenhyphen9X_GkeUG59_w8lDRFTYx4rIEm8AJuqPfos023yfw4zOsR8vEh2KcIUFPp3tti1g1xEI0p3BvgD4Fb_qbnh-LaTiMi7G3_h_WMcRERVzmJX/s1600/dried+shrimp.jpg" height="241" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtjDf_XGYw51ewvL0zevqZ319zFiBAgvKIwo8tOWxddvdiDYX80WB3nrv7UUSuj68GGX25_ApehtBU_DkXuaCjsuPpUztl4cJCvcjSFRi6y7JguCkQX60SIX6LTDkJiLmUk8NyWJ__go_p/s1600/star+ferry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtjDf_XGYw51ewvL0zevqZ319zFiBAgvKIwo8tOWxddvdiDYX80WB3nrv7UUSuj68GGX25_ApehtBU_DkXuaCjsuPpUztl4cJCvcjSFRi6y7JguCkQX60SIX6LTDkJiLmUk8NyWJ__go_p/s1600/star+ferry.jpg" height="256" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I spent a few days in Bangkok, and then took off for
the south of Thailand. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnhy7RjBjDOrU-hlCTV-KA5rpS0-lWbLKCDfHTWlx8IzGv6y9SMST0lK5IdQ_qUy8KBW7fll-3WloyhAMUZSVUs_J4RpCiGUN8yll1zV5U1WH2zm3M_Q-AwHVNZNEkqyasu4lXSTtCNAP6/s1600/grand+palace+god.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnhy7RjBjDOrU-hlCTV-KA5rpS0-lWbLKCDfHTWlx8IzGv6y9SMST0lK5IdQ_qUy8KBW7fll-3WloyhAMUZSVUs_J4RpCiGUN8yll1zV5U1WH2zm3M_Q-AwHVNZNEkqyasu4lXSTtCNAP6/s1600/grand+palace+god.jpg" height="256" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcr2wQ_sq1NN5YAwfymyANLohQcfBq146OgaXMAO3IArhkOi6Bsvoh4DyVib7PoRv9DL4xIlqP6Bs7bnl-t9UJ63ahp8SxcJFshi7M8qobM-hlp-crVBmdy_5ucqA8LrUNypbibGW6oMON/s1600/grand+palace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcr2wQ_sq1NN5YAwfymyANLohQcfBq146OgaXMAO3IArhkOi6Bsvoh4DyVib7PoRv9DL4xIlqP6Bs7bnl-t9UJ63ahp8SxcJFshi7M8qobM-hlp-crVBmdy_5ucqA8LrUNypbibGW6oMON/s1600/grand+palace.jpg" height="320" width="256" /></a></div>
<br />
I spent my time island hopping, snorkeling and sea kayaking in the Similan Islands. The Similans are a string of islands all belonging to one national park in the Andaman Sea.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFP130ztwsZWtCLoqRfOAZu_1B1-fwQ_ooMCqGnFGRxOQlhmxywkzZseYSFgPsTL6CQac2ylXfIh-1BqRYxTrMOQDRvWJpj-vK8GCaxGOAQNXffcDE9zMzB_e9r5GDXvnE5f1g2255vnT/s1600/tachai+beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFP130ztwsZWtCLoqRfOAZu_1B1-fwQ_ooMCqGnFGRxOQlhmxywkzZseYSFgPsTL6CQac2ylXfIh-1BqRYxTrMOQDRvWJpj-vK8GCaxGOAQNXffcDE9zMzB_e9r5GDXvnE5f1g2255vnT/s1600/tachai+beach.jpg" height="256" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFTXc1HDs2enRJ9ctYgbTW8oDmXf7uiSWnPAghuS5CoQF7vDilHkfWDyLnvlmrZSwLurh1FpckpOwKRR3pSgdxrD5DHjZYZVgL8HADQBWlljICvhdMxGuR_Xwua2-jdtZtd4w7UfY8bFm/s1600/tachai+boat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFTXc1HDs2enRJ9ctYgbTW8oDmXf7uiSWnPAghuS5CoQF7vDilHkfWDyLnvlmrZSwLurh1FpckpOwKRR3pSgdxrD5DHjZYZVgL8HADQBWlljICvhdMxGuR_Xwua2-jdtZtd4w7UfY8bFm/s1600/tachai+boat.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEs7wjSnGELUGT-A6w7e3l2bjv07CbMtwexslkZXby609DVh2x_Th78t-dYrgofQUcs78aWg5FyGdmsmAWo_g0KA8Z16btej5WgkWI0yh5nnNHQ5RHEaM4JLBMiTmN9P-UsF29tCnL6P1B/s1600/sea+kayak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEs7wjSnGELUGT-A6w7e3l2bjv07CbMtwexslkZXby609DVh2x_Th78t-dYrgofQUcs78aWg5FyGdmsmAWo_g0KA8Z16btej5WgkWI0yh5nnNHQ5RHEaM4JLBMiTmN9P-UsF29tCnL6P1B/s1600/sea+kayak.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now it is time to get back to work. The seeds are all
starting to come in and I’m ready to get going in the greenhouse. I look forward to this season, and we are
adding some new and exciting crops, such as tiny bite sized eggplant, a cherry
tomato that tastes like fruit, and gigante Italian beans. I’ll keep you all
posted on spring activities.<br />
<br />
The first plants are scheduled to go into the ground in just a couple of weeks. Happy gardening! Spring is right around the corner.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZAoUBUaU1J2WyA637ovu2V5NSZ0AtcIPXuVrLQq1qQw32MqydvdctujTVOKVZGK-utm4bKeqeU6fr8pgA52ZU_ak_AUugSiSfTWDEf6UGm6cTYkJAvRcphEpxb22OkgmFjRXgU3skxJ-I/s1600/bee+lotus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZAoUBUaU1J2WyA637ovu2V5NSZ0AtcIPXuVrLQq1qQw32MqydvdctujTVOKVZGK-utm4bKeqeU6fr8pgA52ZU_ak_AUugSiSfTWDEf6UGm6cTYkJAvRcphEpxb22OkgmFjRXgU3skxJ-I/s1600/bee+lotus.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-89154481259528970572012-12-19T16:23:00.004-08:002012-12-19T16:23:50.736-08:00<br />
<h2>
Good bye until 2013</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
So the season is finally finishing
up. Most of the vegetables have been harvested, though there are still a few
things out there. The last few weeks have been spent cleaning the garden and
removing plant material, doing inventory for seeds and supplies and organizing
everything so that it is ready to go for spring. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ul7-tO160LesMRMH2PMVyt5cBKZAXHMXgJwLHLAXMFL8PJcIeRCWM_FPDgmmTlyP9Yin1RX4YouHzgJ6ITgvfksXF3dFGWi9LGHkU-TVktF8y5Rwjp8vOmBwfSkF43FUgAJpSOc9Woiq/s1600/winter+shed+19DEC2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ul7-tO160LesMRMH2PMVyt5cBKZAXHMXgJwLHLAXMFL8PJcIeRCWM_FPDgmmTlyP9Yin1RX4YouHzgJ6ITgvfksXF3dFGWi9LGHkU-TVktF8y5Rwjp8vOmBwfSkF43FUgAJpSOc9Woiq/s1600/winter+shed+19DEC2012.jpg" height="238" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The garden shed prepared for winter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I have also spent quite a bit of
time in the office. I finalized the harvest list for the season and there were
a few interesting numbers for the year. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">For example: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><b>A total of 6000 pounds</b> of
produce were harvested this season</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Over <b>1200 boxes of micro greens</b> were grown and taken to the kitchen for garnishes</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I
pulled in <b>800 pounds of tomatoes and over 400 quarts of cherry tomatoes</b></span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">More than <b>200 quarts of baby shishito peppers </b>were grown an devoured</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wCC4CxaaWQafraZPLgPbHy6ZKe1hK9C6hyphenhyphenOleMtJQierURRNIQ5HPsRUKKXvNVsWh6yKMjZAVp6rhClfG5dJ6HBfiri8AGMA6pVgRZ3hFha4NsWhdPtZU-Pa_LaaQqkLjlALP_RDlPyJ/s1600/romanesco+19DEC2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wCC4CxaaWQafraZPLgPbHy6ZKe1hK9C6hyphenhyphenOleMtJQierURRNIQ5HPsRUKKXvNVsWh6yKMjZAVp6rhClfG5dJ6HBfiri8AGMA6pVgRZ3hFha4NsWhdPtZU-Pa_LaaQqkLjlALP_RDlPyJ/s1600/romanesco+19DEC2012.jpg" height="200" width="146" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Romanesco</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Overall, it was a very successful
season. We are currently holding our “end of the season” meetings to decide
what to grow next year. The seed catalogs have started coming in and I love to
flip through them in the evenings. There are a few “new to me” vegetables
that I would like to try including (but certainly not limited to) cubanelle
peppers, blush cherry tomatoes, rose fin apple potatoes, and cardoons. I have
to admit that shopping for seeds and fantasizing about the coming season is one
of my favorite things to do.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGJMikZ6ZSALTxeU1EuYtRkO0xm41wh9FHGCf6ULwiScxev_mmznbFLj7_r7_27zglf0HvxPnSnQCsos_nmY6hyBy2eOm2umRLh6nESed8QHfLRs1I8Wm0C6eN8yvCFONzqKP17N9-UgD/s1600/radishes+19DEC2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGJMikZ6ZSALTxeU1EuYtRkO0xm41wh9FHGCf6ULwiScxev_mmznbFLj7_r7_27zglf0HvxPnSnQCsos_nmY6hyBy2eOm2umRLh6nESed8QHfLRs1I8Wm0C6eN8yvCFONzqKP17N9-UgD/s1600/radishes+19DEC2012.jpg" height="200" width="140" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last radishes of the year</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The last of the harvest will come
in this week. On the list we have carrots, beets, romanesco, radishes, turnips,
rutabaga, lettuce, spinach, pac choi, kale, collards, mustard greens, kohlrabi
and radicchio.<a href="" name="_GoBack"></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
In my free time I have been
planning my upcoming vacation. I leave in a few days to visit family for the holidays.
