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A Soggy "Boing"!
Apr. 6th, 2008 12:50 pmThere are two signs of TRue Spring here. One is the Native tree called by the common name, 'The Old Man's Beard'(a small tree with crm to white ribbon-like petals which form falls of a foot to several feet long...). The other is a bird that I've never seen but hear it's Dusk call from Spring to Fall when it Migrates. When it's dulcet tones are heard as the sky reddens, you know Frost danger is over....
The normal SPring veggies such as Chard, Beets,Turnips, Radishes and SPinach have not done so well. It's been "excessively moist" this SPring;>. The Artichokes didn't handle it well either. Only one plant is left and it's not "happy". OTOH, anything people-watered in the coldframe have done well. My last batch of seed orders came yesterday so as soon as we have a couple of Sunny days to Warm the soil, we're ready for this yr....with the exception of the ordered Sweet Potatoes which won't be here till next month. I'm supposed to get starts from a permaculture list member of Satsuma Imo, a purple skinned and fleshed Sweet Potato sold as "candy" in Japan and Okinawa. Fingers Crossed!
This yr we didn't get a frost to wipe out the Citrus and Akebia crops but I'm worried since I'veonly seen one Bumblebee and no Honey or Carpenter Bees so far this yr. With Colony Collapse in the Southlands(because of Eejits that truck their hives from Maine to the Everglades every yr to maximize profit and expose their hives and all hives along their transport routes to whatever's about...), we're nervous. SO much that I've been hand-pollinating the Akebia vines. They have small nerf football fruits filled with a sweet jelly.
I've also done the same with the Meyer and Pink Lemons as well as the Kaffir Lime. While the Kaffir fruit isn't much used generally, it's flavor is close to the Japanese Yuzu Citrus and is available outside of California.
WIth the discovery that the edible "Taroes" are Hardy here, I've been planting them as I can find them in the grocery. WHen I have enough I'll have my Mom try the Malangas since she has chronic stomach problems and they are both hypoallergenic and digestable. I'm also trying a Name, a relative of the Air Potato which is supposed to be better than the best Yukon Gold Potato. SInce It's relative is Invasive here, It should do fine;>!
'COurse, ther's always the "fun" of getting Chuck to try something "weird". He grew up in a family where Dill and Sage were considered "exotic spices";>....
Truth,
Pat
The normal SPring veggies such as Chard, Beets,Turnips, Radishes and SPinach have not done so well. It's been "excessively moist" this SPring;>. The Artichokes didn't handle it well either. Only one plant is left and it's not "happy". OTOH, anything people-watered in the coldframe have done well. My last batch of seed orders came yesterday so as soon as we have a couple of Sunny days to Warm the soil, we're ready for this yr....with the exception of the ordered Sweet Potatoes which won't be here till next month. I'm supposed to get starts from a permaculture list member of Satsuma Imo, a purple skinned and fleshed Sweet Potato sold as "candy" in Japan and Okinawa. Fingers Crossed!
This yr we didn't get a frost to wipe out the Citrus and Akebia crops but I'm worried since I'veonly seen one Bumblebee and no Honey or Carpenter Bees so far this yr. With Colony Collapse in the Southlands(because of Eejits that truck their hives from Maine to the Everglades every yr to maximize profit and expose their hives and all hives along their transport routes to whatever's about...), we're nervous. SO much that I've been hand-pollinating the Akebia vines. They have small nerf football fruits filled with a sweet jelly.
I've also done the same with the Meyer and Pink Lemons as well as the Kaffir Lime. While the Kaffir fruit isn't much used generally, it's flavor is close to the Japanese Yuzu Citrus and is available outside of California.
WIth the discovery that the edible "Taroes" are Hardy here, I've been planting them as I can find them in the grocery. WHen I have enough I'll have my Mom try the Malangas since she has chronic stomach problems and they are both hypoallergenic and digestable. I'm also trying a Name, a relative of the Air Potato which is supposed to be better than the best Yukon Gold Potato. SInce It's relative is Invasive here, It should do fine;>!
'COurse, ther's always the "fun" of getting Chuck to try something "weird". He grew up in a family where Dill and Sage were considered "exotic spices";>....
Truth,
Pat
