From the Garden

[digitS']

Ah yes! That makes sense.

Shows how opportunities are probably just ignored by yours truly ...

That and how I see the damage from mining the Earth all around me and over my entire life! I'd rather sow a seed ...

Steve

 

[Larisa]

@digitS'
Steve, I'm so grateful to you that you continually improve my level of English language skills! The English language is included in the school curriculum in the Russian Federation. The good old British version.
(What in heavens were they thinking about when created the American version of the language? )
Ok, that send to you from Russia as a sign of gratitude, in addition to the wishes of a good harvest and vegetarian recipes?

 

[Smart Red]

The good old British version.
(What in heavens were they thinking about when created the American version of the language? )

The American version? Have you tried English in Australia? Not THAT is perverted British English.

 

[ninnymary]

Steve, I keep struggling with trying to grow peas. You would think that with my cool weather it would be easy peasy. For the first time I did manage to grow sweet peas. Do those count? I'll just have to keep on trying this fall for those elusive sugar snap peas. Part of my problem is that I don't have much room. I keep thinking that I should be able to grow them on my tomato trellis in the fall and then pull them out late March for my tomatoes to go in. That really doesn't give them much of a growing season. But I guess it's not really that. It's those darn sow bugs or ear wigs that keep eating them.

Mary

 

[digitS']

@ninnymary , I think that Sluggo Plus will be of help. Could NOT find an earwig in the dahlias yesterday that I sprayed with spinosad (same earwig killer in the Plus).

I'm having broccoli for dinner. Very flavorful, nice heads ... I'm not quite sure what happened in 2015. This year's broccoli has suffered in the heat, the first week of June. Last year, the record 108°f came about the last week in June. My plants hadn't produced anything by then and were tiny.

Buds formed! I took them off and the plants grew to just about the nicest broccoli plants I've ever had! But, that was late summer.

This year, the plants are mostly okay. The cooler weather after the heatwave may have kicked the broccoli back into a growing gear. I wonder if it is the variety.

• In 2015, Packman (50 days)
• In 2016, Tendergreen (67days)

How does this make any sense?

Oh well, a very nice broccoli, new to me. It is Fedco's earliest variety. Packman has been my choice for years but there are fewer companies carrying the seed. I hope Tendergreen can produce side buds for weeks and weeks. I sure wasn't expecting that from the 2015 Packman.

Steve

 

[ducks4you]

My two cherry trees came into harvest within one week of each other. NO WAY could I get all of the cherries from the first tree, but I have put in 5 hours so far harvesting, one hour last night and one hour this morning. If I can get to it tonight/early tomorrow morning I should be able to harvest for about one more hour, and finish. It's the shorter tree. I will try to get a picture, but every other limb was LOADED with fully ripened Montmorency Tart cherries!!!!!! I helped my self to them while harvesting. If you don't know, fully ripened they are actually tart with a strong aftertaste of sweet. Best of both worlds!!!!!
I'll get my camera out before I finish tomorrow and then I'll let you know how many quarts I get.

 

[so lucky]

@ducks4you, did you say you covered the trees to protect them from birds?
Lucky you, to have your own pie cherries! Of course, I remember helping pit them as a kid; that wasn't fun.

 

[digitS']

Lots of cucumbers!

Tomatoes are still the early, small varieties - a handful of cherry tomatoes every couple of days. For some reason there was a Big Beef about a week ago. Almost all the plants look real good and there are plenty of flowers on them now.

Several early Dutch cabbages were ready last week. The aphids showed up and swarmed them this month. I've now sprayed the cabbage twice with neem oil. Will replenished the insecticidal soap and stand by for a third defense, if necessary.

Zucchini beyond reason! And, still enjoying the chard, kale and a steady supply of green beans.

Steve

 

[ducks4you]

@ducks4you, did you say you covered the trees to protect them from birds?
Lucky you, to have your own pie cherries! Of course, I remember helping pit them as a kid; that wasn't fun.

I tried to, two years ago, but my nets weren't big enough. What I found was that you rush to harvest, and some will have bite marks from the birds. If you wait too late you will have bugs in them. I got a ton of cherries, about 16 quarts processed and had to freeze almost that much to get to after I finish chopping the burdock in the back 5 acres. DH has become my sharpie labeller, and that sames me time when canning.
I am so happy that I planted them some 8-9 years ago! They suffer from the summer heat and drop some yellow leaves, but they are both back in full force next spring.
BTW, I have new growth on my Bartlett pear!! If you remember it had blight, so I cut 8 inches or more past the dieback and it has new, green growth!

 

[Nyboy]

Ducks I am sure you already know this Leaves and bark from cherry trees piosionous to horses