I’m headed to the arctic north for 2 weeks in Maine and Vermont, and then I’m
travelling to the tropics for a little over 2 weeks. The plan is to spend a few
days in Hong Kong on an extended layover. My major plans while I am there are
to eat -- I love the food there as well as the culture. After that I am
headed to the Similan Islands. They are located off the west coast of the lower
peninsula of Thailand and I can’t wait. The islands are part of a national park
where there are lemurs, jungles and some of the best diving and snorkeling in
the world. I’ll make sure to take lots of pictures and post them when I
get back. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Have a great winter.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CHhk4Rrjkn4G8jUxxlhRrEFQ7EXXXsKFjp0lDcjytK4EsjX2D_EpU0sMhZVIcAb7E1NGswlzTUHgHiiAfzJItA8uz91qXARjhZfF9gRkWKJ7-wTyYF3j9TkNPggQP3Z2_u7ag_QIhIJK/s1600/Baby+mantis+19DEC2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CHhk4Rrjkn4G8jUxxlhRrEFQ7EXXXsKFjp0lDcjytK4EsjX2D_EpU0sMhZVIcAb7E1NGswlzTUHgHiiAfzJItA8uz91qXARjhZfF9gRkWKJ7-wTyYF3j9TkNPggQP3Z2_u7ag_QIhIJK/s1600/Baby+mantis+19DEC2012.jpg" height="320" width="274" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nest of baby praying mantis that will help keep the green house healthy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-52758712578089689152012-11-12T14:03:00.002-08:002012-11-12T14:03:17.474-08:00<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">November 12</span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The temperatures have gotten
really cold, in fact last week we have even had a night under 25˚. Most
of my plants don’t survive. Thank goodness for remay (synthetic fleece which
covers the plants and protects them from low temperatures) which keeps all of
the plants snug down in the garden. I still have a lot of produce out there and
I would like to keep harvesting until Christmas so everything is under cover
except for spinach. Spinach can handle really low temperatures without burning
or dying, although if the temperatures are low it isn't really growing either.
We made it through hurricane Sandy relatively unscathed. I lost the last of the
peppers, however with major frosts coming within 2 days of the storm, it wasn’t
really that much earlier. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The last few weeks have been
mostly cleanup, seeding micro greens and harvesting, with just a little
planting. The only plants going in right now are pac choi and spinach, and the
last planting is next week. The pac choi gets planted in the boxes behind
the greenhouse so that they can be covered with both remay and plastic, but the
spinach is going out in the field. It may not be harvested until the spring,
but we will be happy to have it when things begin to warm up again.<span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZjKcfI16QlupCZYl849glrHaNF8LLVUS63o7CM3nCMBueA1Q6XDbXX89Lu6w2H4fjh-lTRs0MaPV12QX3pXVNMG1w0AvZ0M7U_I1DzdbOYjBMPUhUswf3130avq9uXrooDeiPYLuI1xc/s1600/drying+verbena+8NOV2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZjKcfI16QlupCZYl849glrHaNF8LLVUS63o7CM3nCMBueA1Q6XDbXX89Lu6w2H4fjh-lTRs0MaPV12QX3pXVNMG1w0AvZ0M7U_I1DzdbOYjBMPUhUswf3130avq9uXrooDeiPYLuI1xc/s1600/drying+verbena+8NOV2012.jpg" height="230" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drying verbena</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The other fun project I have
been working on is drying some of our harvest. I’m currently drying lemon
verbena in the greenhouse so that we can make our own tea. Next week the lemon
verbena should be done drying, but I still haven’t decided how I am going to
separate the leaves and stems. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The flageolet beans that I laid out a few weeks
ago were dry yesterday, and so I spent the morning cleaning them. I used
an old world method for cleaning rice that I learned in India. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVCcyUyxG8sfYZuPQQz0DOZo9lbCeT8lqtsKciSddyWfFmxjaQ1wHsDL7PbtdgY9-cn9OK34xg4BtFiMIllblw56km9NNDImUg9GSD4V291Sbj4KuiHk6_zApRQelNGNhH7zADzVi1Spg/s1600/JM+feet+08NOV2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVCcyUyxG8sfYZuPQQz0DOZo9lbCeT8lqtsKciSddyWfFmxjaQ1wHsDL7PbtdgY9-cn9OK34xg4BtFiMIllblw56km9NNDImUg9GSD4V291Sbj4KuiHk6_zApRQelNGNhH7zADzVi1Spg/s1600/JM+feet+08NOV2012.jpg" height="190" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I put the
dry pods into a sack and stomped on it until all the pods were broken, and then
cut a small hole for the loose beans on the bottom of the bag.<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What’s left is a mix of beans and a few broken pods. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8n2m3g-J9suxJkldny5LphjOaqjE8b__T5wVqM8t6xzHIPLutaUFkXmpl5EdovAQLM-Mf0atsQf0AgfpdylSLfZhd9KGw9WDthGOt4Vr0jp4RB-tIPDQ6h8fl9SGjoX8bNVwKyudXBnTc/s1600/shelling+beans+8NOV2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8n2m3g-J9suxJkldny5LphjOaqjE8b__T5wVqM8t6xzHIPLutaUFkXmpl5EdovAQLM-Mf0atsQf0AgfpdylSLfZhd9KGw9WDthGOt4Vr0jp4RB-tIPDQ6h8fl9SGjoX8bNVwKyudXBnTc/s1600/shelling+beans+8NOV2012.jpg" height="320" width="232" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In India we would wait for a windy day to
clean them but I just hooked up a fan in <a href="" name="_GoBack"></a>front of the
greenhouse. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig9D7mqIw1HCmJsLdvtXjgi8g7cBTCokM-Dblxj7Hb9EoX11FlE-6MZUyw7KO05ztKKXvn6o5KUzs3bcNsGjkzl2Bo-Q_cqM6vFBAJzsYq2GwIKEBxYZkWy2mqkbpPvybN2wlaDASFrRkT/s1600/cleaning+beans+08NOV2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig9D7mqIw1HCmJsLdvtXjgi8g7cBTCokM-Dblxj7Hb9EoX11FlE-6MZUyw7KO05ztKKXvn6o5KUzs3bcNsGjkzl2Bo-Q_cqM6vFBAJzsYq2GwIKEBxYZkWy2mqkbpPvybN2wlaDASFrRkT/s1600/cleaning+beans+08NOV2012.jpg" height="226" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I then pour the beans from one bucket to another in front of
the fan. The beans fall through and the chaff blows out leaving beautiful
clean beans in much less time than it would take to break apart and clean by
hand.<span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGvT6Cp6VeF3E4KRouc-aqfvMUKe-5Q06xQSDgEB0CIFD4-Vxhw19XgYx9XeP_yOIpjFZMtWp4Lo39FLhyXBS5pEqCxn30sbuW2P7Two1f_1EkZSe3dAy0qKs8Aq4_kT6T4YEoE9ja0_Q4/s1600/finished+product+08NOV2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGvT6Cp6VeF3E4KRouc-aqfvMUKe-5Q06xQSDgEB0CIFD4-Vxhw19XgYx9XeP_yOIpjFZMtWp4Lo39FLhyXBS5pEqCxn30sbuW2P7Two1f_1EkZSe3dAy0qKs8Aq4_kT6T4YEoE9ja0_Q4/s1600/finished+product+08NOV2012.jpg" height="200" width="138" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cleaned beans ready for the kitchen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next week is more clean up
and organizing for the winter months so that everything is easily accessible in
the spring. I also need to plant and mulch the garlic for next year, but I’m
waiting for the soil to dry out a little.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the harvest list we have
radishes, turnips, carrots, beets, spinach, pac choi, kohlrabi, radicchio,
cauliflower, micro greens and herbs.<span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-13379945560969064032012-10-25T15:10:00.002-07:002012-10-25T15:10:48.815-07:00It's already the end of October... Can you believe it?<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
It has been so long since I have written, but
it has been a busy fall. The weather has
been so obliging and the fall vegetables are rolling in. Nice warm and sunny
days, and cool nights make all those plants really happy. We had one major
frost and I was able to cover my sensitive plants so we are still holding on to
a lot of the summer vegetables with beans, peppers and eggplant still on the
harvest list. Unfortunately, all that
looks to be coming to an end with hurricane Sandy on the horizon and the forecasted freezing
temperatures for several nights in a row will kill off the last of the summer
veg. It has to happen sometime and we
still have enough fall produce in the ground to keep the kitchen well
stocked. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiEGTWAAixfMqedXpR7WOYlvsUifPKrJ30WM25xClDy2v4cDB24LyJ-NFZVtX1I2nDhhcUDJpSx4_J4Yz7cjh3-_sKRs_cqlO5HrxkoMmOGv45WdC460RiNQEeokxNo6R0pYEC4ATZZhu8/s1600/Neon+turnips+24OCT2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiEGTWAAixfMqedXpR7WOYlvsUifPKrJ30WM25xClDy2v4cDB24LyJ-NFZVtX1I2nDhhcUDJpSx4_J4Yz7cjh3-_sKRs_cqlO5HrxkoMmOGv45WdC460RiNQEeokxNo6R0pYEC4ATZZhu8/s400/Neon+turnips+24OCT2012.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neon pink Scarlet Queen turnips on their way to the kitchen. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am still planting and will
continue to do so for another month, maybe longer if it warms up again. Today I
planted spinach, mustard greens and some winter density romaine lettuce. For now, the plants are out and exposed but
over the next few weeks I will begin to cover (once the temperatures are in the
20s at night) with agricultural fleece and eventually with plastic as well. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The last month has been a lot of clean up, pulling out all
the tomato, and bean plants, laying straw over the beds for winter, pulling
stakes and removing trellising twine. Most of the material has gone into the
compost pile, except for the tomato plants.
Tomatoes carry a lot of diseases and fungus, so I feel it is better to
remove all of the material from the garden, and then put it on a brush pile to
be burned. It is a precautionary measure
as most of those problems die off in the winter, but if the temperatures are
not cold enough (as happened this year) the fungal<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5477922323315133333" name="_GoBack"></a> spores
may survive and rear their ugly heads the following season wreaking havoc on
the garden. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxu-wusKiXtOYB9KYPIh7Az4x8pLPx0k2iKVz43kPhejlyd0_mpxRGHNldpoCtrKzD_SsITGqboKw1qfyjM_87NF8O0otUp9Pr0Hc8fhKGUqVf1TVjY1GQVqEFVFC-6mgc0kcAXW9yj0c/s1600/beans+drying+24OCT2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxu-wusKiXtOYB9KYPIh7Az4x8pLPx0k2iKVz43kPhejlyd0_mpxRGHNldpoCtrKzD_SsITGqboKw1qfyjM_87NF8O0otUp9Pr0Hc8fhKGUqVf1TVjY1GQVqEFVFC-6mgc0kcAXW9yj0c/s320/beans+drying+24OCT2012.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flagrano beans drying in the greenhouse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This past week, in addition to planting and harvesting, I
have pulled the last of the flagrano beans and put them in the green house for
drying. In a few weeks I’ll separate the beans from the pods and we will have
dry beans for the winter months. Over the next few days I’ll harvest the last
of the eggplant, beans and peppers, and put the plants in the compost pile. I’m
cutting back the lemon verbena for drying (so that we can make tea), and then
digging up the root balls to keep in the greenhouse for the winter. Same goes for the lemon grass, and after harvesting I’ll save the crowns to replant in the
spring. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next few weeks will consist of more cleanup, a little planting, and
lots of harvesting. In addition I will begin
to reflect on the season. I find it is
best to sit down while everything is still fresh in my mind, and write out a
list of notes; things I will do differently, crops that were successes or
failures and why. All of this is in
preparation to meet with the kitchen, so we can decide what we want for next
year. I’ll let you all know how those
meetings progress in the coming months. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQXFx19-6Z1OY72M4Soss5CRA43yKQVjYhls6Y0mRb0oq9JJgsVCOJi7eKStuv1QN5uLlAxq8TUF2Rz5897vWDNtTVfxDk2tpNnn9LKwcFAw5LxnxtTxIyUJj72UZG-1-pJXLZGAJFQje/s1600/pac+choi+bed+24OCT2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQXFx19-6Z1OY72M4Soss5CRA43yKQVjYhls6Y0mRb0oq9JJgsVCOJi7eKStuv1QN5uLlAxq8TUF2Rz5897vWDNtTVfxDk2tpNnn9LKwcFAw5LxnxtTxIyUJj72UZG-1-pJXLZGAJFQje/s200/pac+choi+bed+24OCT2012.jpg" width="136" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raised beds of Pac Choi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This week on the harvest list we have the last of the lima and French beans, eggplant, and peppers, as well as broccoli, cauliflower,
turnips, radishes, spinach, kale, lettuce, pac choi, salsify, scorzonera,
carrots, beets, and herbs. </div>
Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-83639519219199788272012-10-09T14:42:00.000-07:002012-10-09T14:42:35.939-07:00Read All About It<br />
This fantastic article will appear in tomorrow's Washington Post food section. Martha Miller does a great job of describing what we do here. Hope you enjoy reading it!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/the-farm-at-the-table/2012/10/08/4299e138-0373-11e2-8102-ebee9c66e190_story.html"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/the-farm-at-the-table/2012/10/08/4299e138-0373-11e2-8102-ebee9c66e190_story.html</span></a>
</span>Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-55832137437096724992012-10-08T07:53:00.004-07:002012-10-08T07:54:22.082-07:00It's hard to believe it's October...<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOhk2uXwaKBAztLnajG1BgaOiwOB_25uwd_v7RovcxGgW05M2vExIL0O6Hpi6N715gAltdksyfnnWFwHVKPKLTwwumVlSReNU6cU1mTymiIUFWlU5OVruatEyu9J4aUJiCPT5vXHgXUj7/s1600/shed+29SEP2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOhk2uXwaKBAztLnajG1BgaOiwOB_25uwd_v7RovcxGgW05M2vExIL0O6Hpi6N715gAltdksyfnnWFwHVKPKLTwwumVlSReNU6cU1mTymiIUFWlU5OVruatEyu9J4aUJiCPT5vXHgXUj7/s200/shed+29SEP2012.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The garden shed decorated for fall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So we have been having incredible
weather. Cool crisp mornings with bright sunshine all day, perfect for fall
crops. There still hasn't been much rain, but I’ve been running the irrigation
and all is doing well. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Last week the kids from both the culinary and the
horticulture class from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Rappahanock</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">County</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">High
School</st1:placetype></st1:place> came and paid us a visit. There were 35 kids total and we toured the
property as well as the kitchen, and then they helped us to get a few projects
finished. We mulched our little nature
trail, and pulled all of the cherry tomato plants out of the garden. Many hands definitely make light work and we
got further on the path in half an hour than we would have all day with our own
small crew, so they were a big help, and hopefully they learned something as
well. Blue was really in his element,
getting love from all the kids. He’s a glutton for attention. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgheC0lRr_N5f4X1WGpc5e7N2lIviu889MMB59d65fF7WDvK2ZRYYPg3oM-zHiFtG63_hGZjNFpKTJ6TammVfKGc5CbWipuDDnMeWswOUGgqjqDu3pdqiyHSF5cuAwD4usNDXZapqFlxxlg/s1600/DSCN0537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgheC0lRr_N5f4X1WGpc5e7N2lIviu889MMB59d65fF7WDvK2ZRYYPg3oM-zHiFtG63_hGZjNFpKTJ6TammVfKGc5CbWipuDDnMeWswOUGgqjqDu3pdqiyHSF5cuAwD4usNDXZapqFlxxlg/s400/DSCN0537.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working with the students of Rappahannock High School (and Blue)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Other than that the week consisted of a little planting with spinach, lettuce, kohlrabi, pac choi and swiss chard going in, and a little seeding with radishes and turnips. Lots of weeding got done, and things are looking great in the garden. Having the wall of cherry tomatoes gone makes the whole space look so different, everything opened up and seemed to get a lot bigger. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The stink bugs are leaving
the garden and heading for the indoors, good news for the veggies and bad news for
the shed, as they are wiggling themselves into every nook and cranny for the
winter. Other than them the bug troubles seem to be over for the season, which
is great, there were a lot of battles this year. Now I can only hope for a nice cold winter so
that we don’t have a lot of these same problems next year. A few good long
freezes would do wonders to take out a little of the populations, not to
mention killing off the late blight that got the tomatoes. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbEpPh7tutEu8cyAFL7Rf72gWSdST1nHEEM0mc1YhYQpAJGZZtbEH3XLySr_oow4yMYJ3-QzsF3uRciRTe88BNrpZHpL_QwmfmCWUfZBwVfTtcS87oJPD_k_TMTyEuRZ8VxTd5DQSE9Q3/s1600/Carrots+29SEP2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbEpPh7tutEu8cyAFL7Rf72gWSdST1nHEEM0mc1YhYQpAJGZZtbEH3XLySr_oow4yMYJ3-QzsF3uRciRTe88BNrpZHpL_QwmfmCWUfZBwVfTtcS87oJPD_k_TMTyEuRZ8VxTd5DQSE9Q3/s320/Carrots+29SEP2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Not too much on the agenda for this
week, mostly clean up projects, like removing drip tape and cleaning shallots, some
greenhouse work, and of course harvesting.
On the list for this week, we have pac choi, romaine lettuce, beautiful
carrots, beets, salsify, scorzonera, flageolet beans, haricovert beans, lima
beans, peppers, eggplant, heirloom tomatoes and herbs. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmXzLRvZGKy0iwWdDdKU3hgJj96fWL7InAzFmwAIEzHq_6qEXpmNsrsr4yd9acqUvJmaBux5_wiLjph8Y-RBKKUfbFO_F8tfmGt5UBlLQbjkoK3MNYyJufnYsuRa6A-Ce1Ko1aKJRvv8vt/s1600/pac+choi+29SEP2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmXzLRvZGKy0iwWdDdKU3hgJj96fWL7InAzFmwAIEzHq_6qEXpmNsrsr4yd9acqUvJmaBux5_wiLjph8Y-RBKKUfbFO_F8tfmGt5UBlLQbjkoK3MNYyJufnYsuRa6A-Ce1Ko1aKJRvv8vt/s320/pac+choi+29SEP2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harvested pac choi ready for the kitchen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Look for an article on restaurants with their own farms and gardens next Wednesday in the Washington Post. </div>
Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-53457613798906636492012-09-24T08:23:00.003-07:002012-09-24T08:23:43.543-07:00Fall is in the air...<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
So we are now well into September and it is time to clean up summer crops. Due to our warm winter and early spring
everything has been approximately three weeks ahead of schedule this year. It feels great in the beginning when the tomatoes
are here in mid June, but unfortunately they are finished early as well, and it is
a little sad to lose them now. I can’t
really complain, the vines got to more than 13 feet long and we harvested over
375 quarts of cherry tomatoes, more than 500 pounds of heirlooms, and around
200 quarts of drying tomatoes. The
plants have done their job. I’ll be
pulling out the cherry tomatoes this week, and the heirlooms next week. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwOL8ev8aYYA2Sk4nn2YDC88ey2JTMwgB95xW_jON2QLVN73FFR1K8OfqDUfEBI9j4XFmuarNAFTNGo5bpDnSKNB0v_XyGzbpNQ-TNWM8j2aCqvFDoXITr4TF6Rc2B68bAZ4tJNpFUbDmB/s1600/last+tomatoes+20SEP2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwOL8ev8aYYA2Sk4nn2YDC88ey2JTMwgB95xW_jON2QLVN73FFR1K8OfqDUfEBI9j4XFmuarNAFTNGo5bpDnSKNB0v_XyGzbpNQ-TNWM8j2aCqvFDoXITr4TF6Rc2B68bAZ4tJNpFUbDmB/s400/last+tomatoes+20SEP2012.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue guarding the last tomatoes of the season</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrD35nokUaDewWvDb8-w3_onK-tn2Ezs0r9lB4iaj2Pa-kK3MibHafOGg3US6j_8jJFKkmmYG2rq0FipJC0-BxXYSLMYyb_iP8iC6iT1H8d-kvheSm2JaoScNnglVnkjfEPgD76bb8I4MV/s1600/turnips+under+fleece+20SEP2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrD35nokUaDewWvDb8-w3_onK-tn2Ezs0r9lB4iaj2Pa-kK3MibHafOGg3US6j_8jJFKkmmYG2rq0FipJC0-BxXYSLMYyb_iP8iC6iT1H8d-kvheSm2JaoScNnglVnkjfEPgD76bb8I4MV/s200/turnips+under+fleece+20SEP2012.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turnips growing under the fleece</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The eggplants are still holding on
strong, and the peppers are loaded with fruit, though they are ripening slowly
with the cool temperatures. Fall crops are coming along well, and the cool
nights are starting to turn the carrots sweeter and sweeter, as they pull sugar
from the leaves to prepare for winter. The turnip greens are tall, but the
bulbous roots have not really started to fatten yet. They are covered with a
light weight fleece, which keeps them a little warmer, and should push them
along a little faster as well as keeping the bugs away. Over the next few weeks
more crops will get light weight fleece, eventually graduating to heavy
duty. Fleece can give you up to a 12
degree gain, making a huge difference in growing time, and keeping the frost at
bay. It also keeps in humidity, and creates a mini greenhouse. Last year I was
able to harvest right up until Christmas, and probably could have gone longer.
(It was time for vacation, and the beach was calling my name.) I also use
fleece in the spring to start crops early.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tXsmau8A35_3K6QBX-MX1T81pEzbB3oX_XnykvmUYGkM4AVRO01sr5aaJZ8IjP5InquVZuCm6WNWl8f6wk5gmvBDfeNewb6_Q_VryRieh_OzThEdX0eQA5qgY-WIv5O4LI9_GZuL8UC3/s1600/Falll+beans+20SEP2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tXsmau8A35_3K6QBX-MX1T81pEzbB3oX_XnykvmUYGkM4AVRO01sr5aaJZ8IjP5InquVZuCm6WNWl8f6wk5gmvBDfeNewb6_Q_VryRieh_OzThEdX0eQA5qgY-WIv5O4LI9_GZuL8UC3/s320/Falll+beans+20SEP2012.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beans, beans and more beans</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I started harvesting salsify and
scorzonera this week which was exciting as they are both new crops for me and
seem to have done well. The flageolet beans did fatten and I will be able to
harvest them this week. Also on the
agenda this week; seeding radishes and Japanese turnips, planting pac choi and
lettuce, and weeding, weeding, weeding. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">On the
harvest list -- the last of the cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, eggplant,
bell, shishito and peppadew peppers, lima, haricovert, and flageolet beans,
carrots, beets, salsify, scorzonera and herbs. </span></div>
Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-8186871895069015532012-09-07T10:21:00.003-07:002012-09-07T10:21:45.636-07:00<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>September 5</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Finally, August is over - and like I’ve
said before -- it's a tough month for me.
It is so tough in fact that I often find myself having dreamlike
fantasies of freak frosts or storms wiping things out, sometimes, these musings
go so far as to imagine myself in the driver’s seat of a giant lawnmower. Now,
before you judge me please keep in mind that I love my job, but I was in the
middle of my fourth month with no real days off, and the cracks were beginning
to show. A few of my farmer friends and I have talked about this August
phenomenon several times. We’ve decided
to call it the “August Wall”, after months of heat, moving irrigation, bug
battles and early mornings which is tiring enough. All of it is made even more
difficult to bear by the fact that easier times are now right around the corner. <span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Temperatures will drop, rainfall
will increase, weeds will slow down, and the summer bugs will start moving off
(well some are just setting up residence in the soil, leaf litter, or forest
debris, but we’ll talk about that later). I decided last weekend I had to get outta dodge. A chef friend of mine was cooking for an
Outstanding in the Fields dinner and had a spare ticket. </span>Perfect timing!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvC7C37-OPUfwYVe1FnmPbIzSw_9qE2aaXID94WQbNDVtOHhpsAyghhnlV0q1wKK0mBuHkuaH6jp-lHKqwgjSD5TN2EBC_yKE2TE5w0q_89zfl5ph2U6AzzCbDNhXr37gzuzLDhyphenhyphenHox8g/s1600/Standing+in+the+Field+5SEP2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvC7C37-OPUfwYVe1FnmPbIzSw_9qE2aaXID94WQbNDVtOHhpsAyghhnlV0q1wKK0mBuHkuaH6jp-lHKqwgjSD5TN2EBC_yKE2TE5w0q_89zfl5ph2U6AzzCbDNhXr37gzuzLDhyphenhyphenHox8g/s320/Standing+in+the+Field+5SEP2012.jpg" width="234" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out Standing in the Field dinner table</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">O.F.
is a great company - they put on these incredible dinners in the middle of
farms all over the country, setting long tables for up to 200 people to sit and
eat dinner together. It is all served
family style, cooked by local chefs, and grown/produced within approximately 50
miles of the location. It is a
celebration of farmers, chefs and food.
It was a great evening.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIA40zu5ni0ejiR9NximXaxp8ZuSyKHY6DPR6jP1NlNtZqICZcEfkJ3NfdH3OQy1QksgH1cK9uc3XU-MaQCvNMy2EoqOa19TtYsMNakvUaR58hE6RPu_ZlTJmfCq_UTP61aAFgbLhyphenhyphenysCD/s1600/Limas+5SEP2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIA40zu5ni0ejiR9NximXaxp8ZuSyKHY6DPR6jP1NlNtZqICZcEfkJ3NfdH3OQy1QksgH1cK9uc3XU-MaQCvNMy2EoqOa19TtYsMNakvUaR58hE6RPu_ZlTJmfCq_UTP61aAFgbLhyphenhyphenysCD/s320/Limas+5SEP2012.jpg" width="233" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first limas of the season</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I came back refreshed and ready to
get back into things. Just two days away
makes for huge differences, <u>and</u> a backlog on harvesting. The lima beans had finally plumped up in
earnest. (What’s that saying, a watched
pot doesn’t boil? Apparently that applies to lima beans as well.) The French
beans decided to go bonkers, and I harvested over 10 lbs of them when I got back. It now seem to be in the thick of bean season,
good timing over all as the tomatoes are already starting to slack off. I
planted all of the radicchio and the final planting of beets. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The turnip greens are high and lush, the
radishes have popped, and lettuce is finally back in the garden after its long
summer hiatus. The weeds are taking over again, while I have been doing all
this other stuff, but I will catch up on them this week. Also on the docket for
this week; seeding spinach, french breakfast radishes, japanese turnips, and
more pac choi, radicchio and lettuce, finally cleaning the shallots for storage,
and prepping beds down in the garden. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLge1IdtMFXEr5eIcsIFIJEKw3NkhL5zM85dPgkIFcN_lMqHlJu8ybRZ9GYw4o6bXzwlaJDxt8WQdPuU8ELpefyB_-aTus0rSCZNPwPTxRGNX8FtuQ1brLFXJaEaReJD-dzkGnjjjL51Z/s1600/IMAG0477.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLge1IdtMFXEr5eIcsIFIJEKw3NkhL5zM85dPgkIFcN_lMqHlJu8ybRZ9GYw4o6bXzwlaJDxt8WQdPuU8ELpefyB_-aTus0rSCZNPwPTxRGNX8FtuQ1brLFXJaEaReJD-dzkGnjjjL51Z/s400/IMAG0477.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Newly planted baby lettuces and radicchio</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I ordered a few species of
parasitic nematodes to spray on the soil.
There are good and bad nematodes. The baddies go after the roots of your
plants, but the goodies attack larvae hiding out in your soil. They are
microscopic worms, and there are over 20,000 different species. One handful of
garden soil contains over a 1000 of these individuals. They also feed on
bacteria and fungus, however their all of their roles in the soil are still not
totally understood. I purchased two
species, because they work on different types of insects and live in different
levels of the soil. Mostly I got them to go after my cucumber beetles that are
hiding out already and waiting for spring, though there are smaller populations
of problem pests that they will also help me out with, army worms, cut worms
and various beetles, to name a few. The nematodes
establish in the soil, and some survive to repopulate in the spring. They are currently
waiting in my fridge until we get a nice soaking rainfall, which we have unfortunately
not had since they arrived. Then I’ll
spray them after dark, so that they have plenty of time to dig in before the
sun dries them up. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
On the harvest list we have bean
mania -- French beans, two types of limas, lazy wife greasy beans and soy
beans all coming in abundantly, and flageolet beans right around the corner.
There are still bell, shishito, and peppadew peppers, tomatoes, eggplant,
carrots, beets, and herbs. Last but not least we have our first okra of the season. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcUAmoa7wezHA1zHQLQhAo38Ranj9V7-rbhkObA5VRcAxtVhVckiwFcmnrzqk8ffehnpB1yG56GewqcLG6ja4N2dBCydyVK7BieeNzf0YJBE3H608L6s4c4rJ3jVdS0kScDcIxzqDcb0b8/s1600/Okra+Blossom+5SEP2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcUAmoa7wezHA1zHQLQhAo38Ranj9V7-rbhkObA5VRcAxtVhVckiwFcmnrzqk8ffehnpB1yG56GewqcLG6ja4N2dBCydyVK7BieeNzf0YJBE3H608L6s4c4rJ3jVdS0kScDcIxzqDcb0b8/s320/Okra+Blossom+5SEP2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okra flowers and baby okra. The flowers are delicious fried <br />just like squash blossoms.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I want to apologize to anyone reading this that
may have felt abandoned during last month, and I hope that I have made up for
it with this extra long entry. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Oh, and in case anyone is worried,
my morbid fantasies are happening much more infrequently these days. Yeah
September!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgoxHsxXAJq0HlZqm7ASix9Fab54gSr4czx0arFJHmXbNia2XvUnVB59hsTtP-Ul49MW626eTrdJeJswH6Fdwaf75Ea7UosFDbhvsRl_EULmF1uoctGgw1qNnkWUlENtSmxQRyym034rm/s1600/Zinnias+5SEP2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgoxHsxXAJq0HlZqm7ASix9Fab54gSr4czx0arFJHmXbNia2XvUnVB59hsTtP-Ul49MW626eTrdJeJswH6Fdwaf75Ea7UosFDbhvsRl_EULmF1uoctGgw1qNnkWUlENtSmxQRyym034rm/s640/Zinnias+5SEP2012.jpg" width="452" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zinnias grown for designer Gregory Britt and the floral department at The Inn. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-82127078693736302492012-08-23T13:43:00.003-07:002012-08-23T13:43:25.820-07:00
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong>August 21</strong></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
So long has passed since I last wrote, and it has been a
busy time, still is in fact, so I will have to make this short.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijAVeFEZiUTX2kHTki3TFuc_lHIbwWohjnUEZmCCS95u932aTXcsAeSCz9ot7f2jX9j81eTaxNAxunP-5EEAwDG2Im0E7o7OBe2ouiqL1efsNWFTub59V20lIi_DqaKPQEVx4AUpUbX4uI/s1600/mantis+23AUG2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijAVeFEZiUTX2kHTki3TFuc_lHIbwWohjnUEZmCCS95u932aTXcsAeSCz9ot7f2jX9j81eTaxNAxunP-5EEAwDG2Im0E7o7OBe2ouiqL1efsNWFTub59V20lIi_DqaKPQEVx4AUpUbX4uI/s200/mantis+23AUG2012.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Fall planting has truly begun, the brussel
sprouts and first generation of cauliflower and romanesco have been in for a
while now, and the second generation went in about 10 days ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The greenhouse is full of other fall
transplants including radicchio, lettuce, watermelon radish, pac choi and sprouting
broccoli, all going in next week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
last seedings for carrots, beets and haricovert beans were last week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsPkYOfY1VQjmPFuslqi61X8odXN1m54vt4fpiQ8SVBpmKMnyK48uZvxTjXG0qo4XlGvv4d54RtJtDoUVB1BTYmBt119Lyn6sAwV4h5sk7R1QKS1nUnF_t5hxPkODVNbpBXOMV-orXVwyf/s1600/Blue+in+the+basil+23AUG2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsPkYOfY1VQjmPFuslqi61X8odXN1m54vt4fpiQ8SVBpmKMnyK48uZvxTjXG0qo4XlGvv4d54RtJtDoUVB1BTYmBt119Lyn6sAwV4h5sk7R1QKS1nUnF_t5hxPkODVNbpBXOMV-orXVwyf/s320/Blue+in+the+basil+23AUG2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue making himself comfortable under the basil bush</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span> </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTdUXbSrCUg7x4soasRqpFmMqUIV9IOkawpfMS2qEUvWgxDUAOOaCtPQSvRMWa1G2_KwoFX-WSCD0uw37xx8xKSWWKV47XWfzZklvK0sxQVMRIy2AlbtLOhTplm8uEM5CwluHJDRlgDa4/s1600/IMAG0450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTdUXbSrCUg7x4soasRqpFmMqUIV9IOkawpfMS2qEUvWgxDUAOOaCtPQSvRMWa1G2_KwoFX-WSCD0uw37xx8xKSWWKV47XWfzZklvK0sxQVMRIy2AlbtLOhTplm8uEM5CwluHJDRlgDa4/s200/IMAG0450.jpg" width="119" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first planting of soy beans</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>There is also a lot of harvesting going
on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Currently we are picking tomatoes
(which includes a lot of varieties), peppers, eggplant,
haricot vert beans, soy beans, lima beans, greasy beans, carrots, beets,
watermelon, and cucumbers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This week we
are prepping all the beds for next weeks plantings, removing some old
plantings, and of course the weeding and bug battles continue. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XGfUjzrwgGK7EA-YxVoEVWEDV4FIwycWoPwUed4mwsaqg68USgqLaaSHGisIlvLuHsiudc4ByOdtw0ltL67gYD04WPItoqnN_hucxC1H_vysXjR_n_rC5M1_QtjdOL1GDgad_UAabi1e/s1600/habeneros+23AUG2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XGfUjzrwgGK7EA-YxVoEVWEDV4FIwycWoPwUed4mwsaqg68USgqLaaSHGisIlvLuHsiudc4ByOdtw0ltL67gYD04WPItoqnN_hucxC1H_vysXjR_n_rC5M1_QtjdOL1GDgad_UAabi1e/s200/habeneros+23AUG2012.jpg" width="135" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet habeneros</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
August is always the hardest
month for me, summer harvest and fall planting combined makes for a crazy time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fall is right around the corner. This week we've been having unseasonably cool weather and I hope that doesn’t mean we are in for an
early frost. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Have a good week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5IjDB43hM2tQqclL4N-W7ogi5ThWHexZ-jP99-5kTVoPxoEgL8acOiFfegly2YL5ckVSHozOegsKYmcWyU_KNySjZBRmHMSrXkPzIyb29cgHyw0Vn2EflowXsLyQF6-H4VoCyQCuvgNK/s1600/Honey+bees+drinking+23AUG2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5IjDB43hM2tQqclL4N-W7ogi5ThWHexZ-jP99-5kTVoPxoEgL8acOiFfegly2YL5ckVSHozOegsKYmcWyU_KNySjZBRmHMSrXkPzIyb29cgHyw0Vn2EflowXsLyQF6-H4VoCyQCuvgNK/s640/Honey+bees+drinking+23AUG2012.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The honey bees refreshing themselves with a cool drink of water.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-15003394074889850652012-07-31T13:21:00.004-07:002012-08-02T10:25:38.711-07:00Obsessions...<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
A friend of mine came to visit for
the last few days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Justin Severino owns
a new restaurant in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Pittsburg</st1:place></st1:city>
called <a href="http://curepittsburgh.com/" target="_blank">Cure</a>, which focuses on traditional cooking methods and sustainable
sourcing for produce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of my friends
know that if you come to visit me in the middle of the season, you will have to
work in order to spend time with me - there's too much to do to take an entire day off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily most of my friends are foodies so they enjoy the experience. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
On Monday night the two
of us went to dinner here at The Inn. Of course no need to say that the
experience and the food were both beyond belief, but it was really amazing
for me was seeing all of my produce in action. The vegetables were truly
transformed with all of their best attributes on display. The new tomato dish
was my favorite; cherry tomatoes nestled in an incredibly flavored jellied
gazpacho and covered with beautiful edible flowers.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakVVu7h1aP52A7tvo4uULr27J5i56WaxSSg7mUP_L0JBqkiZkozAc89l3KwADXMsUcM8swlCnB4Dj95ChCJSd0WgNX7hYgO1rBGd97hs-kEV1GltlXUwhMsmWGKwAEJ6opKBr8YN_rjHG/s1600/Tomato+Salad+18JUL2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakVVu7h1aP52A7tvo4uULr27J5i56WaxSSg7mUP_L0JBqkiZkozAc89l3KwADXMsUcM8swlCnB4Dj95ChCJSd0WgNX7hYgO1rBGd97hs-kEV1GltlXUwhMsmWGKwAEJ6opKBr8YN_rjHG/s320/Tomato+Salad+18JUL2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">A Symphony of Our Garden’s Miniature Heirloom Tomatoes <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">with Jellied Gazpacho
Consommé and <st2:personname w:st="on"><st1:givenname w:st="on">Basil</st1:givenname>
<st1:sn w:st="on">Granite</st1:sn></st2:personname></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Tuesday morning we woke up early
and started harvesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we picked
through the garden I couldn’t help commenting on how happy I was to see all the
beneficial insects setting up shop in the garden. Justin couldn’t help commenting
on the fact that I am obsessed with bugs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s true, and I think as a farmer you have to be.<br />
<br />
So, to prove his point, I’m going to obsess a little bit. This week I saw tomato
hornworm covered with parasites, which lay eggs on the caterpillar and kill it
for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFEvVmNbjTQNPqDs0CHn15nP5wwE1V39Q7CwuBnfVqEjdAgXeFxPlR5kcDvf_2XjC_ruLgoJVEtOdIoal87PO35VEEMJYdMYtHv0cuFR1GNKGcYakNPnWW-yYPTgAyf6RxxvtKnNC-UaN/s1600/tomato+horn+worm+29JUL2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFEvVmNbjTQNPqDs0CHn15nP5wwE1V39Q7CwuBnfVqEjdAgXeFxPlR5kcDvf_2XjC_ruLgoJVEtOdIoal87PO35VEEMJYdMYtHv0cuFR1GNKGcYakNPnWW-yYPTgAyf6RxxvtKnNC-UaN/s200/tomato+horn+worm+29JUL2012.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A tomato horn worm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm76sg4RJ5D5Xfbgn14a8rTiUlGmthrv8wlUkhsgrHJ3e9c0ZLOYphrISL-JLLAnV3ZViZWn4TamnxC-5_54mbNx0uGMEJcNYNbLyQqGmJ_bqJ7eT2akKSMxnd2ko3fwGhXmN2gq30Y_qT/s1600/tom+horn+worm+with+wasp+eggs+29JUL2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm76sg4RJ5D5Xfbgn14a8rTiUlGmthrv8wlUkhsgrHJ3e9c0ZLOYphrISL-JLLAnV3ZViZWn4TamnxC-5_54mbNx0uGMEJcNYNbLyQqGmJ_bqJ7eT2akKSMxnd2ko3fwGhXmN2gq30Y_qT/s200/tom+horn+worm+with+wasp+eggs+29JUL2012.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with the beneficial parasites</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
I also saw a ton of assassin
bugs newly hatched, which are general predators in the garden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14eA_Qg2JFN3-3cgG6lkPCc0ypOnQtIBwFA5jyznWj40doN1zP4vrQe-UXs6l8PwaSEoixjeaXeRo9tw0Z-mZ9xnz5Fg-AP-8s65SuWUdDlZO3QhiacKJrkQaevimnYHqnAGvxAJxuNIw/s1600/baby+assasin+bugs+29JUL2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14eA_Qg2JFN3-3cgG6lkPCc0ypOnQtIBwFA5jyznWj40doN1zP4vrQe-UXs6l8PwaSEoixjeaXeRo9tw0Z-mZ9xnz5Fg-AP-8s65SuWUdDlZO3QhiacKJrkQaevimnYHqnAGvxAJxuNIw/s320/baby+assasin+bugs+29JUL2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
On top of that I released a lot of different
insects in the last few weeks and all of those populations seem to be doing
well. I released ladybugs in the garden and the greenhouse to help with aphids
and white fly, and green lacewing larvae to try to combat these pesky potato
leafhoppers, just to name a few. There are many more beneficials out there in
the garden and this biodiversity is a sign of over all garden health that puts
a smile on my face.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-F5fY3n785MhBZ6ceFr8FkhxP_6coFCobSdHc1C13hyphenhyphenZPCf6BjrBe_1vDBTuwKQo-T60dumJ9ygPCOHdPCRbj5VMMhcbOVIM1OgEgtcc1bQk7LtDM6Dy_AhlpPHgLzn4rcFkt9tQaoXcC/s1600/lady+bug+release+29JUL2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-F5fY3n785MhBZ6ceFr8FkhxP_6coFCobSdHc1C13hyphenhyphenZPCf6BjrBe_1vDBTuwKQo-T60dumJ9ygPCOHdPCRbj5VMMhcbOVIM1OgEgtcc1bQk7LtDM6Dy_AhlpPHgLzn4rcFkt9tQaoXcC/s320/lady+bug+release+29JUL2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">800 ladybugs being released into the garden</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Besides looking at bugs, a lot of
work happened in the garden in the last week. All of the shallots and onions
were pulled and laid out to dry and cure for storage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ev8DF-61e0RgfPSU9fGDWFOZEr4zry0w_tryv7q63oIpoTR6lVc7KGrxtYPeNLx1SAYbOjtuDjim08_SNwIhTeIZ0VMK08BQP-U8bTmd2eHYa7gEd0Ayp4boJ91t4ZxcspmRGN-ytRIa/s1600/drying+shallots+29JUL2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ev8DF-61e0RgfPSU9fGDWFOZEr4zry0w_tryv7q63oIpoTR6lVc7KGrxtYPeNLx1SAYbOjtuDjim08_SNwIhTeIZ0VMK08BQP-U8bTmd2eHYa7gEd0Ayp4boJ91t4ZxcspmRGN-ytRIa/s320/drying+shallots+29JUL2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I seeded flagrano beans for the fall, as well
as another generation of carrots and beets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Weeding and harvesting dominated the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tomatoes and eggplant are coming in well
this year and colored bell peppers are right around the corner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other than that I am still harvesting
everything that was on the list last week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><br />
<br />
Hope you all have a great week and keep an eye out for all those
beneficial insects out there in the garden, remember that not all bugs are bad
guys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNV2d4EVri3pxNkcYeu2AGPntOGugBYE9TCmcSbgafKAIzB4j2nPr0TCEgDsv1ycRtV6EFUXY1KvTyZGlb1WOgUCu-yp1qoeRbH1duIwywNA6iKMEnreIo7U1bPlMs91PhiU8mrB_6EEzU/s1600/Cherry+tomato+harvest+29JUL2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNV2d4EVri3pxNkcYeu2AGPntOGugBYE9TCmcSbgafKAIzB4j2nPr0TCEgDsv1ycRtV6EFUXY1KvTyZGlb1WOgUCu-yp1qoeRbH1duIwywNA6iKMEnreIo7U1bPlMs91PhiU8mrB_6EEzU/s400/Cherry+tomato+harvest+29JUL2012.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-75249523694471711262012-07-16T14:29:00.000-07:002012-07-16T14:30:51.322-07:00<br />
What a week...<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
So sorry for the delay, but I have
been unbelievably busy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The heat wave
did end, though it left some issues in its wake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got into the temperatures that cause
blossom drop in both the eggplant and peppers, as well as a little bit in the
slicing tomatoes. Blossom drop is exactly what it sounds like - the flowers form
but drop to the ground before pollination. It occurs when the temperatures
are above 95 during the day and above 75 at night for several days. Luckily it
is a temporary situation and the flowers will hold after the heat is over. I
have removed the first generation of cucumbers from the greenhouse, and put in
the second.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the greenhouse I have
started all of the fall cauliflower and romanesco, as well as a late season attempt
at some okra. Other than that pruning and trellising continue as well as
weeding, seeding successional crops and planting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNWuhcXWl0ZksrCf5HdPYzQ9hWSEflSbfQNrWbifX4Rvyd2oZ2iOwIKnhGOyjnza8poIbCK6JNyraXx8s38oQM_npzautDvol5ICmuBb5BddFEB1SM0zb7QurB6o26fxwc5P1tn6rrh3U/s1600/cool+blue+16JUL2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNWuhcXWl0ZksrCf5HdPYzQ9hWSEflSbfQNrWbifX4Rvyd2oZ2iOwIKnhGOyjnza8poIbCK6JNyraXx8s38oQM_npzautDvol5ICmuBb5BddFEB1SM0zb7QurB6o26fxwc5P1tn6rrh3U/s320/cool+blue+16JUL2012.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue, keeping cool in the shade of the cherry tomatoes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
The zucchini and summer squash are
about finished for the season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
squash vine borers (SVB for short) are here in force and the plants are
dropping like flies. At this stage of the season, when SVB is so abundant, it
seems pointless to plant more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The SVB
is a moth that lays one or two small red eggs on summer squash plants. The eggs
hatch and the small grub bores its way into the vine at the base of the
plants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The grub uses the hollow space
within the vine to move its way up the center of the plant, eating along the
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They can live in there for up to a
month before the otherwise healthy looking plant wilts out of nowhere, when it
can no longer uptake water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There aren’t
too many ways to prevent them organically, at least not on a large scale. For
the home gardener here are a few tips; these pests don’t show up until later in
the season, so you can plant early. SVB generally fly around to lay there eggs in
the early afternoon, so you can cover the plants with row cover during this
time. You can also scout daily for the grubs or the detritus that they leave
when boring into the base of the plant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you find a hole soon after the grub has entered, you can slice into
the vine and get it out. The vine will heal. Also if you would like to avoid them
all together you can plant trombocino squash which can be harvested small and
used like zucchini (it is delicious) or large when it has the same color and
tastes like butternut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Butternut squash
is generally not bothered either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These varieties
of squash have a narrow vine center which is a less desirable home for SVB.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPnAS-dts1g_Q4SLJ1t5-LBahRugjfQzupMj2p_EjJLNBe1G9j1q0tNqKBc-lbXzFXN9mTXAmV1spAWBUt8dS-zvFfv4b4KQ9Kq65g3MlsxZyzgn0dOilz9uL1kwnjaZhyphenhyphenJZuMjOecOyx/s1600/Cherry+tomatoes+16JUL2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPnAS-dts1g_Q4SLJ1t5-LBahRugjfQzupMj2p_EjJLNBe1G9j1q0tNqKBc-lbXzFXN9mTXAmV1spAWBUt8dS-zvFfv4b4KQ9Kq65g3MlsxZyzgn0dOilz9uL1kwnjaZhyphenhyphenJZuMjOecOyx/s200/Cherry+tomatoes+16JUL2012.jpg" width="142" /></a></div>
Most of my time these days seem to
be taken up by harvesting. Cherry tomatoes are up to 30 quarts a week, slicer
tomatoes over 40 lbs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The shishito
peppers produce like crazy at around 10 lbs per week, doesn’t seem like much
but there are probably 30 peppers per lb. The haricovert beans aren’t coming in
strong yet due to an outbreak of potato leafhopper, but as the pest gets more
under control which is a slow but progressive process, they should bounce back.
Cucumbers are on a month long hiatus while the new plants develop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Charentais melons are coming in, as well as a
few cantaloupes. Other than that I am still harvesting swiss chard, shallots,
cippolini onions, carrots, beets, herbs and demi greens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdusDInfLN7tcS0miQqRE1a3nmCYJuqNEQUjgrXBR5iLs_L-CQJDCdL7E4m6vXBCzHNRFSOc-r8DDA1elGlMdRetIwIZ2wd-xLSDjnn6AA7mzx487NP8iPuFoCTAED-IUuSA5d1nXRr5F/s1600/PIckles+16JUL2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdusDInfLN7tcS0miQqRE1a3nmCYJuqNEQUjgrXBR5iLs_L-CQJDCdL7E4m6vXBCzHNRFSOc-r8DDA1elGlMdRetIwIZ2wd-xLSDjnn6AA7mzx487NP8iPuFoCTAED-IUuSA5d1nXRr5F/s320/PIckles+16JUL2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cucumbers from the garden turned into bread and butter and garlic dill pickles.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-91215303551095036722012-07-09T11:22:00.000-07:002012-07-09T11:22:43.508-07:004th of July Week...<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
This week was the week of the
storm. It blew through on Friday night, and I spent the whole time watching my
newly built hoop house, full of all of my cucumber and melon babies, through
the window, praying that the wind wouldn’t pick it up up and away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surprisingly, considering the strength of the
wind, there was no mangled steel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Overall I did not get too much damage; the eggplant and peppers all fell
down, but they didn’t snap so I staked them back up on Saturday morning and all
but one seem to be doing fine. The haricovert beans that I am currently harvesting
were blown down to the ground with no real solution, the plants seem ok for the
most part, but having to pick through the tangled mess adds quite a bit to the
harvest time. The biggest loss was the currant tomatoes, though they didn’t die
completely, a lot of the major branches snapped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I fixed some with duct tape (yes you can do
that) and those seem to be holding well. So in the end I think I made out
pretty well considering the severity of the storm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our new scare crow, the “scary crow” was also
knocked down, but not damaged so we will have him back up in a few days. He is
a monstrosity of a scare crow in the form of a giant bird with an 8 ft wing
span, made from grape vine, moss and of course, straw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gregory, the florist here at The Inn and
myself spent several late evenings last week constructing and installing him,
and we are both pretty proud of what came out of it.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
It is really hot again this week,
but we are still in the realm of good growing weather, I have been keeping up
with the irrigation so everything is happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The latest generation of beans, carrots and beets are starting to pop
up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am planting the second to last
generation of summer squash this week, and the second generation of cucumbers
are almost ready to move into the hoop house. The romanesco, and cauliflower
have all popped in the green house, so it is starting to look like fall in
there (as long as you can ignore the 110 degree temperatures). The cherry
tomatoes have out grown their 6 foot stakes, so I will have to come up with a
plan to extend them this week, it is hard to know how high they will go
considering we just hit July!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
The harvest list grew quite a bit
in the last week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We finally have our
own shishito peppers, a beautiful little pepper from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region> with a complex, slightly
bitter flavor. There are lots of green bell peppers as well but I will wait for
them to ripen before I begin to pick them, when ripe they will come in red,
orange and yellow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Slicing tomatoes are
beginning to roll in though right now we are still waiting for the red
varieties. (those varieties that are yellow and orange have a tendancy to come
in first, even though one of the red varieties boasts a shorter “days to
harvest”) The cherry tomatoes are starting to come in strong, and we are even
getting eggplant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of the above are
about three weeks earlier than last year and I am not complaining. Hope you all
have a great up coming week, sorry for the lack of photos, but my internet is still
down, I’ll add extra next week. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477922323315133333.post-71293305665508402362012-06-29T06:27:00.000-07:002012-06-29T06:27:18.916-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong>Is it hot enough for ya?</strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
This week has been hot and the weekend promises to be hotter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather put a real damper on getting
things done. Sprinklers and drip systems have been running full tilt, partially
just to keep things cool, and unfortunately these high temperatures have put an
end to all of our spring vegetables. The turnips, radishes, broccoli and the
last of the lettuce have all gone to flower, making them bitter and inedible.
On a better note the first tiny eggplant and peppers are hanging from the
plants, I ate a few cherry tomatoes and the slicing tomatoes are starting to
ripen.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkb0rbFfvq3hbhoIO_0YJE4hPvHbTBn8bR5yz7RkhnFXQxR2SoObeZyLhc278JSiPgwtPuHUmxV2-xatq302V7v62md0h4AbYKJHf-NaSXRF01zzewkIAFykEiM2J2zxfRARjNcDbQ39d/s1600/growing+squash+w-blossom+26JUN2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkb0rbFfvq3hbhoIO_0YJE4hPvHbTBn8bR5yz7RkhnFXQxR2SoObeZyLhc278JSiPgwtPuHUmxV2-xatq302V7v62md0h4AbYKJHf-NaSXRF01zzewkIAFykEiM2J2zxfRARjNcDbQ39d/s200/growing+squash+w-blossom+26JUN2012.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgir_cyi80A74WrJKJflNpK8w5N59N3jGjPm7zLWM7_zbji1IZvNfzFX7-SerLgmph8BjbnMjSVJ56ozFK_ytvg2XSuX1n_7HOPQFLsKPoa2wd6bA0MLaaqPa2NjjfNhEemDx7gIBus4UH/s1600/green+tomatoes+2+26JUN2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgir_cyi80A74WrJKJflNpK8w5N59N3jGjPm7zLWM7_zbji1IZvNfzFX7-SerLgmph8BjbnMjSVJ56ozFK_ytvg2XSuX1n_7HOPQFLsKPoa2wd6bA0MLaaqPa2NjjfNhEemDx7gIBus4UH/s320/green+tomatoes+2+26JUN2012.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This week
there was no planting due to the high temps, but I will play catch up over the
next week. The last of the new irrigation system was finally installed and all of
the straw mulch is now down. I trellised the last planting of tomatoes, as well
as the flowers, and built tee-pees for the pole beans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Weeding is just about finished, though it
looks like we need to head back to the beginning and start again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_oJBpABbtNUKB-P4hXjmSk_cvwDVcx4m__stP6tTNPo5OFQQygaug06rkkBRwnR-l1tLnbypE2SKwRVIYJhEHInJxXEA9O1dq8aJeC1x0mmZPGBql97uoKlpUx2U1re5DmgvXvPCJOkBp/s1600/red+torpedo+onion+26JUN2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_oJBpABbtNUKB-P4hXjmSk_cvwDVcx4m__stP6tTNPo5OFQQygaug06rkkBRwnR-l1tLnbypE2SKwRVIYJhEHInJxXEA9O1dq8aJeC1x0mmZPGBql97uoKlpUx2U1re5DmgvXvPCJOkBp/s200/red+torpedo+onion+26JUN2012.jpg" width="124" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The harvest has been really good this week;
frisee, lots of onions, beets, fava beans, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, squash,
cucumbers, fennel, dill, cilantro, basil and other herbs, the first of the
zinnias and celosia for the floral department, beets and swiss chard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sorry I don’t have time for more folks, but
as I said earlier I am way behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have
a good week, and stay hydrated. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>Joneve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02425759871874439825noreply@blogger.com1